Northern New Jersey Fishing Report
Tuna fishing is about as hot as the weather.
Bluefin finally moved closer, and fish in the 50- to 60-inch range are hitting on the troll, and on poppers and soft plastics from 15 to 40 miles out. There are also yellowfin in the southern canyons and out in the Hudson Canyon.
At the same time, fluking continues to improve. They’re on the reefs and wrecks, in the surf and the rivers and bays. There are lots of shorts, as always, but more keepers are ending up in coolers.
Stripers are still in the surf, hitting clams, sand fleas, and plugs. Metals are working for blues at the inlets, in the rivers, and in the ocean.
Triggerfish are at the inlets and on the reefs, croakers and spot remain thick up in Raritan Bay, and crabbing is excellent in all the usual places.
If you can stand the heat, it’s a good weekend to fish.
Mark Fuduli at Tackle World in Paramus said croakers and spot are all over Raritan Bay. He also had good reports of kingfish in the surf down by Long Branch. He said there’s a very early bass bite on the beaches on clams and sand fleas and pretty good fluking in the surf on Gulp and bucktails. On the freshwater side, Fuduli said the daytime walleye fishing at Lake Hopatcong is fantastic. He also had good reports on largemouth bass at the Ramapo and Wanaque reservoirs for anglers using chatterbaits and drop shot rigs.
Gary Carr at Keyport Bait and Tackle said the fluke fishing is slowly improving, with a few more keepers starting to show up. Short action continues to be excellent. Carr said the real stars right now are the spot, croakers, and blue claw crabs around the Keyport waterfront. He said if you’re looking to fill a bucket or enjoy some family fun, now’s a great time to get out there. Also in the mix are a few small blues to keep things interesting. Carr said the shop is fully stocked for the holiday, including fresh bunker, bloodworms, lugworms, spot rigs, croaker rigs, and crabbing supplies. Bernie’s Bait and Tackle in Brooklyn is the leader in the Battle of the Shops Raffle, between Keyport Bait and Tackle, The Reel Seat, Bayonne Bait and Tackle, and Great Kills Bait and Tackle in Staten Island, with a 13.3-pound fluke
Capt. Phil Sciortino at the Tackle Box in Hazlet said there are croakers and spot everywhere in Raritan Bay. Fluking is a bit better out in the ocean, he said, with the Sea Tiger reporting fish up to 6 pounds. There are also triggerfish on the rock piles. The Tackle Box now carries a full line of Tempest Rods.
Capt. Harry Browne of Muscles Magoo Charters out of Atlantic Highlands said he spent the last week getting ready for the arrival of the Tall Ships. All of his Friday tours of the Tall Ships are sold out, but the special 6-hour tour on Saturday, July 4, is still available. Visit the website for full details.
Joe Julian Jr. of Julian’s Bait and Tackle in Atlantic Highlands said there are huge pods of spearing in Raritan Bay and the local rivers holding fluke. The majority of the fish, however, are short. He mentioned all the spot and croaker in Raritan Bay, and said there were small blues around as well.
Mike Pinto at Giglio’s Bait and Tackle in Sea Bright said there’s a ton of fluke in the surf there. The only problem is that most of them are shorts. He did say there are bass in the surf. Shop regular Bill Bertsch caught a 45-inch striper earlier this week on a metal-lip swimmer.
Mike Gleason at Tak Waterman in Long Branch said the tuna fishing is really good right now. He said the bluefin pushed into our waters and there’s a jig bite and a casting bite. He was out on the grounds on Tuesday and reported an excellent day of fishing. The tuna average 40- to 50-inches and he suspects there are some larger ones around. Gleason said the surf fluking is good as well and there are fluke in the Shrewsbury and Navesink rivers. He also reported plenty of bluefish offshore. The shop, he added, will have some holiday-themed merchandise available to celebrate the Fourth of July.
Striped bass are hitting sand bugs and calico crabs in the surf in Asbury Park, Ocean Grove and Bradley Beach. I picked two on Wednesday around mid-morning on the outgoing tide.
