February 5 2016

Fishing New Jersey

18  comments

Jim Murphy

Here are some things I learned about fishing in New Jersey in early to mid November. New Jersey is big—much bigger than Massachusetts, at least on a longitudinal basis.

You may have seen photos and videos of New Jersey scenes in the fishing mags, on Facebook, and Instagram.

The photos and videos of big cow bass and gator blues going nuts on acres of baitfish. Adult bunker hurl themselves onto the beach and surrender to landing nets to escape the predators below.

All the action is tight to shore. It’s a fall-run surfcasting paradise!

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It's easy to see why I was so excited. All these spectacular reports were coming from Northern New Jersey. I would be staying in Southern New Jersey, and I expected to arrive just in time for when the striped bass pushed south.

But then I actually arrived in Southern New Jersey, and I realized that I was a long, long way away from the acres of pogies and bass in Northern New Jersey.

Timing & Location

Where I stayed in Avalon (north of Cape May and South of Atlantic City) shore fishing is pretty dead in early to mid November.

The lingering warm waters this year also didn't help my predicament.

​Southern New Jersey is a great place to bottom fish during the season, but near shore stripers are scarce outside of the spring and fall run. Inshore, they catch fluke and other bottom fish during the summer.

The charters go pretty far offshore to fish for bigger game and pelagic species. But the near-shore striper fishing basically "bookends" the summer months.

Your timing has to be just right.

Unfortunately we timed it wrong. Yes, there were reports of schoolies here and there, and people we spoke with had heard of a keeper or two being caught.

But fall fishing in New Jersey is like the Cape in the March and April. Everyone is eager to hear about the beginning of the run, so everyone is sharply aware of the few initial reports.

Word about one or two keeper size fish spreads quickly, and the masses who flock to the shorelines are largely disappointed.

However when the fishing really gets hot, you hear fewer reports. Everyone’s too busy catching.

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  • Jim. Just read your article. Great read. Very entertaining. Just goes to show that you don’t have to catch fish while fishing to have fun especially if you re in the company of good friends. Catching fish is always a bonus. Mother Nature most often gives us something to appreciate even in the wilds of New Jersey. Love reading your posts they are often informative and entertaining at the same time. Look forward to more.

  • Brand new to to the blog here. I got chance to meet Ryan at the New England Boat Show on Saturday and joined the blog shortly thereafter. I particularly like this article Jim wrote, as I am the Rob depicted in the story. And I can attest first-hand that he was dead-accurate in the descriptions of both myself and Ryan. in fact, I spent two hours this morning organizing and inventorying all my fishing gear in prep for this weekend’s fishing show – I apparently need more Plano boxes 😉

    But I digress. I also agreed with Jim’s assessment that we really did have a great time at the Jersey shore despite the lack of fish. Prior to this trip, I’d only spent time in Avalon during the summer so it’s a pretty wild place to be in the offseason when you have the whole town to yourself!

  • Good read Jim, always a disappointment when results are less than “advertised”. Your trip speaks volumes to your determination in pursuit of fishing.

  • Good write up Jim. Sorry to hear that you didn’t have any luck, but sounds like you had some fun anyway. I’m down in that area quite often and we motor out through Avalon inlet to work offshore. Many times I’ve seen fishermen elbow to elbow along the inlet banks. And many times we’ve passed through huge schools of blues and bait just offshore (no rods onboard and the others don’t share in my obsession). Lots of sharks, dolphins, whales and all sorts of stuff down there. Seems like a great area to fish if you had your own boat, and a full week to really hit it hard.

  • Great report. Fishermen can always hook the beer. Going to Florida and will wet a line. Spring soon. You are an interesting writer.

    • True, the beer is not so elusive, and weather conditions, tide, moon phase, etc. seem to have little impact on snagging one.
      Where in Florida? I was in Key West a couple of weeks ago, and my luck was similar as in NJ–freaky weather. I just booked a flight to Naples to visit my parents, and will probably give the vacation fishing one more shot before the season picks up. Good luck down there.

  • You’re right Jim about the importance of timing in Jersey fishing. They hope to intercept the Striped Bass as they migrate along the coast between Cape Cod and Virginia. It’s primarily a fish of the shoulder seasons for those on Jersey beaches. We are very lucky to have them to around us all summer.
    Summer fish in Jersey are mostly Bluefish with some Weakfish, Bonito, and Albies mixed in. I used to spend two weeks every August in Lavalette which is in Northern New Jersey. Island Beach State Park is a barrier beach that is a fantastic place to fish. Had a lot of fun on head boats out of Belmar as well.

    • Great info, Dex, Thanks. One of these years I’ll follow the striper run Southward, like David DiBenedetto, author of On the Run.

      • I read his book as well. This Spring I’m planning on fishing Southern locations (Rhode Island, Conn, NJ) to meet the bass then doing the same as they migrate away in the Fall. I’ll give you a call when I do.

  • great report, sorry for the lack of fish. I would love to get down to jerz and try some shore shark fishing. They catch much bigger sand tigers down there than I do on cape!

  • Great report! Tough luck with the timing of your trip, but it still sounded like you had a good time and now you know how to time the trip better.

    Next December, when we are all doing nothing after the season is over, hopefully you will be slaying 30#ers in the Jersey surf!

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