You know it’s the start of Spring when the osprey start taking up residence on their annual nesting sites. That’s always a great sign and feeling for coastal fisherman!
Tautog season opens up for the start of April, and anglers working deeper to mid-range wrecks should have the greatest success. Many of New Jersey’s artificial reef sites, from Cape May to Sandy Hook, are great places to start for early-season blackfish. Cooked shrimp, salted clam, mussels, and green crabs are nice baits to start out the tog season. The softer baits will generally fair better for early-season fish, as the fish coming off a cold winter will be slower on the bite.
Green or white crabs will become solid baits by the middle to the end of the month when the waters begin slowly warm. But this season the water temperatures are already warmer than normal, so fisherman should expect a better crab bite earlier, along with fish moving to the shallower wrecks sooner. Anglers looking for bigger whitechins should use jigs in the 3/4- to 1 1/2-ounce range. Single hook or double-hook slider Belmar rigs will also work. If the bite is slow, try cutting crabs in quarters and also removing the legs and claws. The bite will begin to ramp up as the water temperatures warm.
A good number of early-season toggers prefer to fish the last two weeks of the month and the shallower inshore wrecks or inlet jetties have the best action. Spawning occurs in the better part of May and June and to protect this vital act, the fishery is closed until August.
By now, the white perch bite has been in full swing with lots of our back bays and tidal creeks at the ideal temperature for perch. Grass shrimp, small mummichogs, and pieces of bloodworms are the top baits for the month.
Deeper holes along banks and points will have schools of fish, with minnows taking the bigger sized specimens. The Mullica, Toms, Fortascue, Cohansey, and Tuckahoe rivers all support populations of white perch. Areas behind Beach Haven West and on the west side of Barnegat Bay additionally have some “perchy” spots.
A simple one- or two-hook rig baited with a few grass shrimp or live minnow will work almost always, but anglers preferring artificials can find success with 1- to 2-inch lures worked slowly along banks and drop-offs. Small Fin-S Fish, twister tails, and ultra-small swim shads work well especially when rigged on “underspin” jigheads that provide extra flash. flash.
The great aspect of white perch as they can easily be targeted by land, kayak, or small boat, and there’s nothing like walking out to some of the marshes to find secluded fishing. Tide and time of day is always a factor, but when you can line up the top of the tide and the last hour of daylight you’ll hit a home run. Currently, there are no marine regulations on white perch, so only harvest what your going to eat as this part of the season will have lots gravid females on the cusp of spawning.
Although the main striped bass run has not officially started, the warmer winter water temperatures have helped to provide consistent action from March and into the beginning of this month. Back-bay schoolies range in sizes from 16 to 25 inches, but don’t be surprised to pop a 30-inch fish here or there.
This time of year is all about soft baits such as clam, sandworms, or bloodworms. Striped bass will key in on easily digestible food sources due to cold water temperatures and slower metabolic rates. As temperatures warm and metabolic rates increase, prey items will become items that take more energy to digest such as: crabs, shrimp, and fish.
Artificial aficionado’s should use small 3-inch grubs or plastic worms lures in the early part of April, but the lures have to be worked ultra slow. White, chartreuse, pink, and purple (at night) colors are the “go-to’s” for this part of the season. By mid April, water temperatures should be warm enough for bass to start popping on small swimshads, poppers, and swimming plugs.
New Jersey has a lot of “backwater” habitat, so it’s important to key on places that will hold bait. Mud flats and eel grass beds are great places as they will contain good numbers of marine worms and crustaceans. Additionally, these areas will tend to warm the fastest due to the darker bottom color and the sun’s radiation. Tidal creeks along sod banks and also adjacent to certain mud flats will usually produce game fish on a regular basis due to the presence of shrimp, young of the year fish, and marine invertebrates. Lighted bridges, piers, and bulkheads are another prime spot for early season striped bass, especially if you’re interested in the night bite.
Another lesser-targeted species due to regulations and the cyclical nature of its population are weakfish. April is a great month to look for weakies, especially along the marshes and deeper holes. Anglers drifting or casting live worms should have shots at weakfish along sod banks and marshes. Floating jighead rigs tipped with blood or sandworms and worked over eel grass flats are another prime tactic for weakfish. Anglers casting and jigging small pink Fin-S can usually find a few during the latter part of April.
March and April are just the start of the season, but at least we have left the starting line and the movement is in the forward direction. Whether you try for striped bass, tog, or weakfish, it’s a great month to just get outside and enjoy the water. Even if you don’t catch, at least you can say your goodbyes to winter. Good luck, Be Safe, and Tight Lines!
