Southern New Jersey Fishing Report
August is upon us, which means ocean fluke fishing takes center stage as most of the fluke begin pushing out to the reef sites, wrecks and sloughs. The reports up and down the coast show good bites for fluke fishermen targeting the inshore reefs and wreck sites with 5- to 6-pound fluke along with triggerfish and quality sea bass. Six- to eight-inch Gulp grub tails tipped on jigs have been the hot ticket along with strip baits. Inshore sites are also producing a host of pelagics with small mahi, bonito, and some cobia being caught.
Offshore action continues with yellowfin being landed at the canyons and bluefin being caught at the nearshore ridges and wrecks. There have been some nice mahi caught in 120 to 150 feet of water offshore, so anglers wreck fishing should have light-tackle ready to go.
Crabbing in our bays continues to produce some beautiful-sized blue claws. And speaking on crabs, get your green crabs cut and tip those jigs as the jetties and bridges have tautog, which are back in play.
Here is this week’s rundown:
Hook House Bait & Tackle in Toms River said the flounder bite on the beach has been very good as well as some kingfish and croakers. Cornell biologists buried the Minke whale on the backside of the Barnegat Inlet north jetty. The jetty has been good on big fluke, keeper blackfish, and triggerfish. Bayside action was solid on crabs on the docks and along the marshes in 3 to 5 feet of water.
Creekside Outfitters in Waretown reported another solid week of fluke fishing at the local reefs and wrecks. Barnegat Light has had plenty of action on short fluke as well as keepers to 23 inches. Some of the local wrecks, the Yellow Flag and Brick Barge, had a good number of keeper fluke. The inshore wrecks to 45 feet are showing good numbers of triggerfish. Bayside action has been red hot for short fluke, but very tough on keepers. The inlet jetties are alive with triggerfish, sheepshead, and blackfish, but green crabs have been tough to procure.
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Reel Reaction Sportfishing out of Waretown was very busy over the past few days running 3 charters a day. The skipper’s clients have been averaging 40 to 60 fluke per 4-hour trip while boxing 2 to 5 keepers in the bay. Although the crew has been inundated with bay trips, the ocean bite has been much better on keepable fish with short-to-keeper ratios running about 6 to 1 as compared to the bay’s 15 to 1 ratio. There are openings in September for fluke, so call to get booked.
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The Super Chic out of Barnegat Light has been working wreck trips to box keeper fluke, sea bass, and a few triggerfish. The bite has been excellent for fluke in the ocean with some of the clients boxing quick limits of keepers up to 6 pounds. Offshore trips have been excellent for tilefish and the boat will be sailing an open boat in a few weeks. The skipper said to call to reserve a spot.
Capt. Cole Kennedy of Salty Love Sportfishing out of Forked River reports: “Yellowfin fishing remains hot with fish on jigs and poppers. Giant bluefin tuna have made an appearance as well. On the way in from the yellowfin grounds we were greeted by giants blitzing, and upon one cast and three twitches of the 4x NLBN super jighead and plastic we were smoked on a 20K reel. Within seconds we were down to the nub when the fish popped. Although the knot held, the jig head was mangled, and these jigheads are no joke. Tuna fishing is HOT in southern New Jersey!”
Tony’s Bait & Tackle in Manahawkin reported excellent crabbing with frozen bunker in back bay areas from 3 to 6 feet. Fishermen are finding shorts on the north and south end of Long Beach Island with fresh Gulp. Ocean fishermen have been finding a good number of fluke at the reef sites in depths to 80 feet on Gulp and strip baits. Bluefin tuna were picking up poppers and trolled ballyhoo at Little Italy and the Resor wreck this past week. Crabbing is very good with nice-sized jimmies loaded with meat on handlines or traps adjacent to some of the marshes on the west side of Barnegat Bay.
Tackle Direct in Egg Harbor City reported a solid week for anglers targeting fluke in the ocean as the reef sites have been producing good numbers of keeper fluke to 7 pounds along with sea bass and some triggers. The beaches have kingfish, fluke, and some small blues during the day while sand tigers and brown sharks can be caught at night. Bay bridges and pilings have a good number of sheepshead and some tog, which can be targeted with fiddler or green crabs tipped on small jigs. The offshore bite continued with some decent size and numbers of yellowfin being caught at the Hudson and bluefin just inside the canyons. The tuna jig bite has been pretty hot, so check out their full lineup of tuna jigs in store.
Tight Lines Bait & Tackle in Somers Point had a nice sheepshead weighed in that tipped the scale to 12 pounds. The bite has been excellent for sheepshead and tautog at the local bridges on fiddlers and green crabs. Fluke fishing is very good in the ocean and the bay provided lots of action on smaller fish. The deeper channels closer to the inlets are providing better action on keepers. There are kingfish, croakers, and some small fluke being picked up off the beaches.
Badfish Charters in Ocean City said it’s been mainly fluke action for the crew as the skipper has been working some choice areas both in the bay and ocean for nice flatties. Sea bass and triggers are also being caught in the ocean, while the bay spots have some nice-sized sheepshead.
Jersey Cape Guide Service in Sea Isle City has been busy working the outside reef sites as well as the bay channels to put clients on fluke up to 6 pounds. Capt. Joe said there’s a lot of short fluke mixed in, but keepers are there. The skipper has some openings in the next few weeks, so give him a ring or book through his website.
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The Cape May and Fortescue area had another solid week of fishing with croakers, spot, weakfish, and fluke being caught in parts of Delaware Bay. One of the headboats had a recent trip with a bunch of keeper black drum up to 19 pounds. Weakfish are around at the jetties and can be targeted with bloodworm or pink soft plastics such as Gulp or Fin-S Fish tipped on small jigheads. Ocean fluke fishing has been excellent at the reef sites with some boats catching limits of keepers along with some sea bass and triggers. Anglers working the deeper sites are also seeing a few chicken mahi around. The offshore tuna bite has been good on the chunk, but better on the jig for yellowfin.
South Jersey Fishing Forecast
The best bet for the weekend is to work the inlets for a variety of gamefish as larger fluke are pushing from the bay and out to the ocean. 3/4- to 1.5-ounce bucktails or jigheads tipped with Gulp baits or strip baits are prime offerings. Shore-based anglers can work the jetties by casting upcurrent and working the jig with the current, but the key is to stay close to the rocks without hanging up (easier said than done). The larger doormat-sized specimens will hang there. But fluke isn’t the only option, as small bluefish have been running with the tides and are easily caught with small metals. Or, you can drop down crabs for a chance to catch sheepshead, tautog, and even triggerfish. If you want to work the surf for fish, then hit the Ocean City to Cape May beaches for excellent opportunities at kingfish, spot and croakers; there are plenty around and they can be targeted with small bits of bloodworm. If you’re a boat angler, now is the time to hit the reef sites for fluke. Just grab bucktails, Gulp, and squid from your local tackle shop. Good luck, be safe, and tight lines!