Post-nor'easter bite rebounds: fluke, sea bass and fall stripers

What's biting

What's next

Tide sets the timing this week. NOAA predictions put low water near 10:00 AM and high water near 4:05 PM Eastern, and Capt Ron has seen his sea bass bite die when the tide changed around 11:30. Fish the hours before the turn, then expect a slower stretch as the water moves.

Fishermans HQ LBI says live peanut bunker is working on fluke, and OTW Northern New Jersey described fluke on the reefs as decent in mid-September, so live bait on reef structure is the approach to try first. Black sea bass look like the most dependable target through the week. If the post-storm water keeps clearing, expect the striper blitz to build along the beaches as the fall run picks up.

Fishermans HQ LBI also flagged a recent Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council workshop on recreational mode split for black sea bass, summer flounder and bluefish, which could matter for rules later this year. Check state regs before keeping any fish, and check the local forecast before heading out.

Context

Early October is the fall transition on this coast. Water is cooling from its summer peak, bait is starting to shift, and the striped bass fall run usually builds through October rather than peaking all at once. Bluefish and false albacore were lingering into late September per OTW Northern New Jersey, and they typically thin out as the water drops. Fluke and black sea bass tend to hold on structure as temperatures fall, which lines up with what the charters are reporting. That mix is typical for early October in this region, so expect it to carry into the next few weeks, though a blow can reset the bite the way the weekend nor'easter did.