Stripers show after the storm as Delaware Bay shakes off the nor'easter
Delaware Bay tackle shops are back in business after last week's nor'easter pinned boats to the dock, and the fall bite is resuming fast. Big Dave's Tackle, in this week's Southern New Jersey report from The Fisherman, has anglers working sandfleas and green crabs on tog jigs for a strong tautog bite, with baitfish pushing into the back bays ahead of what should be a striped bass push. Hands Too Bait and Tackle, reporting to The Fisherman's NJ/DE Surf feed out of Cape May, had striped bass, bluefish and weakfish keeping rods bent right up until the storm hit. The same shop's Southern New Jersey report said local wrecks and reefs were stacked with black sea bass ahead of the blow, with quick limits expected on the Cape May Reef Site once winds ease. The Fisherman's regional forecast flags the season's first striped bass over 50 inches showing to the north, an early signal the fall migration is building. Fluke season is closing out: Waterfront Marine had keeper fluke earlier in the week before the closure. Bay water read 68°F this afternoon via NOAA CO-OPS station 8537121.
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What's biting
What's next
Winds should ease through midweek as the storm's influence fades, and the boats that sat tied up all week, after shops described record flooding at the docks, are expected back on the water. The tautog bite Big Dave's Tackle described should hold or strengthen as the bay keeps cooling; sandfleas and green crabs on jigs remain the pick.
The baitfish push into the back bays that shops flagged ahead of the storm typically pulls striped bass in behind it, so sod banks and inlet mouths are worth a look on the next good flood tide. Next high tide at the Delaware Bay CO-OPS station lands around 2:51 PM local today, a solid window to fish moving water over structure.
The Last Quarter moon keeps tidal swings modest this week, which should mean a steadier bite than the bigger swings around the full and new moons. Black sea bass should stay productive on the reef sites as more boats make it back out to the wrecks.
Context
Early October is squarely transition season in Delaware Bay. Water in the upper 60s is typical as the fall run gets underway, pushing striped bass, bluefish and weakfish out of the back bays and onto structure that holds bait. Tautog fishing typically strengthens through October as the water cools, which lines up with this week's reports.
Fluke season closing in early October is normal on New Jersey's regulatory calendar, with effort shifting to black sea bass and tautog for the rest of fall. This week's disruption, a slow-moving nor'easter that flooded docks and kept boats tied up, reads as a weather delay rather than a seasonal one. The underlying pattern looks on schedule once the fleet gets back out.
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.
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