Northern New Jersey Fishing Report
It was a good week. Bluefish blitzed the Sandy Hook beaches, fluke fishing remained steady, bluefin continued to prowl mid-shore waters, and more mahi-mahi, bonito and Spanish mackerel showed up.
Tog anglers also began their campaign for their one fish as that season opened on Aug. 1
Conditions could have been friendlier, with a big swell and high winds making it tough offshore, but the fish were biting.
Inside, rivers and bays are loaded with croakers, spot and snappers, and the crabbing is excellent.
Rick Hebert at Tackle World in Paramus said there are still boatloads of short fluke around and if you put in the time, you’ll find some keepers. The bite is best on hard bottom, he said, using Gulp and killies. And there are lots of big sea bass mixed in so everybody is getting their one fish. Bluefin have been in close, but the yellowfin bite in the canyons has been inconsistent, he said. Bigger bluefish, from 10 to 12 pounds, have been reported, and plenty of bonito are mixed in with them.
Capt. Dan Mazza of Thin Blue Tide Charters out of Keyport fished on Saturday and reported catching short fluke one after the other on the ocean side. His charter stuck with it and managed to put some keepers in the boat by the end of the day.
Capt. Phil Sciortino at the Tackle Box in Hazlet said bluefish have been blitzing the beaches at Sandy Hook, and fluke are biting on the wrecks. Croakers are in the rivers and all over Raritan Bay. The absence of bunker in our waters has been very apparent this year, and Sciortino has joined other bait-and-tackle shop owners and industry leaders in the Forage Fish Campaign to stop the commercial menhaden fleet from destroying local bunker stocks. Visit the Forage Fish Campaign Facebook Page for more information.
Capt. Harry Browne of Muscles Magoo Charters out of Atlantic Highlands reported improved fluke fishing over the weekend with Sunday’s trip producing a number of keepers along with plenty of short action.
Ed Bunting at Julian’s Bait and Tackle in Atlantic Highlands said fluking was good in the back of Raritan Bay, on Flynn’s Knoll and out in the ocean from Sea Bright down to the Red Church. Bunting said there are loads of blues offshore with bonito mixed in at the Manasquan Ridge and the Klondike. Bluefin and mahi are in mid-shore waters, he added, and yellowfin and bluefin are in the canyons being caught on the troll and chunking.
Mike Pinto at Giglio’s Bait and Tackle in Sea Bright also had reports of big blues blitzing at Sandy Hook. There are still some bass in the Shrewsbury River, he said, as one customer picked some nice ones drifting worms. Fluking has been slow in the surf, he added, likely due to the persistent southeast wind. Pinto said he’s expecting a delivery of the new SP Minnow Long Shots at the shop this week.
Mike Gleason at Tak Waterman in Long Branch said the bluefin are pretty spread out in mid-shore waters. Folks willing to cover some ground are finding them feeding on top in the mornings, then catching them on jigs later in the day. Squid baits are also working. He hasn’t heard much in the way of yellowfin tuna. Fluke anglers are still picking away at fish in the surf, he said, and there’s a good largemouth bite going on in the local ponds and lakes. Gleason said there is a wide variety of Scabelly Lures available at the shop and online.
A school of blues popped up off the beach in Ocean Grove on Sunday, spraying loads of small bait in its wake. There’s been a pick of fluke along the beach, but it’s been mostly shorts. I’ve been trying for blackfish on the local jetties, but so far, a keeper has proved elusive.
Jesse Thomas at Fisherman’s Den in Belmar said one angler fishing with live mullet on the north side of the Shark River caught two fluke over 27 inches this week. Kayakers fishing skinny water way back in the river are also doing well with fluke, he said. In a bit of a surprise, Thomas said a school of pompano was spotted in the Shark River this week. The fluke boats out of the marina, including the Big Mohawk and Capt. Cal II are doing pretty well, Thomas said, and there are big blues and bonito offshore.
Capt. Rich Falcone on the Golden Eagle out of Belmar reported that bluefishing is holding up nicely with 8- to 10-pound blues coming over the rail. He’s also had bonito mixed in with the blues.
