Southern New Jersey Fishing Report
Strike up the band, light the fireworks, and blow the opening whistle! The wait is officially over; the 10-fish sea bass season opened a few days ago and already, there has been a lot of angler excitement at the tackle shops. Rigs, flutter jigs, AVA’s, and sinkers have been flying off the shelves. The only issue has been the literal blow given by Mother Nature with high winds and seas, but eventually the seas have to subside, and this weekend into the following week looks perfect.
The inlets have been the hot bed of action over the past week, with very cooperative bluefish during the morning and dinner time tides, along with a daily bite from tautog throughout the day. The coastal mullet run is in full swing with the passing moon phases and coastal storms, and striped bass, bluefish, and some nice weakfish have been chomping at the schools. Offshore fishing produced almost zilch for the last two-plus weeks, but this weekend looks like it will be pretty good for blue-water boats to make a run. We did hear from some commercial vessels that bluefin are within the sight of land out to 11 miles, so if you have the gear, give it a shot!
Here is this week’s rundown:
Hook House Bait & Tackle in Toms River said there have been bluefish and some striped bass feeding towards the southern end of Island Beach State Park. Metals, bucktails tipped with twirly tails, and swimming plugs and topwaters have been the hot lures. The bay side remains the same, with striped bass around the marshes and some blowfish still being caught from the “BI” to the “BB” on cut clam and squid.
Creekside Outfitters in Waretown had a slower than normal week due to the recent winds and weather. Anglers who are venturing out are finding tautog at Barnegat Inlet along with bluefish on metals during the incoming tides. Blowfish are still in the bay, but it seems most of the kingfish have moved out. The shop was busy selling tackle for the sea bass opener.
View this post on Instagram
Reel Reaction Sportfishing out of Waretown was tied to the dock for another week with the weather, but the team expects to be out over the weekend targeting sea bass at some of the choice wrecks. There are dates open for weekday night striped bass fishing in October, so give them a ring.
-
Want to get in on the bite? Find an OTW-approved Charter Fishing Captain in New Jersey!
The Super Chic out of Barnegat Light stayed at the dock for another straight week, but they will be sailing for sea bass for this upcoming week from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. each day. Anglers looking to get out should give the skipper a ring, as there are October dates left for sea bass or tuna.
Tony’s Bait & Tackle in Manahawkin had slower reports this week due to the weather, but some areas have been getting steady angler action. The shop reported that the inlets are fishing well for tautog and bluefish, while the bridges and marshes have been decent for striped bass. Mullet have been cruising down the beach and through the inlets with bluefish and weakfish on them.
Tackle Direct in Egg Harbor City said the best action of the week has been from the jetties off Brigantine and Atlantic City for tautog with green crab, Asian shore crabs, or sand fleas. Bluefish and striped bass have been around the inlets and bridges, feeding on both sides of the high tides. Anglers are seeing mullet movement near the inlets and out front along the beaches with some bluefish and Spanish mackerel on their tails. Weakfish were pretty active in the bays on pink soft plastics and Gulp jerk shads worked along the bottom. Some of the weakfish have been up to 6 pounds!
Tight Lines Bait & Tackle in Somers Point said fresh mullet have made it to the store, which are perfect for targeting bluefish, weakfish, and striped bass. The jetties, sea walls, and bridges have been getting better and better with regard to tautog. Striped bass in the backwaters are being picked up on soft plastics (Bass Assassins, Zooms, etc.), but most of the fish have been under 28 inches. The shop said the weather looks perfect for anglers targeting sea bass at the reef sites and for beach fisherman working the suds this upcoming weekend.
Badfish Charters in Ocean City found a few isolated pockets of striped bass along the backwater flats feeding on spearing and peanut bunker. The bass were more than cooperative on topwaters for skipper and crew. Capt. Brian also reported loads of mullet and anchovies in the surf, with a good number of bluefish and Spanish mackerel chasing them. The crew has dates available over the next few weeks for charters, so give them a ring.
The Cape May to Fortescue areas were a little slower this past week due to a downtick in angler action, but there are good numbers of fish to be had in the Delaware Bay. Bloodworms have been the ticket for some beautiful fall sparklers, a.k.a. weakfish, which have been up to 25 inches. The jetties, or stretches of beach adjacent to the jetties, have been excellent for weakfish, as well as bluefish and some kingfish. The creeks closer to Fortescue and the Maurice River are producing excellent numbers of white perch on bloodworms. I have not received any reports on sea bassing due to the conditions, but I’m certain that will change in the near future.
South Jersey Fishing Forecast
The weather and seas finally look fantastic for this weekend, and with the sea bass limit increasing to 10-fish per angler, it’s time to put a few in the freezer. The reef sites have been loaded with sea bass and according to NJ Fish & Wildlife, the sea bass population is very plentiful for this season. Clam on baited rigs should produce fish right away, but sometimes, it takes time to build the bite. It’s also a great time to drop down an AVA or flutter jig to target those larger sea bass, as the goal should be the bigger male humpheads.
Beach anglers looking to bend a rod with striped bass or bluefish should have excellent opportunities this weekend with calmer surf conditions, plus, the mullet run is in full swing. The canyons should be primed and ready for yellowfin, but the only question will be where to go. Good luck, be safe, and tight lines!