Northern New Jersey Fishing Report
Spring striper fishing appears stuck in first gear. Wet, chilly weather hung around, and the bite stayed pretty much the same as last week.
Anglers fishing the backwaters are finding bass in the usual spots on bloodworms and small plastics. Winter flounder reports are scarce.
The best thing that happened over the weekend was the NJ Saltwater Expo in Edison, where a big crowd turned out every day, and vendors reported brisk business.
At this point, it’s all about the weather. We need some heat to get things going.
Rick Hebert at Tackle World in Paramus said the Hackensack, Raritan and Passaic rivers are all giving up bass, mainly on bloodworms. He said the water was warming up in the area, but slowly.
Gary Carr at Keyport Bait and Tackle reported bass in the rivers as well and added that he believed they were moving down toward Raritan Bay. Carr said the Raritan River near Edison has been a hot spot. Bloodworms and small plugs are the baits of choice. His special on Yo-Zuri twitchbaits is still going on with one free for every three purchased. He believes it will be another two weeks or so before the bite really gets going. However, shop regular Danny (@beyondthecastnj) has been working hard to figure out the local fish. He said small profiles like 3- to 4-inch paddletails fished painstakingly slow and tight to bottom has been key. Additionally, he’s using very light leader and braided line—15-pound braid to 20-pound fluoro—so those lighter jigs can get down to the strike zone and be worked slower with the current. Small Yo-Zuri twitchbaits are also working, along with suspending 13F SP minnows. Junior Mag Darters have caught a few as well. The main striper forage is alewives, so trying to match those is of utmost importance. Danny suggested focusing on the last half of the outgoing tide when warmer water is coming out of the back bays and rivers.
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Capt. Phil Sciortino at the Tackle Box in Hazlet reported stripers in the Raritan River with Grant Dietz landing a 40-inch bass on an Invincible Jig at night earlier this week.
Mike Pinto at Giglio’s Bait and Tackle in Sea Bright said it’s quiet there with no reports of stripers in the Shrewsbury or Navesink rivers as yet. The water, he said, is still cold and murky from all the rain and snowmelt. He said some spearing was spotted in the rivers, but that was about it. Pinto said the show is now carrying the new line of Yo-Zuri Pro Glide Baits.
Mike Gleason at Tak Waterman in Long Branch said the action is much the same as last week, with anglers picking at resident bass in the backwaters of Raritan Bay and Barnegat Bay. Freshwater action is picking up in the local lakes and ponds for largemouth and crappie. Gleason said they had a great show up in Edison, where Tak’s new tuna popper, developed in collaboration with Tuna Junkies, was a big hit. The popper is now available in-store and online while they last.
Tommy Palmisano at Fisherman’s Den in Belmar said he’s been selling a lot of bloodworms to folks heading down to the Toms River in search of stripers. Winter flounder anglers are also buying worms and trying their luck in the back of the Shark River. Unfortunately, Palmisano said he hasn’t heard a word about anything being caught. Party boats out of the Belmar Marina will start sailing April 1 when blackfish season opens. The Golden Eagle, he said, will make a trip on March 28 for cod and ling.
Stanley Gola at the Reel Seat in Brielle said it was a quiet week and that the good bass fishing in the Toms Rivers had slowed down. The water is just too cold. He thinks the chilly ocean temperature will make for a slow start to the blackfish season. Tog anglers will have to go deep, 80 to 100 feet, to find some fish.
Kyle Tangen at Fishermen’s Supply in Point Pleasant Beach said the people who are out and about looking for stripers are finding them in the backwaters of Raritan Bay and along the sod banks in Barnegat Bay. Freshwater anglers are also catching largemouth, pickerel, and perch in local ponds. Tangen added that the shop will be holding a seminar this Saturday, March 21, on a new ballyhoo rigging system presented by Capt. Jeff Warford of Wolf Pack Tackle.
The party boats out of Point Pleasant Beach, including the Norma K III, Mimi VI and the Gambler, will all be sailing for blackfish on April 1.
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Frank Giacalone at Gabriel Tackle Co. in Brick reported that the outgoing tide has been best for bass in Barnegat Bay. Bloodworms are catching most of the fish, but small plastics and plugs with a slow retrieve are hooking a few.
Pete Kupper at Charlie’s Bait and Tackle in Normandy Beach said the striper bite has gone quiet in the Toms River, and the only action he heard of was bass caught in Barnegat Bay on worm balls.
Dave Eurell at Grumpy’s Tackle in Seaside Park said folks fishing with bloodworms from the docks in Barnegat Bay are picking away at stripers. He, too, heard that the Toms River fishing had fallen off.
Best Bets for the Weekend
A slight warming trend is on the way for the weekend, so that might help loosen the jaws of local stripers. Rivers leading into Raritan Bay and the sod banks and docks of Barnegat Bay have been the most productive spots for anglers using bloodworms.
Freshwater action has been improving in local ponds and lakes for largemouth bass, perch, pickerel, and crappie.