The summertime snapper blue fishing in New Jersey has been outstanding this year. Huge numbers of snapper blues have infiltrated the bay and surf in Ocean County. Kids are enjoying absolutely tremendous snapper fishing with baits such as spearing and sand eels on all the local docks. Small metals are also hammering these aggressive future gators.
This morning, I stopped by the weekly Seaside Park Police Children’s Fishing Tournament at the 5th Avenue Pier. Snappers were being caught non-stop, and the kids were having a blast. There is another tournament next week at the 5th Ave. pier from 10am-noon.
This past weekend, I watched and photographed a massive school of 10-inch snapper blues that passed through Island Beach State Park. The school was over a mile long and took about an hour to pass as it made its way south.
Photos by Tom Lynch/Angry Fish
Have been getting blues up to 3lbs most of the summer. ..in the Chesapeake bay by the pax river
great photo…mile long ? outstanding…lets hope they grow up to be an old age…love to see that with our stripers…and party, charters and commercial guys stay off them !
A mile is a conservative estimate.
Here in the South Shore of Long Island have been getting bucket loads (releasing most of them) all summer.
Great photos. Love to see the kids catching ; it keeps them interested! We adults MUST remember that those babies are both the feed for our Stripers and the future of the Bluefish stock so treat them like the precious bit of (tasty) life that they are and throw em back except for those destined for the table. Tight lines! J
where can I catch then?
And though they are small any state retention limit regulation still applies.
You must be fun at parties.
Great to see, remember catching these by the bucket as a kid. Now the fun continues as we catch the adult Blues. As the Striper fishery once again seems to be on the decline, at least the often under appreciated Bluefish will save many a fishing outing. I have never looked down on this great fish, and welcome them in May when they return to Raritan Bay. What a great fighter pound for pound.
They were thick in the Shinnecock Canal in Hampton Bays, NY last Thursday morning (August 21st). They were taking almost everything you could throw at them. Small plastic jigs and 1/4 ounce spoons seemed to do the trick. I wish I’d brought a fly rod with me!
Peter, What type of flies do you use?
Also, for anyone else, I am in South Jersey near Cape May and am looking for help finding my 8 yo son any fun fishing. We come down from WNY the last week of May, the last week of June and then the first week of Sept. I appreciate any help.
Going offshore on the Helen H I ‘m a subscriber to on the water magazine plan on jigging for tuna if you were only allowed to take 3 lures or jigs what ones would they be thanks for your help have had ok luck in the past with big diamond.jigs
Well it wouldn’t be a B52 I almost got killed by a drunk flinging one of those around a couple of years ago