There are lots of options so far for the beginning of this month with offshore, inshore, and bay popping with action.  Yellowfin and mahi at the canyons, while bluefin are crashing live-lined squids in the 10- to 17-mile range.  Inshore fluke have been hitting jigs at the wrecks and reef sites from 2 miles to 10 miles out.  Along with fluke, there were a few nice cobia landed during the past week in the same areas.  The rock-lined inlets have been loaded with tog in the rocks and most anglers are having getting them on sand fleas or green crabs.  Barnegat bay and parts of Great bay are finally starting to see some steady blowfish action. 
Here is this week’s rundown:

Hook House Bait & Tackle in Toms River received about 60 squid jigs as the squid and tuna bite has been red hot a few miles east of the Axel Carlson.  Boats catching live squid and ballooning live-squid are boxing large bluefin.  Island Beach State Park was good for fluke off the surf and excellent numbers of 15 to 20 inch bluefish.   

Creekside Outfitters in Waretown also said the word was the red hot bluefin bite occurring from the Barnegat Ridge to the Tolten Lump.  Live-lined squid has been the best bait and the shop has lots of squid jigs in stock.  Fluke fishing has been very tough with the recent winds in the bay, but boats getting outside have been finding better action on keepers.  Anglers working the areas between the “BB” and “BI” have been finding better action on blowfish. 

 

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Reel Reaction Sportfishing out of Waretown was out over the weekend to box limits of fluke to 21 inches and sea bass in the ocean.  The bay has yielded better action, but less keeper fluke.  Small bluefish have also rounded out some trips with anglers easily boxing their 5-fish limits.  The skipper will be running full-time until Sept 1st, and then weekday afternoons and weekends through December.

The Super Chic out of Barnegat Light has been working the bottom for fluke and keeper sea bass for charters.  The boat has also been sailing for offshore yellowfin at the canyons. 

Tony’s Bait & Tackle in Manahawkin said the fluke bite at the reef sites have been solid and around the inlets on the incoming tide.  Gulp, squid, and strip baits have been working with good success.  The shop said the tautog bite has been decent since the opening last week and they are well stocked with jigs and crabs.  Triggerfish and a few sheepshead have been landed along the south side of Barnegat inlet.  Yellowfin, mahi, and some bigeyes were caught at the Toms over the weekend, while bluefin have been hanging at the nearshore ridges. 

Tackle Direct in Egg Harbor City reported a solid mahi and yellowfin bite at the canyons with some of the northern canyons producing better action.  Inshore fishing at the reef sites produced good number of keeper flounder over the weekend, but the recent winds produced less participation.  The bays and inlets have good numbers of short flounder, cocktail bluefish and tautog on crab.  The night tides have been producing small weakfish and schoolie striped bass around some of the local bridges.  Surfcasters are finding some kingfish, spot, and flounder off the beaches.   

• Want to get in on the bite? Find an OTW-approved Charter Fishing Captain in New Jersey!

Tight Lines Bait & Tackle in Somers Point said the shop is loaded with green crabs and the bite has been going off from Atlantic City to Somers Point.  There are also plenty of sheepshead around the bridges and rockpiles.  Fluke fishing has been solid at the Ocean City and Townsends reef site.  The Wilmington canyon area has been solid for yellowfin, mahi, and bigeye.

Badfish Charters in Ocean City reported good action for their bay charters as there has been lots of shorts with some keepers.  The skipper said it’s the perfect fishery for kids as the action is instantaneous.  The crew has openings as early as this weekend, so give them a ring.  Capt. Brian is also begun booking his fall striped bass trips. 

 

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The Cape May area had solid reports of weakfish, croakers, spot and cocktail bluefish off the beaches and along the Delaware Bay.  There has been some nice kingfish caught from the same areas and FishBites has been doing the trick.  The reef sites have been very good for keeper flounder to 8 pounds and sea bass, especially site #11 according to one of the shops.  Cobia and some Spanish mackerel have been caught on the inshore lumps.  Bayside and along parts of the ICW from Wildwood to Cape May are producing good short flounder action along with some keepers on small bucktails and strip baits.  Crabbing has been excellent in the marshy areas behind Wildwood with bunker and hand lines being the optimal method.   

South Jersey Fishing Forecast

The best bet for the weekend will be to hit the beaches for a variety of species as the surf is alive with cocktail bluefish, fluke, kingfish, and croakers.  Casting metals will give your best shot at producing bluefish and possibly a spanish mackerel.  Boaters should be working the reef sites as fluke are being to move around and on the stickier sites.  Anglers dropping down 2- to 6-ounce jigheads tipped with large Gulp or strip baits are finding good success on fluke to 6 pounds.  In addition, it’s not a bad idea to check for mahi at any of the pots if you’re hitting deeper wrecks.  Another option would be to go for bluefin tuna at some of the northern ridges.  Deep jigging for a live-well or cooler for of squid is a must to boat these bluefin as they have been solely on squid.  Areas from the Tolten to Barnegat Ridge North are producing good tuna bites.  Last, if you’re stuck on land, pick up a bag of green crabs and work the jetty rocks of South Jersey to box a keeper tautog.  There has been alot of shorts, so bring a good amount of crabs to weed through to you find a keeper.  Good Luck, Be Safe, and Tight Lines!