The bite will come for Atlantic and Cape May counties, it’s just a matter of when.
Some 20 years ago the Cape May Rips and Delaware Bay sloughs were the very best place to be in November for those searching for jumbo striped bass on big water. Gradually, fall migration patterns have changed, and those areas simply haven’t fished the same. Whether you chalk that up to warming ocean waters or the presence (or lack thereof) of bait is anyone’s best guess. But every year is different, and it’s always possible those spots could reignite under the right circumstances.
Just as important though is the late movement of stripers down the coast in recent seasons that seems to showcase a new “holiday” push of striped bass in the lower half of the Garden State. In the ocean, massive striper schools invade South Jersey waters by Thanksgiving, with the regional biomass hitting its crescendo in early December and lasting into January.
Big Water Bass
Nothing remains static in nature, and anglers who have adjusted their fishing timing and tactics to the new realities of striper fishing in South Jersey have capitalized in recent years, and will likely continue doing so in the immediate future. Think back to the 2023 fall season, when sea herring schools joined the menhaden schools, and fishing went from very good to just plain epic many days. Diving gannets and whales on the feed were a good indicator of the bait balls below being pushed to the surface. Poppers, swim shads, and jigs all caught, as did the trolling gear. For those on the striper hunt between Brigantine and Cape May the best action of the year came in late November, and lasted well into December and the first two weeks of January.
Of course, Atlantic and Cape May county anglers must possess the patience of a saint while waiting for the bass off Ocean and Monmouth Counties to eventually make their way down. Then again, any number of natural occurrences – wind changes, bait migrations, etc. – could change the timing. But when those stripers do arrive in South Jersey, the hope is that the weather and associated elements are favorable for an elongated fishing period. Precipitous drops in water temperature for example, sometimes in a brief span of a day or two, can affect striper behavior. The best scenario for anglers to experience sustained action is a gradual decline in water temps that level out and hold in the upper 40s to low 50s.
Another immensely important factor that is key for the fall and winter fishery is the wind direction. Moderate to hard winds out of the west and northwest will often cause the bunker to swim toward land with the stripers on their tails. That was the prevailing weather pattern at the best of times last season when the forage and stripers came so close to shore that any debate over three-mile line was pleasantly dismissed.
South Jersey’s gently-tapered, sandy slope can be the source of frustration when stripers are outside 3 miles in the EEZ (federal waters, often referred to as exclusive economic zone). But when the winds howl out of the west and the bass are on this side of the line, anglers can cast aside their angst.
Winterize Or Energize?
With the higher regularity of mild temperatures interspersed between the cold days, there’s no reason to schedule an engine winterization date that effectively ends the fishing season; unless of course you have to. In recent years, many marina owners are allowing customers to slip their boats into the New Year to take advantage of the late season striped bass and tautog action. In fact, more than a few facilities offer striped bass specials on slips at deep discounts that start in November and conclude when the fishing fizzles. Those who keep vessels on the trailer have no reason to winterize on an arbitrary date; rather, they can stay on the ready for whatever fall run bring us, launching at a ramp closest to the action.
Obviously, there are any number of safety precautions to keep in mind as we head into these coldwater months. First, if you run a boat that’s less than 26 feet in length, New Jersey regulations require that each person onboard must wear a securely fastened United States Coast Guard approved wearable personal flotation device or PFD while underway. This requirement is in place from November 1 until May 1 and also includes rowboats, canoes, kayaks, and stand-up paddleboards.
Even with your PFD, remember that crippling hypothermia can set in fast when the water is in the 40s or low 50s. Captains that buddy boat within sight of one another can keep a watchful on their counterparts, especially when the number of vessels diminishes during winter. In addition, fishing within, or on the fringes of, the small fleets provide an extra layer of safety. If a vessel becomes distressed, help is immediately available. Kill-switches should be worn during commute to and from the grounds in particular. Furthermore, cell phones, Garmin inReach devices and handheld radios should be kept on one’s person so help can be summoned if a member of the crew goes go in the drink.
Eye On The Sky
As with anytime of the year, reliable intelligence from trusted sources can really help cut down on the cold miles traveled over water. Even locals taking a boardwalk stroll or walking their dog on the beach can provide valuable intel. Gannets smashing the surface and boats converging on an area is the kind of call or text message I always want to receive. Last year I was attending a Christmas basketball tournament at the Wildwood Convention Center, and from the windows I observed a melee of bass marauding bunker under birds, prompting me to call a couple buddies onto the scene. I enjoyed the half-time gannet show more than the one on the hardwood.