Johnny O at Fisherman’s Den in Belmar said the fluke fishing for the party boats out of the marina has improved, with limits reported and fish up to 7 pounds. He also reported bluefish, fluke and triggerfish at the Shark River Inlet. Folks fishing from the Den’s rental boats are finding keeper fluke in the Shark River.
Capt. Rich Falcone on the Golden Eagle out of Belmar reported a good day of bluefishing on Wednesday. He said there were plenty of fish on and off the hills feeding on sand eels. Ava 17s and 27s did the trick, with plenty of action all day long. The blues seem to be getting bigger by the day, he said, and there was even a bonito in the mix.
Capt. Steve Spinelli on the Skylarker out of Belmar has been on the hunt for fluke, catching his share of keepers along with shorts. Bluefish and sea bass have also been in the mix. As was a juvenile great white shark. The shark, estimated between six and seven feet, hit a fluke bait on last Friday’s trip. After quietly coming to the surface, it was released unharmed.
Stanley Gola at the Reel Seat in Brielle said there are loads of fluke in the Manasquan River, along with small blues and stripers at night. The bass are hitting small plugs and plastics. Ocean fluking is good, and getting better on jigs and Gulp, he added. Tuna fishing really turned on, he said, with bluefin from 15 to 50 miles out and yellowfin in the southern canyons and out in the Hudson Canyon. He also reported excellent tilefishing in the canyon.
Kyle Tangen at Fishermen’s Supply in Point Pleasant Beach also reported good fluking in the Manasquan River. He said they are starting to see some peanut bunker in the river. Fluking is getting better out front on the party boats, he said, as quality over quantity is winning the day. Pool winners are in the 7-pound range. Tuna fishing definitely picked up. He has had reports of bluefin crashing bunker pods near the Rattlesnake and eating live squid at the Glory Hole. There’s still an enormous number of squid around. Yellowfin have been reported at the Spencer and in the southwest corner of the Hudson. Tilefishing out there is also very good. Tangen also had the first report of a cobia caught.
Brian Flanagan at Captain Bill’s Landing in Point Pleasant Beach said fluking has been good in the Manasquan River on the outgoing tide. Gulp jerk shads have been the hot bait and fish up to 24 inches have been landed. Fluke fishing is much improved on the ocean reefs and wrecks, he said. Bluefin, he said, have moved a lot closer and they’ve been caught trolling and on poppers and jigs from 15 to 40 miles out. He mentioned the Resor Wreck, Atlantic Princess and the Glory Hole as spots holding fish.
Capt. Tom Wolfe on the Norma K III out of Point Pleasant Beach said they’ve been catching keeper fluke mixed in with the many shorts. He said there’s loads of spearing around, and some days it outfishes Gulp. He’s seeing plenty of bluefish offshore and is fishing for them on Friday and Saturday nights. Check the website for details.
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The Mimi VI out of Point Pleasant has been bottom fishing, catching ling, sea bass and fluke. Last Sunday’s trip brought a surprise catch when a big monkfish came over the rail.
Pete Kupper at Charlie’s Bait and Tackle in Normandy Beach said bass are still biting in the surf on clams. Fluking is getting better off the beach and in Barnegat Bay, especially around the entrance to the Point Pleasant Canal. Gulp and killies are doing the job in both locations. Spot are also in the bay, and crabbing has also been really good, he added.
Bob H. at Grumpy’s Tackle in Seaside Park said the tuna fishing is off the charts. Bluefin are hitting Hogy and NLBN plastics about 40 miles out. Stripers continue to bite on the beach, and fluke fishing is on the upswing in the surf and offshore. Crabbing, he added, is excellent in the bay. Grumpy’s will be hosting reps from Quantum Fishing at the shop this Saturday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. for a hands-on demonstration of its latest rods and reels.
Best Bets for the Weekend
The beach offers a good place to beat the heat this holiday weekend.
Fluke and stripers are biting in the surf, with killies and Gulp doing the job for fluke, and clams and sand bugs for bass.
Fluking has also improved on the offshore spots, with some nice keepers mixed in with the numerous shorts. There are also loads of bluefish reported out front.
And crabbing is excellent in all the usual places, from Raritan Bay down to Barnegat Bay and the rivers in between.
Happy Fourth of July and stay cool.