MarkW1257 Loc: Murrysville, PA

Hello everyone. We’re planning to go to Island Beach State Park, NJ sometime between early October and middle of November this autumn. Main interest is striped bass in the surf, off jetties, bridges, etc. Not boat fishing. I am now reviewing tide and moon phase charts to try and hit the early morning high tides on a new moon. I am primarily a hardware guy and also use fly tackle when conditions warrant it. If stripers aren’t cooperating, I would be happy to catch any number of other game fish in the area. I’m sure it will be too late in the year for bluefish. My main question is WHEN to go. I have had some decent success in saltwater for a landlocked sweet water fisherman in Pennsylvania but I am still looking for one of those amazing mornings of surf fishing I’ve been dreaming about since I was a ten year old kid reading an issue of Field & Stream magazine hidden inside one of my math books. Any help is greatly appreciated. Thanks !

JDFishes Loc: Atlantic County

Hey Mark, I live 30 miles south but head up that way for surf stripers in fall. Last year large schools were primarily North of Manasquan up to Sandy Hook through late November. That’s not to say no stripers in IBSP but probably the later in the season the more likely you’ll find blitz conditions. Hopefully equal to last year! checked my photos from last year as I followed them down the coast and caught my first one IBSP 12/6/22. All that being said who knows what this year will bring.

USAF Major Loc: Sea Bright, NJ

In your time frame at least consider Sandy Hook.

NJ219bands Loc: New Jersey

Best spot is Barnegat Inlet north jetty at night.

CRKfish Loc: Southern New Jersey

It will be a bit early for fall run but Some resident stripers could be caught in surf and in bay behind IBSP and in Barnegat bay and inlet, try the jetty at southern end. It won’t necessarily be too late for blues, you may find them off the jetty as well. King fish should be in the surf. Tautog and Black Sea bass will be around the jetty as well as at the reefs too.

MarkW1257 Loc: Murrysville, PA

Thanks everyone for the very useful information. We haven’t made any definite plans or time frame yet so maybe we’ll go later into November or even December. Years ago we went to Cape May in December a few times but it never really got off the ground. Caught a few schooler stripers off the jetties. Thanks again!

Retrieverman390

Add Betty and Nick’s Tackle Shop fishing reports to your search. They attempt timely and accurate.

JamieG Loc: new Jersey-sandy hook, raritan bay

Hey Mark, I live up closer to Sandy Hook and I agree with what these guys Said above, Last year the fish were from the Raritan Bay around the tip of Sandy Hook and all the way down the Jersey Shore To LB I. Get back on this site about 2 weeks before you are coming here And we will be able to give you some better information. Otherwise keep checking fishing reports from Jersey Shore beat and tackle shops and boat captains. If you are not already a member of on the water magazine, Go online and sign in for free. They file very efficient reports for UP and down the entire Jersey coast. Good luck.

Badmoon Loc: Ewing NJ

It seemed last year when the fall migration was on that once they hit barnegat inlet the stripers turned east away from shore. I did a lot of fishing off LBI last year but didn’t have the luck that the guys up north had !

Badboy76 Loc: Whiting, n.j.

Specially with the new size limit

MarkW1257 Loc: Murrysville, PA

Thanks again everyone for all of your insight and information. When we go, we’ll fish a number of different places to increase our chances for success. A lot of the fun of fishing to me is going to new places and trying new tackle and techniques. Mark