Northern New Jersey Fishing Report
Raritan Bay lit up with big bass this past week. Some days were better than others and chilly, wet weather hampered participation, but there were some impressive stripers caught. Charter boats got their first real taste of spring fishing
The action was also good in the back of the bay and nearby rivers. The fishing should only improve from here on in. The surf is still quiet as far as bass go, but that should change fairly soon.
Blackfishing remains hit or miss with party boats reporting more keepers but the bite is still inconsistent. Cold water and lousy weather haven’t made for a good spring as yet. Trout season, however, is in full swing with stocked lakes, ponds and streams rewarding anglers.
Rick Hebert at Tackle World in Rochelle Park said stripers hit mainly shads in Raritan Bay and on the New York side. Bloodworms are also working in the shallow parts of the bay during the day while plugs like metal lips and SP Minnows are doing the job at night. A slow retrieve is working best. Blackfishing is up and down from what he’s hearing while freshwater anglers are doing well with trout.
Capt. Jay Richardella of Side Job Charters got his season underway over the weekend on a high note picking stripers on shads and trolling Mojos. He found the fish again at the beginning of the week as well. He’s sailing his new boat out of Lockwood Boat Works in South Amboy for the spring striper season and can be contacted through his website.
Capt. Phil Sciortino at the Tackle Box in Hazlet said it’s a hot bass bite in Raritan Bay and all the local rivers. Fish up to 40 pounds were taken on the troll, on plugs and plastics earlier this week. Live eels also accounted for some fish as did bloodworms. The fish are everywhere, he said, including the Keansburg Pier and off the Bayshore beaches.
Joe Julian Jr. at Julian’s Bait and Tackle in Atlantic Highlands said Raritan Bay came alive with bass all over the place. Shads are doing the trick and he said pearl was a popular color. He also heard of stripers being caught off Sandy Hook on the outgoing tide. Julian added there was a lot of activity in the Navesink River.
Mike Pinto at Giglio’s Bait and Tackle in Sea Bright said it really came together in the last few days up in Raritan Bay and the local rivers. Metal-lip swimmers, shads, Mojos, SP Minnows and Hydro Minnows were all working. Whatever you throw, he added, retrieve it slowly. Pinto said the shop now has a full line of Al Gag’s Whip-It Lures.
Mike Gleason at Tak Waterman in Long Branch said bass fishing has been incredible all over the place. Fish from the teens to 25 pounds are hitting just about everything but 6- to 9-inch shads appear to have the edge. Gleason said the shop is now open seven days a week and they just got new shipments of gliders from Larson Lures and plugs from Maine Fishing Co.
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Tim Rizzuto at Fisherman’s Den in Belmar heard about all the excitement to the north but it’s been a little quiet around there. He received reports of 40-inch fish up in Raritan Bay. There hasn’t been much to report on the winter flounder bite in the Shark River but there are tog being caught at the inlet on green crabs. The weather, he added, has been putting a crimp in the party boat sailing schedule.
Capt. Rich Falcone on the Golden Eagle out of Belmar has been held to the dock for the last several days due to high winds. But he’s had reports of stripers along the beach and he’s going hunting for them when he sails again Friday morning at 7:30.
Sarah Cloos at The Reel Seat in Brielle also said the striper fishing was good to the north. Locally, the action is a bit more subdued. The Manasquan River was quiet this week but there are blackfish biting in the Point Pleasant Canal. Cooked shrimp is proving an effective bait along with clams and crabs. The shop, she added, has some new custom Ferminator Plugs.
Capt. Tom Wolfe on the Norma K III out of Point Pleasant Beach said they’ve been catching blackfish when the weather allows them to sail. The togging is getting better, he said, with some anglers getting limit catches while others get just one or two keepers. Then there is always the dreaded skunk. The Norma K III is sailing every day for tog at 7:30 a.m.
Amber at Capt. Bill’s Landing in Point Pleasant Beach said they will be open this Friday to get their season started.
Kyle Tangen at Fishermen’s Supply in Point Pleasant said the better bass fishing is to the north in Raritan Bay. The reports he got said it was a little spotty over the weekend but Monday and Tuesday saw a steadier bite. Action in the Manasquan River took a hit will all the rain turning the water dirty. It was the same in the Point Pleasant Canal but there were still some bass caught in there. He hasn’t heard much in the way of blackfish but the shop is selling loads of crabs so they must be catching some at the Manasquan Inlet and in the canal. Tangen said the shop will be holding a special seminar on Saturday, April 26, with Gold Coast Ballyhoo and Wolfpack Tackle on rigging techniques and strategies for offshore gamefish. The seminar starts at noon and full details are available on Fishermen’s Supply Facebook page.
Frank Giacalone at Gabriel Tackle Co. in Brick reported that blackfishing in the canal remains good on sandworms and green crabs. The striper bite in Barnegat Bay has been good when the weather cooperates. The outgoing tide is the best and bloodworms and soft plastics are the favorites.
Pete Kupper at Charlie’s Bait and Tackle in Normandy Beach said it’s still a pick of stripers under the Barnegat Bay bridges and there is a ton of bunker around.
Ray Kerico at Grumpy’s Tackle in Seaside Park said the striper bite in Barnegat Bay gets better every day and loads of bunker have now made their way into the bay. Blackfishing, he added, has been very good at the Barnegat Inlet. There was nothing to report from the surf as yet. Kerico said the shop is now open full time, 4:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. seven days a week.
Best Bets for the Weekend
The Raritan Bay bass bite is on with fish spread out in the back bay and the local rivers. Folks are catching them on pretty much everything, but shads, especially chartreuse and pearl, seem to be the favorites. A slow retrieve is working best.
Blackfishing appears to be picking up for the boats and at the inlets with sandworms, clams and crabs doing the trick.
The weather looks to be in our favor for a change so get out there.