Northern New Jersey Fishing Report
It has been a very slow week for fishing in New Jersey. The fan won’t shut off, and while rough seas and foul weather have but a damper on the final days of fluke season, this nor’easter is sure to kickstart the fall run in the Garden State.
Prior to the blow, fluking was good on the reefs and wrecks. But with the season closing on Friday, it looks like the bottom fishing crowd will have to rely on sea bass and tautog to carry us through the fall.
The sea bass season opened on Wednesday, although nobody has been out to give it a shot yet. Tautog fishing was just getting good from the jetty rocks and jacks at the inlets, and the bite should rebound once seas settle and the water cleans up a bit. For now, the best place to drop a rig for tog is probably the Point Pleasant Canal, assuming the water clarity is any better than out front.
The good news is that striped bass are on their way south. The bass bite is picking up in Long Island Sound and southern New England, and they’ll be here soon enough. Until then, we should have plenty of inshore hardtails sticking around for a couple more weeks, and tog and sea bass fishing will simultaneously be improving on the nearshore wrecks and reefs to hold us over until the striper run.
Since none of our local charters or headboats have been sailing, this week’s report is abnormally light with just a bit of input from tackle shops. But when Mother Nature keeps us from fishing, even the shops don’t have much to share.
Here’s what was happening prior to the storm and what we have to look forward to.
Rick Hebert at Tackle World in Paramus told me: “Fluke fishing was good while it lasted. The ocean was solid, but the season is coming to a close. This weather might trigger an early striper run, though. The bait is being flushed out of local inlets and harbors. Sea bass season is open as of Wednesday, so our fishing opportunities should bounce back pretty good once the storm passes.”
Gary Carr at Keyport Bait and Tackle said: “Locally, weakfish, snappers, and spot are being caught along the Keyport waterfront. We are looking for the fall stripers to start chewing once we get past this storm and the full moon on Saturday. This week is the perfect opportunity to get your tackle and gear together for the fall run! Keyport Bait and Tackle is open seven days a week: Sunday & Monday 9 AM – 8 PM, Tuesday-Thursday 9 AM – 9 PM, Friday & Saturday 8 AM – 10 PM. Don’t forget about our on-site 24-hour bait and tackle vending machine.”
Mike Gleason at Tak Waterman in Long Branch said: “This blow sucks, but we’re hoping it’s going to kickstart some fall run activity. There are rumblings of bass being caught, but it’s still tough. Before the storm, the whole albie and bluefish game was strong. We’re gonna ride it out and see what happens!”
Jesse Thomas at Fisherman’s Den in Belmar reported: “Some mackerel were being caught on the jetty, and the guys out there were getting micro sea bass and short tog before the seas kicked up. A few folks are still pulling fluke out of the river. On Saturday, we weighed in a 10.5-pound fish.”
Kyle Tangen at Fishermen’s Supply in Point Pleasant Beach reported: “There’s not much going on with the weather we’ve had. The sea bass season just opened up. Guys are picking swordfish in the canyon and school bluefin at the windmills. Stripers are in the local rivers.”
Frank Giacalone at Gabriel Tackle Co. in Brick reported: “Mother Nature is not cooperating. Typical last week of fluke, but at least you have the bay and rivers to fish. Fluke fishing remains good in the Manasquan River and Barnegat Bay ahead of the season closing on Friday (9/25). Keeper fluke are being landed in the inlet. The Point Pleasant Canal still has plenty of stripers and blues at night. Live eels are the bait of choice for stripers. Blackfishing has picked up in the canal, with decent reports coming in. Have a great day and tight lines!”
Dan Termini of Bluff Lures (@bluff_lures) reported: “In the Northern New Jersey surf this past week, we saw a mix of bluefish up to 12 pounds running in tight packs up and down the beach, as well as the occasional albie blitz. Be prepared—they move fast, blitzing one minute and gone the next. For both species, I have been catching consistently on my (Bluff) 3 1/2-inch casting jig. After this storm, we may see an influx of bunker off the beaches, as well as the continual run of mullet and baitfish out of the bays and rivers, feeding early fall-run action.”
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Best Bets for the Weekend
Between the storm surge and incoming full moon tides, some coastal flooding is already beginning. Play it safe this weekend and either stay home, or search for early fall stripers, blues, and tog in the back bays or the Point Pleasant Canal. Just steer clear of the jetties and inlets to avoid putting yourself and others at risk.
As mentioned by the few fishing report contributors this week, the weekend is also a great time to organize and prep your gear for the fall run. This nor’easter should set things in motion, so be ready for the action to pick up following the storm’s passing. Hopefully by early next week, we’re back to our regularly scheduled programming with bluefish, albies, and bonito keeping anglers busy off the beaches until the striper bite ramps up.
Additionally, black sea bass will dominate the inshore bottom fishing scene until the tog limit changes in November. The headboats will be chomping at the bit to get out there before the good sea bass spots are picked over. Contact your local party boat this weekend to reserve a spot on an upcoming trip, and if it’s too dangerous, wet, or windy to fish, tie up some rigs and prep your jigs and teasers.
Be smart, stay safe, and check on your neighbors!