Thu., March 28, 2024
Moon Phase:
Waning Gibbous
More Info
Inshore Charters
Offshore Charters
Party Boats
Saltwater
Tackle Shops &
Marinas
Saltwater
Boat Rentals
Freshwater
Guides
Freshwater
Tackle Shops
Brrr ...
It's Cold:
Upstate N.Y.
Ice Fishing
Upstate N.Y.
Winter Steelhead &
Trout Fishing
Long Island, N.Y.
Winter
Cod &
Wreck Fishing

New Jersey Inshore Saltwater Fishing Report 10-5-17

<b>Sewaren</b>

Striped bass, not a lot and not big but 28- to 30-inchers, were trolled, sporadically, on Raritan Bay from the Carteret Pier to the Perth Amboy Pier on Mojos, said Rich from <b>Dockside Bait & Tackle</b>. That’s something that wasn’t happening before, and fishing picked up a little. He hopes angling picks up even more during the next week, and this was almost mid-October, after all. Fall migrations of fish should begin to increase catches. Bigger stripers, up to 42 inches, were eeled on East River near 59th Street. They were hooked farther upstream near 125th Street previously, so they seemed to be migrating. Weakfish were sometimes boated on Raritan Bay off Princes Bay on sandworms and bloodworms. That was something new, too. Lots of cocktail bluefish schooled the bay, chasing baitfish with birds working them. The blues also showed up at piers on the bay, maybe attracted to discarded bait from anglers. Bait stocked included eels, sandworms, bloodworms, green crabs and fresh bunker. Fresh clams were out of stock and were scarce. Speaking of green crabs, a bait for blackfish, blackfish were also landed, more so in New York waters, but steadily there. Dockside, located on Smith Creek, a tributary of the Arthur Kill, is accessible from land and water at the fuel dock. The fuel dock is open 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. 

<b>Keyport</b>

Lots of fun bagging blackfish to 7 pounds, porgies, triggerfish, blowfish and releasing out-of-season sea bass and fluke – yes, fluke – yesterday on a trip on the <b>Vitamin Sea</b>, Capt. Frank wrote in an email. After the anglers limited on blackfish, they released additional, and the high hook landed seven keeper-sized. “Good short life also,” Frank said about the blackfish. Charters and open-boat trips are fishing, and this weekend is full. The next open trip with spots available, only a few, is on Wednesday. Telephone to reserve. Now’s the time to lock in charters for striped bass and blackfish for later this season. Remember to obtain a bonus tag to bag an extra striper. Like <a href=" https://www.facebook.com/vitaminseafishing/" target="_blank">Vitamin Sea’s Facebook page</a> for the latest reports and photos from each trip.

<b>Leonardo</b>

Blackfish to 9 ½ pounds were beaten Monday with <b>Sour Kraut Sportfishing</b>, Capt. Joe said. The trip targeted the tautog but also nearly limited out on porgies. Plenty of out-of-season sea bass also bit. “All the usual stuff,” he said. He heard nothing about striped bass since his season’s first, good-sized, was nailed during the weekend aboard, on an eel. That was covered in the last report here, but no weight and location were reported. The fish weighed 35 pounds and was taken at Ambrose Channel on the New York side. He heard about weakfish, including some decent-sized, hooked in Raritan Bay in past days. He was unsure what the weaks were caught on, but maybe peanut bunker, because peanuts are schooling. Joe might scope out the weakfishing now.

<b>Atlantic Highlands</b>

The full moon caused strong current during porgy fishing on the party boat <b>Atlantic Star</b>, Capt. Tom said. He predicted that in the last report here, and the current might’ve affected the fishing somewhat. The angling was still good, and plenty of the fish remained. All customers left with dinner. Different days fished differently, and the angling also depended on the angler. Some pulled in one porgy after another, and others hooked fewer. Maybe they missed some bites because the current made bites tougher to feel. The fish were mixed sizes. On Monday, all were sizable, larger than 9 inches. Trips are sailing for porgies 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 to 6 p.m. daily. All the trips fished in the past week, since especially rough weather canceled the angling sometime early last week.

Big porgies were crushed the past several days on the <b>Fishermen</b>, a report said Tuesday on the party boat’s website. The porgies were some of the largest the captain ever saw in the area. Double-headers on quality fish. Hard outgoing tide against east wind created somewhat nasty conditions on Tuesday’s trip. “Once we laid into the current all was good, especially with the bite,” it said. Great weather was ahead after Tuesday.  Trips are fishing for porgies 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily.

