Northern New Jersey Fishing Report
Summer fishing in New Jersey gets in a groove that changes little from week to week. And that’s where we’re at now.
In general, fluke fishing is good. But as one charter captain told me, keeping is not. There’s been a significant improvement over the past couple of weeks in terms of keepers, but shorts still dominate the action.
The other summer favorite, bluefishing, has been spotty with small fish in the 1- to 4-pound range popping up in the bays, rivers and offshore. The beach has been pretty quiet so far. Snappers are in the marinas and around the docks and piers.
Crabbing for blue claws remains excellent with good catches reported in rivers and bays.
And summer tuna fishing keeps getting better and better.
But before we get into the report, there was tragic news this week with the sudden passing of Sean Smida, a beloved member of the Grumpy’s Tackle family in Seaside Park. Our deepest condolences go out to his family and friends. A GoFundMe account has been set up to help support the Smida Family and can be found on Grumpy’s Facebook page.
Rick Hebert at Tackle World in Paramus said the fluke fishing really picked up, with more keepers coming over the rails. The Axel Carlson Reef has been a good spot, he said. Anglers still have to weed through loads of short fish, but those putting the time in are finding keepers. Bluefin tuna are biting in close while yellowfin are out in the Hudson and southern canyons. Hebert added that folks are deep-trolling for lake trout at the local reservoirs.
Gary Carr at Keyport Bait and Tackle said crabbing is in full swing at the Keyport waterfront. Fluke and snappers are being caught off the piers and bulkheads, and croakers and spot are still around, but that bite seems to have slowed down somewhat. Carr said the bluefin action is definitely improving as they seem to be moving in closer. He added that the shop has the ultimate family crabbing package available and they also offer rod-and-reel rentals.
Capt. Phil Sciortino at the Tackle Box in Hazlet reported lots of fluke on the local reefs and good crabbing around Keyport and in the local rivers.
Capt. Harry Browne on Muscles Magoo Charters out of Atlantic Highlands said keeper fluke are hard to come by. On a recent trip with his pals, they caught approximately 100 fish, and there wasn’t a keeper among them. Many of the fluke were just shy of the limit at 17½ to 17¾ inches. Capt. Browne has open dates and can be contacted through his website.
Joe Julian Jr. at Julian’s Bait and Tackle in Atlantic Highlands also reported loads of fluke caught but a dearth of keepers. Draggers, he said, are indiscriminately scooping up everything and bear some responsibility for the shortage of legal fish. He said there is plenty of bait in the bay and lots of snappers off Leonardo. Julian said the shop has great deals on rod-and-reel combos featuring John Skinner Dark Matter rods and reels from Shimano, Daiwa and other top manufacturers.
Mike Pinto at Giglio’s Bait and Tackle in Sea Bright said fluke fishing in the surf there is decent with plenty of short action and the occasional keeper. He also reported trigger fish at the Shrewsbury Rocks and good crabbing in the Shrewsbury and Navesink rivers. Pinto said there seems to be a lot of interest these days in night shark fishing by younger anglers.
Mike Gleason at Tak Waterman in Long Branch said the fluking slowed around there, and he’s at a loss to explain why. He said he spotted plenty of fish on recent dives around the jetties. There is bait around, as he saw schools of peanut bunker swim by. As for tuna, Gleason said recreational and giant bluefin are around. He also reported a random yellowfin mixed in with the bluefin. Jigs and popping plugs are working for the tuna. Tak Waterman is having a big Christmas in July Sale this weekend featuring Scabelly Lures, Tak’s own tuna plugs, discounts on clothing and much more.
The surf around Bradley Beach and Ocean Grove has gone quiet when it comes to stripers. The sand bug bite fell way off, and there doesn’t seem to be many fluke in the wash either.
