Northern New Jersey Fishing Report
Stripers seem to be everywhere, in the rivers, bays, and ocean. The only complaint is that they are not always biting. Some days the bite is on fire, and the next, you can’t buy a nibble. But that’s fishing.
On the whole, anglers are happy with the spring striper fishing. Bass up to 40 inches have been landed from Raritan Bay down to Barnegat Bay and all the rivers in between. Surfcasters are getting in on the bite as well, catching stripers on bunker chunks, clams, shads, and plugs.
Bluefish have also appeared in Barnegat Bay, and there were rumors of some in the Point Pleasant Canal and Manasquan River. And there’s fluke to look forward to with the 2026 season set to open this Monday, May 4. The limit remains the same with three fish at 18 inches. The season closes Sept. 25.
A lackluster spring blackfish season ends today, with the best reports coming from the Point Pleasant Canal and at the inlets. Tog fishing opens again on Aug. 1 with a one-fish limit.
Rick Hebert at Tackle World in Paramus said striped bass are spread out all over Raritan Bay. The bite depends on the day, but he said the fishing has been generally good. Alex from the shop said he got two at 38 and 40 inches on shads on Monday. Hebert said glide baits, live bunker, metal lips and SP Minnows have all been working. Trout fishing has also been good in the rivers and streams, Hebert said. He landed a 25-inch rainbow on the Musconetcong River using a pink Power Worm last week.
Capt. Willy Abbot of BassLines Sportfishing out of Perth Amboy said the stripers are biting in Raritan Bay and the rivers. He’s been catching them live-lining bunker and casting shads. Abbot said mostly keeper-sized fish were caught this past week. He has some open weekday dates and can be contacted through his website.
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Capt. Dan Mazza of Thin Blue Tide Charters out of Keyport reported that the striper bite was a little hit-or-miss this past week. It wasn’t terrible fishing, he said, but nothing like the week before. He was live-lining most of the time, but threw shads as well. The striper 6-year-old Robbie S. landed was a highlight of the week.
Capt. Phil Sciortino at the Tackle Box in Hazlet said he’s been hearing nothing but good things about bass fishing with stripers all over the place. Folks are getting them trolling Mojos, live-lining, on glide baits, and shads. He also reported bass on the beaches hitting bunker chunks and clams, while anglers fishing the ocean are using live eels on planer boards.
Capt. Harry Browne of Muscles Magoo Charters out of Atlantic Highlands said the bass and bait are stacked up all over Raritan Bay, but he called the fishing “problematic.” He said they’ve been reading plenty of stripers, but unlike last week, they just weren’t biting as hard. Fish were caught, but the action was slower. From what he was seeing, that seemed to be the case for everyone. With all the bass around, the stripers are bound to turn on again. There’s a full moon this Friday, and that may stir things up. In the meantime, Capt. Browne said he’ll be trying for jumbo bass this Saturday night with live eels and planer boards. He can be contacted through his website.
Joe Julian Jr. at Julian’s Bait and Tackle in Atlantic Highlands also said the striper bite was a bit spotty the past week in the bay and rivers. He had more reports of bass in the surf, but the beach bite hasn’t been all that consistent either. Julian said they’re all set for the fluke opener on Monday.
Mike Pinto at Giglio’s Bait and Tackle in Sea Bright said the fishing in the Shrewsbury and Navesink rivers is the best spring fishing that he’s seen in years. Shads are doing the trick. He also reported more stripers being caught off the beach on bait and plugs. Pinto said the shop has Malosi Lures in new colors and is expecting a new shipment of JYG Chubby paddletail shads.
Mike Gleason at Tak Waterman in Long Branch said there are loads of bass around, but the action did slow down this past week. One day, he blistered the stripers and the next, they just weren’t chewing. The fish he was catching were in the 16- to 20-pound range and hitting glide baits, shads, metal-lips, and topwater plugs. He’s had reports of stripers in the surf as well, from Monmouth Beach down to Long Branch.
Tim Rizzuto at Fishermen’s Den in Belmar said it’s been a quiet blackfish season for the party boats out of the marina. Folks fishing at the Shark River Inlet accounted for most of the tog catches reported. He’s been getting good bass reports from up north, and he took a ride up there and picked some nice fish using heavy white shads. The Den is all set for fluke season, and Rizzuto said there have been a few caught already as bycatch in the Shark River.
Capt. Steve Spinelli on the Skylarker out of Belmar made his last blackfish trip of the season on Wednesday and reported pretty good fishing. There were about a dozen keepers up to six pounds caught along wth more than 70 shorts. Starting Sunday, he’ll be fishing for striped bass.
Stanley Gola at the Reel Seat in Brielle said the striper fishing around Manasquan is just insane, with fish up to 40 pounds. From what he’s hearing, the bite is just as good in the Shark River. Gola said they’re all set for fluke, and he’s expecting a good opener in the Manasquan River.
Kyle Tangen at Fishermen’s Supply in Point Pleasant Beach said the striper fishing is solid in the Manasquan River. Tangen said he’s had reports of big bass tailing in the shallow parts of the river. Shads and plugs are doing the catching. Small shads, 4- to 5-inches, are also catching bass in the surf, he added. Tangen said there have been rumors of bluefish in the river and canal along with weakfish, but nothing he could confirm. Fluking, he added, should get off to a good start, as there are already reports of fish being caught.
Brian Flanagan at Captain Bill’s Landing in Point Pleasant Beach said there haven’t been a lot of boats stopping by as yet, but he’s heard of the excellent bass bite in Manasquan. He said there is lots of bait in the rivers, which bodes well for a good fluke opener.
Frank Giacalone at Gabriel Tackle Co. in Brick said bloodworms, glide baits, and paddletails are all catching stripers in the Manasquan River, the Point Pleasant Canal, and Barnegat Bay. Bass fishing in the surf is picking up, he added, for those fishing with clams and cut bunker.
Pete Kupper at Charlies’s Bait and Tackle in Normandy Beach said the striper fishing in Barnegat Bay is phenomenal. Big bass are pinning bunker in the back of the lagoons. The fish are up to 38 inches and hitting glide baits, SP Minnows, and paddletails. Stripers are in the canal as well, hitting shads and live eels at night. Bluefish have also shown up in the bay and canal. Kupper reported that surf fishing for bass is on the upswing with clams and bunker chunks working during the day, and black and blurple plugs catching fish at night.
Ray Kerico at Grumpy’s Tackle in Seaside Park said the fishing is hot right now as bluefish have moved into Barnegat Bay. They range in size from 5 to 7 pounds. Bass fishing in the bay has also been excellent, while anglers fishing the beaches are catching big stripers on clams. Kerico said the Berkeley Striper Club is holding its annual flea market this Saturday, May 2, directly across from the shop, and those wearing wrist bands from the flea market are eligible for special store discounts. He also said there will be a special Big Rock plug drop at the store this Saturday, starting at 10:30 a.m.
Best Bets for the Weekend
Stripers are everywhere. You just need to get them to bite.
Last week saw a lull in the fishing, but the full moon should get things moving. Shads, glide baits, metal lips, SP Minnows, bloodworms, and live-lining are all working from Raritan Bay down to Barnegat Bay and in the Shrewsbury, Navesink, Shark, and Manasquan rivers.
We also have fluke season opening on Monday for those considering playing hooky. Rivers will be best this time of year.