Southern New Jersey Fishing Report- April 17, 2025

Southern New Jersey Fishing Report

Can someone stop turning the thermostat down? Most of south-central New Jersey had a freeze warning during the past week and the temperatures are hampering the striped bass bite in parts of Barnegat Bay—not to mention the 20+ seals that have been seen eating schoolie striped bass. Even the ospreys have been cashing in on schoolie bass; check out the picture below from one of our local osprey cams.

The word of the week has been to make the drive up the parkway as the Raritan striper bite continues to be on fire. Anglers making the trek reported bass from 25 to 46 inches being caught on a variety of artificial lures (plugs, paddletails, poppers, etc).

Anglers found steady tog action over the past week, with white leggers getting more bites from larger fish. You’re more likely to find an Easter egg than procuring a bushel of whites, as they have been in short supply. Green crabs are working at the wrecks and jetties, but if you can find some white leggers, use them!

Drum fishing came alive in myriad spots, from behind Island Beach to Graveling Point to Cape May. It’s definitely time to put in a good soaking with fresh surf clams. 

Here is this week’s rundown: 

Hook House Bait & Tackle in Toms River had reports of drum along parts of Island Beach from boaters soaking clams. Anglers working bloodworms are still finding some striped bass around the Toms River. The shop hasn’t heard too much on the white perch or winter flounder front, but there was word of some bird action off the beaches. 

Creekside Outfitters in Waretown reported some drum being caught from Island Beach and the bridges on soaked clam baits. Striped bass fishing has been a tad off in Barnegat Bay as the temperatures have dipped to the upper 40s; most anglers have reported slower bass fishing as a result. The bridges still have a few bass being caught at night. The tog bite was better at the ocean reef sites with plenty of short life and a few keepers for anglers working the Barnegat Light and Garden State reefs. 

Reel Reaction Sportfishing out of Waretown worked a trip during the week for return clients and the skipper reported slow striped bass action on fish up to 24 inches. With an hour left, the crew switched over to tautog on the inside and released a few shorts, while keeping 3 fish to 17 inches. The crew has been seeing a fair amount of seals along the backside of Barnegat Bay. The skipper has some weekday dates available for the remainder of the month, 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 will be fishing in a few weeks as the captain and crew are set for their May start. There are a few dates left for May and June sea bassing, so check out the booking online. 

Tony’s Bait & Tackle in Manahawkin reported some black drum action from Great Bay and Little Egg Harbor. Surf clam soaked in the deeper channels adjacent to land or sod banks have been producing, but don’t count out Graveling Point for striped bass action too. The tog bite continues to be spotty with some days producing good fish and others marked by slow, scratchy bites, which is very typical for spring togging. White perch action has been heating up in the lagoons, so pitch out weighted bobbers and hooks tipped with grass shrimp to find some nice perch. 

Tackle Direct in Egg Harbor City said the striped bass fishing along the west parts of Great Bay and along the Mullica River are producing some striped bass up to 28 inches.  The rivers are producing some excellent white perch action on bloodworms, but much better action on grass shrimp. The word of the week has been the black drum bite occurring from Graveling Point to areas south with clam baits doing the trick for anchored boats and land-based anglers. Tog fishing was decent at some of the reef sites for anglers dropping white leggers; there were a few reports of quality fish over 10 pounds. Anglers working inlet jetties have been finding some keepers among a few shorts. The Atlantic City area also has decent tog action. 

Tight Lines Bait & Tackle in Somers Point reported some striped bass being caught along parts of the Intercoastal Waterway (ICW) on drifted clams and jumbo bloodworms. White and pink soft-plastic Zooms retrieved slowly around the bridges have also been producing some striped bass to 29 inches. The local rock piles and bridge abutments are producing some keeper tog on green crabs and clam. Anglers using white leggers on the inshore reefs have been catching some quality-sized white chins. 

Badfish Charters in Ocean City has been working the bayside for striped bass to 30 inches on soft plastics and small plugs. The skipper was able to send a few flies out for action on cruising striped bass. When bass fishing has been slow, the crew has been switching over to work crabs and clams for tautog along pieces of hard structure. The skipper has some dates available over the next several weeks, so give them a ring. 

The Cape May and Fortescue area had some spotty reports of black drum moving into the area, but the Delaware Bay water has been cold and pretty stirred up. As far as striped bass, a few of the local shops received excellent reports of a large body of big stripers moving down the Delaware River and they should be in the bay over the next week or two. The Cape May reef site was the spot to be for tautog, as fish up to 10 pounds have been coming over the rail on several of the head boats.  The issue has been the windy weather, but hopefully that will subside this week. Action on the Wildwood Reef has been slower according to anglers who stopped there. 

South Jersey Fishing Forecast 

The best bet for this week will be to grab a dozen to two dozen clams and crabs for black drum and tautog. Graveling Point is the historic site, but if you can find some deep channels that act as bait and fish highways, you’ll be in business.

Bridges hold striped bass, but don’t count out deep cuts also holding foraging drum—it seems to get better each year. Tautog fishermen should be able to sneak out Sunday before the Easter Bunny comes, or after your festivities if you’re looking to hit the ocean. If you can’t fish Sunday, then Saturday’s conditions will have you stuck working the rocks and jetties for tog. Good luck, be safe, and tight lines!