Local Anglers Finding Striped Bass

As local anglers try their collective hands at spring fishing after a tough winter all around, the striped bass seem to be cooperating as water temperatures slowly rise.

Starting in the northern reaches of this column's publication area, the crew of the Big Mohawk out of Belmar finished their blackfish season this week and decided to dabble in the bass fishery on Tuesday.

The result: everyone on board got their limit of stripers.

"I know that is what so many of you have been waiting to hear," Capt. Chris wrote on the boat's website.

The boat, which sails 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily, had a similarly good day Thursday after taking Wednesday off.

Few reports came in from the suds in the Manasquan and Point Pleasant areas, but anecdotally, anglers were reporting the occasional striped bass in the surf. Access is still an issue for many anglers as beach access points in some areas remain in poor condition.

In the Manasquan River, flounder fishing remains hot, the folks at Brielle Bait and Tackle said. By this time of year, the fish have - for the most part - totally exited Barnegat Bay and are on their way to the offshore grounds. The river is the last spot to catch them. Chum is a must. Brielle B&T carries both chum logs and sandworms, the preferred bait.

The bass are chomping on both clams and well as bunker in the suds in Ocean County, according to the crew at The Dock Outfitters in Seaside Heights. The shop is carrying each.

Anglers fishing the bay in the Seaside Heights area have been nabbing 3 to 5 pound bluefish on a regular basis as well as short bass in the afternoon and nighttime hours.

Those fishing in the ocean for bass, the shop said in a report, are best suited by using bait. In the bay, the bass are hitting small swimmers and jigs. My personal preference, in the bay, would be to try a 4 inch, pearl-colored Storm shad swimmer and see how it goes. As the bay gets warmer, switch to poppers to get in on the more reliable bluefish action.

Toward Barnegat Inlet, bass bit from time to time, but the water temperatures remained chilly near the ocean, hovering around 53 degrees. In Barnegat Bay proper, water temperature was holding around 58 degrees, according to my boat's fishfinder/sounder.

On the weakfish front, there are very few reports available, but I can say that a friend of mine did successfully catch some in the bay off LBI this week. No names or locations (weakie anglers are a secretive bunch, and I don't want to betray anyone's trust), but know they are there.

On LBI's oceanfront, things were rolling along nicely. Beach buggy access is virtually nonexistent (even if I had a Hummer H1 or Land Rover Defender I'd be hesitant on my own street), and most entrances have still not been graded, but for those who can make it onto the sand, the fish are biting.

"I am hearing of loads of little bass with some nice keepers mixed in along the beach," said Brendan from Surf City Bait & Tackle in a report from the shop. Blues are mixed in as well; the incoming tide has been the ticket.

The bass were a bit more elusive when plugging from the Route 72 causeway bridge and at the end of Seven Bridges Road, he said, but the right combination of tide and plug might do the trick.

At Fisherman's Headquarters in Ship Bottom, customers reported everything from a 60 pound drum (on clam) to blowfish in the bay.

In case you don't have plans tonight: Local Ocean County fishing icon Nick Honachefsky will be moderating a Q&A with Deadliest Catch star Capt. Sig Hansen of the Northwestern, as well as his brother, deck boss Edgar Hansen. The program will take place in Morristown. If you're interested in attending, check out the venue's website.

On another note: I received a great deal of positive and negative reaction from my column last week, where I relayed my thus-far-successful experiences navigating Barnegat Bay following Superstorm Sandy.

After another week of boating, I can say that I've ventured farther north and likewise to my report from the southerly sections, have not seen any measurable shoaling within the channels. I can't speak for your favorite fishing spot, but overall, I'm still not convinced there will be significant issues this boating season. I plan on cautiously navigating and mapping both the Double Creek and Oyster Creek channels this coming week and will report on depths either here or in a separate article next week.

I have nothing to lose or gain here, nor do I have any agenda - as with all of my reporting here on Patch (including serious reporting on government, court cases and breaking news), the goal is simply to get the most accurate information out to everyone. What I'm telling all of you is the same thing I'm telling my own family members and friends who go boating on the bay.