Southern New Jersey Fishing Report
This week brought some warmer weather, but also strong southerly winds for anglers working the ocean and bays.
The ocean has been giving up fair numbers of sea bass, with many more shorts than keepers, but current and sea conditions have played a role. The inlets have been loaded with striped bass, and the weekend produced excellent numbers of keepers on live spot during the moving tides. Unfortunately, a good portion of our area has been hampered by a poor- to non-existent fluke bite, based on reports from a number of tackle shops. It seems the waters of Somers Point and southward are faring much better in terms of the quantity of fish released and kept. We’re hoping the next moon phase and favorable winds will push some more fish in.
The Delaware Bay beat the drum over the past week, and there were a large number of photos on social media showing the good drum bite.
Offshore fishing has been relatively quiet, with a few boats hitting tilefish, and reported tuna have been on the east sides of the canyons.
Here is this week’s rundown:
Hook House Bait & Tackle in Toms River had some anglers stop into the shop and report that sea bassing was decent on one of the Point Pleasant head boats, with sea bass and winter flounder being caught. Surf fishermen have been picking up some keeper striped bass off Seaside Park and Island Beach State Park on clams and artificial plugs. Fluke fishing has been incredibly slow for most anglers working Barnegat Bay waters.
Creekside Outfitters in Waretown had dismal reports on the Barnegat Bay fluke bite, with a large number of customers only picking a few shorts during 6-plus hours of fishing. Despite the lack of fluke, striped bass have been very solid at the inlet on live spot or clam baits for bait fishermen, while anglers slinging 5- to 6-inch plugs are connecting. Most of the bass have been in the 24- to 32-inch range, so there are enough slot fish to take one home for dinner. Sea bassing has been hit or miss for anglers working the inshore wrecks, with some of the deeper wrecks having better life. Surf fishermen working the suds on Long Beach Island are catching both striped bass and fluke, with some of the northern and mid-island stretches producing better action. The bridges have a few cocktail blues around, as well as schoolie striped bass.
View this post on Instagram
Reel Reaction Sportfishing out of Waretown has been concentrating their efforts and working extremely hard in the backwaters for fluke. The skipper has been working some novel spots to put happy clients on 25 to 45 short fluke while boxing 1 to 6 keepers, depending on the conditions. Most action has been very spread out and the herd is pretty thin: “You just have to grind, grind, and grind!” Their renovated website offers real-time booking for clients to choose available days and time slots, so check it out.
- Want to get in on the bite? Find an OTW-approved Charter Fishing Captain in New Jersey
The Super Chic out of Barnegat Light reported sea bass at the wrecks and reefs, but anglers on the vessel are having to pick through a good number of shorts to find a few for the table. Diamond jigs are working better for keeper sea bass, while clam baits are catching more shorts. The skipper is looking forward to hitting some of the wrecks and similar spots for summer flounder once the water begins to warm.
Tackle Direct in Egg Harbor City said anglers are working Great Bay for fluke, but the bite has been slower than normal, with few shorts and even fewer keepers. Water quality and a possible lack of biomass most likely have been the culprits in the area. Striped bass fishing has been much better, with anglers catching good numbers on clam baits in and around the inlets. There have been a few dogfish and puppy drum caught in the back channels, and some of the bridges are starting to hold a few sheepshead.
Tight Lines Bait & Tackle in Somers Point received a new allotment of SPRO glide baits this past week, as the striped bass bite has been decent in the backwaters and around the inlets. Anglers working live spot have also been cashing in on bonus permit and slot fish. Fluke fishing has been pretty good in the bay and thoroughfares, the opposite of what has been reported farther north. Keepers have been pretty good-sized, from 3 to 6 pounds, and if you work south of Somers Point to Sea Isle, anglers have been finding better fishing. Depths from 8 to 15 feet are producing on Gulp and salmon belly combinations.
Waterfront Marine in Somers Point received some better reports of fluke fishing between the Ocean City and Avalon areas, with anglers doing the best with salmon belly, Gulp, and minnow baits. Depths of 8 to 16 feet are producing some fish up to 24 inches. Anglers working the sod meadows and bridges are finding cooperative striped bass. Sea bassing has been solid in terms of action, but anglers have to pick through some short fish to box their keepers. Sand fleas are working on catch-and-release tautog along some of the bridges, and there have been a quiet few sheepshead landed. The water is still a tad chilly, but the bite should get better as temps rise.
Captain Brian Williams of Badfish Charters in Ocean City had some nice striped bass on their last few charters as Capt. Brian got into them with glides, artificials, and saltwater flies. Some striped bass have been over 33 inches, while more have been in the 24- to 31-inch range. Blues have been hit or miss, with sporadic schools around, but fluke fishing has become better due to cleaner water.
Captain Joe Hughes of Jersey Cape Guide Service in Sea Isle City reported that bluefish have begun to show up, making for good action on light-tackle poppers and jigs. Fluke fishing has been better with cleaner water, but the wind has been a factor. Striped bass fishing has been good on poppers during the evening tides, and there are plenty of dogfish around to keep the kids happy.
The Cape May and Fortescue areas had a great week of drum fishing, with some boats doing very well on drum to 60 and 70 pounds. The mid-range sloughs have been producing, but no specific depths were reported. Striped bass are still being caught along Delaware Bay beaches, but the bite has slowed down. Sea bassing has been pretty good at the offshore pieces off Cape May, but anglers are having to weed through a large number of shorts. Fluke fishing remained solid for another week from Wildwood to Sea Isle, as anglers working the backwaters with Gulp and minnow baits produced keepers.
South Jersey Fishing Forecast
The best bet for the weekend will be to hit the local inlets or jetties for striped bass with live spot, clam, or an array of plugs. Most of these fish have been whacking baits in the morning, so hit the rocks early before other anglers and boat traffic arrive.
Ocean fishing options are pretty much sea bass or ling, as the bottom temperatures are still a tad chilly to start targeting inshore fluke. A few of the head boats caught some straggler fluke on sea bass drifts, but this bite should get better in the coming weeks.
The beaches seem to be the best bet for both fluke and striped bass, with most of the action centered on our Ocean County beaches. Small bucktails (3/4- to 2-ounces) tipped with fish bellies, squid, or Gulp can easily be worked in the wash for fluke, while soaking clam bellies on a sand spike can produce striped bass. Drum fishing off Cape May and Delaware Bay is another viable option, so jump on the Parkway and head south! Good luck, be safe, and tight lines!