Northern New Jersey Fishing Report
They’re here. A few cool nights and steady west winds were all that was needed to jump start the fall run.
Wednesday morning saw bass busting in vast schools of adult bunker off Monmouth and Ocean counties. Boaters had the advantage as most of the reports had stripers caught livelining. Surfcasters also picked a few fish on plugs and shads. Catch numbers weren’t high, but the bass have arrived. Good striper reports also came out of Raritan Bay.
There were also reports of bluefin tuna slicing through the bunker schools with a few, very brief hookups.
For those not suffering from striper mania, fishing for sea bass, tuna, porgies and blackfish is still very good.
Rick Hebert at Tackle World in Rochelle Park reported that news of stripers in Raritan Bay and along the shore traveled fast. He said his customers were heading out to find them throughout the day. He was also getting good reports on sea bass on the reefs and tog at the inlets. With no rain in sight, Hebert wasn’t sure about next week’s trout stocking as it has already been postponed due to low water in rivers and streams. He did add smallmouth fishing in the Delaware River was very good over the weekend.
Capt. Phil Sciortino at the Tackle Box in Hazlet said that earlier in the week, boaters were catching big stripers trolling bunker spoons, Mojos and eels on planer boards. Then on Wednesday, he was posting pictures of Just Sayin Sportfishing Charters in the thick of the bunker catching stripers on NLBN shads. Sciortino himself used one to land a beach bass. Sciortino added that NLBN straight tails were also accounting for bluefin tuna in inshore waters.
Joe Julian at Julian’s Bait and Tackle in Atlantic Highlands said that with all the bait, whales and dolphins around, things were bound to break loose. In addition to the bunker, Julian said there a loads of sand eels around. Bass are also being caught under the Highlands Bridge by anglers using live spot. The spot are being caught in the marinas on earthworms, he added. There are also a lot of blackfish being caught around the bridge.
Mike Pinto at Giglio’s Bait and Tackle in Sea Bright said fishing was really, really slow around there at the beginning of the week with a few stripers being caught on the troll and some bluefish in the river. It all changed on Wednesday with acres of bunker off the beach and bass caught livelining. He also heard reports of tuna in the bunker pods.
Mike Gleason at TAK Waterman in Long Branch said that with all the bait around, a full moon and the cooler nights, the beach was all set to ignite. And he was right. Bass and bunker were off Long Branch and Monmouth Beach. And just in time for the stripers, the shop received its much-anticipated delivery of Back Bay Plugs. The lures are available in-store only with a limit of two per customer. The tuna fishing has also been very good, Gleason added, with bluefin and yellowfin hitting jigs, chunks and soft plastics like NLBN straight tails. The bunker and bass were off Ocean Grove and Bradley Beach for a good part of the day on Wednesday but just out of range for surfcasters. The boats, and three whales, appeared to have the most action.
Tim Rizzuto at Fisherman’s Den in Belmar said the bass were off the beach there as well and, he too, had reports of tuna in the pods. Earlier in the week, Tommy Palmisano at the Den said stripers are being caught in the Shark River at night, winter flounder have been taken in the backwaters, and blackfishing is very good at the inlet.
Capt. Steve Spinelli on the Skylarker out of Belmar reported good bottom fishing for sea bass, porgies and blackfish. There have been limits on sea bass and Dave Brink Jr. of Port Monmouth hoisted an 8-pound tog over the rail earlier this week.
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Capt. Rich Falcone of the Golden Eagle out of Belmar saw all the bass and bunker around on Wednesday and will be sailing for stripers starting Thursday. Shads and circle hooks for livelining will probably be a good bet to have ready. The Big Mohawk, also out of Belmar, will be hunting for stripers as well.
Jimbo at the Reel Seat in Brielle said hefty yellowfin, up to 100 pounds, were being caught on jigs out in the canyon. He also reported a couple of swordfish were taken on live squid. Prior to Wednesday’s developments, Jimbo said bass were mostly being taken on the troll with bunker spoons and Mojos. Blues are in the Manasquan River and blackfishing is solid at the inlet and in the Point Pleasant Canal.
Chris Parlow from Captain Bill’s Landing in Point Pleasant Beach reported that the fall striped bass run has begun. Large schools of adult bunker finally arrived in local waters and with it the bass have followed. Large bass were caught both south and north of the Manasquan Inlet livelining bunker. He also reported that bluefin tuna are following the schools of bunker and there was a number of hookups within five miles of the beach. Bluefin and yellowfin were also being caught at the AP and Triple Wreck area on butterfish. Sea bass and tog are also still biting on the local wrecks and reefs and there are triggerfish in the mix. Schoolie stripers, blues and tog are being caught around the local bridges, in the Point Pleasant Canal and at the inlet.
Kyle Tangen at Fishermen’s Supply in Point Pleasant broke the news to me that the bass were all stacked up from Deal down to the south on Wednesday. He said the boats were getting stripers up to 40 pounds. He hadn’t heard of any taken from the beach. Sea bassing is still good on the Shark River Reef and the togging has been excellent, both on the rock piles and at the inlet and in the Point Pleasant Canal. Tangen also reported some monster yellowfin have been caught around the Triple Wrecks chunking butterfish. Big bluefin are closer inshore being caught on the troll.
Capt. Danny Gregory on the Norma K III out of Point Pleasant Beach said the fishing has been decent with sea bass, porgies and tog. He did mention that he heard there was a big body of bass heading our way and that he would fish for them when they arrived. Now that they’re here, check his website for details.
Capt. Jay Richardella of Side Job Charters out of the Manasquan Inlet said he will be targeting stripers and tuna in the coming weeks and he has openings on his schedule. Check his website for availability.
Frank Giacalone at Gabriel Bait and Tackle in Brick reported bunker and stripers right outside the Manasquan Inlet on Wednesday. He also received word of bass biting up in Raritan Bay. Blackfishing, he continued, in the Point Pleasant Canal has been has been good and is getting better each day. The canal is also producing plenty stripers on eels and spot and there are blues around as well.
Peter Kupper at Charlie’s Bait and Tackle in Normandy Beach said at the start of the week fishing was slow with some bass and bluefish being caught early in the morning. There wasn’t any word if the bunker schools or bass reached that far south as of Wednesday. Kupper said preparations are underway for the Annual Surf Turkey Striped Bass Tournament taking place over the Thanksgiving Holiday Weekend. Cash prizes are awarded in this catch-and-release tournament. Details are on the shop’s website.
Scott Thomas at Grumpy’s Bait and Tackle in Seaside Park said he heard there were tuna within casting range from Monmouth Beach and Long Branch on Wednesday amid all the bunker. He also said there were a few tuna hook ups from the boats but all were short lived. Earlier in the week, Thomas said surfcasters were catching bass and blues in low-light conditions. Toggers, he added, have been doing well in the Point Pleasant Canal and from the jetties at the Barnegat Inlet.
Best Bets for the Weekend
The fall run is on with bunker and bass from Raritan Bay down to Bay Head. It will just be a matter of locating them.
Boaters will have the advantage of covering a lot of water while surfcasters will have to be in the right place at the right time. Livelining, shads and plugs should work for both boaters and surfcasters.
Blackfishing is also very good right now while there are still plenty of sea bass on the wrecks and reefs.
This Saturday, October 19, is free fishing day courtesy of NJDEP, so state residents can enjoy freshwater fishing without the need for a license or trout stamp.