New Jersey & Delaware Bay - Central New Jersey Fishing Reports

Capt. Joe said the Jamaica II spent September getting its last shots at fluke. There was plenty of life on the grounds, but anglers had to work through the shorts to find keepers, with some areas producing better action than others. Sea bass have also been adding to the mix, keeping rods bent and the fishing interesting as the season winds down.

The crew at the Reel Seat said resident stripers are becoming increasingly active, with anglers catching more fish each day. The fluke bite remained decent right up until the final week of the season. Albies and Spanish mackerel are still hanging around, with plenty of albies and bonito reported near the wind turbines out near the Cholera. Bluefish are seemingly everywhere, from the inlets to the wrecks. If you find diving birds, there’s a good chance blues are feeding underneath. Mahi are also plentiful farther offshore, with nearly every pot holding fish in some areas. They can be finicky, however, sometimes favoring live bait and other times showing a preference for epoxy jigs, so anglers have had to be ready to switch up their presentation.

Adam of Canyon Runner Sportfishing said summer is coming to an end following some of the toughest fishing they’ve seen in the local canyons in decades. The hope is that fall weather will roll in, flipping over the water, cooling temperatures and igniting a fall tuna run. That could bring chunking yellowfin into the canyons and bluefin action to the Mud Hole. For now, anglers will have to wait and see what the changing season brings.

Jack at Fishermen’s Supply said anglers are still finding some fluke and bluefish in the inlet. The blues have been hammering metal lures and SP Minnows, while fluke are responding to Gulp and Q8 products. Local stripers are also active up and down the river, with fish feeding on soft plastics and peanut bunker imitations. The variety of species has been keeping anglers busy as the fall bite begins to take shape.

Capt. Bob on the Gambler said they’ve wrapped up their fluke fishing season. Anglers managed to put some keepers over the rails after picking through a mix of shorts. With summer winding down, the crew has also wrapped up its weekend night-fishing trips, which produced plenty of exciting action on bluefish and ling. Those after-dark trips provided anglers with steady bites and good action before the season came to a close.

Capt. Alan of Mushin Sportfishing said Capt. George and Mate Jon had Jim J. and guests offshore on a mid-September trip, where they found some exceptional quality. The crew put a couple of jumbo bigeye tuna and yellowfin tuna well over 100 pounds over the rails. These were some seriously beastly fish, but the anglers handled them like pros. The Shimano Ledge Runner 200, a hard-body, adjustable, deep-diving plug, has been an ace in the hole for the crew throughout the tuna season.

Capt. Tom said the Norma K III continues to find good fluke action as September winds down. Some areas are holding more life than others, so the crew has been moving around to locate productive grounds and put fish in the coolers. Bluefish action also remains strong, providing plenty of hard-pulling action to keep anglers busy on their night trips.

Capt. John Zema at Yankee Rose Fishing said anglers enjoyed a great haul of porgies on a September trip, along with sea bass and a few bluefish. With the sea bass season opening September 23, the crew will be sailing in search of these popular bottom-dwellers and looking to put plenty of them over the rails.

Frank at Gabriel Tackle said fluke fishing was reportedly good up until the close of the season. Bonito and bluefish are being caught on local wrecks and reefs, with similar reports coming from the Manasquan River and Barnegat Bay. In the surf, anglers are finding bonito and fluke, along with the occasional striper, but otherwise the action has been relatively quiet. The Point Pleasant Canal continues to hold plenty of stripers and bluefish at night. Those targeting stripers are finding success with live eels or spots, but the trick is getting the bait past the bluefish. Offshore, the tuna bite has been more of a hunt-and-seek affair, but anglers who made the run to the Hudson found bigeye and yellowfin tuna up to 80 pounds. There are also reports of tuna on the Toms. The mahi bite remains productive, with fish being reported around the Klondike, while the tilefish bite continues to hold strong.

Philly Billy at Charlie’s Bait & Tackle said there are plenty of snapper blues around, with the little speedsters providing plenty of action. He’s also heard reports of short fluke being caught in the surf, along with some albies bending rods. Spanish mackerel have even been spotted blitzing and jumping off the beach. In the bay, anglers are finding blowfish, spot, and snapper blues, giving inshore anglers plenty of options as the fall season picks up steam.

The crew at The Dock Outfitters in Seaside Heights said anglers are still finding blowfish and spot around the docks. Crabbing has slowed down, but those putting in the time are still finding some keepers. A few quality fluke have also been caught under the bridge, with fish around 20 inches reported consistently through the end of the season. The late-season fluke bite has provided a nice bonus for anglers fishing the area.

