Fall striper run starts to build along the Jersey shore

What's biting

What's next

The next few days hinge on weather and water temperature. Capt Ron's Atlantic Highlands NJ has been blown out on multiple Sundays, and the shop reports the bite has been a grind of small fish. Another run of rough weather would delay the push, while a cooling trend should pull more stripers into the surf and inlets.

The latest tide prediction from NOAA CO-OPS station 8537121 shows the next low at 23:42 UTC on October 14, which is 7:42 PM local time. After that low, the incoming tide is the window to plan around for bait-driven action. Dawn and dusk generally fish best for stripers, and the waxing crescent moon means darker evenings that favor night and low-light surf sessions.

If the fall run builds the way On The Water suggests, expect bunker pods and bait schools to be the trigger. Capt Ron's Atlantic Highlands NJ recommends a bunker snag, a second rod rigged with bait for fishing the pods, large shads, jigs with a tail or plain jigs, and Hopkins-style metals in the 27 to 67 sizes. Grumpys Tackle (NJ) has a new 7-inch glide bait in the shop for anglers who like to throw big profiles for stripers.

On The Water also ran a piece on baitfish that fuel blitzes. Birds working over inlets are the signal to watch.

Context

Mid-October is typically when the fall striper migration begins to pick up along the Jersey coast and into Delaware Bay. Fish move south as water temperatures fall, and the timing often depends on how fast the water cools after the first strong cold fronts. A 67°F reading is on the warm side for this point in the season, so a slightly late start would not be unusual.

This is also a transition period for other species. Tautog become more active as water cools, and lingering fluke and bluefish can still show up in the bay and surf. Check state regs before harvesting any species, since seasons and size limits change through the fall.