Fishing Report For Northern New Jersey
Patience is a virtue.
This past week saw a big body of striped bass finally push into the area. Raritan Bay welcomed an influx of fish that hit shads, metal lips and swim baits. Bloodworms also accounted for a number of stripers along the Bayshore beaches. Better bass fishing was also reported in Barnegat Bay with bigger bass caught over a wider area. More bunker appeared in the bay over the last week as well.
Offshore tog fishing remains a bit of a struggle due to chilly water but it was decent in the Point Pleasant Canal and at the inlets.
Freshwater action has been good, especially since trout season is now open. Now if we could only get the weather to cooperate, everything would be just fine.
Rick Hebert at Tackle World in Rochelle Park reported a big improvement in the striper fishing in Raritan Bay, mainly in the back and primarily on shads. There’s plenty of bunker around, he said, but hasn’t heard anything on a spoon or Mojo bite.
From what he’s hearing, it was a good trout opener last Saturday and anglers are happy with the freshwater bite in general.
Capt. Phil Sciortino at the Tackle Box in Hazlet said it broke open over the weekend with big bass in the back of Raritan Bay and in the local rivers. Stripers up to 42 inches were caught on shads and SP Minnows using a very slow retrieve. Bloodworms were also catching bass along the Bayshore beaches. Even with all the bunker around, Sciortino said he hadn’t heard of any stripers caught livelining. Sciortino said Bluff Lures have also been effective. A unique combination of a hard and soft bait, Bluff Lures will be on sale at the Tackle Box this Saturday, April 12, starting at 9 a.m.
Mike Pinto at Giglio’s Bait and Tackle in Sea Bright said the bass have arrived in the Shrewsbury and Navesink rivers. He reported bass up to 40 inches caught on shads, SP Minnows, Yo-Zuri Minnows and Outcast metal-lip swimmers. Chartreuse has been a productive color. So far, Pinto said, the top of the tide has proven the best time to fish.
Mike Gleason at Tak Waterman in Long Branch said the bass fishing picked up nicely with as a good wave of fish pushed in. The fish range in size from schoolies up to 25 pounds. The bass are everywhere, he added, throughout Raritan Bay and in the local rivers. The weather hasn’t really been helping matters, but Gleason said the blow in the forecast for the weekend may actually bring more stripers into our area.
Jesse Thomas at Fisherman’s Den in Belmar said folks are catching a few flounder in the Shark River but the bass bite up in Raritan Bay has everybody’s attention. He said they’re catching bass as far back as the Highland Park Bridge and the stripers and bunker are all around South Amboy and in the local rivers.
When the blackfish boats can get out, he said, they are finding some tog, but the weather has been a problem.
Capt. Rich Falcone on the Golden Eagle out of Belmar last sailed on Sunday for blackfish and reported decent blackfishing with some keepers and plenty of short life. Rain and wind have kept him at the dock since. He plans on sailing again this Saturday at 7:30 a.m. for tog.
Stanley S. at the Reel Seat in Brielle said the stripers really turned on up in Raritan Bay on soft plastics. He also heard of bloodworms and bunker chunks catching bass. He said blackfishing was starting to pick up at the Manasquan Inlet and in the Point Pleasant Canal.
Capt. Tom Wolfe on the Norma-K III out of Point Pleasant Beach said the water is still on the chilly side but he sailed last Sunday for blackfish and reported lots of short life on crabs and clams. He mentioned that they were about six miles out at the Klondike and came across acres of stripers feeding on herring on top.
The Norma K III will be sailing for blackfish every day the weather allows.
Kyle Tangen at Fishermens Supply Co in Point Pleasant Beach said last week the fishing was about to pop and events proved him right. Not only did the bass invade Raritan Bay, he said the fishing got a lot better in the Manasquan River. Tangen reported an angler hit the clam slam in the river earlier this week, catching a bass, a winter flounder and a blackfish all in the same spot. He also reported bass and blackfish in the Point Pleasant Canal and that there were a few small bluefish caught in there as well. Stripers are spread out through Barnegat Bay and the fishing has been very good between the Mantoloking Bridge and the Route 37 Bridge. Red Fins, Hydro Minnows and soft plastics are all working.
Tangen said the shop is running a special sale on NLBNs where you buy three and get one free while supplies last. They also received a big shipment of Jigging World fluke jigs, from three-quarters of an ounce up to six ounces.
Frank Giacalone at Gabriel Tackle Co. in Brick said blackfishing in the canal remains good on sandworms and green crabs while the striper bite in Barnegat Bay gets better every day.
His big question is when will the bluefish arrive?
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Pete Kupper at Charlie’s Bait & Tackle in Normandy Beach said folks are picking bass all around Barnegat Bay with the best fishing around the Mantoloking Bridge and in the Toms River.
The weather has been an issue, he said, keeping a lot of people at home. He thinks the fishing will be better by Easter.
Scott Thomas at Grumpy’s Bait and Tackle in Seaside Park said the bass fishing is definitely picking up in Barnegat Bay. While there are a lot of small fish being caught, he said, there are more bass in the in the 12- to 15-pound range showing up. Bloodworms continue to account for most of the fish. Thomas said the shop will have fresh clams in the shop for the weekend. So far, the surf has been quiet, but that could change at any time.
Grumpy’s will also be holding an in-store only Spring Break Special Sale this Saturday with 15 percent off many items throughout the store and a Big Rock Plug drop at noon. There’s also a buy three, get one free special on NLBN shads while they last. Full details on Grumpy’s Facebook page.
Fishing Forecast for Northern New Jersey
It doesn’t look like the weather will be cooperating this weekend but the bass bite is on in Raritan Bay and nearby rivers. Shads on a slow retrieve are proving effective as are SP Minnows, metal-lip swimmers and Yo-Zuri Minnows. Bloodworms are also catching fish on the Bayshore beaches. Bass fishing is also improving in Barnegat Bay on bloodworms and soft plastics while blackfish and a few bass have been caught in the Point Pleasant Canal.
Tog are also being caught on clams and crabs at the Shark River and Manasquan River inlets.