Night stripers and early tog on the Delaware Bay shore after the nor'easter
Delaware Bay water is 68°F at NOAA station 8537121, and the shore is rebuilding after the late-September nor'easter. Striped bass are the bite to plan around. Pier 47 Marina reports stripers feeding on most nights in the back bays, even in creeks with three feet of water, mostly 18 to 22 inches, and the fish aren't picky: 3-inch Berkley J-Wakers, paddle tails and Mag Darters all worked. Fin-Atics reports the same night pattern from the sod banks and bridges. Tautog are steady too. Big Dave's Tackle put plenty on deck in the bay on green crabs and sand fleas, and Hands Too Bait and Tackle says blackfishing is good, though keepers are hard to find. Bluefish are running in the 1 to 3 pound range, and quality weakfish were hitting at Wildwood on pink Zooms and bucktails.
New to these readings? What water temp, tide, and moon phase mean for fishing →
What's biting
What's next
Winds came up out of the W/NW after the storm, and The Fisherman (Northeast) reports the first fall striped bass signs to the north, with 50-inch-plus fish showing along the north coast. Smith's Bait Shop said boats couldn't get out on Delaware Bay during the blow, so expect the bay to take a few more days to clear and settle. Big Dave's notes the greater bay was quiet away from structure, so start at the jetties, rockpiles and sod banks where the fish have been holding. The tide turns at about 7:00 a.m. EDT (high) and 1:15 p.m. EDT (low), and those turns are the windows to be on the water. Plan around them and the night bite. If the water keeps cooling and the wind settles into a steady NW flow, expect the striper and bluefish action to build along the jetty and inlet edges over the coming days.
Context
Early October is when Delaware Bay water usually starts dropping, and the fall striper and bluefish push typically follows baitfish as they leave the bays. This is the stretch where anglers shift from summer species to fall targets, and the change in water temperature and daylight drives most of it. Tautog settle onto jetties and rockpiles as the water cools, which is why the tog bite is often the first steady action of the season. A single cold front or nor'easter can drop bay temperatures quickly, so the bite can change from one week to the next. Check state regs before harvesting, especially for tautog and striped bass, since seasons and size limits change.
Synthesized from real-time NOAA buoy data, USGS stream gauges, and current reports across regional fishing blogs, captain updates, and angler forums. Check local regulations before keeping fish. Never trust a single source for a trip decision.
EVERY SATURDAY MORNING
Weekly fishing intelligence
Nationwide conditions, what's biting, and honest gear deals. One email, no noise.
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.