New Jersey is fishing a full summer card. The fluke bite is strong in the bays and on the nearshore grounds, stripers are still around the inlets and surf for early risers, and sea bass and the first of the summer’s offshore action are filling out the mix.
What’s Hitting
Fluke are the headline, holding in the bays, inlets, and on the nearshore reefs and lumps. Striped bass are working the inlets, rips, and surf in the low light. Sea bass are stacked on the wrecks and reefs, and bluefish are roaming the beaches and bays on the bait.
Where to Find Them
Drift for fluke in Barnegat and Raritan bays, the inlets, and the nearshore reefs. Stripers hold around the inlets and along the surf at dawn and dusk. Sea bass are on the wrecks and reef sites, and bluefish chase bait along the beaches and back bays. The back-bay channels and the bridge structure hold flounder and short stripers, a protected option when the ocean and inlets are rough.
Tides & Conditions
Summer water has warmed and the bait is plentiful. The fluke bite is best on the moving tide in the bays and inlets. Stripers want the low-light windows. Nearshore and offshore seas have offered good morning windows — watch the afternoon sea breeze and storms.
Tackle & Tactics
Drift bucktails tipped with Gulp or a minnow-and-squid combo for fluke, working the channel edges and drop-offs. For stripers, throw plugs and bucktails in the inlets and surf at first light. Drop clam or squid for sea bass, and toss metal to blitzing blues. Bucktails tipped with Gulp or a teaser-and-bait combo are the go-to for fluke; for inlet stripers, plugs and bucktails worked in the current draw the low-light bite.
Local Intel This Week
Launch from the Barnegat (Forked River) or Belmar Marina ramps for bay, inlet, and nearshore access. Fluke are concentrating in the bays and on the nearshore reefs. Fluke and sea bass have size and season limits that change — check current New Jersey regulations before keeping fish. The Manasquan Inlet jetties and the Barnegat Light jetty give shore anglers access to fluke, stripers, and blues.
This Week’s Tip
For fluke, target the edges where shallow flats drop into channels. The bigger doormats sit on these breaks waiting to ambush bait moving with the tide — drift the drop-off, not the flat, and bounce your bucktail right along the edge.