Party boats drummed up porgies well and blackfish, said Marty from <b>Fisherman’s Den North</b>. Cocktail blues schooled throughout Raritan Bay. Striped bass fishing was mostly slow or yet to kick in. This was mostly between fishing seasons, and water needed to cool for striper fishing. A few stripers, mostly small, were heard about from rivers, like at bridges. Weakfish were also hooked at bridges, on drifted sandworms. Bait for all available fishing is stocked, including green crabs and sandworms. The shop, the sister store to Fisherman’s Den in Belmar, is located at Atlantic Highlands Municipal Marina, down the dock from the port’s fleet of party, charter and private boats.

Porgies still were going “crazy,” including off the Coast Guard Station, at Flynn’s Knoll and nearly anywhere in the river, including at bulkheads and at Highlands, said Jay from <b>Julian’s Bait & Tackle</b>. Plenty of blackfish snapped, including on porgy trips. Small striped bass were banked from the surf at Monmouth Beach on bucktails, some on clams. Small stripers were played under the Highlands Bridge on drifted worms. Boaters were often seen fishing for them on outgoing tides. A couple of boaters were trying eeling for stripers under the bridge. One who does that all the time was catching them, none big. Sometimes eels will be longer than the stripers under the bridge. Cocktail blues were yanked from Raritan Bay’s surf at Leonardo. The blues chased peanut bunker around the bay. Weakfish were cracked off the Navy Pier on the bay on worms, peanuts or bucktails. All baits are stocked including green crabs, sandworms, bloodworms and fresh clams.

<b>Highlands</b>

Heading out from <b>Twin Lights Marina</b>, Rich Sherer and “Jersey” Joe from South Carolina this week boated all the porgies an angler could want between the channels on clams, Marion wrote in an email. Twin Lights, located on Shrewsbury River near Raritan Bay and the ocean, with no bridges before them, includes a marina with boat slips, dry storage, a fuel dock, and a combined bait-and-tackle shop and ship’s store. The fuel dock is available 24 hours a day with a credit card.

<b>Neptune</b>

<b>Last Lady Fishing Charters</b> is supposed to resume fishing Saturday, Capt. Ralph said. The boat had been out of the water, getting spruced up for fall fishing, like painting the bottom. Openings are available for an individual-reservation trip for cod at 2 a.m. Tuesday. Spaces are available for an individual-reservation trip for sea bass Oct. 24 and another that was just added for Nov. 4. Room is open for an individual-reservation trip for blackfish Nov. 16, when the blackfish bag limit will be raised to six, from the current limit of one. <b>***Update, Friday, 10/6:***</b> Weather looks okay for the cod trip Tuesday, Ralph wrote in an email. He’ll watch Tropical Storm Nate and make the final call late Sunday or early Monday. Openings are available, and if weather cancels the trip, Wednesday is an option to reschedule, unless that day becomes booked with a charter before the reschedule. Ralph will schedule more individual-reservation trips soon for different types of fishing.

<b>Belmar</b>

Tuna trips aboard to offshore canyons were all rescheduled the past two weeks because of weather, Capt. Mike from the <b>Katie H</b> said. But a trip Friday to Saturday might get the weather to sail. The most recent reports didn’t sound good. The fish-holding water seemed far south, around Washington Canyon. But that changes, and anglers won’t know unless they go. The trips are scheduled for every weekend this month.

Good fishing for porgies and blackfish was clocked both on the ocean and Shark River, Bob from <b>Fisherman’s Den</b> wrote in an email. You could leave with a bag of tasty fish from Belmar’s party boats fishing for them on the ocean. In the river the fish were a mix of keepers and shorts. Blackfishing was worth a little time in the river and Point Pleasant Canal. Several good-sized keepers were heard about from there this week. On the port’s party boats that bluefished, catches were good, and false albacore and bonito were mixed in. Sometimes the blues weighed 15 pounds. <b><i>Here’s anticipated news</i>:</b> Striped bass began to appear in the surf. Some seemed to bite from Manasquan to Bay Head in early mornings and evenings. Come on down, grab some bait and enjoy the shore’s solitude, Bob said. 

