"Flats Fishing"

[blynch]

I have heard alot lately about stripers and large bluefish being caught on the flats.  I understand the reason behind this as well as how to fish flats but have had a difficult time locating any decent ones.  I understand that both sides of the upper barnegat bay as well as the area around gull island, and also various locales in the manasquan river have consistent 3-8 ft depths, but are many big fish (or any fish at all) really caught here?  Where do you guys like for this type of fishing? 

Thanks all,
blynch

BTW  alot of cocktail blues have been around the bays lately, metals towards the bottom...

[Luna Sea 5]

not sure about your area, but fishing the flats this time of year is because the water warms up there first due to water depth.

[ped579]

The reason that Luna Sea 3 mentioned is correct.  Plus there are a lot of bait fish in the flats along with other things like grass shrimp, mussel beds on the rock outcroppings and clams.

The flats which I love to fish are the ones behind what I know as the old bulk heading that no longer is there on IBSP.  This area is across from Old Barney. It is rich in bait and when the tide is incoming it seems to come alive with blues and stripers this time of year.

I was there today for a while mostly to observe and see what was going on.  There were a few boats drifting and a lot of guys on the jetty using bucktails.  I did not see anything being caught but I was told that there have been a few.

I think my daughter and I will be making the trek tomorrow (Friday) late morning early afternoon.  Not the right tide but I take any opportunity I can to be with her.

Who knows we might get lucky and be into a good bite.  I think I will try just the opposite of what everyone else is using.  Small plugs just to be different.  I love it when they tell me that that won't work and I can say well is your method working any better?

But if they are catching on a particular bait I will switch.  Right now they are saying bucktails tipped with gulp curly tails in white or chartreuse seem to be the thing.

I will let you know tomorrow.

Happy Catching

Paul

[blynch]

Like i said i do understand the whole water-warms-up-faster theory (solid mud/sand bottom warms up fast and hates the water...)  Thanks ped579 for that barnegat bay info

[ped579]

Hi blynch,

If you can get down to the flats in IBSP right now it is going crazy with blitzes of blues during the day and stripers in the evening.

I was there yesterday and the incoming tide into the first part of the slack was the key.  If you fished the mid column of water the blues were in your target zone. Everyone was using heavy bucktails till I caught my first blue in the mid column then everyone switched over and the bite was on.

If you fished the flats at night you could almost be guaranteed a bass again incoming to slack tide.  Use top water small plugs and have a ball.

Happy Catching

Paul

[Capt.Dave]

In Great Bay the Egg Island Flats at the end of Grassy Channel are the early spring HOT spot.  I here they are just starting to turn on, Last May the Blues were bigger than I ever saw.  The adverage was at least 8 pounds and we had them over 12 on the scale. 

The best fishing is in 3 feet of water or less and loud surface poppers call them from the longest distance.  When they grab hold in the shallow water a lot of them take off like Tarpon.