| January |
Tautog, Striped Bass |
Crab on wrecks, jigging deep holes |
Tautog on nearshore wrecks; winter stripers in the lower Bay and inlets |
| February |
Tautog |
Green crabs on structure |
Peak tautog season — best of the winter months |
| March |
Striped Bass (early), Tautog |
Soft plastics in inlets, crab on wrecks |
Bass arrive from the south; first run of spring fish in NJ |
| April |
Striped Bass, Weakfish |
Live bunker, soft plastics |
Bass running strong; weakfish begin appearing in the bays |
| May |
Striped Bass, Bluefish, Fluke |
Live eels/bunker, surface iron, drift fishing |
Peak spring striper and bluefish run; fluke opens |
| June |
Fluke, Striped Bass, Offshore |
Drift fishing, live eels, trolling offshore |
Full fluke season; canyon trips begin for mahi and yellowfin |
| July |
Fluke, Mahi, Sea Bass |
Drift fishing, canyon trolling |
Peak fluke; offshore canyons at full production |
| August |
Fluke, Offshore Tuna |
Drift fishing, overnight canyon trips |
Last good fluke month; bluefin tuna appear at the canyons |
| September |
Striped Bass, Bluefish, False Albacore |
Topwater, live eels, cast metals |
Fall run begins — one of the best months of NJ fishing |
| October |
Striped Bass, Bluefish |
Surf fishing, bunker chunks |
Peak fall striper run along the entire Jersey Shore |
| November |
Striped Bass, Bluefish |
Surf fishing, live eels |
Trophy bass through mid-November; Raritan Bay produces giant fish |
| December |
Tautog, Striped Bass |
Crab on wrecks, deep jigging |
Tautog returns; late stripers before season closes |