Northern New Jersey Fishing Report
Autumn storm systems can, at times, be a thorn in the side of striped bass fishermen, but they also tend to spark some of the hottest bites of the year. And many striper enthusiasts were treated to such action earlier this week, as a nor’easter pushed big bass west along the south shore of Long Island into the arms of northern New Jersey anglers.
While some braved foul-weather and poor sea conditions to find blitzing 20- to 40-pound bass, most of the Garden State is still waiting for the first wave of migratory stripers to reach their local beaches. The storm was the nail in the coffin of a spotty mullet run, but it seems to have cued peanut and adult bunker to get packing, and the bass were right there with them.
Anglers south of Sandy Hook and Raritan Bay, refusing to pack in their gear during the storm, found decent action from stripers and blues in the rivers. Others pushed their limits and dropped crabs for blackfish in the inlets and the Point Pleasant Canal, where resident bass and cocktail bluefish are helping to pass the time as larger migratory fish begin to march down the beaches.
Joe Julian at Julian’s Bait and Tackle in Atlantic Highlands said the storm really seems to have wiped out any patterns or existing bites. Since the nor’easter blew through, a few guys have been blackfishing the local docks while others are tossing live eels for stripers in the Navesink River after dark. Shore tog and stripers are really the only things going right now, but in a couple more days the fishing should improve as the water cleans up a bit. Plus, with some cooler overnight temperatures ahead, we should start to see the bass bite heat up out front after a few days of blitz action on the west end of Long Island.
Mike Pinto at Giglio’s Bait and Tackle in Sea Bright said there were some nice bass caught before the storm, most of which were way back in the bay and the Raritan River, but there were a few fish taken on the beach as well. Bill Bertsch brought some quality stripers to the sand recently; bucktail jigs and Yo-Zuri Hydro Pencils got the job done for him. It’s been pretty quiet since the storm, he said, but there are peanut bunker on the beaches north of the shop and a west wind coming early next week, which is likely to kickstart the fall run in the surf.
Mike Gleason at Tak Waterman in Long Branch relayed that the bass are here and they’re chewing, but certain areas are cold and others are hot. A new wave of fish has definitely moved in, he said. These are not our resident 10 pounders. Before the storm there were peanuts in the wash with resident and migratory bass on them, and some real ones showed up. Mike’s friend caught fish to 42 pounds with the lowest of the bunch being 27 pounds. When the bass are set up off Long Island and we get a nor’easter, he said, the Raritan sucks them right in. Since the foul weather subsided, peanuts have thinned out in the surf a bit, but there are loads of spot off the beaches and adult and peanut bunker nearby. Surfcasters throwing swim shads, straight-tail plastics and and bucktail jigs have picked up some quality bass. The river isn’t as dirty as he’d expected, but the ocean is still a little dark and churned up as conditions settle. He’s interested to see how the next couple days unfold. With a 5-day stretch of west wind forecasted to begin on Tuesday, and loads of spot in the surf, Mike is anticipating plenty of fish on the beach next week as they press south.
Tim Rizzuto at Fisherman’s Den in Belmar said they’ve been receiving good reports of blackfish at the Shark River Inlet both before and after the blow, even with the poor water clarity. During the storm, school-size stripers were chewing in the inlet and there were a couple bass in the 30-pound range caught just a bit further off as things settled down. Cocktail bluefish still make up the bulk of the catch on the beaches, but more anglers are picking up bass on clams, swim shads, and minnow plugs over the past few days. The party boats haven’t sailed since the storm, but they’re looking at Friday to get out for sea bass and blackfish. Additionally, largemouth bass fishing has been very good in the local ponds with Senkos, crankbaits and nightcrawlers all working well.
Captain Steve Spinelli of the Skylarker out of Belmar said that even with the bad weather forecast, they were able to fish up until Saturday, 10/11. The sea bass were very cooperative — just about every angler on board got their limit and added some big porgies and keeper tautog, which made for a nice mixed bag. He’s hopeful the sea bass bite picks up where it left off, because the fishing had been excellent. The Skylarker has fall and winter dates available, so check out their site for trip info and call or text Capt. Steve at (732) 309-7689 to book.