If the bait and bass are broken up by the time you arrive, trolling can certainly be the most efficient way to come tight by covering more water. Bluewater Candy tandem mojos and Striperbrellas rank at the top of the list for getting doubles, triples and quadruple hook-ups. The waters off South Jersey are composed largely of sand bottom unlike North Jersey thus anglers can really dare the bottom without fear of losing gear. Keeping a presentation low is pivotal if the bite is sluggish or falls out after a blitz. If the lures aren’t getting the tackle near the bottom, then the appropriate drail weights between 6 and 12 ounces should be utilized in order to stagger trolling presentations at different depths in the low to mid water column.
When bass are boiling under birds and the bait is literally fleeing into the air, it’s obviously time for the topwater lures. Last year’s blitzes left stunned and dead bunker all over the surface. Larger gulls and cormorants had easy pickings with so many easy meals floating around courtesy of the bass. Ocean and Monmouth Counties to the north have deeper water that, in front of some beaches, discontinues at the water’s edge.
In Atlantic and Cape May Counties, most beaches have a defined, shallow sandbar between a gully near the beach and the sloping ocean drop-off on the other side. The vast majority of the time, boat captains can’t get as close to the beach as they might to the north, nor do they need to as the best activity takes place between a half-mile and 3 miles from shore.
Luring Lunkers
By beach or boat, medium to oversized plugs receive bites ranging from poorly-timed gulps to savage attacks. It’s amazing just how many times a fish with such a large mouth can completely whiff on lures with multiple hooks! Anglers that encounter fish that toy with a plug or miss it completely are best to continue the same retrieve, or perhaps make it even more erratic, as opposed to slowing down lure. The stripers’ stimulus to strike is often lost when an angler diminishes revolutions of the spool. Adding some tweaks, on the other hand, can cause successful surface eruptions. Injured menhaden are part of a striper’s dietary focus, so it makes sense that bass might go ballistic on these presentations.
The 7- and 9-inch versions of the Doc made by Musky Mania have made their way into most tackle lockers and are acclaimed in the popping community. Cotton Cordell pencil poppers are strong producers as are Berkley Driftwaters, Savage Gear Panic Poppers and Heddon Super Spooks. Anglers can also hit up a saltwater flea market or expo to explore custom designs of swimmers and poppers that Northeast craftsmen make and sell locally with pride.
Tsunami Holographic Swim Shads in the 6.5-inch class are proven producers for those casting to subsurface bass. The common denominator with any swim shad you might choose, with molded or for attaching to a jighead, is their paddletail and wide body that imitates a bunker or herring. What’s more, they are consistent producers that work well for novices learning how to cast and connect with fish.
Flutter spoons are the perfect presentations for those jigging bass on bunker and herring. In the last 5 to 10 years, these jigging spoons have really caught fire as the lure of choice in the north, and they continue to catch on in South Jersey. These spoons are large and wide enough to match the hatch. Tony Maja Products makes their “drift” spoons in a handful of colors that have caught plenty of bass on my boat. Other flutter spoon makers include Jigging World, Tsunami and the original Nichols Flutter Spoon.
| “SKINNY” NOVEMBER |
| As a preamble to the ocean action, keep in mind that the skinny water fishery truly shines in November as steady waves of migratory bass enter South Jersey back bays, inlets and rivers. While it may take some time before the oceanic schools set up off Atlantic and Cape May counties this fall, the backwater ecosystems seem like a magnet to the early migratory bass mixing in with the residents; hit the estuary sod banks this month armed with small topwaters or paddletails, especially dawn and dusk. |
If sand eels are the forage of choice as evidenced by the sounder, then by all means, break out the slimmed-down Ava jigs or Tsunami molded plastic sand eels. Anglers that recognize bunker for what they are on the sounder will do much better than those who don’t know what they are observing. Menhaden schools present as dense, colorful blobs on the depthfinder and they can consume the water column or show as small pods. Find the bunker schools and stripers should be close by.
When you are out on the salt this fall and winter, expect the unexpected, always be ready to adjust strategy and enjoy whatever twists and turns the South Jersey stripers throw your way!
