Southern New Jersey Fishing Report
Well, it was fun while it lasted with calm seas, light winds, and fish biting. Time will tell how the striped bass and tuna respond after the projected 3-day blow we are supposed to get with much needed rain, colder temperatures, and strong northwest winds. If the old adage, “Northwest is best”, remains true, hopefully the hot bite will pick up where it left off. Bluefin tuna continued to be caught from 5 to 20 miles out on jigs, poppers, and trolled tuna jigs. Blue/white and pink/white RonZs trolled at 6 to 8 knots produced the best bites as long as the boat traffic was low.
The striped bass bite has been switching from live bunker to swim shads to poppers on any given day. Anglers opting for structure-loving tautog boxed quite a few keepers over the weekend during 5-fish opener and throughout the rest of the week. The inlet jetties have been the best spots for tautog action, as well as the shallower, inshore wrecks.
Here is this week’s rundown:
Hook House Bait & Tackle in Toms River reported decent mid-week bites off Seaside to the end of IBSP on striped bass to 40 inches in the surf. Metal-lipped swimmers, cut bunker and white swim shads have been the ticket for hungry striped bass. The back-bay had some decent schoolie action during the nighttime outgoing tides on small soft-plastic lures.
Creekside Outfitters in Waretown reported decent striped bass fishing from Seaside pipe to Barnegat Inlet on a variety of lures and baits. Bass have ranged from 40 inches plus down to slot-sized specimens. Beach anglers working IBSP and LBI reported the best action on white swim shads worked along some of the cuts. Bluefin tuna up to 50 inches continued to be caught north of Seaside to Little Egg inlet out to 20 miles. Togging was exceptional along the inlets, but there were less fish to be caught further out.
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Reel Reaction Sportfishing out of Waretown continued to stay busy working after-school charters for clients during the week. The skipper found feeding fish both in the back bay and out front on soft plastics and live baits. Charters were able to box limits of slot-size fish along with their bonus tagged bass within the 3-hour time frame. Released stripers have ranged from 10 to 15 fish per trip up to 34 inches. The crew has weekday 3-hour striped bass trips available on Tuesdays and Thursdays (live bait included), so give them a ring.
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The Super Chic out of Barnegat Light was busy running 6- to 8-hour striped bass trips for clients and the boat produced some nice released fish as well as keepers. Some of the days, the runs have been close to Manasquan inlet, but the skipper has been staying on the bite. The boat will be off over the weekend with the high winds, but expects to be out targeting striped bass again next week.
Tony’s Bait & Tackle in Manahawkin reported epic action on early morning and late afternoon striped bass from IBSP south to Harvey Cedars. Some of the schools pushed close to the 3-mile line, and a few miles further, anglers reported large bluefin 60 inches and over. The shop was extremely busy keeping orders of green crabs flying out the door with the tog bite off Barnegat Inlet.
Tackle Direct in Egg Harbor City remarked that the bluefin and striped bass bite continued through the weekend into mid-week. The lumps and ridges have been red hot for anglers trolling ballyhoo or pink/white RonZs. Striped bass were caught along the Brigantine and Atlantic City beaches on chunked bunker and Tsunami swimshads. Toggers reported the best action off the red-hot AC jetties with a number of anglers reporting 5-fish limits up to 18 inches.
Tight Lines Bait & Tackle in Somers Point got solid reports of bluefin to 60 inches on poppers by some of their favorite patrons. Most of the action has been at the inshore lumps with slight bird action clueing anglers in to where the fish may be. Striped bass fishing has been hit or miss along the beaches and out to 3 miles. Most of the bass have been over-slot fish for boaters, but there is better keeper action in the backwaters on live spot and eels. The 5-fish tautog season started off with a bang off Somers Point to Sea Isle from jetties and inshore structure. Green crabs tipped on small 1- to 2-ounce jigs worked best for these blackfish.
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Badfish Charters in Ocean City worked plugs, poppers, and plastics in the backwaters for beautiful bass up to 32 inches. The skipper had anglers working some of his favorite sod bank spots to produce bass on the moving tides. Capt. Brian said there are some nice fish around and he has dates open for charters, so give him a ring.
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Wildwood to Cape May had very solid reports on 5-fish limits of tautog for most of the charters and party boats. The reef sites and rockpiles have been very good for tog up to 7 pounds on green crabs. The Cape May inlet rocks were crowded over the weekend with the opener, but the reports were good in terms of catching. Striped bass fishing has been better in the back and along some of the beaches as compared to working offshore. The action has been a little spotty for ocean striped bass, and of the fish landed, they have been over 31 inches. The Fortescue areas reported a few stripers being caught on bloodworms and small swim shads. White perch have been the main play on small pieces of bloodworms worked around the coastal creek mouths.
South Jersey Fishing Forecast
The best bet for the weekend may be to work the beaches with the strong NW winds, which may find bait and striped bass swimming closer to shore. Boaters and surfcasters should have good opportunities, but it all depends on the bait movement. If schools push offshore, it’s game over for both groups of anglers. Sea conditions will be on the very sporty side beyond a mile off the beach with the 20- to 30-knot winds. Hardcore jetty hoppers will have the other best bet on the incoming tides for leftover keeper tautog. But the winds may help keep some “not-so-hardy” anglers at home and leave for toggers with the gumption to go. Last weekend it was literally elbow-to-elbow on the rock-lined jetties from Barnegat Inlet south to Cape May. Good luck, be safe, and tight lines!