Phil Sciortino News Today

Sea bass season starts off with a bang, fluke and bluefish are chewing in the rivers, and cow stripers take metal lips and live bunker out front.

Bigger bass are taken on plugs in the surf and around Raritan Bay while bluefish keep piling into Barnegat Bay and the rivers; meanwhile, the near-shore giant bluefin bite continues.

Bluefish storm the beaches and inlets, fluke begin to show in the rivers while tog fishing improves on the reefs, and bluefin tuna are caught within 12 miles of shore.

The blackfish bite has picked up significantly while striper fishing is still day to day, and trout season is officially open for the freshwater crowd.

Stripers take bloodworms, swim shads, minnow plugs and trollers in the bays, ocean fish begin to trickle in, and shops prepare for blackfish season.

White perch fishing has been good around the rivers and excitement builds for the backwater striper season opener on March 1.

Tautog action is spotty for the few boats getting out, and white perch are caught in the back bays and rivers as anglers await the start of backwater striper season.

Headboats sneak out for blackfish and cod when conditions permit, while other anglers pursue white perch, crappie and freshwater bass.

A few stripers linger in the surf, the ponds are fishing well for bass, perch and crappie, and tautog fishing was productive prior to the windy conditions.

The blackfish bite has been decent, with fewer, but bigger fish being landed; still, the best fishing this week is in the freshwater ponds and reservoirs.