Southern New Jersey Fishing Report
The hustle and bustle of the holidays has more anglers looking for shopping deals than fish due to colder temperatures and stiff winds. But, for the few hardy tog-loving fishermen, it’s beginning to look like a solid winter white crab bite, with big tautog being caught off southern New Jersey wrecks. The past week’s fishing produced a few nice winter whitechins, with Fisherman’s Headquarters on Long Beach Island weighing a tog close to 23 pounds that came from over 120 feet of water. Unless you’re fishing that deep, jigs are the way to go as most of the big fish are being caught on jigs tipped with white leggers. Keeping the jig perfectly still has been crucial to success. Striped bass fishing, on the other hand, continues to wind down due to less angler effort and colder weather, but small waves of bass are still making their way down from Long Island. Offshore sea bass has been in full swing with some banner trips, but the current has been an issue. I would advise bringing sinkers to 24 ounces if you plan on fishing that deep, and the easiest way to do so is to jump on a head boat.
Here is this week’s rundown:
Hook House Bait & Tackle in Toms River received another fresh shipment of jumbo and regular-sized bloodworms for anglers looking for striped bass and white perch in the bay. Back bay striped bass have been picking off bloodworms at night with some fish approaching 30 inches. The IBSP surf scene has been relatively quiet over the past week with a few days of boats picking bass under birds, but most of the fish have been caught jigging the bottom.
Salty Love Sportfishing in Forked River wrapped up their charter season as the crew has been working on some things off the water. They did get out during the commercial bluefin season though, and were able to land a 98-inch tuna.
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Creekside Outfitters in Waretown had sporadic reports of striped bass from Lavallette to Long Beach Island being caught mostly by boaters. White shads, Ava jigs, and live bunker have been the tickets to success, and most of the fish have been over the slot size. Togging has been tough with some spots producing fish, while others have been almost lifeless. The shop has some holiday deals and gift cards, so stop in.
Reel Reaction Sportfishing out of Waretown found a window to get out this past week with the return toggers of the Matt Windover crew. The bite was a tad scratchy at times, but the boys put 15 keepers in the box, the largest of which was 8 pounds. Matt released a solid 13.5 pounder—a near PB—back to the wrecks. The skipper has 4 remaining trips for the season, but has a few openings between Christmas and New Year’s Day, so give them a call.
The Super Chic out of Barnegat Light has been working along the beach out to the 3-mile line, finding some striped bass on jigs and white shads. The skipper is nearly done for the season, but they do have a few dates left as well as gift certificates.
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Tackle Direct in Egg Harbor City said the best togging has been at the deeper reefs with some tautog approaching 20 pounds. White crabs on 1- to 2.5-ounce jigs have been working the best, especially if you use small whole crabs. Offshore sea bass fishing has been solid from 40 to 60 miles out, and large tog are coming from depths of 120 to 170 feet. Striper fishing slowed down this past week with some bass under birds and other patches of bird life holding only dolphins feeding on bunker. The Mullica has schoolie bass as well as a good number of white perch being landed on grass shrimp or bloodworms.
Tight Lines Bait & Tackle in Somers Point had scattered reports of striped bass out front, but action was short-lived and in isolated pockets. Most fish have been over the 31-inch mark, so it’s been tough to find keepers. Togging has been very good at the reef sites with fish to 15 pounds. White leggers on tog jigs have been the hottest baits for anglers working private or party vessels. The back bays do have some fish holding, but bites are occurring on the warmest moving tides. The shop has a range of holiday deals and gift cards and the staff are super helpful, so stop in!
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Waterfront Marine in Somers Point reported some striped bass being landed off Atlantic City (ocean side) over the weekend. The bass ranged from 30 to 35 inches and were feeding on bunker and sand eels. A few whales were also in the area, so be on the lookout and fish the edges of the bunker pods. Togging has been best at the Atlantic City reef site and anglers making the run are finding good action with fish in the double-digits.
Captain Brian Williams of Badfish Charters in Ocean City enjoyed some over-slot striped bass action as well as some schoolie action in the back bays. Capt. Brian said the bay temperatures have dropped to the upper 30s and soft plastics worked well as long as they were fished slow and along the bottom. The bite out front has been decent on spoons and glide baits.
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Captain Joe Hughes of Jersey Cape Guide Service in Sea Isle City wasn’t able to make it out this past week, but the skipper said he is still running charters as long as the weather holds. Give him a ring for details on trips in the next week or two.
The Cape May and Fortescue area had excellent togging at the reef sites with white leggers bringing in some nice whitechins on jigs. Anglers working some of the deeper wrecks have been finding tautog close to 19 pounds. Striped bass fishing has been hit or miss with small pods of fish around the 2- to 3-mile lines. The striped bass fishing has been better to the north from Ocean City to Atlantic City, but “better” has still been a pick. Some of the rivers from Cape May to the Delaware River have a mix of small striped bass and good-sized white perch being taken on blood worms. Anglers hitching trips on the offshore sea bass party boats are finding a good mix of large porgies and keeper sea bass.
South Jersey Fishing Forecast
The best bet for the weekend looks to be hitting the ocean for striped bass as most of the bay bites have dramatically cooled off due to colder water temperatures. The surf is still viable, but it’s a first light bite and may not be worth the effort with the lack of fish around. Jumping on a private vessel or head boat should give you a better shot at catching some stripers. Some boats to the north are finding better success jigging, but it’s a slow pick until you reach the Atlantic City area where there are more fish in the mix. Swim shads, jigs, and spoons are producing the best results.
Wreck fishermen definitely have the edge with the tog starting to bite better coming off the full moon tides, so the fishing should be a little bit easier due to weaker currents. If you decide to go, the areas off Wildwood and Cape May are consistently producing bigger fish, so grab some 1- to 3-ounce tog jigs from your neighborhood shop. If you have rested your sticks for the 2025 season, be sure to hit the local tackle shops as many have nice deals and gift cards; it’s important to support small businesses during the holiday season. Good luck, be safe, and tight lines!