Northern New Jersey Fishing Report
Before we get to the report, just a reminder that the deadline for public comment on Atlantic Striped Bass Draft Addendum III is next Friday, Oct. 3. The addendum proposes new management measures to increase the probability of rebuilding the stock by 2029. Among the proposals are a seasonal shutdown and changes to size limits. Full details are at the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s website. Every voice counts if we want to protect our access to this treasured resource.
Back on the water, we’re now in that transitional time between fluke closing, which is today, and sea bass opening, which is next Wednesday. Everyone is also waiting for the start of the fall run that will begin when Mother Nature says it’s time. Mullet are already on the move and the rivers and bays are bursting with peanuts, spearing and spot. There are bass and blues biting along the beaches and in the rivers and bays, and blackfish are keeping anglers busy at the Point Pleasant Canal and at the inlets.
Rick Hebert at Tackle World in Rochelle Park said reports on yellowfin have been good about 80 miles out. The only issue has been one of consistency with the fish there one day and gone the next. He also heard positive words about blackfishing on the reefs and wrecks, and at the inlets. Rivers and streams are still very low but he’s hoping the rain in the forecast will bring water levels up. Fall trout stocking is set to start on Oct. 14 and continue for two weeks.
Gary Carr at Keyport Bait and Tackle said not much has changed from last week along the Keyport waterfront. Anglers at the bulkhead and fishing pier are catching spot, snappers and crabs. He said we should start seeing some striped bass showing up soon with these cooler nights. Anglers in the rivers have been doing well with bass on small, soft plastics and live eels. Carr said he’s also receiving reports that bluefish are being caught all along the beaches.
Capt. Phil Sciortino at the Tackle Box in Hazlet said it’s been a little quiet. Fluke fishing got slow as the season wound down and the fish moved out. Everybody is waiting for the stripers to show. Bluefish and some Spanish mackerel are biting at the tip of Sandy Hook, he added, and porgies can be found on the New York side of Raritan Bay.
Steve Garelli at Julian’s Bait and Tackle in Atlantic Highlands said it’s been a bit slow there since school began. Fluke were being caught in the surf along with bluefish but that’s been about it.
Mike Pinto at Giglio’s Bait and Tackle in Sea Bright said there have been some blues and bass caught out front, and bigger fluke showed up in the surf in the final days of the season. He also reported weakfish caught in the Navesink River. Pinto said there’s bait in the surf, now we just need the bass to show. When they do, he added, Giglio’s has ODM Evo X surf rods in stock to catch them.
Mike Gleason at Tak Waterman in Long Branch said that anglers plugging in the surf are finding some stripers. Find the mullet, he said, and there should be bass around. He said there are a lot of spot and peanut bunker in the wash as well. There’s also a great offshore chunk bite going on right now for yellowfin. Gleason still has some Back Bay Plugs available in the shop.
Blackfish are eating the sand crabs I’ve been tossing off the jetties in the Asbury Park area. There are lots of bites, but not many keepers.
Tim Rizzuto at Fisherman’s Den in Belmar said folks are catching a lot of tog at the Shark River Inlet. Shorts outnumber keepers by far, but there are some legal fish in the mix. There are loads of peanut bunker in the Shark River just waiting for the signal to leave, he said. A few bass, along with some bluefish, have been reported caught in the surf.
Capt. Rich Falcone on the Golden Eagle out of Belmar said he’s been finding plenty of bluefish on his last several trips, and there have been bonito in the mix. He also had a successful yellowfin trip earlier this week and has openings on upcoming tuna trips.
Capt. Jay Richardella on Side Job Charters out of Belmar said they had their limit of yellowfin after two hours at the Bacardi on Tuesday when he was at the helm of the Canyon Runner. An inshore trip earlier in the week aboard the Side Job produced bluefish, Spanish mackerel and bonito. Capt. Jay has some open dates, and he can be contacted through his website.
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Oscar Maia at the Reel Seat in Brielle said the yellowfin bite has been hot around the Bacardi. He’s been fishing close to the squid and scallop boats to the northeast and doing very well. He also reported yellowfin and bigeye in front of the Hudson Canyon.
Capt. Tom Wolfe, aboard the Norma K III out of Point Pleasant Beach, said the last couple of days of the fluke season were a struggle. He’s put a lot of miles on the boat with just a few keepers to show for it. Overall, he said this season was better than last year, but not by a lot. He said they will be lying low until sea bass season starts next week.
Brian Flanagan at Captain Bill’s Landing in Point Pleasant Beach also reported on the good yellowfin fishing at the Bacardi. He added that there are lots of mahi-mahi around the pots at the Mud Hole and some are a decent size. Stripers are hitting live eels and spot in the Point Pleasant Canal, and blackfish are in the canal and at the Manasquan Inlet.
Kyle Tangen at Fishermen’s Supply in Point Pleasant Beach said there is an incredible amount of bait in the Manasquan River. Spearing, mullet, spot and peanut bunker are providing a buffet for stripers at night.There are big bluefish, up to 10 pounds, in the Point Pleasant Canal. Tangen said tog anglers were getting their catches attacked as they reeled them in. Bass are in the canal as well, hitting live spot, eels and soft plastics. Blackfish are also hitting green crabs at the Manasquan Inlet. There’s good fishing on the yellowfin front, he said, out by the Bacardi, mostly on the chunk. There have been some taken on poppers as well once the tuna get on the feed. The Voyager out of Point Pleasant Beach has been doing well on its offshore tuna trips. Tangen said that Fishermen’s Supply now carries saltwater fly-fishing rods and reels from Lamson, a high-quality manufacturer offering affordable equipment.
Frank Giacalone at Gabriel Tackle Company in Brick said chunking is the ticket for offshore yellowfin, and there are bigeye to be caught in the Hudson Canyon. The mahi-mahi bite remains good around the pots, he reported, and there are plenty of stripers and blues in the Point Pleasant Canal.
Pete Kupper at Charlie’s Bait and Tackle in Normandy Beach said the weekend saw keeper fluke caught in the Manasquan River and the northern end of Barnegat Bay. He said a few fluke even hit live spot in the Point Pleasant Canal. Barnegat Bay, he added, is loaded with small bass and bluefish.
Frankie Z at Grumpy’s Bait and Tackle in Seaside Park said the mullet run is in full swing and there are bluefish hitting bait, plugs and metal in the surf. He also reported some stripers in the surf around the southern end of IBSP. Blackfishing, he said, is good at the Barnegat Inlet jetties and in the Point Pleasant Canal.
Best Bets for the Weekend
With fluke off the table and sea bass a few days away, fishing choices are limited, but there are options. Mullet are moving along the beaches, attracting bluefish and some stripers. Bait and metal are working for the blues, and the bass are hitting plugs and shads in low-light conditions.
Blackfishing is good on wrecks and reefs, in the Point Pleasant Canal, and at the inlets. It’s still a one-fish limit until Nov. 16.
And if you can get offshore, there is a solid yellowfin bite near the Bacardi.