October 19, 2026 - 09:56:55
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.
October 19, 2026 - 09:56:44
“The bait is here, there were bass on the move from up north with front runners already in our northern waters and the bunker and sand eels were also in our waters, then Mother Nature decided to throw another tizzy,” said Phil over at the Tackle Box. When we spoke for this report, Phil said meteorologist did not expect to see a change in wind direction until somewhere around October 26. As to his predictions he said November’s fishing will be dictated by what the storm does to the stripers and the baitfish as well as the weather conditions in November.
October 12, 2026 - 10:35:14
Phil at the Tackle Box in Hazlet said some big bass were hanging along the Raritan Bayshore as Cliffwood Beach to the Amboys saw huge linesiders whacking metal lips, SP Minnows and Hydro minnows. Those fish seem to be stuck in the back. Out front along Sandy Hook to Sea Bright some stripers were caught on bunker chunks.
October 12, 2026 - 10:34:57
A call to the Tackle Box garnered a good report on the striped bass fishing that hit northern waters this past week. Phil told me sand eels began moving into northern waters around the Reach and Sandy Hook about mid-week and bigger bunker moved in starting Thursday. That set the dinner table for the migrating bass. The bunker moved into the bay as did the bass which set up some good fishing for Saturday and a lot of anglers were on the water to take advantage of the better weather before Sunday’s storm. Unfortunately Mother Nature threw up a road block in the form of a nor’easter on Sunday the results of which will be determined sometime this week. Phil also mentioned some decent bottom fishing for sea bass, porgies, triggerfish, and bonito.
