Southern New Jersey Fishing Report
Although we anglers received bummer news with the bluefin tuna fishery temporarily shutting down earlier this week, yellowfin are still in play at the canyons and some of the “fishy” mid-shore areas. Bonito and some Spanish mackerel have been landed at the nearshore lumps and ridges on trolled clark spoons and small epoxy jigs. But the big news of the week has been the fluke bite; it’s been “fluke-a-mania” at the reef sites and wrecks up and down the southern New Jersey coast with some fish to 10 pounds caught. Plus, tog and sheepshead are crushing crabs and jigs along some of the inlet jetties and back bay bridges. So if you haven’t fished recently, now is the time to gear up at your local tackle shop and hit the water.
Here is this week’s rundown:
Hook House Bait & Tackle in Toms River reported more shedder blue claws being caught due to the recent moon tides. The bay side has good numbers of fluke being caught in the main channels leading to the inlet. The surf has good action on fluke, bluefish, and some nice kingfish. The shop has green crabs in stock and there are a good number of tautog being caught off the rocks in Barnegat Inlet.
Salty Love Sportfishing in Forked River said fishing for yellowfin and mahi has been good at the canyons. The crew also added some golden tiles to the mix. They will be sailing offshore, so call them if interested in getting in on the bluewater action.
Creekside Outfitters in Waretown reported good fishing at the reef sites off IBSP and LBI with boat anglers getting decent flounder up to 8 pounds. Bay fishing has been very good in terms of action, but slower on keepers. However, the bay has been producing some numbers of blowfish if you put in the time. Although bluefin has closed, there are yellowfin being caught in the canyons and as close in as the Bacardi. The jetties of Barnegat were very good for tog this week, but be sure to bring lots of greenies as the bite is quick.
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Reel Reaction Sportfishing out of Waretown was busy over the past few days working the ocean for fluke. The fishing has been excellent with some charters getting their 4-man limits in one to two hours. Most of the fish have ranged from 19 to 24 inches, along with sea bass to 17 inches. Bay charters are producing lots of action, but ratios have been running 20 to 1, which are much higher than the ocean trips.
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The Super Chic out of Barnegat Light will be sailing next week for their open-boat tilefish barring any swell or poor conditions from Tropical Storm Erin. The crew has been busy working the bottom for fluke and sea bass charters. Yellowfin tuna are coming up in decent numbers for their overnight canyon trips, so give the boat a ring to schedule a charter.
Tony’s Bait & Tackle in Manahawkin reported good bay fluking over the past week in terms of numbers, but the shop said you have to work through a good amount of shorts. The ocean has been the better spot with Barnegat Light, Garden State reefs, and Little Egg producing keepers to 8 pounds. Gulp and long squid strips have been the hot baits for most. The LBI surf is producing a host of species: fluke, kingfish, bluefish, and even some pompano have been caught. Togging was excellent at the inlet this week and green crabs tipped on light tog jigs have caught fish up to 18 inches. Offshore action has yellowfin and mahi being caught at the canyons, and spots shy of the drop-off. Crabbing was pretty good this past week, but the full moon slowed down the amount of keepers a tad.
Tackle Direct in Egg Harbor City reported excellent fluke fishing in Great Bay and surrounding ICW channels leading to the inlets. Brigantine and Atlantic City have good numbers of fluke being caught off the rock-lined jetties, as well as some weakfish at night. Surf fishermen are finding kingfish, small fluke, and some croakers in the mix.
Tight Lines Bait & Tackle in Somers Point has been extremely busy at the scales with a host of fish being weighed in. Sheepshead to 10 pounds, tog to 5 pounds, and fluke to 7 pounds were all weighed in over the past week. The fishing in the bay has been excellent, as well as on the surrounding bridges. Anglers working the beaches are finding action on kingfish, fluke, and some weakfish. Boats are hitting the reef sites for good fluke fishing, along with some sea bass and a few triggerfish.
Badfish Charters in Ocean City had good reports on fluke from the bays to the ocean reefs and his charters have been busy bending rods. Some of the flatties have been up to 6 pounds, and there are some bonito around to make things interesting on light tackle. The skipper has also been gearing up for his fall striped bass trips, which he will begin in September and October as the water begins to cool down.
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Jersey Cape Guide Service in Sea Isle City had another busy week playing with some big sharks and fluke. Capt. Joe said nice-sized spinner sharks, hammerheads, and a few blacktips were caught along with several nice fluke, so give him a call or text to get on the books.
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The Cape May and Fortescue area had another stellar week with lots of flatties being caught at the reefs and wrecks on Gulp and squid strips. Anglers working Cape May and Delaware Bay reef sties had nice numbers of fluke up to 7 pounds. Several cobia sightings and landings were reported on the ocean front, and chicken mahi have been at some of the wrecks with fish pots. Offshore action has been steady for yellowfin, mahi, and several billfish (released) at the canyons. Bay action, behind Wildwood to Cape May, has lots of shorts and excellent crabbing in the marshes. The beaches are giving up kingfish, croakers, spot, and some short flounder. Anglers working the small and large tidal rivers are finding some cooperative stripers on artificials.
South Jersey Fishing Forecast
The best bet for the weekend will be to get out early and hit the beaches, inlets, or reef sites to target summer flounder, a.k.a. fluke. The bite has been exceptional for the past few weeks and should continue until we get a tropical entity to stir up the bottom; hopefully Erin passes us by. In the meantime, get out there while the getting is good. There are lots of keeper fluke with some larger ones to 10 pounds. Anglers working the bay or inlets should try to cast net peanut bunker or mullet and drop down offerings around the slack high tide, then work adjacent structure whether it be jetty rocks or bridge pilings. That’s where the big ones will be.
Anglers hitting the suds are finding keeper fluke in the surf close to the inlets as they push out of the bays and fan out along the beaches and inshore reefs. White bucktails between 1/2- to 1-ounce, tipped with strip bait or Gulp, will do the trick as you slowly retrieve the lure with an occasional twitch of the rod tip. The alternate option for the weekend is to grab green crabs, fiddlers, or sand fleas and hit any of the area jetties or bridges to bend the rod on tog or a possible sheepshead.
Good luck, be safe, and tight lines!