Striper night bite and fall tautog run lead the Jersey Shore this week

What's biting

What's next

Winds are turning northwest, and Capt Ron's says the weather looks good all week, so expect a run of workable days. Back bay striper action should continue as long as the bait keeps moving, since that is what has been drawing fish into the creeks.

Plan around the tide. Capt Ron's reports its bite died when the tide turned, so target the window around the 3:56 PM EDT high at station 8534720 and the 4:58 PM EDT high at station 8536110. Night is the better bet for stripers given the after-dark reports on the surf, and the jetty tautog bite should hold on green crabs and sand fleas. Sea bass boats should keep producing on the bottom around 55 feet as the water settles after the storm. Anglers who want to see the surf scene firsthand can look to the Barrier Island Beach Brawl, a surf tournament on October 9 and 10 in northern Ocean County, per Grumpys Tackle (NJ).

Context

Early October sits at the start of the fall run on the Jersey Shore. Typically, stripers follow migrating baitfish south as water cools, bluefish and false albacore linger into October, and tautog settle onto jetty and inlet rock as the nights get longer. Storms commonly knock bottom bites down for several days before they recover, which fits the reports coming in after the nor'easter. Water near 66°F is in the normal range for this stretch of fall, and it usually keeps stripers working the surf for several more weeks. Check state regs before harvesting tautog, sea bass or fluke, since seasons and size limits change from year to year.