Anglers bailed lots of porgies, some blackfish, triggerfish and blowfish on the party boat <b>Big Mohawk</b> on the ocean, Capt. Chris said. Out-of-season sea bass were released, and fishing was really good. It was fun, and this would be good fishing for kids, too. They could drop a line to bottom and reel up a catch. Trips are sailing 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily.

Fishing picked away at blues, bonito and false albacore in shots near shore yesterday on the <b>Miss Belmar Princess</b>, an email from the party boat said. Ava 27 jigs caught best, with or without tails. The second half of the trip anchored and landed porgies. “It was a great day all around,” the email said, and trips are sailing 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily.

A tuna trip sailed Sunday to Monday on the <b>Golden Eagle</b>, a report said on the party boat’s website. Yellowfin tuna were decked, and some were lost. “We didn’t catch as many (as on) the last trip, but we did catch some,” it said. A couple of large swordfish were lost, including one at the boat. Two more <a href=" https://www.goldeneaglefishing.com/tunafish" target="_blank">tuna trips</a> are slated for the next two Sundays to Mondays, and reserve them. When no tuna trip is sailing, the boat is fishing for bluefish, bonito and false albacore 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily. Those trips resumed Tuesday, and that day’s outing locked into awesome fishing for jumbo blues, mostly 15 to 20 pounds, the first hour. Later in the trip, a few false albacore were pumped in. Run Off hammered jigs sacked all the fish. Wednesday’s trip picked 15- to 20-pound blues but “not enough,” and three or four albies. Lots of the blues were seen and read, but the fish didn’t really bite. Run Offs and bait hooked the catches on this outing.

<b>Point Pleasant Beach</b>

On the <b>Norma-K III</b>, a mess of porgies were mugged from the ocean the past two days, like before, a report said on the party boat’s website. Some bigger were iced on yesterday’s trip, and the vessel is fishing for porgies and blackfish 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily, and clams and crabs are provided. Trips are bluefishing 7:30 p.m. to 1 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays.  A trip will also bluefish this Sunday night during those hours, because of Columbus Day on Monday.

<b>Toms River</b>

The surf sometimes tossed up cocktail bluefish and a couple of throwback striped bass, said Mario from <b>Murphy’s Hook House</b>. Mullet and bunker chunks stuck the blues, when anglers fished bait. Daiwa SP Minnows, metal and Jetty Ghost rainfish and minnows also zapped the fish. The bass were plugged on SP Minnows in the dark at a couple of spots. In Barnegat Bay and the Toms River, decent-sized blues were fought. The size varied, and a 10-1/4-pounder was weighed-in from the river at Island Heights that chewed cut mullet. Throwback stripers were hooked in the bay on small swimming plugs during early mornings, dusk and night. Some weakfish reportedly moved in. Small ones, spikes, were heard about from the river. Crabbing slowed a little the past couple of days. Murphy’s, located on Route 37, also owns <b>Go Fish Bait & Tackle</b> on Fischer Boulevard in Toms River. 

<b>Seaside Heights</b>

Surf fishing for striped bass began to show signs of life, a report said on <b>The Dock Outfitters</b>’ website. Schoolies, not many keepers, began to get “a little frisky.” Small swimming plugs drew them to strike. Cocktail blues were around in the surf, smashing spearing from Seaside Heights to Island Beach State Park, attacking metal and small popper lures. Smaller and larger blues, from snappers to slammers weighing in the teens, could also show up in the surf, and also swam inlets and Barnegat Bay. Crabbing was a pick in the bay. Eels and green crabs are stocked. The Dock Outfitters, located on Barnegat Bay, blocks from the ocean surf, features a bait and tackle shop, a café, a dock for fishing and crabbing, boat rentals and, in season, jet-ski rentals. The café had been closed a moment and is now reopened. Stop by, including for a delicious breakfast sandwich and fresh, hot coffee.

<b>Forked River</b>

Big bluefish roamed Barnegat Bay and Oyster Creek, said Kyle from <b>Grizz’s Forked River Bait & Tackle</b>. Shore anglers wrestled them from the creek. Mostly bunker chunks were fished for the blues, but some anglers used finger mullet. Weakfish were sometimes hung from the mouth of the creek in early mornings and before dark, mostly on pink Fin-S Fish. Good reports about blowfishing were being heard from the bay in the Barnegat and Waretown area from 3 to 4 feet of water. Barnegat Inlet was loaded with blackfish along its rocks. One is the legal limit, but the fishing was very good. Striped bass anywhere? Kyle was asked. Schoolies in Oyster Creek and lagoons, he said. But otherwise, not yet. Not much was heard about crabbing, not enough to report. Baits stocked include green crabs, killies and frozen baits including salted clams, mullet and bunker.

