NJ Fishing Reports for April 2014...www.StripersAndAnglers.com

[robmedina]

soaked some clams yesterday afternoon. low tide in the back bays- caught a lot of grass.

[basshunter]

Nice work gentlemen! It was a beautiful weekend to be out there but I didn't have much success. I fished the ocean in monmouth county on saturday afternoon. Figured I would start out north of an inlet. Soaked clams for 2 hours no bites. It was a nice day on the water. Then on sunday I was fishing in the back of raritan bay. The first place I went to was crowded quite a few there and I saw 2 small stripers caught in an hour. I decided to try a spot that was close to that. For some reason no one was there. The crowd was at the other spot. I fished from dark till 10pm and ended up with one striper 25" on clam. Released to get bigger.
I think this week will be the ticket. The water was cold but when I was fishing into dark it was nice. And a lot warmer than the ocean.

[J Barbosa]

On Saturday I went clamming for the first time ever with two kayaking buddies. We caught a few dozen clams each and then had to leave because the tide was coming up quick and we were only equipped with waders.

My body is still sore from clamming, great exercise.
I took mine home and gave them to Momma Barbosa who went out and purchased some lobsters, shrimp and scallops and made some of her famous seafood Paella.

On Sunday, my brother and I went kayaking in the back. We tossed and trolled lures for a while with no luck. Tried all the spring favorites in the shallows, deeper water and even in the channels. I didn't see any bait around; we marked one small fish all day. By this time last year I was catching fish that were already feeding on live bunker (confirmed by stomach contents).

There were other kayakers out fishing bait and they came up empty as well. I talked to a boater fishing clams...same results for him.

A party boat came and anchored up on the flats...and well after an hour of heavy chumming and nobody catching he packed it up and left also.

Tons of guys packed the shorelines and after speaking with two of them nobody caught anything along the shoreline either.

Water temps 47-51F

Every year the spring run in the Raritan seems to get worse and worse.

I think we are two weeks delayed despite what some others have said on other forums. We have April 7th fish feeding like its March 7th

[ledhead36]

Tons of guys packed the shorelines and after speaking with two of them nobody caught anything along the shoreline either.

Water temps 47-51F

Every year the spring run in the Raritan seems to get worse and worse.

I think we are two weeks delayed despite what some others have said on other forums. We have April 7th fish feeding like its March 7th

Same thing for us. I'm worried about the small fish. Big ones will come soon but every year we have over 100 fish by this time in april. I know it's cold. What scares me is its good one day terrible the next. We fished last night with great expectations. Ended up with bubkus. Well not exactly we got one 17" striper between the 3 of us. Should have been slamming them. The water temps are high enough for them to hit regularly on bait but they are just not there. I say give it another week. Then I will be real worried. We usually get 3-4 weeks of bass before the bluefish come in. I don't think that will be true this year.

[hookset]

Same thing for us. I'm worried about the small fish. .

I think a lot of the small fish up our way are no more, I see less and less of them each year. Maybe the numbers are stronger in the Delaware bay but the Raritan has been on a decline for several years now. just my .02.
I went fishing last night in the rain. Out back tossing artificials. It sucked, I lasted an hour. The end.

[jigfreak]

hook you are a little nuts being out in that rain. It didn't let up all night. I fished the back this morning before work. Windy. Water a little dirty. Jig and rubber. Caught the skunk

[hookset]

^^^^^^ I know it was crazy but you go when you can. I say any day now. you have a better chance of catching near the water rather than on the couch. good luck led. I know a point where those bunks should be thick.

[finchaser]

I think a lot of the small fish up our way are no more, I see less and less of them each year. Maybe the numbers are stronger in the Delaware bay but the Raritan has been on a decline for several years now. just my .02.
I went fishing last night in the rain. Out back tossing artificials. It sucked, I lasted an hour. The end.

agree they keep more and more shorts and they are wiping out the resident fish

[hookedonbass]

good luck dude if anyone can catch them you can.

[madcaster]

when around RB on out going ...saw a lot of shorts be caught about ten just in the hour 1/2 I was out ....threw a jig ....zip o ....they where be caught on clams ....very windy and cold ..water is very dirty ...yes and it was crowed ....just wonder how many poles can you fish in NJ ???....I guess I'll have to get a few claims

[ledhead36]

good luck dude if anyone can catch them you can.

Thanks but it's really not that hard to catch spring schoolies on clams. All you need is a clam on your hook and hold the rod paying attention. I look for warmer days. Yesterday I was out there and pretty pumped. Still a little slow as I only managed 3 shorts. Didn't see any keepers caught.