Ronny Bala at Fisherman’s Supply said not much fishing got done early in the week with the ocean all turned up from the storm. Surfcasters were catching stripers in the dark hours on the beaches from Manasquan to Spring Lake. Needle fish with teasers rigs and single hook bucktails for a tail hook were working. Stripers are being pulled from the Point Canal Bala reported. David Oahncke of Brick caught one on a live eel. The fluke bite in the Manasquan River and the surf should be back on by the weekend. Capt. Willy Egerter of the Dauntless said they got back on the water mid-week, but conditions on the water were still reeling from the storm. “People were using 10 and 12 ounce sinkers to hold bottom in 70 to 80 feet of water,” he said. Egerter fished north on the rocks and found some sea bass and a few porgies biting. “Once the ocean settles the bite will pick up,” he said. Capt. Bob Bogan of the Gambler reported finding fluke in deeper water east of the inshore reefs on a trip this week. Mixed in with the fluke were sea bass. The fishing was slow with the swell on ocean, but he also expects it to improve for the weekend. Capt. John Cole of the Golden Touch found fluke up north for his parties just before the storm last weekend. Cole reported fishing on rocky bottom for the fluke. Bob Oehme at Better Bait and Ice said there is good fishing for snapper blues in the Barnegat Bay. Bigger blues can be found back in the Oyster Creek. Between the BB-BI buoys remain good for fluke and flatties are also being picked up by the Mantoloking Bridge. Out front the grounds off the Jenkinson beaches are holding fluke and small blues.

Dan Radel