<b>Barnegat Light</b>

One blackfish is the bag limit, but practically all anglers hooked them who fished along Barnegat Inlet’s rocks, said George from <b>Bobbie’s Boat Rentals</b>. Customers fish for them on foot, and the angling was good. A few bluefish showed up there on occasion. Rumblings about weakfish in Barnegat Bay were heard, but nothing confirmed. Baits stocked include green crabs, and live spots will be carried when striped bass show up. Bobbie’s features a complete bait and tackle shop, a fuel dock and boat and kayak rentals. The boats are used for fishing, crabbing, clamming and pleasure.

<b>Barnegat</b>

<b>***Update, Saturday, 10/7:***</b> An email from Capt. Dave DeGennaro from the <b>Hi Flier</b>: “It looks like the ocean is going to be a little rough for the next few days so we’re going to fish the bay. Sunday and Monday. I ordered live grass shrimp for both days so we’ll target weakfish and whatever else swims into our shrimp slick on light tackle. I’ll pack some clam chum and clams as there are some blowfish chewing on the west side of the bay, as well. We’ll give the inlet a look over, as the albies have been popping up as far inside as the lighthouse. 8AM to 1PM each day. Call to reserve a spot.”

<b>Mystic Island</b>

Blackfishing was great along the bay’s banks, said Scott from <b>Scott’s Bait & Tackle</b>. Although one is the bag limit, anglers who fished for them walloped the catches. Finding a keeper among mostly throwbacks was difficult, but many anglers fished for them, because the tautog were there or could be landed. Green crabs should definitely be brought to fish for them and are stocked. Many anglers trolled and eeled small striped bass, no keepers, on Mullica River. A bunch of eels were sold for that at the shop. Nobody reported white perch fishing on the river, but bloodworms were sold for the angling at the store. One angler who reliably reports about the perch was away traveling. Weakfish had been boated at Marshelder Channel, and nobody talked about them recently. But weather and other conditions didn’t change, so the trout should be there.  Blowfish hovered behind Long Beach Island. A billion small sea bass schooled the bay locally, near the store. Crabbing was good, and the blueclaws were good-sized. Weather and other conditions remained about the same lately, so there was no reason for crabbing to drop off soon. Last year, striped bass showed up during the second week of November in the local ocean. Striper tournaments were held in which no stripers were entered during Halloween weekend that year. Baits stocked also include live grass shrimp, fresh clams shucked and in the shell and large and small minnows.

<b>Absecon</b>

Capt. Dave from <b>Absecon Bay Sportsman Center</b>’s trips have been tackling small striped bass, lots, in Great Bay and Mullica River’s mouth, he said. The fish seemed scattered along all the banks, and the trips popper-plugged the bass in early mornings. Once the sun rose, the fish seemed only to whack sub-surface lures. The trips fished Gulps on jigheads then. Dave saw the fish as small as 10 and 11 inches smash a 6-inch Gulp Nemesis that he prefers. The bass were aggressive and fun, and also swam the mouth of Great Egg Harbor River. Loads of small sea bass and almost keeper-sized blackfish reportedly swam the mouth of the Mullica. Maybe an angler could find a keeper blackfish there. A great population of the tautog, mostly throwbacks, swam nearly all usual places in back waters. Fishing for them was super along jetties like along Absecon Inlet. Dave heard no reports about striper fishing in the bay near the shop, and guessed he’d have to go make his own report. Abundant white perch schooled Mullica River’s feeder creeks. More held in the creeks than in the river. Anglers had to hunt the perch, but fishing for them was good, once the fish were found.  Small stripers were mixed with them. Nobody was heard about who boated the ocean for catches like weakfish that can school near shore this time of year. But an extremely abundant population of weaks 16 to 18 inches, some of them bigger, was reported from Tuckerton Bay last weekend. A few kingfish and spots remained in the surf. But the population of spots hasn’t been abundant enough for serious striped bass anglers to stock up on them for live bait. They’ll have to come to the shop, where Dave’s got plenty stocked. Plenty of peanut bunker are filling back waters, and are stocked live. Dave’s found no mullet whatsoever lately, and found only a few previously that he stocked live a moment. Maybe they’ll pop up again, or maybe they migrated away for the season.  Anglers waited for the fall migration of big striped bass, and in the current full moon, Dave thinks somebody’s going to find the first. You may as well be the one! he said. Crabbing was very good. Commercial crabbers lost demand for the blueclaws, so we’re pulling pots. But crabs remained for recreational crabbers, including in Absecon Bay and Absecon Creek near the shop. The water was in the mid to high 60 degrees, and in the ocean sometimes was 70. Plenty of crabbing was ahead. 