Capt. Steve Spinelli on the Skylarker out of Belmar said he’s been filling coolers with lots of ling, and adding sea bass and fluke to the mix on his trips. He’ll be heading out this weekend for blues and bonito.
Stanley Gola at the Reel Seat in Brielle said fluking is good on the local reefs. The backwater fluking has slowed down as he suspects the fluke started to move out on the last moon. Bluefin are 10 to 30 miles out, hitting on the troll and jigs, but reports of yellowfin have been spotty. He did say there are loads of blackfish at the Manasquan Inlet.
Kyle Tangen at Fishermen’s Supply in Point Pleasant Beach said there is a lot of fluke action in the Manasquan River. There may not be a load of keepers, but if you want to put kids on fish, it’s pretty much a sure thing. The river, he said, is full of bait, perfect-size peanut bunker and big spearing. Fluking is good on the Sea Girt and Axel Carlson reefs and at the Klondike. There are plenty of big blues in those same spots with bonito in the mix. Big sea bass are there as well. He said mahi-mahi are on the pots, bluefin limits are being caught on the troll and jigs, and the Hudson Canyon has mahi and white marlin. Tilefishing is also excellent out there. Fishermen’s Supply is holding several raffles to benefit the family of Sean Smida, a large presence in the local fishing community, who passed away suddenly two weeks ago. One prize is a high-end tuna rod-and-reel combo, and another is a unique striped bass sculpture. 100 percent of the raffle proceeds will benefit the Smida family. Visit the shop for more details.
Brian Flanagan at Captain Bill’s Landing in Point Pleasant Beach said fluking picked up on the local reefs and bluefin tuna are scattered all over the place. There were a few reports of yellowfin at the Virginia Wreck, but that’s all he heard about them. Blackfish are biting at the Manasquan and Barnegat inlets, and crabbing is very good in Barnegat Bay.
Capt. Tom Wolfe on the Norma K III out of Point Pleasant Beach said he’s finding lots of action on short fluke and catching keepers on the sticky stuff. He also said he could sink the boat with all of the big sea bass around. That will have to wait until the more liberal season starts in September. The Norma K III also sails for bluefish Friday and Saturday nights.
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Capt. Kenny Namowitz of the Mimi VI out of Point Pleasant Beach said they continue to catch plenty of ling. He added there are some nice-sized fluke on the wrecks he’s fishing, and everybody is getting their one big sea bass.
Frank Giacalone at Gabriel Tackle Co. in Brick reported that the offshore bite was good with bigeye and yellowfin at the Hudson, and bluefin just off the Klondike and the shipping lanes. The Point Pleasant Canal is still producing fluke at both ends. There are fluke in the wash, and crabbing has been good off our local docks and bridges.
Pete Kupper at Charlie’s Bait and Tackle in Normandy Beach said the surf is full of short fluke, with an occasional keeper mixed in, especially a little further south. The Point Pleasant Canal is giving up stripers at night on eels, and there are bluefish in there as well. Snappers are back in the bay, crabbing is very good, and Kupper said he had his first report of blowfish near the BB Buoy. A chum pot and small bits of clam will work for them.
Frankie Z at Grumpy’s Tackle in Seaside Park said fluke and blackfish are being caught at Barnegat Inlet and the shop has green crabs for the tog. Bluefish are also moving in and out of the inlet. Folks are picking fluke in the surf, and young Brady James pulled a 5-pounder out of the wash last Sunday. The shop closed early last Tuesday for the celebration of life for Sean Smida, a beloved member of the Grumpy’s family. Frankie said the GoFundMe account for Smida’s family is still accepting donations, and contributions can be made directly at the shop.
Best Bets for the Weekend
It’s another weekend with lots of options. Fluke fishing has definitely improved with more keepers reported on the reefs and wrecks.
Bluefishing found another gear with bigger fish coming over the rails, and lots of bonito mixed in. Blues are also starting to blitz the beaches.
Bluefin tuna are being taken on the troll and on jigs over a wide area. Just be prepared to do some searching.
And the rivers and bays offer snappers, fluke, spot, croakers and crabs.