Fishing with Dad

Hurricane Earl, has come and gone. Looks to be a great Labor Day weekend for the beachgoers and for the surf fisherman. The seas are churned up, perfect fishing water for striped bass. The best thing you can do is get out there this weekend and give it a shot. The fluke season is almost over, try giving one of your local charter boats a shot this weekend. I would not recommend fluke fishing off the surf as the water will still be dirty and probably too rough for fluke. Try throwing out mullet for the monster blues that are finally showing up in our local waters. False albacore and kingfish have been caught recently also. There is plenty of action out there, get out and throw out some metal or some fresh bait. There probably will be some beach erosion, if you are driving onto Island Beach state park this weekend, be extra careful during high tide especially at beaches 12, 17 and 18.

Tom Hansen at Grumpy’s Bait and Tackle said time is running out for the fluke season and they are just beginning to see the big ones. The spearing are on the move and the bigger fluke are on them. Joe Barbee nailed a 10 pounder in the Barnegat Inlet. The fluke are also in the surf. Unfortunately, Hurricane Earl may cut the season even a few days shorter. Bigger 10- to 12-pound blues are coming close enough to be caught from the beach. They are hitting metals, bunker and mullet. Mike Malek said he got a new shipment of Hercules 748H blanks into the shop. Weigh-ins from the shop this week were Bill Morgan with a 5.5-pound fluke caught with Gulp!, Joe Barbee with a 10.1-pound fluke with spearing and Craig Napolitano with a 12.2-pound bluefish that hit metal. John Bushell at Betty and Nick’s Bait and Tackle said one of his early morning customers this week found the pocket at the North Barnegat Inlet Jetty loaded with small bluefish. “He had them in the dark all night on Hopkins. These bluefish will provide that action we want until the striper run gets here time around the end of September.” Bushell said. One of their shop regulars already found some stripers. John Bartoli of North Bergen had a nice day this week fishing when he landed a 30-inch striper and a 36-inch bluefish. Some of the bigger blues are slowly making their way to the beach now. Dave Hughes at Grizz’s Bait and Tackle said the fluking is good in the Barnegat Inlet. Triggerfish are also being caught in the inlet on the rocks. He said a lot of people are doing the blowfish thing as their bite really seems to have turned on this week. “Lots of snapper blues, peanut bunker and mullet in the lagoons,” Hughes said.

Dan Radel

The big bluefish are here. Had reports of monsters being weighed in at the local bait shops, the biggest one being a 14 pound behemoth blue. Nothing from the fluke fisherman as the shoreline has been quite active because of Earl. I tend to believe that fluke like somewhat calmer waters, but this is definitely good water for bass if they were around. Another gorgeous day, get out there and enjoy.

The jetty is really the place to be if you want to catch fish. Fluke and snapper blues are hitting throughout the day. Try your luck with a squid, killie combo for the fluke. You can usually throw out about anything for those blues. Earl is starting its way up the coast, get your fishing in now.

I heard there was a 10lb fluke caught at the Island Beach state park jetty yesterday. Shows what a little time and effort can do for you. We might be getting hit with Earl later on this week, so get out there and enjoy this beautiful weather we are having. Spearing are on the move which means that the fishing is starting to pick up. Good blue fish action in the surf has been happening as of late. Get out there and cast some metal.

After fishing for about 3 hours yesterday at beach 9 in IBSP with not a single hit, I decided to try my luck at the jetty. Well that’s where the fish were hiding. It was non-stop action with snapper blues. I did see some fluke come out of the rocks as well. It’s a matter of being at the right place at the right time to catch anything during the dog days of summer. If you have a chance get out there and enjoy the weather, as the weather prophets are saying Earl might be threatening our beaches this weekend.

The last couple of days have had some 12 lb Bluefish. They are taking assorted metals and bunker or mullet. The Fluking is still good on the surf, only 10 days left and bucktails with GULP is still a best bet. More of those rumors of keeper Bass are floating around. Get out there it is going to be a gorgeous weekend!!!!

Tom Hansen at Grumpy’s Bait and Tackle said things were looking better on the beaches by Thursday morning. “Let’s get back to enjoying summertime,” he said. This has always been the time of year when the fluke fishing gets good. Unfortunately time is running out with the season set to close after Labor Day weekend. Make the most of it and get out and catch them now. Gulp! bait on a bucktail will get these fish to bite in the surf. Hansen said adding a teaser rig with a Gulp! shrimp is a good tactic and has been working for the surf guys. John Bushell at Betty and Nick’s Bait and Tackle said the weakfish are starting to show up in the back of the Barnegat Bay. “They are mostly all spikes being caught in the back bay, but at least they are here. Shrimp has been the key from what I have been told,” Bushell said. The crabbing in the bay might be slowed up a bit right now do to the full moon. Early in the week, angler Russ Knapp stopped into the shop to weigh in a 5-pound, 8-ounce blackfish. Knapp was fishing with crabs for bait on the Barnegat Inlet North Jetty at the end of Island Beach State Park. He said there were a few other anglers catching tog on the rocks. Janna Keslink at Grizz’s Bait and Tackle said anglers are catching blowfish in the bay by the 40 can, BI buoy and the sedges. “You have to chum with clam chum and fish with small pieces of squid on a blowfish rig to catch them,” Keslink said. Fluke are still being caught in their usual haunts in the bay, between the BI and BB buoys, the Double Creek channel and in the inlet. Squid, spearing and smelts are good baits to use. Out front, the Seaside Pipe and the grounds off the Island Beach Coast Guard Station and the Bathing Beaches are holding fluke as shallow as 15 foot depths.

Dan Radel

Not much to report, the rain is keeping the fisherman away. I know the fish don’t mind getting wet, if you can brave the cool weather and rainy day, give it a shot.

Starting to hear of bluefish being caught in the surf. No monsters yet, but you can have plenty of fun with the snappers on light tackle. Fluking is still picking up and it’s getting close to the end of the season, so go out there and claim your big doormat.