Northern New Jersey Fishing Report
There are plenty of stripers still around, but they seem to be playing a little hide-and-seek.
Even the boats, which have had the lion’s share of stripers all fall, are putting in lots of miles to find fish. Captains report marking loads of bass, but getting them to bite is another matter. The stripers that do come over the rail have hit shads, jigs, flutter spoons, and live bunker. Surfcasters are picking fish at different spots along the coast as long as they’re willing to move around and put in the time. A mix of offerings are working in the surf, including Avas, minnow plugs, glide baits, and metal-lips.
Blackfishing continues to be up-and-down as conditions change. Some days are just better than others. Reports have also been very good on offshore sea bass trips when the boats can sail.
Bluefin remain close to shore, and those with commercial permits are now able to harvest one fish.
In general, between the holiday and some unfriendly weather, things do seem to have slowed down.
Rick Hebert at Tackle World in Rochelle Park said the boats are finding lots of bass, but the fish have been keeping their mouths shut. The tog bite has been spotty as well. He figures it will become more consistent as the water temperature stabilizes. Hebert also commented on the abundant bluefin.
Capt. Dan Mazza of Thin Blue Tide Charters, out of Keyport, switched from stripers to blackfish and headed out for tog in less-than-ideal conditions on Saturday. He said it was slow going until the second half of the trip, which ended with plenty of shorts and a handful of keepers. Mazza believes the bite will improve in the coming weeks.
Capt. Phil Sciortino at the Tackle Box in Hazlet said the boats are still bringing bass aboard, mainly on shads. He’s predicting stripers until Christmas. The shop is holding a Holiday Bass Bazaar on Dec. 13 and 14 with specials on lures, rods, reels, and gift buckets, along with a visit from Santa.
Joe Julian Jr. at Julian’s Bait and Tackle in Atlantic Highlands went out to the tip of Sandy Hook on Thanksgiving and watched as the boats bailed bass while the fish stayed out of reach of surfcasters. It’s been a tough year for stripers from the sand, he said. Offshore blackfishing has been okay, he added, and pretty good under the Highlands Bridge.
Mike Pinto at Giglio’s Bait and Tackle in Sea Bright said there were bass on the beach in Long Branch on Tuesday morning. He also heard of blitzes on the New York side on the Rockaways, and he hoped those fish will head this way. Other than that, it’s been kind of quiet. Pinto added that Giglio’s will be stocking Malosi Studio Lures this spring.
Mike Gleason at Tak Waterman in Long Branch reported bass in the surf in Long Branch and Deal on Tuesday. It was a mixed bag of sizes with shads, plugs and live bunker doing the job. He said there’s still an enormous number of bass around out by the three-mile line and over on the New York side. From what he’s hearing, the boats are still doing very well with stripers. Gleason said the shop is restocking and will be adding some new lines of clothing for the holidays.
The bunker were schooled up off Ocean Grove on Tuesday, but too far out for the surfcasters on the beach to reach. One boat that was livelining picked up two bass as I watched from the sand.
Capt. Jay Richardella of Side Job Charters out of Belmar reported a good striper trip last Sunday in some chilly weather, getting a boat limit and releasing plenty more. He said there are still lots of bass around, and he has a few openings in December.
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Capt. Steve Spinelli on the Skylarker out of Belmar said the bass fishing has been hit or miss, with stripers around but reluctant to bite. Blackfishing has been decent, if not spectacular, he added. Manny Canalis from Shark River Hills managed to get his limit of tog earlier this week.
Jack Flood at Fishermen’s Supply in Point Pleasant Beach said the striper fishing over the last week has been a bit up and down, with boats and surfcasters picking bass all along the coast. Bass fishing was good on Wednesday morning down by Seaside, he said, and stripers are being caught off the Dog Beach in the Manasquan River. Blackfishing, he said, has been spotty.
Brian Flanagan at Captain Bill’s Landing in Point Pleasant Beach also reported plenty of bass still in the area. Boats were finding more fish south of the Manasquan Inlet, and flutter spoons were getting their attention. Blackfishing, he said, is picking up with the Manasquan Reef producing some nice catches.
Capt. Tom Wolfe of the Norma K III out of Point Pleasant Beach also reported reading a ton of stripers in his travels. It just takes some searching to find the ones that will bite. And some of those that do are big. He’s said there are bass up to 30 pounds, which is unusual for this time of year. Wolfe said Wednesday’s tog trip produced a mix of keepers and shorts with each stop starting out well, then fizzling out. The Wednesday blackfish trip leaves at 6:30 a.m. and offers a $100 Super Pool.
Frank Giacalone at Gabriel Tackle Co. in Brick reported that blackfishing on local wrecks and reefs has been good with green crabs and shrimp getting the job done. Surf fishing remains the same, he added, with the key to success being at the right place at the right time. Stripers were reported on Wednesday from Bay Head to Brick.
Pete Kupper at Charlie’s Bait and Tackle in Normandy Beach said bass were caught in the surf all weekend. It was the annual Thanksgiving Weekend Surf Turkey Catch-and-Release Tournament with 97 anglers participating and 67 bass entered. Tom Hungrige took home the first-place prize of $2,095 with a 41½-inch striper. Dane Thomas took second place with a 39-incher worth $1,460 and Rick Hill won $840 for the longest string of fish.
Frankie Z. at Grumpy’s Tackle in Seaside Park said folks are picking bass in the surf, and there are a lot of hickory shad in the wash. Frankie said the shop is holding Grumpy’s Tackle First Annual Polar Striper Plunge in December. It’s a catch-and-release tournament that is free to enter. Registration is in-store only and open through December 14. The tournament runs from Dec. 15 to 31. Rules and details are included on the registration form at the shop. The winner gets a Grumpy’s Gift Card and their name proudly added to the Polar Striper Plunge Champions Plaque displayed in the shop forever.
Best Bets for the Weekend
Stripers are still around but they are playing coy. Boats report marking plenty of bass with spots south of the Manasquan Inlet offering the most promise. Flutter spoons, live bunker and shads have all been working.
Togging has been up and down, but it appears to be improving on local wrecks and reefs.
As is always the case this time of year, the weather is a big factor, and it looks like some chilly days are ahead. Bundle up.