Southern New Jersey Fishing Report
Bluefin tuna to 70 inches, fluke to 10 pounds and good numbers of weakfish! July is shaping up to be an excellent month. Our bays are very hot right now with some areas seeing outgoing tides up to 83 degrees, and with that comes a lot of rays. Flounder fishermen have been focusing on the incoming water for better bites and fewer rays. Anglers working soft plastics in Southern Jersey found weakfish off the jetties and bridges. Ocean fishing has been solid for fluke on the reef sites and individual wrecks, but anglers are having to bounce around. Offshore canyon action has been hot and heavy for yellowfin, mahi, and deep-drop tiles. Bluefin showed up at the usual summer spots with some anglers landing fish up to 72 inches on rigged ballyhoo.
Here is this week’s rundown:
Hook House Bait & Tackle in Toms River said the flounder bite has been good along parts of IBSP and along the main channels in Barnegat Bay. Anglers working crab traps from the Seaside piers are producing some nice keepers. The shop relayed that they received a few new shipments of reels and pliers, so stop in to check out the selection.
Creekside Outfitters in Waretown reported fluke biting along the inlet and around the finger jetty for anglers working live spot. Minnows and Gulp have also been working along some of the main channels and from the BI to BB. Yellowfin and tilefish are being caught at the canyons while some inshore bluefin to 70 inches have been caught from the Bacardi and Little Italy.
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Reel Reaction Sportfishing out of Waretown was busy working double charters and most trips are seeing 40 to 70 fluke being released. Keepers are ranging from 3 to 7 per trip and are measuring up to 23 inches. A recent ocean charter produced limits of sea bass, fluke to 23 inches, and ling. The skipper is completely booked out for July and August, but there are some dates remaining in September.
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The Super Chic out of Barnegat Light was busy working the wrecks for a combination of ling, sea bass, and some flounder. The boat has also been running a few offshore open boat tilefish trips and the most recent outing had a bunch of beautiful golden tilefish coming over the rail.
Tony’s Bait & Tackle in Manahawkin said some small brown sharks have been caught bayside and off the surf on the night tides with kingfish heads. Fluke fishermen reported excellent bites along the main channels around Barnegat Inlet and Little Egg Inlet. Most of the fluke seem to be in the 12- to 20-foot depths. The ocean reef sites are producing good numbers of keeper fluke. Offshore canyon action seems to be spread out and solid at most edges for yellowfin tuna and mahi.
Tackle Direct in Egg Harbor City said it’s been all offshore yellowfin and mahi action; the shop has been very busy with customers purchasing offshore gear and tackle. Inshore there are a few cobia around and the reef sites are producing good numbers of keeper flounder to 7 pounds. Triggerfish and sea bass are also being caught on the reef sites and the bayside bridges are producing good numbers of sheepshead.
Tight Lines Bait & Tackle in Somers Point reported good flounder fishing along ICW with plenty of short action and keepers mixed in. Most ratios are running 8 to 1 with Gulp and minnows being the top choices. Sheepshead to 9 pounds were caught along the bridges and continue to be producing solid bites for anglers fishing light bottom sweeper jigs.
Badfish Charters in Ocean City said he’s been targeting flounder, weakfish, and some bluefish with light tackle setups. The bridges and sod banks have sheepshead that are happy to play. With the warmer water temperatures, the skipper has put a hold on striped bass trips as to not injure fish due to lactic acid burn.
Jersey Cape Guide Service in Sea Isle City reports: “Flounder fishing has been good this week on the incoming tide with fish up to 6 pounds being caught both in the ocean and in the bay. Shark fishing has been excellent. We have had brown sandbar and spinner sharks this week. Some have been over 100 pounds. We are catching those on the fly and on bait With light tackle spinning rods. Dolphin fishing is starting for us as well. Offshore. Typically goes from now through the beginning of September. I anticipate that to be very, very good. This upcoming week we should have good evening, high tides for strip pass in the back bay.”
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The Cape May and Fortescue area has lots of fluke along the beaches of Cape May and Wildwood, but most are shy of keeper size. Minnows, spearing, and Gulp baits tipped on lightweight bucktails in the 1/4- to 1/2-ounce range have been producing the best. Kingfish, croakers, and spot are being landed off the beaches on bloodworms and Fishbites. The reef sites are producing more keeper-size fluke than the bay, along with limits of black sea bass (which is just one per angler). Sheepshead are around the jetties and bridge pilings, taking fiddler crabs or sand fleas on tog jigs and bottom sweepers. Bluefin from school-size and up are being found at the inshore lumps and even closer, just a few miles off the beaches. Canyon action is hot for yellowfin on the troll.
South Jersey Fishing Forecast
The best bet for the weekend will be working the beaches for summer flounder in the suds, or finding your way on a boat as the sea conditions look excellent. The reef sites are the places to be for fluke; they’re being caught on bucktails and Gulp, along with nice sea bass. Most Gulp colors are producing, as are large strip baits tipped on rigs.
Offshore anglers have another epic weekend to find yellowfin and mahi at the canyons. Tiles are another good option and there are some small charters and head boats that will run for them, so get the electric reels and 2-pound sinkers out. If you are willing to work the night shift, grab some soft plastics (pink, white, and pink/silver) and light jigheads to find weakfish at the bridges and jetties. Good luck, be safe, and tight lines!