NJ fishing reports

[SkunkBoat]

There are 70 pound bluefins taunting anglers 8 miles east of Sea Girt in 78 ft of water.

Like everyone else, I could not catch one trolling, popping or jigging.

They are keyed in on sand eels at the surface.

At one point they were 10 feet from my boat.

I did hear of one guy catching an 80 pounder.

 

[Stephnic]

I hit the deep water reef about 25 miles off AC Saturday. We limited out on sea bass up to 16 inches. We also trolled the AC ridge and 28 mile wreck for bluefun. We got one false that was it. Going again this Thursday hoping for another good day.

 

[RussGW270]

Skunk... the first pics were so darn good, I had to like ALl your posts because it only let me like that one once!

lol!

Brown-eyed, you need to post photos of that boat in the photo section... love the 330! and welcome!

R

 

[SkunkBoat]

The head boats out of Manasquan and Shark River had an INSANE day yesterday with 40 to 50 pound stripers.
Told my boss I was coming down with something probably won't be in tomorrow....

 

[Finest Kind]

FYI to the guys local to Manasquan inlet and Shark River Inlet........big schools 80 to 100 pound Bluefin Tuna are breaking water between the Klondike and Shark River Reef in 80 to 120 feet depths. (we saw them in the same area last week too, so they must be finding forage there)

Was out there this AM at daybreak and had literally DOZENS of chances at them....they were CLOSE within easy casting distance, some coming clear out of the water...we threw stickbaits and poppers at them, tried jigging, and tried trolled around and even right through the pods with spreader bars and Nomad deep divers...not a touch! Spoke to a nearby boat who landed one and dropped one, both on a Bally rigged with a Joe Shute.

Heading out again tomorrow AM to try again....

 

[Stephnic]

We trolled the 30 line for bluefin nothing at all. We were off Ocean City. We then hit the deep water reef and agin killed the seabass. We must have caught 75 fish and had 16 keepers over 15 inches.

 

[SkunkBoat]

The bluefins popped up and laughed at us for a couple hours Thursday. Then we bottom fished the Oil Wreck for some ling, sea bass, porgies and a lonely keeper pollack.
We headed into the beach at Asbury Park to join the striper fleet, just in time for the afternoon south wind to kill everything and make it snotty.

 

[Stephnic]

Skunkboat you getting any stripers up there yet? I am considering trying to find a slip up north for a month for striper fishing. I’m down near Ocean City and it seems like most of the fish down here are beyond the three mile line.

Thanks Bob

 

[SkunkBoat]

Big stripers are thick off northern Monmouth county, although the best jig & popper bite has been just outside 3 mile line in closed federal waters. I heard there was some law enforcement there yesterday.
They are catching inside though. I have seen some 35 pound fish come back to my dock. Troll on wire line & bunker spoons is producing but also mojos on braid.

I gave it a half hearted try yesterday evening. I did a loop out 7 miles to see if there were bluefins(nope) and then ran north to Long Branch. We jigged and trolled mojos. Nothing but dogfish on jigs.
The wind sucked from the south. Around here that is the death sentence for fishing.
We went back to my dock and caught short stripers on freshwater spinning rods.

Try Will''s Hole Marina (Jim, 201-788-4689) in Point Pleasant Beach, there are empty slips. Less than a mile to open ocean thru Manasquan Inlet
That gets you close to the November run that starts north and ends off Seaside Heights

I have been hearing of more bluefins actually being caught on poppers and trolling wwwtf back

 

[Colliw11]

This is my first Fall in NJ, my boat in down in Sea isle, but would love to get in on a blue fin bite.. I used to live in massachusetts and the fall run up there is on fire. Where would be the place to start hunting and how late do they stay down here?

 

[SkunkBoat]

This is my first Fall in NJ, my boat in down in Sea isle, but would love to get in on a blue fin bite.. I used to live in massachusetts and the fall run up there is on fire. Where would be the place to start hunting and how late do they stay down here?

Not hearing about many bluefins down that way except some sighting-not-catching out on the 20 fathom line. Up here they are in 75 to 100 feet but not very willing to bite.
I hear the Sea Bass is hot down that way. I would do that and keep an eye out for bluefins.

You will get a really good first shot at Bluefins in May between the 20 & 30 fathom lines.

"The Fisherman" Magazine is a good source of local info http://www.thefisherman.com/

 

[JerseyJarred]

Went out of Manasquan Inlet on Saturday morning on my neighbors 295 Worldcat. We headed north off of Asbury and Long Branch with the rest of the fleet (felt like you could walk from boat to boat there were so many guys out there). We trolled #4 spoons (white/green) and Mojos about 2-3 miles off in 55-70 feet of water. Fish were everywhere. We brought home a 34in, 40in, and 44in fish (bonus tag). Was a great day! All three keepers were caught on white spoons.

 

[SkunkBoat]

This morning straight out of Manasquan Inlet in 70 ft on a popper.

 

[Stephnic]

I need to move up there. The first came in the marina yesterday and it was 29 inches. This is unreal.

 

[Stephnic]

Skunkboat are you in that Will’s hole marina? That looks really nice.

 

[SkunkBoat]

Skunkboat are you in that Will’s hole marina? That looks really nice.

yes

 

[JerseyJarred]

Thinking of heading out of Manasquan Sunday. Anyone been out lately/have any updates? Spoke to my neighbor yesterday. He went out earlier in the week, said there are no fish in the ocean.

 

[Stephnic]

We trolled Saturday from Ocean City to the south end of LBI. We were trolling bunker spoons and mojo balls. Not even a bite the only think we did was wear the paint off the mojo balls.

 

[SkunkBoat]

We've been chasing bluefins around about 8- 10 miles out with no success. Haven't given stripers much time mostly because of that. Can't go past 3 miles with a bass onboard.
Going to try tomorrow early for bass outside Manasquan Inlet. The trollers have been catching from Long Branch down to the Seaside Heights lumps, consistently but not fantastic.
Still no crazy jigging bite under gannets in a freezing NW wind.

Might be the last shot tomorrow. Bad weather for the weekend and I'm pulling boat next Saturday.

 

[Stephnic]

We trolled for about 4 hrs today back up towards LBI and nothing. There is a large amount of life out there but not one striper yet.