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

Phil at the Tackle Box in Hazlet said Sandy Hook went off for clamming surf stripers as Parking Lots A, B and C all had steady action around the top of the tides. Bug Light produced better for bass on artificials especially during the night shift. Big blues to 12 pounds were ravaging off the Hook as well as inside the bay off of Keansburg Pier and Belford Pier. Fluke were being taken off the piers as well as on the bayside of Sandy Hook.

Bass were in thick before the blow according to John of Betty and Nicks in Seaside Park. Clams were once again the ticket to getting the sluggish fish to feed, but pluggers also found a few as did some bucktail throwers. Bluefish of 8 to 12 pounds were hitting frozen mullet in the Seaside surf, so don’t count them out. Be on the lookout for fluke along the IBSP cuts and sloughs as the south end of the island put up some flatties from the sands.

Philly Billy at Charlie’s Bait and Tackle in Normandy Beach said dedicated clammers are finding plenty of fish especially around the turns of the tide, but don’t overlook night plugging as Tim Brackman has been out hooking to linesiders with the tried and true Black Bomber plug. Occasional bluefish are rumbling through the area to hit chunk baits while a few guys are finding fluke more near the inlet areas. Word of warning, watch out for blowfish and spiny porcupine fish picking away at your clam baits and check them often every 25 minutes in the surf, believe me, I know, from experience.

Greg at Fisherman’s Headquarters in Ship Bottom said there’s a full range for striper classes available now in the LBI suds from 24 to 44 inches and all points in between. Clam baits continue to reign supreme to hook up while pluggers working hard can find a fish or two. Bluefish moved in but are still relatively sporadic on the hits but best bets are tossing bunker or mullet cut baits out. Fluke fishing has been solid and steady up near the Barney Inlet area and inside the inlet itself. Simple three-way swivel bottom rigs with spearing and gulp baits will find those flatties.

Kyle from Fishermen’s Supply in Point Pleasant said fluke fishing was solid off the local gas docks and bridges as bucktails tipped with Gulp were the key to success. Dog Beach had a few waves of big blues come in with the incoming tides as anglers could reach them from the beach on SP Minnows and Mag Darters. A few quality 36-inch plus bass were also in the mix with the blues. Out front, clammers are scoring with stripers at most times of the day.

It’s definitely worth hitting the surf day or night for bass or blues according to Frank of Gabriel Tackle in Brick. Clams are the all-around bait to bend a rod on the bass, while cut baits will better attract blues as they are scattered about and looking for some meat. Fluke can be caught in the surf, and some nice ones too up to 23 inches, as clam baits believe it or not are getting flatfish as are the usual small bucktails and Gulp, spearing or squid strip baits. The canal is also fired up for bass and blues if you are dedicated to fishing the night hours.

“If you’ve got clams then you’ve got bass,” declared Rich at Grumpys Tackle in Seaside Park. Obviously clam baits have the striper fishing from “good to fantastic” but the linesiders are starting to hit plugs with each passing day. Blues have also been roaming the surfwaters as cut chunks of mullet or bunker are hanging the choppers. Fluke are actually milling around in the undertow right now in the deeper pockets along the beachfront as bass clammers are finding a few on their lines, but if you want to target them, go with a light bucktail tipped with Gulp.

Clams took the lion’s share of bass in the surf said Dennis of Murphy’s Hook House in Toms River, as fish between 26 to 40 inches seemed to be around at all hours. Stripers were also found along the bayside docks and piers as were bluefish of chopper to slammer size range that hit chunk baits off the local docks.

Bunker and clams, bunker and clams, can’t say it enough at Jingles Bait and Tackle in Beach Haven, as bass and bluefish are all over the meat. Bass are ranging in the slot range and above while blues are generally marking out between 6 and 12 pounds on average, but any time out in the surf you’re probably going to tangle with one or both species of fish. Fluke fishing is also picking up now too for the first real week of the season. Drag spearing and squid baits back slowly in the surf to find a few.

At Fin-Atics in Ocean City Dan said big blues moved in and were hitting mullet sent out on mullet rigs. Before the blues arrived, bass were hitting topwater poppers at Corson’s Inlet, but the blues seemed to have pushed the bass down below now and they are more apt to strike fresh clam baits. Flounder fishing picked up in Corson’s Inlet as keeper quality flatfish are hitting bucktails drifted with the tides.

Down in Cape May, Jeff at Hands Too Bait and Tackle Jeff said fishing is firing on all fronts. Bass activity is solid both off Poverty Beach and the Delaware Bay beachside with clams and bunker chunks taking fish. Big blues are also hanging around the area to hit baits. Fluke fishing is solid off the backwater sod banks and a few are trickling out into the Cape May Point area. The jetties off the Point are hot spots to find weakfish as floated bloodworms next to the rocks are finding large fish up to 4 to 8 pounds.

The fellas and gals fishing the AC rocks are lighting it up according to Noel over at One Stop Bait and Tackle in Atlantic City. First off, bass are on fire with bloodworms, clams and live eels all scoring big time on shorties to slots to fish over 42 inches long, especially during the dark hours. Add to that bluefish schools moving through at any time of day as they are reaching 5 to 10 pounds on average to hit plugs and chunk baits. A wonderful sign of weakfish around is the word too as hardcore night jetty jocks are tossing soft baits to score with tiderunner class spiketooths pushing 27 to 29 inches long. You want to bend a rod or a take home striper, get to AC and hit the slots!

Get down to Brigantine during the bottom of the tide said Andy at Riptide Bait and Tackle in Brigantine, as scores of fish of all species are on the chew. Striper fishing has been bananas as both Riptide Rotter clams and bloodworms are hooking fish from shorty to slot to 43 inches plus once the tide changes. A few bluefish are roving around, but you’ve got a real shot and tangling with some big barrel-chested black drum anywhere from 15 to 50 pounds on any given day if you send out a fresh clam on a fishfinder slide bait rig. It’s happening down off “The Rock” so get on it!