NJ fishing reports

My boat is in MD but I'll be running my brother's 28' Regulator this weekend. The boat is currently at Gateway right next to Bars and the Highlands bridge. He just finished building a new dock about 1/2 mile up the Shrewsbury from there, not sure why is still in the marina...
We're all arriving Friday evening so I think I'd rather run Sunday so we have more time to get setup but depends on the weather.
 
Ok now I got it, I'll be out and about with my wife who takes pictures of families and friends on their boats, then post them for free. Maybe your brother knows of her, if not go on the Raritan bay fishing site on FB and put in Bellabeachy free boat photos and enjoy. She might even get a shot of you guys, you never know where we show up. I also have a new boat in Middle River Maryland and she started doing it there, but NJ is home. Be safe and have fun
 
Seabass is on fire out at Shark River reef. Limit is 10pp @ 12.5”. First Rock pile wasn’t great so went to my favorite wreck. 60 keepers in two hours with some 18+” in there

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I hear the yellowfin are gone from the bacardi/ 40 Fathom line after the storm.

Today there was a full blown striper blitz at shrewsbury rocks. I just need the right weather on the right day...

probably get out there Thursday or Friday morning
 
I ran my brother's regulator to the Bacardi at the end of Sept and went 2 for 4. The next week I ran with a friend on a big boat out of CT, started at the Dip in 65 degree water and got a nice Bigeye right away. Made it to the 100 square picking away on Albicore on the troll and just a big Mako at night. Never made it to the Bacardi but plenty of tuna.
I'm thinking about Bass fishing out of Raritan Bay this weekend, think it'll be busy out there?20250928_095021.jpg20251005_120126.jpgIMG_20251007_163024.jpg
 
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Seafarer_Bob said:
I'm thinking about Bass fishing out of Raritan Bay this weekend, think it'll be busy out there?
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West wind 2 ft or less....

Only about a thousand boats ...give or take a hundred....

NormaK party boat posted non stop surface action on oversized bass yesterday. Today was really good but not as crazy. I see the Highlands in the background of some pictures. Looks like they are at Shrewsbury rocks.

I'm going Thursday. If I can get the stripers out of my system I can wrap up the boat early.
 
That's discouraging but thanks, we're still planning to go Sat and Sun and I'll post a report. I'm hearing there are a lot of smaller slot size bass in the Navasync and Shrewsbury rivers where we keep the boat and I'll bring some bait for Tog and Seabass if we can't find any action along the beach.
 
Seafarer_Bob said:
That's discouraging but thanks, we're still planning to go Sat and Sun and I'll post a report. I'm hearing there are a lot of smaller slot size bass in the Navasync and Shrewsbury rivers where we keep the boat and I'll bring some bait for Tog and Seabass if we can't find any action along the beach.
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The party boats out of Keyport found them good this morning. i guess they were inside the Hook.
 
We ran from the hook to the rocks both Sat and Sun and no bass. There were a lot of birds and other boats in search mode but no real concentrations or surface activity. Marked loads of bait and a lot of fish but couldn't make it happen. We stopped on one of the Highlands wrecks and caught a lot of small tog and a couple keepers with the biggest about 19". Beautiful fall weekend.
Not surprising for NJ but encountered a total a-hole spot locked on the first wreck I went to. I had my wife and SIL on the boat, otherwise I would have shown him how the rules of navigation work. Took the high road and went to the next one nearby and worked in with 2 other boats already anchored and started catching right away.
 
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Went on another boat out to Shark River Reef. Caught a mess of very nice sized sea bass and porgies.
Gonna blow for 5 days. Hopefully the stripers turn on and move down to Manasquan next week. Really want to get done and wrap up while its reasonably warm.
 
Would have liked to have gone to SRR but my SIL started turning green so glad we didn't. My brother is going to delay winterizing but with no Bluefin season this may have been my last fishing trip in NJ this year. Mine is in Ocean City MD so I won't winterize until Dec, usually get an opportunity if there's a weather window. Believe it or not there's great fishing for trout and reddish in the lower Chesapeake as later as Christmas and beyond.
I appreciate your reports and I'll let you know if we make it out again.
 
