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

Phil at the Tackle Box in Hazlet stated bonito are still running along the northern shores from Sea Bright up to the hook and they are whacking at Epoxy jigs. Inside Raritan Bay, spot and croakers are taking bloodworms off the piers.

John at Betty and Nicks brought word that a ton of small fluke can be caught in the IBSP surf as they seem to be everywhere now. Put in some time and you will find those 18-inch plus keepers. The bayside is inundated with croakers and spot hitting hi-lo rigs with Fishbites on them.

Philly Billy at Charlie’s Bait and Tackle in Normandy Beach said the surf story is mainly small fluke and bonito ripping through each day. The bay docks and bulkheads are offering up great crabbing as well as action on smaller beasties like spot and croakers.

Greg of Fisherman’s Headquarters in Ship Bottom said it’s certainly been the year of the croaker as the hardheads have been around all summer long hitting Fishbtie son size #4 to #6 hooks on hi-lo rigs. Kingfish and spot can also be caught using that rig. Bonito schools have been blasting in and out 50 to 100 yards in the surf line and you can usually reach them with a naked ava jig or small thin metal, even with a sand eel type teaser too. Fluke fishing remains strong, but small fish are the norm. Bluefish from 6 inches to 6 pounds are being found in the suds as well.

Kyle of Fishermen’s Supply in Point Pleasant said the Manasquan Inlet has had plenty of fluke activity going on with keepers in the mix if you put in your time. Bonito are still cruising by all the beaches to hit metals or epoxy jigs reeled in at a super quick pace.

Frank at Gabriel Tackle in Brick said most reports coming in are of short fluke in the Brick Beach area surf and the occasional keeper being hooked. Bonito schools continue to play around in and out with the deeper water and early morning risers are starting to find a few short stripers hitting soft baits.

If you can wade through all the shorts there are some quality keeper fluke pushing up to 5 pounds in the IBSP surf according to John of Grumpy’s Tackle in Seaside Park. Quite a few 3- to 5-pounders were weighed in this week. Bonito schools are now being joined by some Spanish mackerel as well as rumors of false albacore mixed in. Croakers are gobbling up FIshbites baits during evening surf sessions.

At Jingles Bait and Tackle in Beach Haven reports of larger fluke are coming in from the Barnegat Inlet as well as Wreck Inlet areas where fish to nearly 8 pounds have been caught. Though super snappers are commonplace, there are some larger model bluefish up to 5 pounds starting to show up as well. Croakers, kingfish and spot are hitting small bits of bait in the surf.

From Boulevard Bait and Tackle in Sea Isle City Cam said many anglers are focusing on targeting tog and sheepshead off the 8th street jetty now using green crabs and sand fleas. Tog are coming up to about 4 pounds, with a few larger. Bonito and Spanish mackerel are busting small baits outside of the jetty rocks as well.

At Fin-Atics in Ocean City Corson’s Inlet seems to be the best spot on the island to bend a rod as fluke ranging from shorts to about 4 or 5 pounds were caught on live minnows there this week. The bayside docks and 9th Street bridge area are also giving up some fluke, and there were a few scattered reports of some weakfish up to 20 inches off the back docks. Try down at Corson’s Inlet during the sunrise with soft baits to target weakfish.

Will of Hands Too Bait and Tackle in Cape May started off by saying the fluke were starting to bite heavy down at the point and that’s where there has also been some decent weakfish action for those floating bloodworms and working soft baits. Spanish mackerel and bonito were found streaking metals off the beachfront in Cape May as well as up by Sea Isle City. Kingfish, croaker and spot are all over the Delaware Bayshore beaches nibbling on Fishbites and bloodworms.

Flounder fishing has really picked up in Atlantic City according to Noel of One Stop Bait and Tackle as keeper class flatties are hitting live minnows and squid strips. Along the rocks, triggerfish and tautog are popping sand fleas back like candy. Lucky anglers at the right time are casting to small bonito that rush through quickly. A cool catch off the T-Jetty this week was an undersized cobia.

At Riptide Bait and Tackle in Brigantine Andy reported kids are having a blast out front catching plenty of medium size croakers, spot, super snapper bluefish and sand sharks. The jetty has also been producing larger fluke while sheepshead are on the bite there too.