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

Its been an amazing week in the surf according to John at Betty and Nicks in Seaside Park. A grand slam of species have been available including stripers, bluefish, fluke and black drum. Bass are still slot and overslot size, drum are pushing 40 pounds, blues are in the 2- to 4-pound class and keeper fluke are in the undertow at IBSP.

Philly Billy of Charlie’s Bait and Tackle in Normandy Beach noted bass got back on a solid bite this weekend as fresh shucked clams were the ticket to ride. Schools of bunker have been in the surf lately which may be attracting some bluefish to the area as I found out casting black Bombers at night to land a few 4-pound class fish. Also, there may be squid in the surf as my plugs were constantly tapped by some unknown creature during the night.

Greg at Fishermen’s Headquarters in Ship Bottom said usually he sees a wave of big bass move through the second to third week of June and reports already have that prediction coming to fruition as clam and chunk baits are finding their mark, though you have to wade through a bunch of dogfish too. Chopper blues of 2 to 5 pounds are on average with some slammers pushing 10 to 12 pounds also showing up to gnaw on bunker chunk baits. Black drum are still hanging around and fluke fishing is beginning to pick up in the cuts and sloughs.

Jay of Fishermen’s Supply in Point Pleasant said it’s nothing crazy, but a transition into a summer pattern is settling in as sand fleas are top baits for stripers now north of the inlet. Bluefish to 3 pounds were hitting teasers and metals at the pocket. Surf fluking is producing on Gulp Sand eels and Q8 Jerk Bullets hanging fish. Jetty tips up north are scratching up bass on poppers. Jay said squid are inside the Manasquan river and I believe it as my night casting plugs were getting tapped by what I thought could have been squid and Jay confirmed their presence.

At Gabriel Tackle in Brick, Frank reports that bass fishing remains constant on clams off local beaches with the last two hours of incoming and first two hours of outgoing producing the maximum amount of catches. Chopper blues are showing up at Squan Inlet, where wallhangers are also starting to land some quality fluke catches.

A wild week on the downside of the full moon brought plenty of surf action according to John of Grumpys Tackle in Seaside Park. Black drum were on the hit list big time as I stopped in to grab some clams to dust a 45-pound boomer and many others were reported at IBSP. Stripers continue to chew on both clams and hitting plugs in the early morning hours. Sporadic shots of 2- to 4-pound bluefish would move through while fluke fishing began to pick up in the suds over the weekend.

Over at Jingles Bait and Tackle in Beach Haven a while mess of black drum moved into the area as clams stuck fish up to 40 pounds in the deeper cuts on the south end of the island. Bass fishing remains constant and hasn’t let up much yet from the phenomenal spring run. A couple of bluefish move through the waters here and there to hit chunk baits.

Cam from Boulevard Bait and Tackle in Sea Isle stated there are still stripers milling around to eat up clams along the Sea Isle and Strathmere surfline. The Townsend’s Inlet area has chopper bluefish moving in and out and more anglers are now switching over to target fluke from the sands.

At Fin-Atics in Ocean City John said everything has been “occasional” this week as bass and bluefish are there, but not as consistent. A few kingfish showed up to eat bloodworms and Fishbites and that fishery should take off once waters warm a bit.

A bunch of 2- to 4-pound bluefish stormed the AC shores according to Noel of One Stop Bait and Tackle in Atlantic City. The T-Jetty was the hot spot to find blues on plugs and chunk baits. Bass are still covering up the area and hitting on clams. Fluke anglers are starting to see more activity off the rocks dragging squid and Gulp baits. Here and there a black drum will also come up off the sands of Atlantic City.

Andy at Riptide Bait and Tackle in Brigantine said both bass and black drum continue to suck down Riptide Rotter clams all over the island. The south jetty has been a solid spot to find some stripers hitting plugs as well as to angle for fluke inside the inlet waters.