Late May is delivering spectacular spring transition action across the local waters, though a passing cold front is shifting winds out of the northwest before a southwest flip header into the weekend.
From the surf out front to the back-bay channels, here is the current local rundown for our local stretches.
Ventnor & Margate
The back bays are where you want to be if you’re looking for dinner, though evening surf casting is holding its own.
- Back Bay Fluke: The channels behind Ventnor and Margate are seeing a very productive start to the flounder season. Focus on shallow mud flats that heat up during the afternoon incoming tides. Small jigs tipped with Gulp! or live minnows are the top producers. There are plenty of short fish to keep the rods bending, with a few solid 4-to-6-pounders hitting the scales at local docks.
- Surf & Pier: The Ventnor Pier is seeing a steady pick of striped bass during the evening tides, mostly on clams and sand eels.
- Signs of Summer: Keep an eye out for early-season sheepshead around bridge pilings and heavy local structure, signaling that the summer species are officially starting to creep in.
Quick Regs Reminder: If you’re targeting striped bass with natural bait in any New Jersey waters, you are legally required to use non-offset (inline) circle hooks.
Also, make sure your NJ Saltwater Recreational Registry is up to date before hitting the sand or the slip.
Brigantine
The surf and the North End jetty continue to dominate the local scene.
- Striped Bass: The spring run shows no signs of quitting. Anglers are landing everything from tight slot-sized fish to massive 40+ inch specimens. Fresh bunker chunks and salted clams (especially “Riptide Rotters”) are outperforming artificials in the suds during the day.
- Black Drum: Drum are still moving through the inlets and beachfronts in solid numbers, readily crushing fresh clam baits.
- Bluefish: The “rallies” are gaining steam out front. Yellow-eyed monster blues up to 15 pounds are tearing through mullet and bunker chunks in the wash.
Atlantic City
The jetties and inlets are a hot zone right now, offering some of the best land-based variety of the spring.
- Stripers & Blues: The AC jetties are on fire. Daytime fishing relies heavily on natural baits like fresh clams and bunker. At night, things shift to artificials; local sharpies are picking off quality bass and the occasional keeper weakfish by throwing SP Minnows, Bombers, and soft plastic paddle tails around the intercoastal bridges.
- Fluke (Summer Flounder): While the ocean remains on the chilly side, shallower back-bay areas like Gardner’s Basin are warming up. Daily back-bay charters are finding plenty of action. The key to tempting keeper fluke right now is a larger profile bait—think 5-inch Gulps or long strip baits to trigger a strike.
