Northern New Jersey Fishing Report
Summer fishing is chugging along nicely. More keeper fluke showed up this week, and there’s no shortage of shorts, so there is plenty of action.
Bluefin tuna are in close and being caught on the troll, on jigs and poppers, and on live bluefish.
There were more reports of mahi-mahi, Spanish mackerel and bonito in local waters. Bigger bluefish also appeared offshore this week.
The bays and rivers are loaded with spot, croakers, snappers and crabs, and come Sunday, Aug. 1, the one-fish tog season opens.
Rick Hebert at Tackle World in Paramus said the better fluke reports were coming from the wrecks and reefs to the south, such as the Axel Carlson and Sea Girt reefs. Prepare to catch a lot of fish to get to the keepers, he said. Hebert also reported a better fluke bite in the back of Raritan Bay. Bluefin are biting in-shore, he said, with yellowfin in the Hudson and southern canyons. Hebert added that freshwater fishing is picking up as the water in local lakes and ponds is cooling down a bit.
Gary Carr at Keyport Bait and Tackle said fluke fishing has been improving both in the Raritan Bay and on the ocean side. Cocktail blues are around the bay with bigger blues out front. Crabbing, he said, has been very good along the Keyport waterfront. Carr said with blackfish season opening for one fish on Sunday, the shop will have a limited supply of green crabs available in half and whole bushels. He added that the 24/7 on-site, bait-and-tackle vending machine is replenished nightly.
Capt. Phil Sciortino at the Tackle Box in Hazlet reported bigger fluke caught this week out front and excellent crabbing around Raritan Bay and in the local rivers.
Capt. Harry Browne of Muscles Magoo Charters in Atlantic Highlands said he had to do a little detective work to find keeper fluke last weekend. But his hunch paid off, and he put together a boat limit. Fresh peanut bunker, he said, was the ticket. Capt. Browne has openings on his calendar and can be contacted through the website.
Joe Julian Jr. at Julian’s Bait and Tackle in Atlantic Highlands said the kids are going crazy with snappers in the Atlantic Highlands Harbor. There have also been some weakfish caught, and croakers and spot continue to keep anglers busy. Julian said Fish Bites are getting the job done for them. He also reported short stripers hitting in the rivers.
Mike Pinto at Giglio’s Bait and Tackle in Sea Bright said the stiff south wind that blew at the beginning of the week made for tough fluking in the surf. Things should improve now that the wind shifted to the north and west. He did hear the boats are doing well with triggerfish on the Shrewsbury Rocks. Pinto said the shop has a full line of ODM Surf Rods in stock.
Mike Gleason at Tak Waterman in Long Branch said the fluke bite in the surf there has become a bit up-and-down. Some days, they’re biting and the next they’ve disappeared. The fluking is much better on the offshore reefs, he added. The bluefin bite has been good, Gleason said, but it changes from day to day as well. Soft plastics will be working one day, then it’s jigs the next, and then it will be a topwater bite with bluefin feeding at the surface. Be prepared. He said there are a lot of 40- to 50-inch fish around, along with the occasional giant. Gleason said there are still some Scabelly Lures available in the store and online.
Fluking is quiet in the Ocean Grove/Bradley Beach surf, but there are still some stripers around. Mike Compoly picked up two of 28 and 31 inches on Wednesday morning on sand bugs. I also saw a Spanish mackerel jump at the end of the Ocean Grove Pier.
Jesse Thomas at Fisherman’s Den in Belmar said some bigger fluke are coming into the Shark River. One of the rental boats landed a 6-pounder, and a diver in the river shot a 9¾-pounder. The fluke boats out of the marina are reporting good, if inconsistent, fishing, he said. One day is good and the next not so hot. Wind, weather and current are big factors. He said there’s a lot of bait in the river and it’s attracted some small bluefish. There have been reports of blackfish at the inlet, and come Sunday, you can fish for them legally with a one-fish limit.
