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

Phil at the Tackle Box in Hazlet said a cavalcade of small stuff is littering the surf and Raritan Bayshore including a bunch of kingfish, spot, small weakfish and big croakers. Quality fluke are being bucktailed off Sandy Hook’s shores and one customer targeting fluke with bucktails hooked a whopper -8 to 9-pound weakfish off the Hook, so where there’s one, there’s probably more.

The surf fluke bite is starting to pick up a bit more according to John of Betty and Nicks in Seaside Park. Dennis from the shop has been pulling on short fish down near the inlet and at other IBSP spots. There was also a showing of small blues this week that hit cut mullet, but you had to reach on the outer side of the outer bar.

Philly Billy from Charlie’s Bait and Tackle in Normandy Beach said fluke are hitting better on the outgoing tides with bucktails and Gulp the ticket to success. Occasional stripers are still hitting sand fleas or clams in the surf for deadstickers. Bayside docks are holding plenty of spot activity and crabbing has been off the charts if you want to get a crab boil going.

Greg of Fisherman’s Headquarters in Ship Bottom stated most of the surf action revolves around bucktailing for fluke in the cuts and sloughs as well as off the Barnegat Inlet south jetty. Small stuff like spot, kingfish and croakers are nibbling bloodworms and Fishbites basically on any LBI beach too if you just want a tug on the line.

Kyle of Fishermen’s Supply in Point Pleasant said the inlet had the usual flukesters hauling up some keeper class fish but he did hear that one angler livelining spot found some over 20-inch plus weakfish. Other than that, the surf out front is the usual fluke on bucktails and a couple of early morning stripers on swimming plugs.

At Gabriel Tackle in Brick, Frank noted that fluke are still available in the wash as not only bucktails getting hit but be sure to affix a teaser on the leader too. Fluke are also hanging at the inlet and on the north side of the canal area. Some blues and bass are roving throughout the rivers and back by Manto bridge Pier. Crabbing is red hot in the bays and lagoon areas along with a showing of some snapper blues.

John of Grumpys Tackle in Seaside Park stated overall the fishing is still kinda slow but there are short fluke and some keepers up to 4 pounds laying in the suds if you put in the time as Shell E proved with a whopper flattie he caught on a jerkbait. Crabbing however is super hot off the bayside docks if you want to mix it up a bit a toss a pot out while you use sabiki rigs to pull on spot and some small croakers.

Th bayside seems to be where most of the action is at according to the folks at the Hook House in Toms River. All sorts of little beasties are hitting bloodworms and Fishbites including spot, croaker, kingfish and snapper blues while the crabbing is really hot to trot. Surfside, fluke are still the best bet at IBSP and Seaside.

At Jingles Bait and Tackle in Beach Haven the word is that there are some numbers of fluke around in the suds hitting bucktails and Gulp. Kingfish are also a hot commodity as they are apt to nibble on bloodworms and Fishbites. Occasionally a weakfish will also hit the bloods and there have been some spiketooths up to 20 inches patrolling the surfline along with some small tailor bluefish.

At Fin-Atics in Ocean City the best bet for fluke fishing is still on the North End on the outgoing tides using bucktails or just dragging gulp baits. Other fare in the surf out front is a mix of kings, croakers and spot while the back bay bridges are offering up shorty bass on soft baits during the night shifts.

Down in Cape May at Hands Too Bait and Tackle, Joe said that big croakers moved in full force and that big bluefish up to 15 plus pounds and even 20 pounds are ravaging the oceanside hitting bunker chunks. Some beauty weakfish in the 22- to 24-inch range are hanging near the jetty tips and hitting bloodworms or bucktails, along with some fluke. Joe also said they are stocking fiddler crabs now for the sheepshead and that Delaware Bay is loaded with kingfish.

Kingfishing is hot and heavy down in Atlantic City according to Noel of One Stop Bait and Tackle. The feisty scrappers are inhaling bloodworms and Fishbites and double-digit catches have been the norm if you want some fresh fish fillets. Fluke are still being bucktailed off the jetty rocks during the daytime while night anglers are finding some stripers and a weakfish here and there.

Andy at Riptide Bait and Tackle in Brigantine reported the usual summer fare off the Brigantine shores with kingfish, spot and croaker the main targets along with a few fluke at the south end. Nighttime anglers chunking mackerel and bunker are finding sharks and stingrays.