New Jersey Fishing forecast for May 19 - 26

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May 19, 2011

Capt. Ed Berger:

When I come back, I’m coming back as a weatherman. They say Doctors bury their mistakes, lawyers visit theirs in jail, and weathermen get raises and new equipment to play with – boy did they blow it this week. On paper, nobody should have even been fishing this week, yet up and down the Jersey Coast there are reports of all kinds of serious activity that range from higher keeper fluke ratios to a couple of canyon guys filling their box with yellowfin, and the striper fishing has just busted all kinds of wide open and the size of the fish… just amazing!

Before “salting” it up, let’s take a gander at the freshwater action from Laurie at Dow’s. A couple of nice 3-pound-plus rainbows tipped the scales to win bragging rights for another year in the Knee Deep tourney. Hybrids from 7 to 9 pounds also hit the scales and a just under 7-pound walleye caught on live herring. I can hear that baby sizzling in the pan all the way from my desk in Margate.

Chris over at Harry’s Army Navy in Robbinsville also has been getting some great freshwater info with all the lakes in the area really starting to produce. Assupink, Prospertown, Cranberry, you name it, all are moving out of the last stages of the spawn for bass and they are chewing big time. Trout action is surprisingly still strong with the South Branch of the Raritan River doing better than average. They are still whomping stripers on herring in the river from Upper Black Eddy to Florence and the catfish and smallie action above Trenton is getting rolling. Saltwater report from Harry’s is below.

Tom at Giglio’s weighed in a monster striper that Mike Pinto from Bound Brook took on the Sea Bright beach on a surf clam. This 48-pound fish was first weighed and then opened up to check it’s diet… she was empty, which meant Mike was just one short bunker meal away from the 50 pound club. Weigh-ins in the 20-pound range we regular occurrences this week with the plug bite starting to fire up. Poppers and big swimmers being the top choices.

Dave at Reel Seat in Brielle reports that the river is still a hot spot for the smaller stripers in the mid 20-inch range using metals and D.O.A. Jerk Shads. The fluke bite is also hot there with guys going with a simple bucktail and Gulp combo. Dave has a full line of Gulp for your next summer-flounder pounding. Striper action on the beach has been strong, but it is totally one of those “right place-right time” scenarios. Bayhead & Spring Lake have seen good action on clams and bunker, but throwing plugs and metals are working too. It’s all about timing. Some fish of significant size are coming in off the boats dragging bunker spoons and such. Tony Maja’s, Reliables & Montauks all seem to be raising big fish.
Fisherman’s Supply had first-hand information on a legit blitz at the Seaside Pier on Saturday night with guys hauling quality bass from the suds. Like the other shops in the region, Ron reports that although the action may be spotty, the bite is definitely on. Bigger plugs and metal lip swimmers seemed to top the selection. If the post full moon big water gets accompanied by a wind change, the bunker will be back on the beach and the groundwork will be set for a classic spring blast. Anglers fishing the river are scoring nice bar-b-q size blues in the 2- to 3-pound range on metals and the fluking has been very good. Flatties are liking a double jig-head rig that Fisherman’s Supply hand ties tipped with Gulp.

Chris back at Harry’s Army Navy also has been getting some great calls from customers working the beaches with 3 ounce Lex Pencil poppers. A 40-pound striper hit the sand in Asbury on one of these long-throwing classics. There have also been some nice fluke catches off the beach and near Shark River.

Grumpy’s in Seaside saw a parade of big fish on Monday with over 30 stripers hitting the scales including Tony Calamitos 25.9-pounder, his first ever! Tony got his on bunker. Bass were hitting clams, bunker and artificial and beach anglers were releasing trophies after already getting their dinner fish. Paul also reported a nice 23-pound bass taken on a jig, which is always good to hear this time of year.

I was docked in LBI for a couple years and my regular stop coming over the bridge was at Fisherman’s Headquarters for just about everything you could think of, and most of what you forgot to think of. Greg called in an hour ago with an updated report that included the full menu of bass, blues, fluke and drum coming to their shop for weigh in. It’s is totally on mid-state with all areas producing and a special mention of nothing less than an “Epic” troll bite yesterday that they were in on. One customer came in from the beach this morning with a pair of keeper bass and reports of releasing 19 bass… himself, all on clam. There are smaller bass and blues being taken on the North Jetty for rock hoppers as well.
Capt. Andy at Riptide Bait & Tackle had crews banging the drums this week with Susan Eckert nailing a 45-pounder out near the hotel, and Chris DiCola with a 67.5-pounder. Bass are running the beaches of Brigantine as well with a decent-sized school marauding North and South picking up clam baits and occasional big plugs. The fish are there, you just have to be in the neighborhood when they Riptide through.

I was in Tackle Direct on Monday when a couple anglers came in to re-stock their surf bags with pencil poppers and metal-lips. These guys were on the beach up north, in the middle of a bass bite and were not getting bitten. What could be worse than that? I can tell you after a half-hour watching them working the plug wall, that is not going to happen to them again! There has been a terrific back bay striper bite in the Somers Point area at both early morning and dusk from the sod banks, pier, and boat. The beaches of Ocean City have been rocking as well for anglers slinging clams.

Our first real info on what has been going on all the way at “the edge” came in from Bill at Fin-atics in Ocean City. Here is the word: the yellowfin have made a showing at the Tom’s and the Hudson with a couple regulars taking 16 fish on a trip before the wind kicked up. They are not big, but they are in and My world is now officially awake for the season! There has been a steady flow of big bass to 46 pound being brought to the scales in Ocean City with some bunker schools sighted off of both GE and Corson’s Inlet. Smaller drum in the mid 20 pound range and even a few reports of early kingfish in the surf off Northern Ocean City too. The back bay flukin’ seems to have taken a turn for the better with their throwback ratio bumping up to about 1 in 5 for the table.

Mary & Chuck down at Off the Hook in Cape May had a very interesting story this week. Cape May local Capt. Ricky Wheeler was out with multiple world-record-holder Maureen Klause chasing yet another elusive new first…and they rang the bell! Maureen caught and weighed-in an 18.9 pound drum on – you ready for this – 2-pound-test mono. Pending certification, it looks like Mo got another one!
Best Bets for the Weekend

If this run of hot action is not enough to make you take a sick day, or at least make plans to cut the lawn after work so you can fish this weekend (the weather looks awesome, by the way) you need to sell your gear and take up canasta. Best bet for the week is to grab some clams, stake out a rod on the sand, and the start chucking big plugs at the suds for big surf run stripers. Put in the time now, because the time IS now!

Stay Tuna-ed!
Capt. Ed