Bill at the Reel Seat in Brielle said its been relatively quiet since the storm came through, but the ocean water is cleaning up, the surf is laying down, and the weather looks good this weekend into next week when the west wind picks up. Last Friday before the blow, the bass bite lit up off Sandy Hook early in the morning, with 20- to 40-pound fish hitting topwater plugs. There have been some fish stacked up in Raritan Bay since then, and a few were caught on swim shads on the beach this morning. The surf bite should really pick up sometime this weekend, and if not then, Tuesday looks like the start of a good weather window.
Christian at Fishermen’s Supply in Point Pleasant Beach said there are resident bass being caught in the Manasquan River while everyone waits for the surf bite to improve. There are still some spotty bluefish in the surf at this time, but most people are gearing up for the fall run of stripers. Last he heard, yellowfin tuna are still in the same places offshore as they were prior to the nor’easter, so the chunk bite should pick up right where it left off. Shore anglers, he added, are catching blackfish at Manasquan Inlet and in the Point Pleasant Canal, both of which have seen phenomenal results despite less than ideal sea conditions, and the shop is loaded with green crabs, tog jigs and rigs for those who want to give it a go before the first good push of migratory bass.
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The Norma K III out of Point Pleasant Beach reported that they have been unable to sail since Saturday morning before the storm swell kept them docked. However, last Friday, their group managed a handful of black sea bass limits with a few anglers coming just shy of their keeper limit. There were porgies and triggerfish in the mix to round out the day’s catch, too. They plan to sail again today (Thursday), for sea bass from 7:30am – 2:30 pm and will be running night fishing trips for bluefish on Fridays and Saturdays at 5pm. Come October 20, they’ll begin running full-day striped bass trips, which leave the dock at 6:30am. Head to their website for trip information or to book your date.
Frank Giacalone of Gabriel Tackle in Brick reported that prior to the weather, the sea bass bite was good with reports of anglers limiting out on the Shark River Reef and decent catches on the Axel Carlson and Sea Girt reefs with a few blackfish in the mix. The Point Pleasant Canal is also producing a good mix of short and keeper-size blackfish on green crabs. There’s also been a hot bite for stripers and blues on live eels and spot in the canal, but the bass are also swiping at soft plastics and blues are showing preference for hard baits like minnow plugs. In the surf, there are still cocktail blues being caught on mullet while anglers patiently await the arrival of migratory bass on the beaches.
Pete Kupper at Charlie’s Bait and Tackle in Normandy Beach echoed that fishing has been tough this week since the storm. However, anglers kept busy catching tautog in the Point Pleasant Canal, where they were able to duck out of the wind and pick through shorts. At night, he added, there are stripers and blues being taken on live eels in the canal, while during the storm, a few anglers found bass fired up and feeding beneath the dock lights in the sheltered bay waters.
Scott Thomas at Grumpy’s Tackle in Seaside Park said the back bay is holding some good fish right now, and there are plenty of bass to the north in the bay as well, but all is quiet out in the surf since the storm came through. Even the bluefish have thinned out; there were cocktails being caught on mullet late last week but not much is happening now. At this time, the bay side is the best bet for some striper action if you’re looking to scratch the itch to fish, and there should be bass sliding down the beaches in the next several days.
Best Bets for the Weekend
Aside from some stiff southerly wind on Sunday, this weekend’s weather looks much better than last. The party boats should have little to no issue sailing for sea bass, tautog, porgies and triggerfish. With the way the sea bass were chewing before the storm, it’d be worth jumping on board to put some meat in the fridge (or freezer).
Stripers are slowly but surely making their way in from the north, and with several days of westerly wind in the forecast for next week, surfcasters are chomping at the bit for some sand beach action. Look to the suds around first light for signs of bait, birds, or transient stripers, and pack an array of bunker-imitating plugs like glidebaits, darters, Dannys and peanut swimmers. Things are just heating up.