New Jersey Fishing Report — Week of November 5, 2026: Tautog, Black Sea Bass, Surf Stripers

Updated: Thursday, November 5, 2026 · Next update: Thursday, November 12, 2026

This New Jersey fishing report is a seasonal outlook for the week of November 5, built on early-November patterns rather than fresh dockside counts. Cooling water and shorter days after the clocks fell back should keep the coast in its autumn transition, with the fall striper migration working south, tautog settling onto wrecks and jetties, and the new moon on Monday, November 9 shaping tides.

What’s Hitting

Tautog usually take center stage in November, and the rock piles, wrecks and inlet jetties from Sandy Hook to Cape May typically hold them tight to structure. Black sea bass should still be around on offshore wrecks in many years, though they tend to drift deeper as the water cools. Striped bass are the migratory wildcard. Fish pushing out of the Hudson and Raritan systems usually stream south along the beaches, and a stretch of northwest wind followed by calm mornings often lines up the best surf and jetty action. Bunker or sand eels in the wash are the signal to stay put. Bluefish may linger, but they generally thin out as the month goes on. Expect short windows around moving water, and quick changes when a cold front shifts the baitfish.

Where to Find Them

Start with the hard bottom. Inshore reefs, the Sea Girt and Axel Carlson artificial reef areas, and the rock jetties at Manasquan and Barnegat inlets are traditional tautog ground this time of year. For stripers, the northern beaches near Sandy Hook and the Raritan Bay shoreline often see early fall action, while Island Beach State Park and the Long Beach Island surf can come alive when bait pushes in. Back-bay anglers can work the edges of the Shrewsbury and Navesink rivers for holdover schoolies. Boaters heading offshore should plan around wind forecasts, since November northwesterlies can build quickly and make the ocean uncomfortable for smaller boats.

Tides & Conditions

Tides matter most at the inlets. The new moon on Monday, November 9 should bring larger-than-average tidal swings in the days around it, so expect strong current through Manasquan, Barnegat and Absecon inlets. Tautog anglers generally prefer slower slack periods that let a bait stay on the structure, while striper anglers often favor the first of the outgoing tide at an inlet mouth or a low-light window at dawn. With daylight saving over, first light arrives about an hour earlier on the clock, which makes the dawn tide easier to reach before work. Check a local tide table for your inlet.

Tackle & Tactics

For tautog, a stiff seven-foot rod, a reel spooled with braid, and a short fluorocarbon leader paired with a tog jig or a two-hook rig works well; green crabs and Asian shore crabs are the classic baits. Pack extra sinkers, because hard bottom eats gear. For surf stripers, a nine-foot spinning rod with twenty-pound braid handles bucktail jigs, swim shads and metal lipped plugs, and a few soft plastics in white or olive cover many bait situations. Bring a headlamp with a red setting for the darker mornings. Cold hands are the main limiting factor in November, so a pair of fingerless gloves and a thermos earn their place in the bag.

Local Intel This Week

Public access is plentiful. Sandy Hook, part of Gateway National Recreation Area, offers beach and bayside walk-on fishing, though parking and beach rules vary through the fall. Manasquan Inlet has jetty fishing and a nearby town boat ramp, and Barnegat Lighthouse State Park provides a well-known jetty and surf location. Island Beach State Park offers long stretches of oceanfront with vehicle permits in designated areas. Rocky jetties are slippery in cool weather, so wear cleats or studded boots and keep an eye on swell. Local tackle shops usually post updates on bait and conditions, and they remain the best source for last-minute changes. Check current state and federal regulations and seasons before keeping fish.

This Week’s Tip

Pick one jetty at Manasquan or Barnegat and fish it on the dropping tide during the dawn window this week, with crabs for tautog on the inside and a bucktail for stripers on the outside. Note the wind direction and moon phase in a pocket notebook so patterns build over time.