Post-storm fall stripers and sea bass wake up on the Jersey Shore

What's biting

What's next

The post-storm wind is the thing to watch. Until it settles, expect uneven water and offshore trips to stay on hold. Once it does, the reef and wreck sites are the first stop, since Hands Too expects quick sea bass limits on the Wildwood and Cape May reef sites.

For timing, station 8536110 has a low at 7:59 AM and a high at 2:39 PM EDT, and station 8534720 peaks at 1:29 PM EDT. The afternoon flood is the window to plan around. Pier 47's stripers were feeding on moving water, so start the flood with quarter-ounce bucktails along the sod banks.

Fishermans HQ LBI (NJ) reports albies and fluke both biting on live bait, a combination worth trying on the inshore fish while the water is still warm. Tautog are the other bite to plan for. The Fisherman — Southern NJ reports a good tog bite at the bridges and lighthouses on sandfleas or green crabs fished on tog jigs, and weakfish were keeping surf anglers busy before the storm, per The Fisherman — NJ/DE Surf.

Context

Early October is when the Jersey Shore fall run usually starts to build, with striped bass working south along the beaches as the water cools and bait moves out of the bays. A 67°F reading is still warm for the calendar, so the run is typically arriving on schedule rather than late. The Fisherman — New Jersey edition is hearing of the first 50-inch-plus stripers to the north, which fits that pattern. Bluefish and albies usually stay in the mix through the month, while fluke and sea bass seasons close out and reef fishing tapers with the weather. Season and size rules change, so check state regs before harvesting.