August 31, 2026 - 10:58:29
Down in Cape May at Hands Too Bait and Tackle Will said some big hardhead croakers up to 2.5 pounds are hitting on Fishbites along the D-Bay beaches. Nice weakfish have been sticking to the jetty tips with fish up to 22 to 24 inches on the seawall as well. Sheepshead to 9 pounds have been congregating around the Cold Spring Inlet rocks as you weed through a ton of tog and triggers. Big fluke are laying in the surf out front off Poverty Beach and at the Point.
August 31, 2026 - 10:58:22
Ponderlodge Lake is still the top spot in the lower part of the state according to Dean over at Hands Too Bait and Tackle in Cape May. Anglers are doing well there targeting catfish in the evening on cut baits, shrimp and worms, while early morning is produce a few bass on topwater baits and swimming plugs .He also mentioned some bass being caught at Dennisville and Magnolia lakes on topwater baits and weedless rigged plastics. In addition he said the nearby cedar waters are giving up some pickerel on surface baits and livelined minnows.
August 31, 2026 - 10:58:14
“The mid-range pots are loaded with mahi in the 18- to 36-inch class. Lots of fun on light tackle,” enthused Nick at Hands Too Bait & Tackle. Sardine chunks putting fish on ice. He’d heard of a few yellowfin being caught on the troll, but he’s of the opinion that many have moved north. Tilefish action remains hot, with mixed size goldens being caught around 450 feet, and bluelines around 300-350 feet. Salmon belly strips continue the top tile taker.
August 31, 2026 - 10:58:02
Nick at Hand’s Too Bait and Tackle skipped right over the standard “short flounder in back bay, keepers on the reef, tog and sheepshead on the jetties” and got to the exciting part of this week’s report. Weakfish!!! Yes, those colorful, fang-tooth fish arrived along the Delaware Bay Coastline this week after being suspiciously missing all spring and summer. Fish to 24 inches were being caught on bloodworms and by anglers casting jigs. Anglers throwing lures into the evening hours hooked up with bluefish in the 10-pound class. The mullet are starting to make their move which has apparently attracted the attention of weakfish and blues, and if it’s anything like last fall, there will be some bull reds joining the feeding frenzy soon.
August 24, 2026 - 10:24:10
Nick at Hands Too Bait and Tackle in Cape May brought word the kingfish and snapper blues have shown up along the oceanfront. Bayside, large hardheaded croakers are crushing squid and clam baits. The backwater bridges are also holding more numbers of croaker and spot. Bayshore structure piles are attracting weakfish of 18 to 24 inches hitting floated bloodworms. Tog and sheepshead are patrolling around the inlet rockpile areas and the Anglesea rocks. And good news is that Nick said the mullet started to show up.
August 24, 2026 - 10:24:06
The folks over at Hands Too Bait and Tackle in Cape May also had some promising words for us on the September potential, saying Ponderlodge, Dennisville and Magnolia lakes are all in good shape water wise. Once the water starts cooling down the fishing should really heat up in September. The shop is already stocking up for the fall and will carry all the baits for freshwater and saltwater fishing.
August 24, 2026 - 10:24:06
The matter of the chatter at Hands Too Bait & Tackle is the bluefin and mahi activity in the 19 to 30 fathom range at the pots and temperature breaks. For the bluefin, it’s been the Sterling Tackle cedar flex chain and also ballyhoo, with the mahi murdering pitched baits and small jigs. The local canyons are rife with white marlin to 70 pounds, and blue marlin in the 200 to 300 pound (and some heavier) range.
August 24, 2026 - 10:24:00
Nick at Hands Too Bait and Tackle tells us that his customers are still scoring in the back bays on flounder, croakers, tog and sheepshead. Some notable sheep were caught pushing the scale to over 10 pounds and caught on green crabs or sand fleas. The bridges are also holding some smaller tog and the oceanfront jetties are seeing a good triggerfish bite, also on green crabs or sand fleas. Flounder action has moved out to the inlets and along the beaches especially for keeper fish while there are still plenty of shorts in the back bays.