Capt. Rich Falcone on the Golden Eagle out of Belmar has been on the bluefish for days, and Wednesday’s trip was no exception. He reported non-stop action right from the start with 4- to 10-pound blues coming over the rail all day. The fish were hitting Ava 27s and 47s with tails.
Capt. Steve Spinelli of the Skylarker out of Belmar said he’s been doing well catching ling and sea bass. Fluking provides plenty of action, but there are a lot of shorts to go through to get to the keepers.
Stanley Gola at the Reel Seat in Brielle said bluefin fishing is very good, with the tuna as close as five miles out. Most folks are fishing the mid-shore spots. Yellowfin are a bit farther, in the Hudson and Toms canyons. Tilefishing is still very good offshore. The ocean fluking, he added, is much better on the local reefs.
Kyle Tangen at Fishermen’s Supply in Point Pleasant Beach said the fluking is still good in the Manasquan River with Gulp or Q8 Bullet jerk shads on light bucktails. There are a few keepers in with all the shorts. He also reported solid fluking on the local reefs. Tangen said the inshore bluefin bite has been good on the troll with sidetrackers, while he’s heard of some caught deadsticking. He also reported that a friend of his was fishing near the Farms earlier this week and absolutely crushed bonito.
Brian Flanagan at Captain Bill’s Landing in Point Pleasant Beach said the Manasquan River is loaded with bait and anglers along the inlet wall are catching lots of fluke. Mostly shorts, he said, but there’s a keeper now and then. The fluking is better, he said, back in the bay, especially from the mouth of the Point Pleasant Canal back into Bay Head. The closer you get to Bay Head, however, the crabs become a problem, attacking the fluke baits. Fluking on the Axel Carlson and Sea Girt reefs has definitely improved. Bluefin are in close and scattered around at the Klondike, he said, with folks catching them on the troll. He also heard of a cobia hitting a ballyhoo on the troll at the Mud Hole.
Capt. Tom Wolfe of the Norma K III out of Point Pleasant Beach said he’s been finding plenty of life on his fluke trips with pool fish in the 4- to 6-pound range. There are a lot of shorts to get through, but all the action keeps folks busy. He said the bigger fish seem to be at the Axel Carlson Reef while the Sea Girt Reef has quantity. Wolfe said a 150-pound bluefin broke the surface while they were fluking at the Axel Carlson this week. The Norma K III is also sailing for bluefish on Friday and Saturday nights, and last weekend’s trips saw 8-pounders come over the rail.
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Frank Giacalone at Gabriel Tackle Co. in Brick had good fluke reports from the Klondike, Axel Carlson, and Sea Girt reefs. There was also word of mahi-mahi at the Klondike. He also had reports of bluefin showing up at the Klondike and Sea Girt Reef, with fluke anglers reporting the tuna breaking on top. Crabbing has been good off the local docks and bridges.
Pete Kupper at Charlie’s Bait and Tackle in Normandy Beach said the fluke have been a little fickle, showing up in the surf one day and gone the next. Shorts are in the majority. Stripers continue to hit clams off the beach. Kupper said they are cruising right along the drop. Watch out for the big cow nose rays that are swimming in there as well. Barnegat Bay has blues, snappers, crabs, and spot, while the canal is holding big blues.
Bob H. at Grumpy’s Tackle in Seaside Park said the shop is still in shock over the sudden death of Sean Smida, a beloved member of the Grumpy’s family. A celebration of his life is being planned, and final details will be available soon. There is a GoFundMe link on Grumpy’s Facebook page to help support Sean’s young family.
Best Bets for the Weekend
Ocean fluking, especially on the reefs, rocks and wrecks to the south, is starting to produce more keepers. There are still loads of shorts to get through, but bigger fish are being caught.
Bluefin are in close, from five to 20 miles, and being caught in multiple ways. Trolling, soft plastics, poppers, jigs, and live bait are all producing fish. The trick is figuring out what will work on any given day.