Hi All,
It is all about where the major bodies of fish are. The major bodies of fish are from the Chesapeake Bay, Hudson River and Delaware River.
It all comes down to geography after that. The southern part of the state enjoys better fishing early because of its location. I think that the water warms a bit faster south also. This is followed by the stripers exiting the Hudson into the Raritan and Sandy Hook Bays.
There are also "over-wintering fish" throughout the state in our estuaries. One of the main ones is Barnegat Bay, especially in and around Oyster Creek.
The migration map is attached ...
Thanks,
Capt. Ed