Southern New Jersey Fishing Report
What a tease the weather gave us this past week with temperatures above 80 degrees. But winter couldn’t let up, with a dramatic temperature swing by the end of the week. The warmup did spark more angler participation though, and a few more fish were landed by boat and shore/wading fisherman. Boat yards were busy and the smell of bottom paint hung in the air during the early part of the week. Striped bass and white perch were the main species being caught and weighed in, with perch to 2.5 pounds and striped bass to 30.5 inches. Thankfully, we are starting to get into some more seasonable temperatures, and the March fisheries management meeting should have all of the regulations for 2026 cemented, especially black sea bass.
Here is this week’s rundown:
Hook House Bait & Tackle in Toms River said there were quite a few anglers working the banks for white perch and striped bass this week. The shop said bloodworms on rigs have been the ticket to success, along with catching the morning tides. Artificials have accounted for a few schoolie striped bass to 24 inches, but the presentation has to be ultra slow.
Creekside Outfitters in Waretown said the shop was busy over the weekend with bloodworm sales for saltwater anglers and nightcrawlers for freshwater. The shop said white perch have been biting in the Toms and Mullica rivers, but the Beach Haven West bite has been very slow so far. The bridges have been very quiet, with only a few anglers out and a slow striped bass bite so far.
Reel Reaction Sportfishing out of Waretown continued to work on the larger vessel with new transducers installed and bottom paint applied. The skipper is looking to splash in a few weeks, but will be probing the backwaters in the flats boat this week for striped bass and perch.
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The Super Chic out of Barnegat Light will be sailing for the start of the sea bass season, which will most likely occur during the second week of May, but the skipper said they are planning to have the boat ready for action prior to the May start date.
Tackle Direct in Egg Harbor City continued to line the shelves with new gear for the season and they have some nice incentives when ordering online. The striped bass bite has been mostly a bloodworm bite, but small soft plastics casted along some of the backwater marshes are working as well. Anglers in the Mullica Valley estuary have been finding success with both white perch and striped bass. Some of the perch have been hubcap-sized, weighing close to 3 pounds.
Tight Lines Bait & Tackle in Somers Point has been busy dealing out bloodworms over the past week, especially with the warmer temperatures increasing participation on the bay. White perch are being caught in some of the small creeks and rivers to the north of Somers Point, but most of the local action has been on striped bass.
Waterfront Marine in Somers Point had reports of striped bass to 20 inches picking at soft-plastic baits along the western edge marshes. Lures from 3- to 5-inches with 1/2-ounce jigheads have been working pretty well.
Badfish Charters in Ocean City started working the backwaters earlier this month. Captain Brian Williams said the area waters have warmed up to the 50s over the past week and as a result, the striper action began to heat up. They were catching some holdover striped bass to 25 inches on soft plastics jigged along the bottom. The late-week cold front should hopefully keep the bass in a holding pattern.
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The Cape May and Fortescue area has started to see better striped bass action from some of the winter resident bass. Bloodworms have been the top bait for anglers during the last 2 to 3 hours of the outgoing tide. Additionally, the freshwater rivers are experiencing a pretty good white perch bite with some specimens tipping certified scales to well over 2 pounds.
It’s still very early for drum, but soaking worms or clams off the Delaware Bay beaches should produce a striped bass or two as the water is beginning to warm. The area is still waiting for the migratory fish to make their way along the coast and the Delaware River, although there have been rumors of fish with sea lice moving in.
South Jersey Fishing Forecast
The best bet for this weekend will be to find some time to sneak out and fish the outgoing tides for striped bass. There are many locations to try, but locating those that are warmest is key for the most reliable action, especially after Mother Nature’s cold slap in the face. Casting small soft plastics or hard swimming plugs and fishing them painfully slow is the best way to entice cold-water stripers.
If you plan to go for perch, work the freshwater influences away from the main bays. Grass shrimp is the best bet to put good-sized perch in the box, but you need to put in the time on the water. There are a few fishing shows this weekend—the Edison Saltwater Expo being the most popular in our area. Even though it’s colder than usual, spring is only a week way…on paper!
Good luck, be safe, and tight lines!