New Jersey & Delaware Bay - New Jersey & Delaware Bay Surf Fishing Reports

Phil at the Tackle Box in Hazlet reported that Sandy Hook got a good shot of stripers this weekend as the Rip held keeper class fish that hit NLBN plastics, metal lipped swimmers and clams. The Keansburg Pier was loaded with bass as well with clam baits scoring slot fish there. Way back at South Amboy bloodworms are working best to score stripers. A big 50-pound black drum was also caught along the Bayshore back there this week on clams.

The IBSP sands got lit up over the weekend as John from Betty and Nicks in Seaside Park said his customers couldn’t keep a clam in the water without a striper hitting. Both clams and bloods are the way to go to find bass along the Seaside Piers, both day and night time, while drum fishing slowed up a bit. Looks like the barrier island is heating up.

At Charlie’s Bait and Tackle in Normandy Beach, surfslingers began to find a few more bass out front as Tim Brackman clammed up a couple of fish during the night shift. I also made it out to huck some snot in the dark hours to come up with a shorty bass. The Mantoloking Pier area saw its first bluefish of the year as well. Stop in the shop as Pete is selling special $15 for Gulp tubs to prep for fluke season.

At Fisherman’s Headquarters in Ship Bottom Greg had some strange reports of kingfish already in the area, and some big ones too, up to nearly 2 pounds hitting bloodworms. Bass are hit or miss along the surfline, but the chew is still best along the bay beaches. Blackfishing had been red hot at the Barney Inlet south jetty for those exploring rocky sections in search of fish.

Kyle of Fishermen’s Supply in Point Pleasant said a local customer has been throwing the Yo-Zuri Monster Shot around the Point area to connect with some larger stripers. Clammers are picking away at bass out front. The Manasquan Inlet jacks have magnetized blackfish to the area as limits were found on green crab baits. Just keep in mind that blackfish is closed for a bit at the end of April. Kyle said there may be bluefish around as the boats are marking fish though they may still be in lockjaw mode.

Frank from Gabriel Tackle in Brick had the first legit photos of bluefish come in near the Mantoloking area as 3- to 4-pounders were around town. Blackfishing was up and down in the Squan inlet and canal in the waning days of April with bloodworms getting more hits than clams right now, but you can also use the usual green crab offerings to score. More reports of stripers from the surf came in towards the end of April, but the bayside still seemed to be the place to go for a linesider.

The black drum bite that was red hot early in the week of April 15th trickled down to a few boomers along the Seaside area docks according to Scott of Grumpys Tackle in Seaside Park, but the chew could pick up again around the April 23 full moon. Sporadic stripers have been taken in the surf and along the bayside mainly on bloods and clams. The first bluefish were reported as well in the back.

Clams have been connecting with stripers in the LBI surf according to the folks at Jingles Bait and Tackle in Beach Haven. A good show of slot fish are around along with sub legal caliber fish to eat up the clam baits. Folks there were expecting the first bluefish to get reported before the first of May, especially around the Holgate area at the inlet. If clams aren’t working for bass, try and switch up to bloodworms to mix it up a bit.

At Fin-Atics in Ocean City Nick reported more bass moved into the area, especially down at Corson’s Inlet where fish span the whole gamut from 18 to 40 inches. The 9th Street bridge also had bass hitting soft baits. Blackfishing picked up in a big way as the Longport Pier, Beer Pier and the bridge had plenty of almost legal size tog, with some big ones of 16 inches or so, topped out with a monster 22-inch tog heading into the third weekend of April.

Down in Cape May at Hands Too Bait and Tackle, Jeff said bass anglers can take their pick in the Delaware Bay how you want to catch them on bloods, clams, bunker, plugs, shads. The chew is solid from Fortescue to Cape May Point. Higbee’s Beach is seeing a lot of slot size fish, while the further up you go into the bay, the fish get larger up to 45 inches. Weakfish have been reported around The Point as bucktails tipped with soft baits as well as bloodworms are starting to nab the spiketooths.

“Big bass are here,” declared Noel of One Stop Bait and Tackle in Atlantic City as he saw a mess of large linesiders get released off the jetty rocks with fish pushing the 20-pound mark and even more. A mass quantity of keep slot fish are around too to keep the lines busy with bloods and clam baits scoring. Blackfish were continuing to bend rods off the rocks where bloods and green crabs are the key.

Stripers and drum came rumbling into the Brigantine surf according to Andy of Riptide Bait and Tackle in Brigantine. Saturday’s sunshine on April 20 saw a mess of stripers being caught on the beaches on clams with a few black drum mixed in. The South Jetty was also a hot spot to land not only stripers but blackfish. Andy said the wave of fish that just moved in is large and should be the start of the fun.