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

As of this report on October 18, Phil at the Tackle Box in Hazlet noted large linesiders continue to bite in the Raritan Bay, with the Keansburg area red hot for fish pushing over 40 inches long. The bigger cows were also staging off the Sea Bright and Sandy Hook beaches hiting metal lip-swimmers, shads and even live bunker. We did get an emailed report from the Sandy Hook surf from Red Bank’s Andrew Costello on October 18 showing off a hefty striper he caught on a spearing pattern diamond jig with hackle feather hook. Look for blitzes to run up and down the beaches as we head into the month of November with poppers, plugs and metals getting whacked.

At Betty and Nicks in Seaside Park a few 2- to 3-pound bluefish were rumbling through to hit metals and SP Minnows during the morning hours. Some stripers of below slot to slot size were also caught on plugs and soft baits. Look for this stretch of coast to be lit with bass activity all through the month of November.

At Charlie’s Bait and Tackle in Normandy Beach Philly Billy stated everyone’s gearing up for the shop’s 15th annual Surf Turkey striper tourney slated for Thanksgiving week. Rainbait has been choking the cuts and sloughs with a couple of bluefish spraying them around. Everyone is waiting for the first shot of stripers to push in which could be any day with the cool nights. Tog fishing has been solid in the canal.

Greg at Fisherman’s Headquarters in Ship Bottom said tautog fishing is taking the top spot right now as the south Jetty at Barney Inlet is giving up plenty of keeper class bulldogs up to 18 inches long. Both greenies and sand fleas are getting bit. A few stripers are starting to show in the local suds with bunker chunks working to attract a strike.

Jack from Fishermen’s Supply in Point Pleasant said larger stripers were found at low light conditions plus a few in the early afternoon, chasing adult bunker presentations, darters, plugs, large paddletails. Blackfishing inside the inlets is rewarding with keepers and they are hitting sand fleas and clams just fine. A shot of big bass stormed the Point beaches this week as I witnessed not only a bunch of 46-inch class linesiders caught on glide baits but also saw giant bluefin tuna crashing the schools of bass!

Frank at Gabriel Tackle in Brick said the tog bite has gotten good along the Manasquan Inlet rocks and backwater rockpiles as green crabs and sand fleas have been money baits. The first wave of stripers trickled in near Point Pleasant over the October 17-18 weekend, and it’s just the start of what should be a solid fall run of bass on the barrier island. Live eels have also been catching bass inside the inlet.

Scott at Grumpys Tackle in Seaside Park stated a few huge sporadic bass have been taken in the local area with fish of 52 and 53 inches being released. As you may have seen in Jim Hutchinson’s October 15th weekly video fishing forecast Jenni A. scored a good fish tossing a Tsunami twitch bait. Glide baits and livelined bunker have been working well, and everyone’s looking for the run to really kick into gear, which will happen soon.

At the Hook House in Toms River Dennis reported that some spot are still hanging around off the backside docks along with smallish stripers on the bridges hitting soft baits. Out front, cocktail to tailor sized blues are hitting plugs and metals. Look for the first real waves of stripers to show any day now.

At Jingles Bait and Tackle in Beach Haven reports came in from the LBI Surf Fishing Classic going on through November 29 of some 13- to 14-inch weakfish gobbling up bloodworms. A few tailor bluefish also came into the scales. Anglers are looking for stripers up and down the beaches.

Brady at Fin-Atics in Ocean City said the Great Egg Inlet and Corson’s Inlet had some bass and some blues running through. Jetty activity at the north end has smaller stripers getting hooked on soft baits. Blackfish have been steady at the Longport Pier on green crabs as well as sand fleas.

Down at Hands Too Bait and Tackle in Cape May Dean mentioned the blackfish bite has been solid for rockhoppers. A lot of kingfish are hanging around the beaches and anglers are having success on bloodworms and Fishbites. Weakfish poked their heads up early morning by the surf rockpiles to hit pink Zooms and white bucktails. Stripers are happening by the bridge lights at night or off the end of the inlet rocks during dawn hours or night hours. Live eels are available to score with larger model fish. Townsend’s Inlet gave up a few surprise redfish as Yo-Zuri Crystal Minnows and small pink Fin-S fish tricked up reds for anglers trying for speckled trout and weakfish.

It’s been “Tog City” down at One Stop Bait and Tackle in Atlantic City into mid-October. Blackfish are gobbling up sand fleas, fiddler crabs and green crabs on all tides. Some tog are pushing the 4-pound plus mark too. There’s been a few night hounds scoring with stripers on plugs and cut baits off the rocks.

Blackfishing has really elevated down off the inlet jetty according to Andy of Riptide Bait and Tackle in Brigantine as the Absecon rocks are holding plenty of bulldogs willing to crush green crabs and sand fleas. Bigger fish are pushing past the 4-pound mark. Look for stripers to storm the shores out front as the run gets underway around the middle of November.