Anyone hearing reports from this weekend? Seems like the weather died down and boats were out on the ocean. I'm looking at heading out later this week from Barnegat Inlet and wondering how far north I'll need to go to find stripers. Or is it still too early? Had a great trip a week ago fishhing sea bass on Garden State North, hit my limit of 10 and filled the freezer.
 
I was out front today nothing so headed in hit 4 on spoons in the Raritan hopefully it will blow up soon
 
RobboNJ said:
Anyone hearing reports from this weekend? Seems like the weather died down and boats were out on the ocean. I'm looking at heading out later this week from Barnegat Inlet and wondering how far north I'll need to go to find stripers. Or is it still too early? Had a great trip a week ago fishhing sea bass on Garden State North, hit my limit of 10 and filled the freezer.
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HAHAHA so I was at Shrewsbury Rocks Sunday.No party boats except one anchored and blackfishing.
I got nothing. Lots of bait at 3 mile line. no fish. There was a bunch of party boats about 3 miles east (Farms?) of me.
I figured they were bottom fishing. Past 3 miles so can't keep stripers.
Didn't go out there to see what was up.

Went back towards Manasquan Inlet. nothing along the way. There was a small fleet off Bayhead, south of inlet. Lots of bunker. now its 1130AM We just caught dogfish.
Probably should have turn south at first light instead of going all the way to the Rocks.

Got home....Every boat from Belmar and Point posted "Greatest striper day ever!" Highlands way in the background of photos. I guess if they are all too big to keep, they will just fish past the line.

I went 17 miles north to the Rocks. I told my buddy we were gonna slay today and be done for the season. beautiful day. I was maybe three miles from these boats and saw them. I am disgusted and embarassed.
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Look at Facebook...Big Mohawk, Fish Monger, Golden Eagle....

They have been slaying everyday since, when the wind is fishable.
Today there is a fleet covered in birds along the beach in Seaside Park. I should have gone at sunrise but...warm bed...


Oh! the charter guys on my dock are still catching/releasing Giant BFT 5 miles off the beach on poppers and NLBN.


Thesurfersview.com has beach cams up & down the coast. Not all are active but you can get a pretty good scouting view of any beach action to decide to go north or south.
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SkunkBoat said:
HAHAHA so I was at Shrewsbury Rocks Sunday.No party boats except one anchored and blackfishing.
I got nothing. Lots of bait at 3 mile line. no fish. There was a bunch of party boats about 3 miles east (Farms?) of me.
I figured they were bottom fishing. Past 3 miles so can't keep stripers.
Didn't go out there to see what was up.

Went back towards Manasquan Inlet. nothing along the way. There was a small fleet off Bayhead, south of inlet. Lots of bunker. now its 1130AM We just caught dogfish.
Probably should have turn south at first light instead of going all the way to the Rocks.

Got home....Every boat from Belmar and Point posted "Greatest striper day ever!" Highlands way in the background of photos. I guess if they are all too big to keep, they will just fish past the line.

I went 17 miles north to the Rocks. I told my buddy we were gonna slay today and be done for the season. beautiful day. I was maybe three miles from these boats and saw them. I am disgusted and embarassed.
View attachment 38382
Look at Facebook...Big Mohawk, Fish Monger, Golden Eagle....

They have been slaying everyday since, when the wind is fishable.
Today there is a fleet covered in birds along the beach in Seaside Park. I should have gone at sunrise but...warm bed...


Oh! the charter guys on my dock are still catching/releasing Giant BFT 5 miles off the beach on poppers and NLBN.


Thesurfersview.com has beach cams up & down the coast. Not all are active but you can get a pretty good scouting view of any beach action to decide to go north or south.
View attachment 38383
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Went out early today before the wind picked up, stayed in the Raritan and trolled white mojos, then birds where working at the tip of the hook, throw chartreuse shads. Caught 6 on mojos and 4 on the shads, only 1 keeper the rest were over. See you out there
 
I was out yesterday, off Island Beach State Park, about halfway up the park. Lots of bunker pods, birds all around and even the party boats were there. Saw bluefin tuna jumping out of the water chasing the bait fish. But very few stripers were taken, and none for me. I started to run further north, but the ocean kicked up in a hurry, so I turned around and trolled my way back to the inlet. Seems like the stripers are still further north. Next time.
 
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