Welcome fellow New Jersey fisherman! How’s the blowfish biting? Any albies showing up yet. I haven’t been out in a couple weeks. I usually fish great bay.

Congrats! So much fun to catch bluefish!

Fluke is still in season and biting along the beaches until 9/27. A high low rig with a 3/4 or 1oz bucktail tipped with gulp grub or swimming mullet on the bottom and a 0/6 bait keeper hook tipped with gulp on the dropper loop 12-16 inches above your bucktail. Most fish will hit right in the wash. You may catch some kingfish off the beach as well thru sept into Oct. use a kingfish rig with live bloodworms or small clam pieces or fishbites for bait. Bluefish will be around and there have been some albies around too. There are some resident stripers around but too early for fall run. You can catch tog and black sea bass off of the jetty. Check in with folks at Grumpy’s bait and tackle in Seaside park for advice and gear. Also Betty and Nicks has what you need and you can grab some breakfast or a pork roll sandwich from their cafe while your there.

You might try asking the folks at Great Bay Outfitters on Radio rd. I think there is a limit but I have no clue what it is. The folks at Great Bay Marina, right there next to Gravelling Point, might be able to help also.

Really!

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.

I fish for fluke further south in great bay and Barnegat bay. There have been a lot of short fish, really a lot. There have also been a good number of fish over 18 in. Most of the bigger fluke are out front on wrecks and reefs, but you can still get some in deeper holes in back and inlets.

What we have herein NJ are referred to as “blowfish” are actually North American Pufferfish. They are not poisonous generally speaking, but have an organ that you don’t want to leak onto you or the flesh from the fish. They can be cleaned with a fork by cutting down almost through the fish from behind the head. After making that cut, insert the fork int the meat next to the spine . Grab the head in one hand and pull the meat towards the tail using the fork. The meat and the spine will just peel out of the skin like taking off a sock. You can cook them with the spine in it and the spine will come out after it’s cooked, or you can filet them. They are small though. You’ll need a couple dozen to feed four people. Sauté in olive oil and a little butter, or batter and roll in cracker crumbs and fry they are delicious!!

All reports I’ve heard so far have been of little or none. There are a few in inlets and back bays judging from the little bites in our gulp tails. They should be here in numbers soon though.

Congrats! I hope to get out same area later in the week.

I spread it around. If I’m going for a specific item I often google to see who has it and at what price then I go to that store and get it. I’m within 45 minutes of large chain stores Dicks sporting goods, Tackle Direct (flagship store), Bass Pro. I prefer to handle the merchandise and check the quality and feel the weight of it. I also have many mom and pop bait and tackle stores in my area that Im in frequently, and usually pick up more than what I went in for. It’s important to keep them in business. I don’t find that their prices are anymore expensive on most tackle items and I enjoy the advise and current reports and the camaraderie that I experience there.

I have several hats that I use for fishing. I have a vented boonie that is very lightweight and breathable. A white cloth ball cap, a mesh flex fit ball cap, and a big wide brim straw hat which I use when drifting in bay for fluke. I think it’s important to at least mention the use of a neck gaiter or a hooded long sleeve tech shirt with UPF 50 sun protection for prolonged days in direct sunlight. These shirts are great ! They can have a cooling affect as they wick away moisture and sweat. They are very breathable and fast drying. Most importantly the block the harmful rays of the sun and keep bugs off of your skin.

The fisherman magazine has a weekly YouTube video and Jersey boys outdoors, and fisherman’s headquarters also have YouTube videos with weekly fishing reports. You can get reports online from jingles bait and tackle and from Grumpy’s bait and tackle in seaside park. Right now fluke and sea bass are out on wrecks. Fluke and bluefish are also being caught on the beaches, inlets and in back bays. Kingfish can be found on beaches using bloodworms or fishbites. There are some summer schoolie sized stripers around too.

I’ve done that. I recommend it when you can’t see channel markers especially on an outgoing tide when there’s a good swell building. Head boats or large 30-40 ft boats will have much better equipment and if they don’t run aground, you won’t either.