Northern New Jersey Fishing Report
Damn you, Erin.
Fishing was pretty good when the hurricane made its closest approach to the Jersey Shore last week. But giant waves and fierce winds lingered and made a mess of things.
Unfortunately, the bite, especially for fluke, has yet to return to pre-storm conditions. But it seems to be improving on a daily basis. Will it be as good as it was? Who knows? Boats are starting to put better catches together and there are sea bass in the mix.
Yellowfin fishing near the Bacardi is holding up and bigeye and longfin are being caught in the Hudson Canyon. Bluefish, from cocktails to gators, are offshore and in the rivers and bays and mahi-mahi are hanging on the pots.
We’ll just have to see what September brings.
Rick Hebert at Tackle World in Rochelle Park has his fingers crossed. He heard of a few nice fluke landed but the bite has been pretty much a pick. He believes the fish are still around and hopes the fluking bounces back quickly. He had good reports on offshore yellowfin but that was about it for the week.
Gary Carr at Keyport Bait and Tackle said blackfish are being caught in Raritan Bay on green crabs. Capt. Justin of Dark Horse Fishing weighed in an 8.11-male that was caught in 14-feet of water on Saturday then was released safely at the dock. Fluking off the Keyport pier has picked up offering a lot of short action with some keepers in the mix. Crabbers have been doing well and spot and snappers are also being caught.
Capt. Phil Sciortino at the Tackle Box in Hazlet said the fluking has been slow since Erin’s visit but it started to get better at the start of the week with party boats out of Atlantic Highlands reporting some nice fish. Spanish mackerel and bluefish are being caught in the ocean and there are croakers, snappers and spot in the bay.
Joe Julian Jr. at Julian’s Bait and Tackle in Atlantic Highlands said last week’s storm pushed a lot of fluke up toward the tip of Sandy Hook and a few party boats were able to cash in. He also reported bluefish in Raritan Bay and Atlantic Highlands Harbor. Croakers, spot and snappers are around the bay, he added, and crabbing has been very good.
Mike Pinto at Giglio’s Bait and Tackle in Sea Bright said the fluke bounced back in the surf there with shop regular Tom Stahl catching close to a dozen over two days at the start of the week with one keeper. He also reported bluefish in the Shrewsbury and Navesink rivers.
Mike Gleason at Tak Waterman in Long Branch said the yellowfin bite has been good about 70 miles out. Die-hard bluefin anglers are also playing catch and release. Local rivers are still giving up a few keeper fluke and there are bluefish in there as well. He added that he’s seeing a lot of life off the beaches in Long Branch. Gleason said they still have some Scabelly Lures in stock and a few Malosi Studio Lures from Australia available.
Fluke came back into the surf between Asbury Park and Bradley Beach with plenty of shorts but no keepers to be had.
Tim Rizzuto at Fisherman’s Den in Belmar said the fluking was off this week due to the remnants of Erin but there were blues and bass being caught at the Shark River Inlet. There are also tog at the inlet.
Capt. Rick Falcone on the Golden Eagle out of Belmar has been finding bluefish up to 10 pounds every day this week. They’re being caught on topwater plugs and Ava jigs. Jumbo sea bass are also coming over the rail.
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Capt. Steve Spinelli on the Skylarker out of Belmar tried something different one day this week and headed to the Mud Hole in search of mahi-mahi. And he found plenty of them, with most being the chicken variety. The biggest of the day was about 13 pounds. He’s also catching fluke up to 5 pounds and jumbo sea bass.
Ted Imfeld at the Reel Seat in Brielle said the fluking has been a little spotty but the offshore tuna bite has been very good. Bigeye and yellowfin are in the Hudson Canyon and there is plenty of mahi-mahi around as well. There’s are loads of peanuts and mullet in the Manasquan River, he said, and there are blues and bass in there feeding on them. Imfeld also said tog are biting well at the Manasquan Inlet and in the Point Pleasant Canal.
Kyle Tangen at Fishermen’s Supply in Point Pleasant Beach said the ocean fluking was off but he did hear of better catches over the past few days. He did say there are now loads of bluefish offshore in a wide range of sizes, from cocktails to 10-pounders. The blues are also in the Manasquan River and Point Pleasant Canal. Tangen said the striper fishing in the river has been good as well, primarily at night around the bridges. Soft plastics and small plugs will do the trick. The river is choked with bait including spot, spearing and peanuts. Bigeye are biting in the Hudson Canyon, he said, and boats fishing the Manasquan River Yacht Club Tournament are weighing in some big ones. A 210 pounder currently sits atop the leaderboard with the tourney ending this Saturday. Yellowfin can still be found at the Bacardi and they’re being caught trolling, jigging and popping. Tangen added that the mahi fishing is very good at the pots.
Brian Flanagan at Captain Bill’s Landing in Point Pleasant Beach said that from what he’s seeing, all the fluke boats have been heading north. He, too, reported excellent bigeye and longfin tuna fishing in the Hudson Canyon and yellowfin at the Bacardi. Anglers are also doing very well with mahi-mahi. Live spot are still catching some big fluke in the Manasquan River and at the inlet. Blackfish are at the inlet and in the canal.
Capt. Tom Wolfe on the Norma K III out of Point Pleasant Beach said the fluking is improving daily as the bottom settles down. The fluke are not gone, he said, and there have been some limit catches in the last few days. Pool fish have been in the 5-pound range. He also reported bluefish in the 8- to 10-pound range on last weekend’s night bluefish trip.
Frank Giacalone at Gabriel Tackle in Brick reported that conditions are getting better each day with good reports from the Hudson Canyon with plenty of bigeye. Blackfishing in the canal has been good though it’s mostly shorts with some keepers in the mix.
Pete Kupper at Charlie’s Bait and Tackle in Normandy Beach said there have been a few fluke in the surf as it finally settles down. There are small stripers being caught back in Barnegat Bay under the lights of docks and bridges.
Ray Kerico at Grumpy’s Bait and Tackle in Seaside Park said the ocean is starting to get back to normal and there have been a few fluke caught in the surf. He said the fluking has been pretty good back in the bay with live spot catching fish up to 5 pounds. There was also some sad news from Grumpy’s as it was announced that Tom Hansen, Grumpy himself, passed away on Wednesday. Our deepest condolences to the Grumpy’s Tackle family.
Best Bets for the Weekend
One thing is certain; the fishing will be better this weekend than last and the forecast is for nice weather for the Labor Day holiday. The seas have calmed down and fluke are starting to bite again. Spots to the north of the Manasquan Inlet are producing but as the bottom settles, the Axel Carlson and Sea Girt reefs can heat up.
Offshore bluefishing rebounded quickly and small to chopper blues are biting during the day and at night. Bigeye fishing is hot in the Hudson Canyon, yellowfin are at the Bacardi and mahi-mahi are on the pots.
And there are blues, fluke, snappers and crabs in the rivers and bays. Enjoy the unofficial end of summer.