We’re 6 days into the ’25 outback striper season in New Jersey, and the reports starting coming in – believe it or not – before the sun was even close to rising on the March 1 horizon. Kayak and shore bound caster, bloods and artificials, the striper season in New Jersey has gotten off to a pretty solid start here in week one. A quick look back at the ASMFC charts as a reminder, but the technical folks there at that deliberative body felt that 2025 was going to be a banner year for striped bass anglers along the coast, so perhaps we should be expecting the best this season. Weekend events to tell you about in the Garden State, a quick look at the freshwater options from the Pocono Mountains, plus Open Boat tips from the surf on summer flounder tactics when it comes time to fluking on May 4th. Speaking of which, just as the New Jersey fluke season kicks off this spring, the piledriving will commence at Empire Wind One roughly 19 miles east of Long Branch. Details on that and a closer look at the ’26 user fee increases for boaters, fishermen and anyone else who actually doing something fun in New Jersey.
