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FISHING UPDATE LIST
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Fishing
Report: Manasquan Inlet to Little Egg Harbor
Anglers picking away
at fluke, snappers
Aug. 23, 2008 |
by Daniel Nee
NOTE: Reports added as they come
in, so check back for new reports! |
Anglers here are finally getting over the plight
of this week’s full moon and fluctuating water
temperatures. Luckily, the fluke bite held up in
many locations, but others found themselves
without any keepers as the season’s 18-inch
limit is still causing problems for some
anglers.
Tommy Kilgannon, of Pell’s Fish and
Sport, 335 Mantoloking Road, Brick,
said fluke fishing in the ocean continues to be
good in, perhaps, the most consistent “spot” of
the summer – off Spring Lake, in 40 to 60 feet
of water. Boaters should use their depth
sounders to scope out some rough bottom where
the draggers aren’t able to fish, and drop their
lines there.
Chances are a fluke with eventually find itself
on your hook. Skates, however, have been all
over the place over the last few weeks, so keep
that in mind before you begin planning to
prepare to reel in a doormat of the century.
According to Tommy, customer Melissa Roshak had
two fluke, to 6-pounds, off Spring Lake this
week.
While there has been a steady pick off Spring
Lake, the Sea Girt and Axel Carlson reefs have
provided more keepers, Tommy said. While anglers
may catch a smaller number of fish, they are
more likely to be able to keep the fish that are
boated there. Customer Alan Marut had a 9-pound
fluke there this week caught on a white Berkeley
Gulp swimming minnow and a squid strip. Customer
John Murphy fished in 70-feet of water at the
Sea Girt reef and boated five keepers. Matt
Ulatowski had an 8-pound fluke off the reef on a
glow colored Spro jig.
While the occasional striper being picked from
the surf was heard about, that fishery has
generally cooled, and not much is being heard
about stripers, in general. Anglers who aren’t
busy with fluke are being entertained by tons of
snappers in Barnegat Bay near the Mantoloking
Bridge. A simple rig with a bobber and hook
tipped with a spearing should score a hit, Tommy
said. The fish are “small, but fun” he said. A
number of anglers have reported kingfish in the
bay, as well, and even a black drum was caught
last week.
Capt. John aboard the Purple Jet
has put customers on the blues on recent trips.
High hook on the Aug. 22 trip was 23. The crew
was using bait rather than artificials to
attract the blues. In an e-mail from the boat,
Bluefins are being taken on the troll north of
Manasquan and bonito south.
Fluke are being picked off in the surf off Ocean
County’s beaches, according to the folks at
Grumpy’s Bait and Tackle, Seaside Park. Snappers
and crabs are abundant in the bay. The shop had
one recent weigh-in, a 22.5-inch, 3.9-pound
fluke on Gulp caught by Zach Paone.
The weakfish run is on in the southern bay,
reported Capt. Jack Shea of the
Rambunctious in Barnegat Township,
however the weaks have not yet made it to the
upper bay in large numbers. Weakfish enthusiasts
should consider making a run to the southern
part of Ocean County where chumming grass shrimp
accounted for up to 85 weakfish caught in a
single day on Capt. Jack’s boat. While most
locals have yet to catch weakfish in large
numbers, a few have been caught in the
Metedeconk on Rat-L-Traps.
Crabbing in Barnegat Bay has been excellent
lately, and should continue to be hot into
September.
Look for more reports on our "report map" on the front page.
If you have a report, let us know by
sending us
an e-mail!
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