Charlie's Bait N Tackle

Pete at Charlie’s Bait & Tackle said fish have been out-front. Blues, bonito, and Spanish mackerel are around but not every place has each of them. Anglers are finding some good areas with great action but then another area will be dead. The other day there were a couple of bluefish blitzes. A few blues were landed around 10 pounds off the surf near the store. Most blues anglers have been seeing are 2 to 5 pounds. Spanish mackerel have also been on the bigger size, ranging from 16 to 18 inches. Fluke action has been hit or miss, some anglers are doing good and some are not getting any. Pete isn’t sure with this blow after this week if the action will pick back up. He said the mullet run was good then slowed. There was a bass blitz in the inlet at the end of the jetty. The bay is loaded with small bass at night, find a light, shine it down, and you’ll see spearing and bass. Small plastics and flies are working well. Snappers and spot are around in the bay. Folks are finding small fluke, sea bass, and blackfish in the crab traps.

Pete at Charlie’s Bait & Tackle said there are a lot of fluke out front, mainly shorts some keepers, but all on Gulp. The last couple days have offered a good bluefish bite, all around cocktail size. There was a blitz both Saturday and Sunday around Bayhead that lasted about 1.5-hours all on metals and mullet chunks. Bonito were biting last week but no one has reported any in a few days. Fluke fishing is decent in the Manasquan, canal, and north end of Barnegat Bay. Anglers are reeling in a lot of shorts but some are keepers. Gulp, killies, spearing, and squid strips are working. Pete said there is bait everywhere and the bay is crazy. At night, try fishing the bay with lights, you can find a lot of stripers between 18 to 20 inches. Small bucktails or Kettle Creeks work. Crabbing remains good for now, but he thinks they will slow soon.