<b>Brigantine</b>

In the surf, snapper blues were beaned on mullet, said Capt. Andy from <b>Riptide Bait & Tackle</b>. Spots swam the surf, and Fred from the shop nabbed 10 to 15 in 2 hours on every trip for them. A 13-inch 13-ounce kingfish was entered at the shop in the Atlantic County Surf Fishing Derby. That gave hope that kings remained in surf. A fresh supply of bait will be stocked tomorrow, and baits at the shop will include fresh mullet, fresh bunker, green crabs, eels and more. The Fall Riptide Striper and Bluefish Derby is underway until Christmas Eve for surf fishing in the town. The $25 entry fee includes a permit to drive Brigantine’s entire front beach, when accompanied by a Brigantine beach-buggy permit. Without the tournament permit, not all the beach can be driven. Anglers must have the Brigantine permit to be able to drive on the beach with the tournament permit. Cash prizes will be awarded. The annual Elks Tournament will be held Nov. 10 to 12 in Brigantine for surf and boating anglers for the heaviest stripers. Cash will be awarded for first through third places in each of the two categories. Half the entry fees will reportedly benefit the Elks veterans’ committee, and the other half will reportedly be awarded.

<b>Atlantic City</b>

Lot of tog, said Noel from <b>One Stop Bait & Tackle</b>. Atlantic City is tog central, he said, and Absecon Inlet produced serious numbers of the blackfish. Probably two or three in 25 were keepers. Fish green crabs for them, and occasional striped bass, mostly schoolies, were rustled from the inlet and the nearby bay. That was on bait and popper lures. Customers fish the jetty-lined inlet on foot. Herring showed up in the water the other day. Baitfish in the inlet also included peanut bunker, spots, spearing and a few mullet. All bait, the full supply, is stocked, including green crabs, fresh mullet, fresh peanut bunker, fresh spearing and frozen shrimp. The shop will host the Plugging for Puerto Rico Striped Bass Tournament on Saturday and Sunday. Entry is $20, and proceeds will benefit the victims of the hurricane in Puerto Rico. Prizes, a serious number, Noel said, will be awarded for the heaviest striper, triggerfish, blackfish, bluefish, weakfish and kingfish. Necessities can be donated like canned goods, water, toiletries, hygiene items and clothing. Sponsors include Tsunami, Absecon Bay Sportsman Center, Ray Scott’s Dock, Bayside Marina, City Wide Towing and fishing radio personalities Mike Shepherd and Tom Pagliaroli.

<b>Longport</b>

Open-boat trips will fish the ocean Friday through Sunday on the <b>Stray Cat</b>, targeting whatever will hit, Capt. Mike said. Catches swimming the water include bluefish, triggerfish, blackfish, porgies, croakers, weakfish and kingfish. No crabs are being supplied for blackfish bait until the bag limit is increased in mid-November. Stop at a tackle shop and pick up crabs if you want to blackfish. Some openings are available for an open trip for sea bass Oct. 22, opening day of sea bass season. Space is available for open trips for striped bass Nov. 21 and on Thanksgiving, Nov. 23. The trip on the holiday will be a short one sailing 8 a.m. to 12 noon. A few Saturdays are left for striper charters later this season.

<b>Ocean City</b>

Striped bass, small, occasionally a keeper, were angled mostly from the back bay, said Bill from <b>Fin-Atics</b>. One here or there was reported from along surf jetties. Six-inch bluefish schooled pretty much from the bay to the surf. No kingfish were heard about from the surf, but Bill wouldn’t doubt some remained there. Anglers could head for blackfish and pluck a keeper, mostly 16-inchers, from among mostly throwbacks in the bay along structure like bridges. White perch fishing was good in Great Egg Harbor River, and anglers hooked a bazillion small stripers during the perching. Nobody was heard about who even thought about sailing offshore for tuna. Seas were rough, and nothing was reported about catches in this area in some time.

