Northern New Jersey Fishing Report
It’s a chilly Christmas, but there are some creatures of the scaly variety still swimming about.
For those that can stand the cold, blackfishing has been solid with a number of double-digit fish landed. Reports have also been good for offshore sea bass fishing. Blues, weakfish and big porgies are adding to those catches.
Bluefin remain in the area but not a lot of people are chasing them. And stripers haven’t disappeared completely. Boat anglers are picking away at a few and surfcasters fishing down by Seaside Park got into them last week.
Rick Hebert at Tackle World in Rochelle Park said blackfishing has been improving and he says it about the best bet right now. He also reported that a few of their customers are still targeting bluefin. Freshwater fishing has been good at the local lakes for walleye, he added.
Patrick Sciortino at the Tackle Box in Hazlet said blackfishing has been pretty good at the Rattlesnake and other local rock piles. He also had a report of a bluefin caught off Rockaway last week. Sciortino said the shop will be closed for a couple of weeks after the holidays and then open with winter hours from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. until spring.
Joe Julian Jr. at Julian’s Bait and Tackle in Atlantic Highlands said it’s been very quiet there and he just wanted to wish everyone a Merry Christmas.
Mike Pinto at Giglio’s Bait and Tackle in Sea Bright said there was little going on there as well. The shop will switch to winter hours after Christmas open on Saturdays only from 8 a.m. to noon and by appointment.
Mike Gleason at TAK Waterman in Long Branch said the only thing he was hearing was of bluefin still in the area. The most recent catch he was aware of was reported last Wednesday. After the holidays, TAK Waterman’s store hours will be every day from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and closed on Tuesdays.
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Jesse Thomas at Fisherman’s Den in Belmar said the blackfish boats out of the marina, including the Capt. Cal II and Big Mohawk, have been doing pretty well on the local reefs.
Capt. Steve Spinelli on the Skylarker out of Belmar said his charter had a good day on a local spot last Friday with half a dozen blackfish over 10 pounds with one of the tog hitting 15 pounds. He also reported plenty of bait still off the beaches. Capt. Spinelli said he’ll be sailing through January and has some open dates.
Capt. Rich Falcone on the Golden Eagle out of Belmar has been doing well on the offshore sea bass trips and he has limited spots available for trips on Dec. 26 and 28. Check the website for details.
Dean Visone at the Reel Seat in Brielle said the reports on offshore sea bass fishing have been really good. He also reported bluefin about 10 to 13 miles out. Togging has been good for boats out of the Manasquan Inlet with a number of limit and near-limit catches reported, he added. While supplies last, the Reel Seat is offering 30 percent off the entire line of Shimano Grappler rods.
Capt. Danny Gregory on the Norma K III out of Point Pleasant Beach said he sailed on Monday for the weekly marathon tog trip and had a decent catch. High hook had eight and there were several limits and near-limits among the light crowd. Gregory said there was one more Monday marathon on the schedule but check ahead of time to confirm that the boat is sailing.
Dean at Captain Bill’s Landing in Point Pleasant Beach said he’s had reports of good togging at the Manasquan Inlet. Most people have pulled their boats for the winter, he said, so there aren’t many offshore reports coming his way.
Christian Caparra at Fishermen’s Supply in Point Pleasant Beach said reports have been good on offshore sea bass fishing and togging on the local reefs and wrecks. From what he’s hearing, there are still a few bluefin around but most of the tuna are making their way south. Caparra said after the holidays, the shop will go to winter hours of 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily.
Frank Giacalone at Gabriel Tackle in Brick has had good reports of stripers in the back of Barnegat Bay. He also reported good blackfishing at the Axel Carlson and Sea Girt reefs.
Pete Kupper at Charlie’s Bait and Tackle in Normandy Beach said that with the exception of small stripers in the Toms River, there is nothing much going on around there. The bass are hitting small plastics and there are white perch in the river as well, hitting blood worms.
Ray Kerico at Grumpy’s Bait and Tackle in Seaside Park said there are still stripers in the surf. There was a small blitz there last Thursday evening with schoolie bass hitting pretty much anything that was thrown at them, including Avas, shads and metal-lip plugs. Blackfishing, he said, is good on the local reefs but it has dropped off at the Barnegat Inlet jetties. After the holidays, Grumpy’s will begin winter hours of 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. every day.
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Best Bets for the Weekend
Blackfishing looks to be the best bet for the next week with good catches of keeper fish reported on the local wrecks and reefs. There’s a warming trend on the way that should make winter fishing a little more comfortable.
The Rattlesnake and Axel Carlson and Sea Girt reefs have been productive spots.
Offshore sea bassing has also been very good for the past few weeks.
And if you found a new surf rod under the tree, give it a try close to a jetty. There might be a schoolie striper or two lurking around. Small shads will do the trick this time of year.
Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah.