Capt. Ron Santee Jr. saw his first snow on the Fishermen from Atlantic Highlands today, and the striper bite slowed when the wind picked in the afternoon. However, catches were already in the dozens. The pool bass was 35 inches. Santee will continue fishing at least through the weekend. The Sea Hunter from that port didn’t have enough to sail, but is ready to go tomorrow.

The Golden Eagle from Belmar had very good striper fishing and also a few blues today. They sail early at 6:30 tomorrow.

Jerry Lasko said Ocean County surfcasting was slower today though he caught 15 stripers while Maren Toleno added five.

Tomorrow’s weather looks even better with northwest winds of 15-20 knots diminishing in the afternoon to 10-15 knots.

Fall northwesters set up ideal surfcasting conditions along the N.J. Shore, but they also bring cold temperatures. Jerry Lasko said it never got out of the 30’s on the Ocean County beach he was fishing, but the action kept anglers warm. The hot bite was on the incoming, and by the the end of the day he had released 35 stripers while Maren Toleno got up to 61. When the sand eels come in, so do the bass.

Frank Huza of Aberdeen went all the way to Island Beach State Park and didn’t score there though he saw some bass being caught.

Capt. Ron Santee Jr. reported a continuation of all you can handle striper jigging on his Fishermen from Atlantic Highlands. It was cold, and got nasty on the change of tide, but the fishing remains amazing and he will sail every day.

The northwest wind continues at 15-20 knots with gusts to 25.

The northwest wind sure isn’t bothering striped bass in NY/NJ Bight, and the cold hasn’t sent them fleeing to the south. Both boaters and surfcasters scored today.

Jerry Lasko reported surfcasting was slow early in Ocean County, but picked up later in the morning to such an extent that MarenToleno ended up releasing 34 while he added 11. Sand eel lures did the job as that’s what the bass are feeding on.

Bob Matthews at Fisherman’s Den in Belmar Marina noted that the early bite has often been poor due to low waters, but it may turn on later in the morning. He also noted that party boats there were doing well with stripers and blackfish. The Ocean Explorer had a 13-pound tog on a recent trip.

The Golden Eagle from that port reported another very good day with stripers today as a boat limit was caught and others released. A few bluefish were also hooked. Their 6:30 sailing time got them into the best of the bite.

At Atlantic Highlands, the Sea Hunter reported fares could catch 20 or more bass without really trying. There were lots of slot bass, but only a few over 28 inches. Due to a lack of reservations and gusty winds, tomorrow’s trip has been canceled — but they’ll be back at it Wednesday.

The Fishermen also had great striper jigging, with one fare counting 61. They also didn’t see many of the larger bass.

Tuesday’s forecast is for northwest winds at 15-20 knots with gusts to 25.

Though the northwest wind continues, and there were no reports today, it should drop off enough to permit party and charter boats to make their trips tomorrow.

The forecast is for northwest at 10-15 knots with gusts to 20. There’s some protection from that wind, and even the Shore can get in the action. The Golden Eagle from Belmar will be sailing at 6:30 a.m. to be on the grounds for the early bite of stripers. However, the Queen Mary from Point Pleasant won’t be there as they are finished for the season. The Sea Hunter from Atlantic Highlands doesn’t have far to go for what’s been crazy striper jigging — and they are sailing as scheduled.

The northwest wind is ideal for NJ surfcasting. Dress warm and enjoy the cast- extending wind at your back!

Though the storm was tough on weekend boaters, the clearing northwester should set up surfcasters with clear waters and fishable waves. It will be cold, but NJ anglers will have the wind at their backs as they make long casts.

Boaters may take another day off Sunday as the forecast is for northwest at 20-25 knots with gusts to 30 — and 4-6-foot seas. Be sure to check with skippers before coming down. Capt. Ron Santee Jr. said his Friday fishing report from the Fishermen out of Atlantic Highlands was like a broken record as it was once again a red hot bite with the smallest bass so far at 15 inches up to a 33 1/2-incher. One angler ended up with a two-day total of 108 stripers. However, Santee won’t sail on Sunday due to the forecast that will result in nasty fishing conditions.

The gale didn’t seem to make a bit of difference to the fall NJ striper run. The Golden Eagle from Belmar reported limiting out on keepers while releasing some bass too big to keep. The best action was, as usual, right away as they arrived from their 6:30 a.m. departure.

At Atlantic Highlands, I didn’t see the Fishermen’s report from yesterday when they fished in cold, windy conditions for a super bite. The Tagged Fish from Highlands was also in on that hot bite.

The Sea Hunter sailed into a mass of feeding birds today and was limited on slots during the first drift. There weren’t as many 28-inch bass today, but they ended up with 14 of the bigger fish in the boat. They’ll be on that all-day bite in the morning, but the Saturday trip has already been canceled.

Betty & Nick’s Tackle in Seaside Park reported striper action in the surf this morning with a 9-pounder weighed in. A report from South Seaside Park was of multiple very late 6-pound bluefish being caught. There was also a report of a 28-inch fluke caught on a teaser at sun-up.

Friday’s forecast is for west winds at 10-15 knots with gusts to 20. There’s a chance of rain in the afternoon before the switch to northeast at 15-20 knots plus gusts to 25 on Saturday.

Cold, windy weather kept boaters in port today, but some are set to sail tomorrow.

Small craft warnings are still up for west winds gusting to 30 knots, but they are sorecasted to drop somewhat to 20-25 with gusts to 30 by morning. That may make the Between the Channels area that was loaded with stripers fishable, and the Sea Hunter from At;antic Highlands will be giving it a try the next two days. The Golden Eagle from Belmar will be sailing early at 6:30 a.m. for stripers. The Jamaica from Brielle has room on its trips to offshore wrecks for jumbo sea bass and porgies that sail at 10 p.m. Thursday and Friday. Call 732 528-5014 for reservations.

Vinniy D’Anton reports that the cold and continuing large swells kept most surfcasters home, but conditions should be better tomorrow after all the west wind we’ve had to reduce the seas.

John Bushell Jr. of Betty & Nick’s Tackle in Seaside Park said yesterday;s gale was worse than predicted and left the surf rough and dirty — but the west winds coming should cure that problem.

Bushell was looking at unfishable conditions this morning, but noted that there were bass caught yesterday morning before conditions got too bad. Indeed, three stripers were weighed in at the shop.

The marine forecast is for west winds at 20-25 knots with gusts to 30 in the morning which should reduce the 5-8-foot seas. Some boats may sail due to the favorable direction of the wind, but be sure to check with skippers before coming down. Everything should be in good shape by Thursday — when we’ll find out if the striper concentrations have moved.

As today is Giving Tuesday, it’s appropriate to mention the Jersey Coast Anglers Association. The JCAA has been hit hard by the pandemic as all of their fundraising events and fishing tournaments have had to be canceled. Those able to afford a donation would be making a wise investment in the protection of our marine resources and angling rights by visiting jcaa.org. The IGFA is another very worthy organization seeking donations for its youth fishing and conservation programs which have also suffered due to cancellations of the annual fundraising dinners. 🔚

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