Sean Thompson at Fisherman’s Den in Belmar said there were a few keepers reported among the many shorts caught in the Shark River. One rental boat reported catching 70 fish with five keepers among them. He said the party boats out of the marina were doing better with keepers, with the Capt. Cal II reporting a 12-pounder last week. The Big Mohawk also reported an upswing in the number of keepers landed. Small blues are also running in and out of the Shark River Inlet.
Capt. Steve Spinnelli on the Skylarker out of Belmar is the charter captain who told me fishing is good, but the keeping isn’t. His charters are getting loads of fluke bites, the occasional keeper, plus ling, bluefish and sea bass.
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Capt. Rich Falcone on the Golden Eagle out of Belmar reported a good bluefish trip this past Monday when he had steady shots of blues in the 1-to 4-pound range throughout the day. A Spanish mackerel also made its way over the rail. Falcone ended the day bottom fishing where anglers picked away at keeper and short fluke and sea bass.
Stanley Gola at the Reel Seat in Brielle said the fluke fishing has been very good on the offshore reefs from the Rattlesnake to the Axel Carlson, with more keepers coming aboard for the party boats. He also reported bluefin tuna as close as five miles off. The bluefin are eating bluefish, and anglers are having success livelining them. Yellowfin and bigeye are in the Hudson Canyon, and he added tilefishing has been great.
Kyle Tangen at Fishermen’s Supply in Point Pleasant Beach said fluking has been pretty good in the Manasquan River. Again, there are a lot of shorts but more keepers as well. Anglers are having success with the Q8 Bullet jerk shad that the shop now carries. He said there are still stripers in the river at night. Fluke fishing has also been very good at the Axel Carlson Reef. Bluefin are biting at the Klondike and the southern lumps, he added, with jigs, stickbaits and popping plugs catching fish. His advice is to find the feeds. Tangen also reported that the Voyager that departs from the Fishermen’s Supply dock has been doing very well on its tilefish trips, catching limits of golden and blueline tilefish along with a few other deepwater species.
Brian Flanagan at Captain Bill’s Landing in Point Pleasant Beach said he fished last Sunday on the Sea Girt Reef in 40 to 50 feet of water and landed a pair of 22-inch fluke among the many shorts. Later in the day, they moved to a spot off Asbury Park and found good fishing. Flanagan said putting a squid or bluefish strip on his top hook really got the fluke biting. He also reported good fluke fishing between the Mantoloking Bridge and the mouth of the Point Pleasant Canal. Bluefin reports have been good from the Seaside lumps and Little Italy. Find the bluefish, he said, and you’ll find bluefin. He hasn’t heard much on yellowfin lately. And the crabbing is very good, he added.
Capt. Tom Wolfe on the Norma K III out of Point Pleasant Beach said, in general, there’s a good amount of fluke around. He said the anglers dragging bait—Gulp, spearing and squid strips—are doing better with keepers than folks bouncing bucktails. Pool fish are between 4 and 6 pounds. The Norma K III also sails for bluefish on Friday and Saturday nights.
Pete Kupper at Charlie’s Bait and Tackle in Normandy Beach said that folks are picking fluke in the surf. It’s been a little inconsistent as they are there one day and then gone the next. Young anglers, he said, have become infatuated with shark fishing there and are catching a variety of species at night. He also had reports of bluefin tuna at the Klondike.
Before the sad news of Sean Smida’s passing arrived at Grumpy’s Tackle in Seaside Park, Frankie Z. reported that fluke fishing picked up in the surf as the water gets warmer. Small blues are also in there. Beware, he added, of the cow nose rays. Blues are at the Barnegat Inlet, and offshore fluking has been good. Pool winners have been up to 6-plus pounds.
Best Bets for the Weekend
If you’re looking for plenty of action, fluke are the best bet for the weekend. There are loads of fish around and even a keeper or three if you put the time in. Bait, it seems, is working for the bigger fish.
The tuna bite is also getting better and better for those who have access to the fishery. Bluefin are in close, hitting plugs, jigs, and live bluefish.
Crabbing is also very good right now in the rivers and bays.