Northern New Jersey Fishing Report
The bass fishing isn’t on fire, but it’s definitely getting better. Warmer weather drew more anglers out fishing, and they found stripers in Raritan Bay and around the bridges and docks in Barnegat Bay.
One good sign this week was the arrival of more bunker in Raritan Bay and clouds of gannets diving on bait off the beaches. There was also an increase in catches of winter flounder reported in the Shark River and Barnegat Bay.
Reports of opening day blackfish were scarce as might be expected early in the season, but a few were taken.
And freshwater fishing has been good with plenty of action reported on largemouth bass, crappie, pickerel, and perch. Trout are fair game as well as long as you’re fishing in lakes and ponds. The limit is two fish. Rivers and streams are off-limits until opening day of the season on April 11.
That’s also the date for the annual Trout Contest for Kids at Spring Lake. The contest, sponsored by the Shark River Surf Anglers, is free to children 14 and under, and offers prizes for the heaviest fish in four age groups. There is also a grand prize for the heaviest fish overall.
The club stocks over 500 golden, rainbow, brook, brown, and tiger trout in the lake on the Thursday before opening day. Families are invited to come out at 4:30 p.m. on April 9 to help with the stocking.
Rick Hebert at Tackle World in Paramus said from what he’s hearing, the striper fishing in Raritan Bay remains hit or miss, but more people are getting out there and giving it a shot. Shad fishing has been good in the Delaware River, and he also had solid reports of smallmouth and walleye on the New Jersey side of the Delaware.
Gary Carr at Keyport Bait and Tackle reported that the striped bass are moving out of the rivers and into the bay. Bloodworms and worm balls are still doing the trick, and now bunker has arrived in the bay. He’s got fresh bunker in stock, and bloodworms are in the store and available in the outside vending machine 24 hours a day. Fishing should just get better from here, he said.
Capt. Phil Sciortino at the Tackle Box in Hazlet said the stripers are now starting to spread out along the Bayshore, hitting bloodworms and plugs. He mentioned that he just received a shipment of MS Plugs this week.
Capt. Harry Browne of Muscles Magoo Fishing Charters out of Atlantic Highlands will be starting his striper season this weekend with trips booked for Friday and Saturday. He said he knows where the bass are, and he will be targeting them with plastic baits.
Mike Pinto at Giglio’s Bait and Tackle in Sea Bright said that while he hasn’t had many reports of bass caught, things are moving in the right direction. Bunker has arrived in Raritan Bay, and it’s been reported in the local rivers as well. The bite should pick up in the next week, he said. Pinto said the shop has a full assortment of Malosi Lures.
Mike Gleason at Tak Waterman in Long Branch said it’s still a bit of a pick for stripers up in Raritan Bay, but more anglers are out and giving it a go. Warmer water and sunnier days have made everyone anxious to go fishing. Gleason said the shop just received a new drop of Back Bay Plugs and added that with the purchase of two Back Bay Plugs, the buyer will get a free t-shirt that supports the fight against Cystic Fibrosis.
Tim Rizzuto at Fisherman’s Den in Belmar said there was a big improvement in the winter flounder fishing in the Shark River. Bloodworms and bits of clam were doing the job. He also had better reports of bass in Raritan Bay and down in the Toms River. The Den has green crabs in stock, and he expects tog anglers will be lining the Shark River Inlet for the month of April while blackfish season is open.
Capt. Rich Falcone of the Golden Eagle reported a disappointing opening day blackfishing. He said the cold water likely put a crimp in the bite and he’s going to wait until next week to try again.
Sarah Cloos at the Reel Seat in Brielle said it’s been quiet there with few reports of stripers coming in. She did say the shop will be getting a visit from Zack’s Custom Rods on April 12 to talk about tuna fishing.
Kyle Tangen at Fishermen’s Supply in Point Pleasant Beach said the bass fishing is starting to kick off. Small soft plastic lures are catching stripers around the bridges and docks in Barnegat Bay. The bite is picking up in Raritan Bay at night, he said, with plugs on a slow retrieve. He also had better reports on winter flounder over by the Mantoloking Bridge on clams and worms. Tangen said there will be a special seminar on April 19 to kick off the tuna season, hosted by Shimano, Simms, and NLBN. All three companies will have their new products on hand, and there will be in-store specials and giveaways. The seminar starts at 1 p.m.
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Capt. Kenny Namowitz on the Mimi VI out of Point Pleasant Beach sailed for the blackfish opener and managed to put a few keeper tog in the box after tossing back a lot of shorts. A nice cod also came over the rail. The Mimi VI is sailing open boat on Friday and again on Monday.
Frank Giacalone at Gabriel Tackle in Brick said they had a few reports of opening day blackfish from the Point Pleasant Canal. Sandworms or clams, he said, are the best baits for this time of year. They have a limited supply of green crabs. Striper fishing is decent in Barnegat Bay, with the outgoing tide best. Bloodworms are still the bait of choice, but paddletails with a slow retrieve are catching some bass, he added.
Pete Kupper at Charlie’s Bait and Tackle in Normandy Beach said the night bite for bass has picked up in Barnegat Bay. Small SP Minnows and paddletails are hooking fish around the piers, docks, and bridges. Kupper said there’s no telling where the bass will be as they are constantly moving around the bay. Winter flounder fishing also picked up in the flats. Kupper also reported loads of gannets diving on bait off the beach.
Frankie Z. at Grumpy’s Tackle in Seaside Park said the striper fishing is definitely improving in Barnegat Bay. He said bloodworms account for 98 percent of the bass caught. He hadn’t heard anything in the way of winter flounder, but he had a report of a large black drum caught on clams in the bay.
Best Bets for the Weekend
The striper bite is definitely on the upswing, both in Raritan and Barnegat bays. Bloodworms have a distinct advantage over artificials, but plugs and plastics are getting some fish.
Blackfish season is now open with a four-fish limit through April 30. Softer baits like clams and worms seem to work better in the spring.
Largemouth bass, crappie, perch, and pickerel in local lakes and ponds are keeping freshwater anglers happy.