Striped bass, sea bass fire up Raritan Bay and Sandy Hook

What's biting

What's next

With the moon past full and moving toward last quarter (waning gibbous), tide swings should moderate over the next few days, which typically steadies bite windows around the turn rather than concentrating action into short bursts. Capt Ron's crew, working the fluke grounds out of Atlantic Highlands, has been chasing whatever push of current they can find at each tide change — expect that pattern-hopping to continue through the weekend as captains hunt bait concentrations rather than fixed spots.

If the mid-60s water Capt Ron's logged holds or climbs into the upper 60s, fluke should keep building on the trend OTW Northern New Jersey already flagged as 'trending upward on the reefs,' with more quality-sized keepers mixing in with the shorts that have dominated recent trips. Bucktails tipped with Gulp sand eels or soft plastics remain the go-to per both Capt Ron's and Grumpys Tackle.

Striped bass should stay a bright spot. Blue Chip Sportfishing's charters are already crushing stripers, and Grumpys reports the surf bite rebounding with bass back on clam baits after a rough stretch — if that rebound holds through the coming week, look for the bite to stay strongest on calmer-weather days, since Grumpys noted catch rates rose noticeably once conditions settled. Black sea bass should remain dependable regardless of weather swings; Blue Chip describes limits on almost every trip, and that kind of consistency typically holds through midsummer in this region.

Offshore, bluefin tuna are sitting 15-40 miles out per OTW Northern New Jersey, within range for a day-boat run if seas cooperate — worth checking NJ Saltwater Fisherman's note on 2026 retention limits (in effect since June 1) before targeting them. Expect that range to hold or push slightly closer to shore if bait schools continue moving toward the beach, as several shop reports this cycle mentioned strong squid and bunker presence further north.

Plan around the weekend: with tide pressure easing off the full moon, early morning and last-light windows around the turn of the tide should offer the most consistent action for stripers and fluke alike, while the sea bass bite looks steady enough to fish comfortably through the middle of the day. Shark fishing, per Blue Chip's recent Mako releases, is worth a look for anyone running further offshore, though that's a smaller, more specialized piece of the puzzle than the inshore bread-and-butter species.

Context

Early July in Raritan Bay and Sandy Hook typically marks the handoff from the spring striper run to the summer pattern — resident stripers holding on structure and working the surf on bait rather than the big migratory schools of April and May, while fluke and black sea bass take over as the day-in, day-out targets. This year's reports fit that seasonal script closely: Capt Ron's fluke reports show the fishery only recently turning from 'a couple keepers' to actual quality fish, which lines up with water temperatures just reaching the mid-60s rather than running warm early.

NJ Sea Grant's State of the Shore materials describe the Jersey Shore entering the 2026 season 'in strong shape' after a winter with only limited storm impacts, with beach nourishment and dune protection work continuing — a generally favorable baseline for beach and surf access compared to years following heavier winter erosion.

Sea bass and striper reports from Blue Chip Sportfishing read as strong even by the standards of a typical early-summer NJ season, with limits described on almost every trip. Whether that holds as a season-long trend or reflects a short hot stretch isn't something the available reports can confirm — none of the sources here offer a direct year-over-year comparison, so treat the current pace as a snapshot rather than a confirmed trend. Anglers should expect the normal early-July transition: increasing beach crowds as summer visitors arrive, warming water pushing fluke toward reef and structure areas, and a shark and bluefin presence offshore that's typical for the season but worth checking current regulations on before targeting.