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

Phil from the Tackle Box in Hazlet brought us the news of big gator blues storming the northern beaches, as he even got on his bike and chased them down through Sandy Hook. Reports of fish in the 10- to 15-pound class were whacking metals and poppers in a crazy whitewater blitz from Long Branch to Sea Bright and Phil said it was so many birds it was hard to cast to the blues! Let’s hope that trend continues. Bayside, the piers are holding croakers and spot with some fluke off the bayside of the hook too.

Fishing is picking up according to John of Betty and Nicks in Seaside Park as false albacore made their first showing on the south end of IBSP with anglers getting streaked using metals and epoxy jigs. Bluefish up to 6 pounds were also in the mix. Fluke continue to be plucked from the surf. Bayside docks are holding load of snapper bluefish now.

I stopped in to see Pete at Charlie’s Bait and Tackle in Normandy Beach and he said fluke continue to be the main target in the suds, but you have to walk and find holes they are hiding in. I hit a stretch of the Normandy area to pull on a bunch of short fluke on bucktails and Gulp. Early risers are searching for stripers with soft baits.

Greg of Fisherman’s Headquarters in Ship Bottom said the summer water temps are still hanging on but the fall transition is starting as spearing, rainfish and mullet are starting to pool up. Fluke are a solid bet in the suds, but a wave of spike weakfish ran through this week where flukers were catching them on soft baits. Kingfish, croakers and spot are nibbling away at Fishbites. Hardtails like albies and bonito can still be found running in and out. At the Barnegat Jetty, tog are on tap big time.

Jason at Fishermen’s Supply in Point Pleasant stated some albies are making their presence known at the mouth of the Manasquan Inlet and even inside the inlet as metal-slingers hooked a few last week. The pocket has also been a good spot to find a few. Fluke continue to be caught inside the inlet and surrounding beaches. Bonito are still popping in and out north of the inlet while anglers are looking for some stripers now in the early morning hours.

Frank at Gabriel Tackle in Brick said the common catch in the local Brick area surf has been fluke with some shots at bonito. A few bigger blues are being hooked near the Manasquan Inlet and river system. There have been some initial reports of striped bass being caught in the early morning hours on soft baits and live eels and that bite is the next to show up in full force.

The crew at Grumpys Tackle in Seaside Park had reports of little tunny hitting at the Barney north jetty this week and inside the pocket, so they should be spilling out front soon. Bluefish of 4 to 6 pounds were also mixed in with the albies. A few striper reports also trickled in signaling the potential crack into the fall run migration. Kurtis Walrath had a most unexpected battle casting an SP Minnow and hooking a huge butterfly ray off the jetty rocks.

Word from the Hook House in Toms River is that short fluke continue to dominate the surf bound catches with a keeper here and there, especially if you fish IBSP with the 16-inch minimum size. Bayside docks are great for crabbing as well as fooling around with spot and croakers using Fishbites.

From Boulevard Bait and Tackle in Sea Isle City word is that super snapper to tailor sizes bluefish of 15 to 18 inches stormed the Sea Isle shores to snap at cut mullet baits. Triggerfish are thick off the bayside bulkheads, docks and piers.

At Fin-Atics in Ocean City John said the beaches are mainly giving up spot and croakers. Tog on green crabs are the bridges and Longport Pier down to the Avalon jetty as well. Loads of little sea bass are inundating the backwaters. Fluke reports have been quiet from all the beach replenishment though a few are being plucked back a little further in Corsons Inlet. As of press time I got a quick call back from John that Spanish mackerel just blitzed the Longport Pier as well.

Down in Cape May at Hands Too Bait and Tackle Will said good things were happening as flounder were on the chew out front as well as at the Point. Triggerfish and tog are hanging around the rocks en masse. Smaller bluefish moved in with a couple choppers mixed in. A couple of pompano were hooked in Sea Isle and Will said they were big enough for the frying pan. Croakers and kingfish are available on the Delaware Bayshore beaches and larger model weakfish up to 24 or 25 inches have been striking bloodworms and pink Zooms.

A lot of fluke showed up to play ball last week according to Noel from One Stop Bait and Tackle in Atlantic City as the jetties held fish up to 5 pounds with squid and minnow combos working well. Blackfish are hanging tight in the rocks along with triggerfish. Super snapper bluefish up to chopper size of 5 pounds are eating up chunk baits.

Andy at Riptide Bait and Tackle in Brigantine said the usual suspects are hitting in the surf with some kingfish, spot and croakers inhaling bloods or Fishbites. The south jetty rocks are a good spot to angle for larger fluke as well as triggerfish and tog. Reports of some chopper bluefish just off the beach are promising if they move into the surfline.