Heading into April, good news came for striper anglers as the deep freeze from one of the harshest winters in the past two decades not only didn’t seem to hamper the striper bit, but accelerated it, as bass were being caught on March 1st in the 36-degree waters. April is a true transition month, patching the spring together and leaving winter behind, which bodes well for all sorts of species to defrost and get on the feed. Blackfish season is reopened for the month from April 1 to April 30 with a four-fish limit and a 15-inch minimum size. Winter flounder should really begin to feed in earnest as water temps rise. There’s a chance we could see the first bluefish move in later in the month. Without a doubt, we can officially state that the saltwater season has begun in earnest!
RARITAN BAY
Striped bass were already filtering out of the Raritan River into the Raritan Bay in early March and anglers were already scoring short and slot-size fish using bloodworms off the sodbanks as well as even jigging shads off the kayaks. South Amboy and along Cliffwood Beach was the proper spot to start. Still, by April, the fish will have moved out into the bay in some force, spilling out toward the Ammo Pier, Keyport Flats, off Tottenville in Staten Island and perhaps even into Coney Island. Early season stripers are generally resident fish that warmed up and are on the feed, but the first exiting breeders will also be cruising through, mixed in with the slot and overslot fish. Even though nobody does it anymore, it would be worth trying to find the winter flounder in areas of the bay like the Keyport Flats, Morgan Creek Flats and off the Union Beach area. A 2-fish limit of 12 inches is probably a good reason why nobody targets them much anymore, but I’d love to see if they are still hanging around.
NORTHERN COAST
Last year’s striper run along the northern coast was OK, but not lights out; still, it was better than the previous year. What can we expect this time around? I expect the fish will stick around, as it appears the chew has already begun in the river systems like the Navesink and Shrewsbury, which bodes well for a strong backwater bite this month. Regarding migratory fish, it’s a bit too early to tell in early March as I am writing this, but we should have the standard migration up the coast along Jetty Country, the Highlands, off Sandy Hook and outside the Manasquan Inlet area. Down in the Shark River, anglers will be targeting winter flounder back by the Tennis Courts, Shark River Hills and off the L-Street pier with bloodworms and sandworms. That inlet will also be a magnet for tautog anglers looking to score with chunky 2-to-5-pound fish using tog jigs tipped with half green crab baits. Blackfish will also be on the nearshore wrecks and rockpiles shallow in about 40 to 60 feet of water, so any of those low-lying shipwrecks like the Adonis or Rusland off Deal should be holding some bulldog tog. There may be an early push of bluefish into the Navesink and Shrewsbury Rivers, as last year they were being caught on poppers by the Oceanic Bridge area.
CENTRAL COAST
Bass were already on the take inside the Manasquan River in March and they should be staying in there through April to hit poppers and shads cast along the sodbanks off Dog Beach and near the train bridge area. The Toms River was already firing for bass in March as some kayakers were having 20 to 30 fish days casting shads and silver herring SP Minnows. Stripers will also be priming along the coast from Bay Head down through IBSP, but the coastal bite depends on whether the bunker schools show up or not in good numbers. If they are prevalent, then look to snag and switch live bunker onto circle hooks to hook up with larger migratory fish. You can also drop big paddletail shads and jig them up. The Manasquan River system, as well as the Barnegat Inlet area, could have the first chopper bluefish show up as they move in with the tides to attack ava jigs, SP Minnows and topwater poppers. Early-season bluefish are usually a little slow and sluggish, so be sure to keep your lure in the zone when bringing it back and not reel in super-fast like you are used to doing in the warmer months. Winter flounder fishing may shine here at spots in upper Silver Bay, Mantoloking Bridge, Gunners Ditch and in shallow ledges throughout Barnegat Bay. It just takes some commitment and time to try and get a good chum slick going to see if any are around. Blackfishing could be hot and heavy this month, even as close as inside the Squan Inlet off the jacks and rocks, as well as way back into the Point Canal area. If they move in thick, slack tides are the best time to drop a half green crab and during the slack, you can pull double-digit catches of the bucktoothed brawlers.
OFFSHORE
The bluefin tuna fishery had its ups and downs this past year, with many variables affecting the bite and the ability to fish for them, with closures seemingly popping out of nowhere. There were periods of 2 to 3 days where the BFT seemed thick at spots like the Triple Wrecks, Texas Tower and the Bacardi, but it seemed the schools would travel 20 or so miles every day, having the fleet constantly shifting and chasing down to find them. Good days put plenty of tuna on deck using poppers and jigs. Most tuna in April will be closer to shore along the midshore and inshore grounds, maybe in the 20 to 30 fathom lines and spots of the Mud Hole and Glory Hole around historical wrecks like the Arundo, Lillian and Oil Wrecks. Anyone dedicated to bottomfishing will know that golden tilefish are hot and heavy outside the canyons on the flats as fish from 5 to 50 pounds can be caught on hi-lo heavy-duty rigs baited with bluefish, mahi, salmon, or herring bellies. More inshore in the 30-to-60-mile wreck areas, big cod and pollock can be hooked on jigs and clam or squid baits dropped to the bottom around the structure piles.
I think we can officially declare the winter of 2026 behind us! Let’s get out after it and hit the saltwater to really get the juices flowing this April.