Striped bass hitting along Raritan's Bayshore, as fresh fish arrive
After last week's quick strike with the striped bass in the Belmar to Asbury stretch of ocean, the spring run has settled back into mostly a bay and river bite.
The Jamaica party boat out of Brielle is going to try up along the coast on Sunday to see if it locate any more bass. That's the plan now, but there is some wet and windy weather in the forecast for Saturday that could create some turbulent water for a day or two.
In the meantime, there's pretty steady fishing along the Raritan's Bayshore said Phil Sciortino at the Tackle Box in Hazlet. He said they're seeing new fish arrive in from the ocean, fresh with sea lice on them, and resident fish pushing out of the rivers.
"It's spread out. They're getting them at Cliffwood Beach, Union Beach, Leonardo, they had some at Belford," Sciortino said.
Sciortino said there are bunker splashing in the bay and the bass are chasing them and even taking bunker baits fed back to them by anglers catching the bait. They're still also on the worm bite, sands or bloods, along the bay beaches. The fishing on the beaches has been best on the top of the high tide or just after. At low tides, there's very little water on the beaches.
More: Striped bass surprise blitz just north of Shark River Inlet, Belmar
The bass are spread out in Barnegat Bay and its tributaries as well, said Dennis Palmetier at the Hook House in Toms River. He said the water temperatures have been fluctuating a lot as the coast has seen sunny days followed by damp, colder days. He said the water is about 45 degrees at the moment.
Air temperatures should jump up starting Friday and hit the mid 50s to upper 60s for the next week at least, which will help bring the water temps up.
While not many are trying, the winter flounder are starting to make their whereabouts known. Kevin Pento of Brick and Brian Hanlon of Eatontown brought some keepers into Brielle Bait & Tackle. Greg Bogan said fish came from Barnegat Bay, where they fished with blood and sand worms and chum logs.
More: What's biting: Get the latest fishing reports here
Palmetier said Barnegat Bay channel buoys 36 and 38 have been lucky for anglers setting up on the anchor and grinding it out for some flounder.
Spring blackfish season opens Saturday. A few boats, such as the Big Mohawk, are gearing up for that as more party boats return to action. Again, the weather could keep them grounded.
Trout stockings
Saturday, as is the tradition, the Shark River Surf Anglers is inviting all kids down to the lake in Spring Lake to help stock the water ahead of its annual kids trout contest on the Opening Day of trout on April 8. The tank truck will set up at Mercer Avenue at 9:30 a.m. The club ordered 500 trout, which the kids can help carry down in totes to release to the lake.
The New Jersey Fish & Wildlife is also in the middle to the pre-season trout stocking. Its' staff will stock 184,500 trout in the streams and lakes around the state ahead of opening day. The stocking will continue until the last week of May with a total of 569,500 trout to be released.
When Jersey Shore native Dan Radel is not reporting the news, you can find him in a college classroom where he is a history professor. Reach him @danielradelapp; 732-643-4072; dradel@gannettnj.com.
This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: NJ fishing: Striped bass hitting along Raritan's Bayshore