<b>Sea Isle City</b>

Small bluefish hit chunks of mullet at the inlet, said Mike from <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b>. In the back bay, small striped bass bit at night under lights on soft-plastic lures and jumped on popper lures along sod banks at dusk and dawn. Blackfish hovered along Townsend’s Inlet Bridge, pilings and rubble. Most were throwbacks, but keepers should become more abundant once water becomes colder. The surf was too rough to fish, so no catches, including kingfish, were heard about from there. Seas were also too rough for tuna fishing, and Mike heard about only one angler who tried to reach offshore for the fishing. “He almost died,” Mike said!

<b>Wildwood</b>

Somewhat more action came from the back bay than before, so that was nice, said Mike from <b>Canal Side Boat Rentals</b>. Snapper blues, somewhat fewer than previously but plenty, ran the bay. Weakfish were picked up from the water here and there. A couple of striped bass began to be eased from the water. Mike heard about no keeper stripers yet, but looks forward to the striper fishing. He’ll begin in the end of the month, fishing behind the Wildwoods. Last year he caught the bass, mostly 23- and 24-inchers but a few keepers, until the final week of November. He chums and fishes with clam bellies. Last year he also hooked herring from the bay so also caught on them. A friend sailed for bluefin tuna on the ocean, saying he’d telephone if he scored. He never telephoned, so that meant he boated none. Some of the rental boats trapped crabs like a couple of dozen keepers in a trip last weekend on the bay. Canal Side rents boats for fishing, crabbing and pleasure and kayaks. <b>***<i>Get a $5 discount</i>***</b> on a rental boat if you mention Fishing Reports Now. The shop is open for no set hours currently, but is open whenever Mike is there, usually daily. He won’t be there this weekend, though, because of a wedding. Mike’s preparing the shop for an annual winter break and so is there for that work. The shop was open daily, like usual, throughout summer and part of spring and fall. A large supply of bait is stocked in-season. So is fishing and crabbing tackle and gear. Much of that is stocked currently. Spearing ran out, but most bait remains. The shop in-season, not currently, sells live and cooked crabs and other seafood that customers enjoy at tented tables along the water at the store, or enjoy them at home. They also enjoy wine from Natali Vineyards in Cape May Court House that the state recently approved the shop to sell. Or they bring their own adult beverages if they want.

<b>Cape May</b>

The party boat <b>Porgy IV</b> fished on the ocean Saturday, Capt. Paul said. Wind blew 20 or 25 m.p.h., and just some bluefish, not many triggerfish, seven or eight throwback blackfish, maybe not even a keeper porgy, and out-of-season sea bass were reeled in. The trip only fished three or four places, because the wind made moving difficult. One angler said he totaled 10 or 12 blues and about 60 out-of-season sea bass, looking happy. Hey, that’s why the trips sail, Paul said. The trips are an opportunity to wet a line. No trip was slated for Sunday, because Paul attended a family event. He’ll try to run trips at 8 a.m. this Saturday and Sunday. Maybe fishing will be better in better weather. Forecasts look good for Saturday, and rain might fall Sunday, but no strong wind is forecast for that day.

Small bluefish, lots, tumbled around the surf, pouncing on mullet for bait, small lures and spoons, said Nick from <b>Hands Too Bait & Tackle</b>. A couple of striped bass were slid from the surf, either biting around bluefish schools or on their own on mullet or clams. This was all from the ocean to Delaware Bay, and Cape May is at the confluence of the two. A few kingfish chewed in the same area on bloodworms on smaller hooks. A few croakers nibbled in the surf at Higbee’s Beach on the bay. At Higbee’s, kings, croakers, weaks and stripers sometimes appeared. Blackfish were cranked in from along jetties on green crabs, and the crabs are stocked. So are bloodworms and eels. A few sheepshead were still heard about from along jetties. The water was warm enough. Striper fishing was good along the Cape May Inlet jetties and in the back bay. A couple of decent-sized were picked up during low-light hours. One report rolled in from offshore: A charter on the Common Sense returned with a 106-pound wahoo – that’s a big wahoo – a 30-pound yellowfin tuna and two dozen mahi mahi. 

Back to Top