Northern New Jersey Fishing Report
Striped bass, blackfish, and catch-and-release bluefin are all on this year’s Thanksgiving fishing menu. But there’s no telling whether you’ll get your fill.
Striper fishing remains good, but not every angler is getting rewarded. Boats have the advantage as there are bunker everywhere. But the pods aren’t always holding fish, and some searching around is usually required. Surfcasters found fish, which were spread out along the coast, but fewer blitzes were reported.
Blackfishing at the inlets is decent, and it’s picking up on the offshore reefs and wrecks as cooling water is pushing the tog out.
Trolling and casting for bluefin has also been productive for folks out chasing them. Tuna, in a variety of sizes, are popping up just off the beach to seven to 10 miles out.
Offshore black sea bass fishing has also been good 40-to 60-miles out.
Rick Hebert at Tackle World in Rochelle Park said he’s getting good boat reports on stripers with shad and sand eel umbrella rigs putting fish in the coolers. There are a lot more keeper-sized fish around, he added. He also had word that there is a big body of bass to the north that hasn’t made its way here yet. Blackfishing is picking up on the offshore pieces, and he’s had good reports on offshore sea bass. On the freshwater front, Hebert said there is a good walleye bite at Greenwood Lake, and the state has just concluded winter trout stocking. Check the NJ Fish and Wildlife website for exact stocking locations. On Black Friday, Tackle World is offering 15 percent off storewide with special discounts on gift cards. Check the website for full details.
Capt. Dan Mazza of Thin Blue Tide Charters out of Keyport reported that bass fishing continues to be on fire. Smaller bass seemed to have moved in; however, there are still plenty of slots and overs being caught. Shad Life shads, top water plugs, spoons, and umbrella rigs are all working.
Gary Carr at Keyport Bait and Tackle said the striper fishing has been good in the back bay and out front. Bait and plugs are working in the back of Raritan Bay, while shads and diamond jigs are doing the job in the ocean. Tog fishing, he added, has been good with plenty of keepers mixed in with the shorts. Carr said the shop will be open Thanksgiving Day from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. and on Black Friday from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Keyport Bait and Tackle will be running its Blackfish Challenge 2.0 this Saturday aboard the Dark Horse out of Atlantic Highlands. For more information, call 1-844-TACKLE-1
Capt. Phil Sciortino at the Tackle Box in Hazlet said bass are spread out all over the ocean and jigging is the way to catch them. Togging is good as well on the reefs and wrecks. The Tackle Box is open on Thanksgiving and is holding a gift certificate sale on Black Friday. Buy one for $100 and get a $25 one for free.
Joe Julian Jr. at Julian’s Bait and Tackle in Atlantic Highlands said there were a couple of bass blitzes in Sea Bright this week, and the surfcasters were out in force. He had good reports on blackfishing over the weekend. Julian’s will be open until 2 p.m. on Thanksgiving. He added that there will be specials on reels this Friday.
Mike Pinto at Giglio’s Bait and Tackle in Sea Bright said there was blitz on Saturday with stripers in the 30- to 35-inch range caught on pencil poppers and jigs. He said there were some 40-inchers in the mix. Beach anglers continued to pick bass through the beginning of the week. Pinto said the shop is fully stocked with ODM Evo X rods.
Mike Gleason at Tak Waterman in Long Branch said there was a good showing of bass on the beaches early Monday morning, but it didn’t hold up. He’s been getting good reports on the tog bite, if not a lot of limit catches. There’s a wide variety of bluefin around, he said, from 40 inches up to giants, and the catch-and-release crews have been doing well. Gleason said that there will be Black Friday sales on pretty much everything in the shop, including rods, reels, clothing and tackle. There has been bunker off the beaches in Asbury Park, Ocean Grove and Bradley Beach all week, but staying just out of range of surfcasters.
Tom Palmisano at Fisherman’s Den in Belmar said stripers were being caught from the sand in Belmar and Spring Lake on Monday. The party boats chasing bass out of the marina, like the Big Mohawk and Golden Eagle, were doing well on most days, he said. Blackfishing has been holding up at the Shark River Inlet, Palmisano added, and folks have been catching winter flounder by the concrete pier back in the river.
Capt. Steve Spinelli on the Skylarker out of Belmar said he got into the bass on Monday off Long Branch and Asbury Park and put a boat limit of fish aboard. Blackfishing, he said, has been a little up and down.
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Jimbo at the Reel Seat in Brielle said he had good striper reports from the boats off Seaside and Island Beach State Park on Sunday, with metal lips and shads working well. He also had good reports on offshore sea bass with both jigs and bait getting the job done. His customers are also having fun with bluefin. The Reel Seat is having a Black Friday Sale with 20 percent off storewide and 50 percent off on select rods and reels.
Christian Caparra at Fishermen’s Supply in Point Pleasant Beach said he believes the majority of the stripers are now south of the Manasquan Inlet. The fish are on bunker, so livelining, popping plugs and metal-lips are good choices. Togging has picked up on the reefs and wrecks, and he said white leggers are producing the most bites. He, too, reported good bluefin action on the troll and casting poppers. Fishermen’s Supply will be holding a Black Friday Sale with discounts on rods, jigs and clothing.
Capt. Tom Wolfe on the Norma K III out of Point Pleasant Beach reported a good day of striper fishing off Spring Lake on Monday. He got on the bass early and picked fish throughout the day. They had a boat limit of bass, and he said the 6-inch shads were working the best. He’ll be sailing Thanksgiving Day from 6 to 11 a.m. The Norma K III sails for blackfish every Wednesday from 6:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. and offers a special $100 pool.
Pete Kupper at Charlie’s Bait and Tackle in Normandy Beach said that it went quiet there this week after all the striper excitement the week before. There’s bait around, he said, but not a lot of fish. Kupper is all set for the annual Surf Turkey Striper Tournament taking place over the Thanksgiving Weekend. There’s a $2,000 cash prize for the winner. Contact the shop for details.
Scott Thomas at Grumpy’s Tackle in Seaside Park said the stripers have been in and out, with guys picking fish in the surf. Metal-lip swimmers, shads and poppers were getting hit. Togging has been good at the Garden State Reef, he said, as Ray Kerico and Sean Smida from the shop did very well over the weekend. Bluefin tuna are in the area, and Thomas said a few striper anglers hooked up briefly before their gear was overpowered. Grumpy’s will be holding a big Black Friday sale this weekend at the store and online with big discounts on rods, reels, apparel and tackle.
Best Bets for the Weekend
There’s bass around, so it’s just a matter of being at the right place at the right time for surfcasters and boaters alike.
A mix of bait, including peanut and adult bunker, along with sand eels and rainfish, has been fueling the bite. Stripers are being caught from Sandy Hook down to Island Beach State Park. Be prepared to move around if you want to catch fish.
Blackfishing is picking up on the offshore wrecks and reefs, with folks using white leggers having the advantage.
Or, you can just hit all the Black Friday sales. Have a Happy Thanksgiving.