Scott at Grumpys Bait & Tackle said the mullet run is really starting to kick off. The shop just received another shipment of mullet, and the reports have been encouraging. Bluefish are now spread up and down the coast, actively feeding on the schools of mullet. Anglers are getting into the action with mullet rigs, epoxy jigs, and metal lures. The bluefish have been running in the 1- to 4-pound range, providing plenty of fast-paced action.

Scott at Yakitty Yaks Kayaks said anglers were finding fluke right up until the end of the season. Resident stripers are beginning to show, while false albacore, bonito, and Spanish mackerel are providing plenty of fast-paced action on inshore structure and just off the beach for kayak anglers. Bluefish are also bending rods and adding some hard-pulling excitement to the mix. Epoxy jigs have been producing well for a variety of species.

Bob at Better Bait and Ice said anglers are still finding crabs around Guilford Park, the Power Plant, and in the lagoons, along with plenty of snapper blues. Silver Bay and Goose Creek are also loaded with snappers, providing plenty of fast-paced action. Fluke were being caught around the sedges in Barnegat and Island Heights, while the BB and BI buoys continued to produce fluke right through the end of the season. Bluefish are also biting around Ortley and Island Beach State Park, adding plenty of rod-bending action to the late-season mix.

The crew at Hook House Bait & Tackle said the bay is holding a mixed bag of snappers, croakers, spot, and blowfish. Albies are showing in the inlet, while bonito and bluefish are also being caught around Manasquan. They’ve heard reports of big stripers making their way into Rhode Island waters as the fall migration gets underway. If the fish continue moving south as expected, the crew is hopeful that some quality bass will make their way into local waters this season.

Capt. Ray Lopez of Miss Liane Charters said the crew has been enjoying good wreck fishing for fluke. They also made the run offshore, where anglers found productive action on mahi and tilefish. Now, they’re waiting for the weather to cooperate so they can get back on the water. With sea bass season underway as of September 23 (10-fish bag limit), the crew is eager to get after them and put some quality fish over the rails.

Capt. Joe Rizzo of Barnegat Bay Fishing Charters said the fluke bite stayed strong right up until the final week of the season. Anglers managed to put some quality keepers in the cooler while sorting through the shorts. Blowfish and kingfish are also in the mix, adding a little variety to the late-season action.

The crew at Creekside Outfitters said Gene Makitra of the Fishhawks landed a monster triggerfish weighing nearly 4 pounds. John and Steve Hamlin also found some quality late-season fluke around the BI Buoy area in Barnegat Bay, catching them on Creekside Killer Killies. The late-season fluke bite stayed red-hot, producing strong action right through the close of the season.

Capt. Sam Rescigno of the Mary M IV said they wrapped up the fluke season with several productive trips, putting a mix of keepers, shorts, and sea bass over the rails. Bluefish and albacore are also bending rods and keeping anglers busy. With fluke season now in the books and sea bass season getting underway, the crew will shift its focus to sea bass and porgies in the days ahead.

Capt. Lenny of Miss Barnegat Light said their Canyon tuna trips will kick off September 24. The crew wrapped up its fluke season on September 20, with September living up to its reputation as one of the best times of year to target fluke. Anglers made the most of the late-season bite while they could before the focus shifts offshore in search of canyon tuna.

Greg at Fisherman’s Headquarters said surf action has been slow lately, although some kingfish and fluke were still biting through the end of September. Kingfish have been taking Fishbites, but the bite remains sluggish. Croaker action has also slowed, while blowfish continue to chew in the bay. Mullet are beginning to show up on LBI, offering a promising sign that the fall surf action could soon pick up.

Steve at Jingles Bait and Tackle in Beach Haven said the LBI Surf Fishing Classic recorded its first striper weigh-in of the season, with Danyaal landing an 8.15-pounder measuring 29.5 inches on a plug. Steve is looking forward to the fall run getting into full swing, with plenty of fluke, kingfish, and smaller bluefish showing up in weigh-ins throughout late September. Pat Conti weighed in a 1.65-pound bluefish measuring 16.5 inches, caught on a lure, while Pat Gallen brought in a .7-pound, 12.75-inch kingfish caught on Fishbites. Lisa Conti also checked in a solid 2.2-pound fluke measuring 18-3/8 inches, caught in Holgate on Gulp.

Fred at Surf City Bait and Tackle said Bob has been connecting with multiple bluefish lately while throwing metal, a sure sign that the fall bite is heating up. Kingfish are also around and biting on sand fleas, while blackfish are starting to chew around the jetties, giving surf anglers another species to target as the season changes.