Go Fish | The Fall Fishing Frenzy Has Arrived
THE CALENDAR SAYS SUMMER IS OVER, but someone forgot to tell the fish. They’re still carrying on like it’s Night in Venice, and if history is any indication, they I keep the party going for months. This is the stretch of the season that local anglers circle on the calendar every year. The summer crowds begin to thin, boat traffic eases up, and the fishing somehow gets even better: It’s also the perfect opportunity for visitors who never found time to fish during the hustle and bustle of peak summer to finally wet a line. Add in Ocean City’s picture-perfect fall weather and the arrival of several major fish migrations, and you have what many anglers consider the best fishing of the entire year.
Tournament season delivered exactly what everyone hoped for. The Ocean City Marlin and Tuna Club’s annual offshore tournament showcased some phenomenal fishing with tons of fish coming into the weigh dock. Whether you’re a seasoned captain, a weekend warrior, or someone who wandered over after grabbing a funnel cake, it’s hard not to get hooked after watching those fish hit the scales. The best part? Offshore fishing is far from finished.
September may belong to football (GO BIRDS), but anglers know i’s also the beginning of another kind of football season: false albacore. Better known as “albies,” these lightning-fast members of the tuna family invade our coastline from now through November, and they are among the hardest-fighting fish you’ll ever hook. They bliz bait schools at incredible speeds, often right within casting distance of the beach, creating some of the most exciting fishing you’ll find anywhere on the Jersey Shore. Small diamond jigs, paddle tails, epoxy jigs, spoons, and surface poppers can all produce when the albies are hunting. Pound for pound, there may not be a stronger or more exciting fish swimming in and around Ocean City’s waters.
Meanwhile, offshore anglers have plenty to be excited about as well. The Mid-Adantic and New England canyon bite often remains productive well into December, offering excellent opportunities for yellowfin tuna, mahi-mahi, swordfish, and even bigeye tuna. For those heading offshore, there’s no reason to reinvent the wheel. Spreader bars, cedar plugs, poppers, and vertical jigs continue producing tuna, while mahi happily attack cut bait, small trolling lures, and surface plugs. If swordfish are on your bucket list, a fresh squid dropped into the depths during the right conditions remains one of the best ways to connect with one of these incredible fish. Don’t let pumpkin spice season fool you into thinking offshore fishing is winding down. In many ways, it’s just getting started.
Closer to the shoreline, September brings what could best be described as organized chaos. Summer species are beginning to fade, fall favorites are arriving daily, and tackle boxes are constantly being reorganized as anglers switch gears. One day you’re chasing flounder, the next you’re rigging for albies, and before you know it you’re digging out your striped bass plugs. Fortunately, local tackle shops like Finatics and Tight Lines Bait and Tackle make the transition a whole lot easier.
Stop in before your trip, ask what’s biting, and don’t be surprised if you walk out with a handful of lures you didn’t realize you needed five minutes earlier.
Of course, the headline event of the season is the beginning of the fall striped bass migration. As water temperatures begin to cool, schools of bait push down the beaches, and the stripers aren’t far behind.
Diving birds, turbulent water, and baitfish showering across the surface become daily occurrences, creating the kind of scenes that make fall fishing so unforgettable.
That said, some of the best memories dont require a boat at all.
Walking the beach with a freshly spooled surf rod in hand remains one of the greatest traditions along the Jersey Shore. Find the birds, find the bait, and chances are you’ll find the fish. Whether you’re soaking fresh clams, mullet, or bunker, or casting poppers, plugs, glide baits, paddle tails, or soft plastics, migrating striped bass are usually willing to eat.
Early mornings and evenings can certainly be productive, but during an active migration the fish can appear at virtually any hour. Keep in mind, our beaches saw replenishment this summer. Oftentimes, dredging changes the seafloor drastically along our coastline, and this could be a great thing for fishing. New topography changes migration and feeding patterns, and, most of the time, brings fish closer to the shoreline. An inadvertent added benefit to the project as a whole and to the success of local anglers.
By Brandon Smith