What’s Biting in May in New Jersey?
May is a month of rebirth with the sod-bank grass and eel-grass beds beginning to sprout. The sight of migratory osprey diving on bunker oceanside or on fluke in the shallows is always a great sign of coastal life in bloom. This month presents multiple opportunities for anglers to bend a rod from bay to beach to inshore.
Fluke
The summer flounder regulations for 2024 and 2025 have been approved and New Jersey’s season kicks off on May 4, and anglers may harvest up to 3 fluke that are 18 inches or larger (except for Delaware Bay and Island Beach State Park, which have their own unique fluke regs). Back bays are the places to be for most of the early-season action since they warm much faster than ocean waters, especially around darker, muddy bottoms. Areas around mud flats, shallow sod-bank channels, and tidal creeks are places to start looking for hungry fluke. Warmer water generally indicates the presence and heightened activity of bait such as crabs, shrimp, and juvenile fish.
Use small bucktails, jigs, or rigs tipped with Berkley Gulp or small pieces of cut fish. Mackerel or bluefish work best, especially when salted and cut into small pennant shapes so that they flow naturally in the water column. I prefer to cast out and work lures or baits slowly back toward the boat with a jigging motion, immediately setting the hook when I sense additional weight.
A big factor for the spring, especially for parts of Barnegat Bay, Great Bay, and portions of the back of Wildwood, is the presence of algal slime or seaweed. It is essential to keep your baits or lures clean when drifting or casting for fluke. The clam stakes south of Holgate Inlet are another prime spot to drift minnows with floating jigheads because early-season fluke tend to stack up behind the old menhaden factory.
Stripers and Black Sea Bass
As we approach the middle of May, two more options come into play for ocean anglers with the opening of the black sea bass season and the migratory cow striped bass transiting our ocean waters. Striped bass may be present earlier in May, especially with warmer-than-usual March and April water temperatures, but the middle of May is usually a good time for bunker-dunking for bass. Inline (non-offset) circle-hook rules are in effect for striped bass, so if you snag bait, re-hook it first, and drop it down on a circle hook for larger specimens. With the current striped bass slot-limit regulations, most of the spring fish are off limits, so try to keep them in the water even when taking pictures. Most of these bass are large females and are critical to the spawning class. Surfcasters throwing large poppers or swimming plugs on very early mornings have excellent shots at migrating bass, especially if bunker schools are present.
In addition to the ocean striper options, back bays can be extremely consistent during portions of May as more transient bass move into our local waters. Most of the bridges from Cape to Toms River will have striped bass of various sizes during the night tides. Artificials and even live jumbo bloodworms will consistently work for them. The daytime hours usually mean less bridge activity from stripers, but greater estuary and channel options, depending on the boat traffic.
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Black sea bass season usually opens with a bang, with most private charters and head boats picking easy limits off the wrecks. Artificial reef sites are great places to start, as are any of the individual wrecks in the 50- to 70-foot range. Anglers dropping simple two-hook setups tipped with clam or squid should be able to work wonders on these wreck-loving fish. If you’re picking smaller fish, try dropping down a diamond or flutter jig to attract larger ones. Wrecks will get picked over quickly, especially after some of the larger head boats and charters hit them, so move around until you find piles of fish. The benefit of fishing artificial reefs is that there are many located within the square-mile sites. As the month progresses, off-chart wrecks and smaller ones will be the better “fishy” spots for sea bass.
Bluefish
Bluefish have been haphazard for the past several years but, historically, the timeframe around Mother’s Day has been solid for spring racer blues in the back bays and inlets on the incoming tides. Small poppers, plugs, and even stronger soft plastics are good lures for catching bluefish. Work them quickly along drop-offs, sod banks, and around local inlets.
Blue Crabs
Crabbing is another less-popular option because of the attention on fishing and pre-summer weather; however, they have been exiting the mud since April and can provide fantastic opportunities for youngsters. The key is finding western areas of the bays and estuaries where the water is up to 20 degrees higher than ocean temperatures.
The moving tides are best, especially at the start of the outgoing tide. Bunker baits tipped on hand-lines, crab traps, or hotel-style traps will all work. If you choose to soak a hotel trap, be sure to purchase a recreational commercial pot license and have your buoys clearly marked.
Related Content
Jigging for Fluke on the Flats
Spring Striper Fishing on New Jersey’s Navesink and Shrewsbury rivers
Source: https://onthewater.com/whats-biting-in-may-in-new-jersey
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