Northern New Jersey Fishing Report – September 2, 2021

This weekend marks the unofficial end of summer. But the summer flounder season will continue for about two more weeks and the fluking has been excellent lately. Party and charter boats all report good fishing with plenty of limits and fish in the 5- to 7-pound range fairly common. Shore anglers are also getting their share of keepers. Plus, the late summer southern visitors — false albacore, Spanish mackerel and mahi-mahi — are all here in good numbers. Then there’s bluefish, striped bass, snappers, blowfish and crabs to be caught. The table is set for Labor Day Weekend.

Northern New Jersey Fishing Report

Mark at Tackle World in Rochelle Park said the fluke fishing on hard bottom is very good right now. He also reported bluefish showing up at the tip of Sandy Hook almost every day. The mahi-mahi bite also got a lot better, he said. They’ve been stacked up on the pots and the trick is to find the right pot. He also reported good freshwater fishing with lake trout at Round Valley Reservoir and largemouth bass at Spruce Run and Merrill Creek.

Capt. Phil Sciortino at the Tackle Box in Hazlet said the boats continue to catch big fluke on the rough bottom. All of the reefs and wrecks have been producing and he reported several double-digit fish caught in the last few days. False albacore are still popping up off the beaches and there’s been a lot of kingfish in Raritan Bay.

Mike Pinto at Giglio’s Bait and Tackle in Sea Bright said a lot more keeper fluke are being caught off the beach on Gulp and bucktails. The big wind over the weekend scattered the ablies but some were still taken off the beach along with some bluefish. The porgy bite has been good off the Coast Guard station at Sandy Hook, he added, and there are schoolie bass and bluefish in the Shrewsbury and Navesink rivers.

Mike Gleason at Tak Waterman in Long Branch said there was a big improvement in the mahi-mahi bite with fish in the 10- to 12-pound range. He found them stacked up under a log but the pots are holding fish. The tuna fishing has been hit or miss, he said, as the fish have spread out. Gleason said there were bluefin mixed in with all the false albacore that showed up last week. Spanish mackerel were in there as well. Live snappers produced a few nice fluke off the beach in Ocean Grove earlier this week and the false albacore that hit my epoxy jig spit up a whole squid. There’s a load of life around.

Bob Matthews at Fisherman’s Den in Belmar said that even though the remnants of Hurricane Ida soaked the latter part of the week, the fishing has been great. The ocean fluking is holding up nicely in both the numbers and quality of the fish. Five-and six-pound fish are common and there has been a good number of fluke over 10 pounds. The Big Mohawk, Ocean Explorer and Capt. Cal II out of the marina have all been doing well on the fluke grounds. Remember, if you want to get in on this bite, the season closes on Sept. 19. e mahi-mahi and false albacore bite has also been very good, he added, and the night bite for stripers is showing signs of life in the rivers and inlets. Matthews said that the action has picked up in local ponds and lakes with catfish, crappie, largemouth and pickerel.

Capt. Pete Sykes of Parker Pete’s Sportfishing out of Belmar said the fluking has been outstanding over the past several days with boat limits and pool fish up to 7 pounds. Tuesday’s trip produced limit catches around the boat with plenty of fish in the 3- to 6-pound range. Capt. Sykes said there are plenty of openings for next week’s bucktail extravaganzas. Check the website for details.

Capt. Jay Richardella of Side Job Charters out of Belmar put his clients on a steady diet of false albacore, Spanish mackerel, bluefin tuna and black sea bass in the last week. He’s got a few open spots on upcoming trips.

Capt. Steve Spinelli aboard the Skylarker out of Belmar said after last weekend’s windy weather, the fluke and sea bass bounced right back. His charters have been getting fluke in the 5- to 7-pound range along with their limits of seas bass.

John Vafiadis at the Reel Seat in Brielle said the fishing is pretty good with a nice push of mahi-mahi into the area along with Spanish mackerel and false albacore. Bluefin tuna are still in mix inshore while the bigeye and swordfish bite is picking up in the canyons. Vafiadis said despite all the fishing pressure on the Axel Carlson Reef, it continues to produce quality fluke. The Sea Girt Reef is holding some nice fish as well. He also reported excellent blowfishing in Barnegat Bay.

Kyle Tanger at Fishermen’s Supply in Point Pleasant Beach said there’s lots of mahi-mahi around the pots now. Spanish mackerel and false albacore are closer to the beach. He said the Atlantic Princess and other inshore tuna spots are getting a little worn out now and the fish are scattered. He suspects they are pushing to the east. The bass fishing in the Manasquan River at night is on the upswing, he added, on small plugs and plastics.

Capt. Kenny Namowitz on the Mimi VI out of Point Pleasant Beach said the fluke fishing has been good all week. And while the tuna fishing has been hit or miss, the mahi-mahi are here in big numbers.

Frank Giacalone at Gabriel Tackle Co. in Brick also reported false albacore off the beach with epoxy jigs and small metals doing the job. The fluking is also good off the beach on Gulp and bucktails. There are fluke at the Mantoloking Bridge in Barnegat Bay and there are loads of blowfish and snappers in there as well at the BB and BI buoys.

Pete Kupper at Charlie’s Bait and Tackle in Normandy Beach said that following last weekend’s high wind, the fluke were right back on the beach. Keepers are hitting bucktails and Gulp. He also reported false albacore and Spanish mackerel off the beach and he got word that there were a few Spanish macks in Barnegat Bay. Kupper added that there are blowfish galore in the bay as well. Folks fishing slack tide in the Point Pleasant Canal are also doing well with blues and bass, especially at night.

Frankie Z at Grumpy’s Bait and Tackle in Seaside Park said the fluke down there didn’t miss a beat after last weekend’s blow. There’s a steady stream of weigh-ins at the shop with fish up to 6 pounds. False albacore and Spanish mackerel have been off the beach as well hitting Hogy, Joe Baggs and Midway epoxy lures. First light has been a good time for them.

Northern New Jersey Fishing Report

With just a little over two weeks left in the season, go fluking. Boat and beach anglers have been doing very well lately and the fish show no signs of going anywhere. Gulp and bucktails are working everywhere. False albacore, Spanish mackerel, bluefish and striped bass are along the beaches. The forecast looks good for the Labor Day weekend, so if you’re walking along the shore, be sure to have your rod in hand.