Point Pleasant Canal Fishing Reports

[captainbailey]

Fished the south end of the canal today from 1500- 1800 using a pearl white storm shad and again got skunked. I think I have given up on this place. I figured I have put in a good 20 hours fishing the canal during this late summer/early fall season with different approaches and haven't picked up one bass yet. 

[Pfishingruven]

Good try, again!

 

[ped579]

You shoulda bin dare yesterday...

[SharkHart]

in my opinion it is one of the toughest places to catch them.  The window of opportunity with the ripping tide make its tough.  The lure must sweep through a zone to get them to hit.  The way that water moves limits your time it's in that zone.

The uniform configurations and depth of the canal doesnt help you any either was they have no reason to be in certain places.  They seem to mostly ignore the bridge pilings unlike other ares also.

Most guys use a heavy lure to combat the current but then the tide suddenly slows down and that heavy lure may now not give you the sweeping angle needed.   What I found to work recently is stay light, 1/2 oz and just fish the tide change.  Casting the jig at 10 oclock or 2 (depending on tide) to the other side and if you get a hit its going to be between 10/2 and 12 if that makes any sense. if it goes past you highly unlikely it will get hit.

However it mostly appears to be a zero to one or two fish place per tide, but you have some chance at a "good" fish.

 

[Greg7]

in my opinion it is one of the toughest places to catch them.  The window of opportunity with the ripping tide make its tough.  The lure must sweep through a zone to get them to hit.  The way that water moves limits your time it's in that zone.

The uniform configurations and depth of the canal doesnt help you any either was they have no reason to be in certain places.  They seem to mostly ignore the bridge pilings unlike other ares also.

Most guys use a heavy lure to combat the current but then the tide suddenly slows down and that heavy lure may now not give you the sweeping angle needed.   What I found to work recently is stay light, 1/2 oz and just fish the tide change.  Casting the jig at 10 oclock or 2 (depending on tide) to the other side and if you get a hit its going to be between 10/2 and 12 if that makes any sense. if it goes past you highly unlikely it will get hit.

However it mostly appears to be a zero to one or two fish place per tide, but you have some chance at a "good" fish.

 

With the stripers I have had the best luck right along the wall. Along the wall as in 6 inches off of it. And ive been lucky with blues in the middle of the canal, using a similar approach to you 10-2 oclock reasoning.

[Greg7]

Just got back from the canal, snuck over there for an hour(dont tell the wife.) Didn't catch anything but it was a great day to be out. Decent amount of boats going through there too and Mr Strauss from Pt. Beach had his marine bio class out there doing something, so there were like 20 kids all lined up on the fence.  I only brought the glass ghost xrap out with me and tried along the wall, in the middle and walked from the north end to river rd but no luck.  Current started to pick up so I left. Maybe tomorrow inbetween working I'll try again.

[Pfishingruven]

Good try...way to get out there and fish!!

 

[fryedbeans]

I fished canal for tautogs @ el-12 and same results as usuall.Pleanty of shorts up to 13,no keeps.Whos taking them

[Hotrod]

Thanks for the report beans..  and welcome to the site..  The little Chinese lady..  they take them

[Pfishingruven]

Thanks for the report fryed...togging looks like fun there.  Haven't tried it yet.  I am usually looking for bass or blues when I get up there!

 

[fryedbeans]

Will try again today  before slack again.Too many boats for the big guys yesterday,maybe it'll slow down today.

[fryedbeans]

Tautoging still great at canal.Tried old reliable spot today and got my keeper + a bunch of 12-13".Fun time.Lots people out today with same results.Back to reality tomorrow

[Greg7]

[Pfishingruven]

Nice catch, again!

 

[ped579]

 

Welcome Aboard and it sounds like you will fit right in our little ban of slightly used fishermen.  Any questions fire away and if you can add anything please do so.

Again Welcome Aboard.

Happy Catching

Paul

[RU_DIO]

HELP!

I've been fishing the canal for Blackfish and doing pretty well during the day. I want to take my dad and uncle tomorrow night for stripers. Do I have a good chance of catching them now by the Route 88 bridge or docks at Bay Ave? Does it matter if you fish during incoming, outgoing or slack at night or can you fish and get fish during any point of the tide? Thanks for sounding ignorant but I am completely new to fishing the canal and I'd love to catch stripers there than have to run to Mantoloking and try to catch them in the ocean surf.

[Pfishingruven]

You best bet is to fish the Canal around 3 hours after a tide at the CG Station on the Manasquan.  That will still give you some water movement and bring the bait through there.  With that being said, I have not had much luck, the 6 or so times I fished it this summer.  If you look back at posts, there are a few guys who have had good luck there and have caught several fish.  Stripers seem to hug the wall, so you need to work along the wall.  Soft plastics and Rapala swimmer seem to do the best.

Good Luck!

 

[fishdoctor]

Fished 10:30 am to 1:30pm.
 
Incoming to slow incoming.  Fish picked at the baits, only one short until it began to slack off and then you could hook them. 3 to 5 ounces, # 5 Virginia hooks, green crabs.  A bunch of shorts to 13.5 inches.  Rolled a nice one that just crushed it out on the ledge.  My line was on the bail instead of in the roller.  Set it and popped the bail and then the line drifted and a short took the place of the keeper.

Most of the fish just barely hooked on the outside of the lip.  Could not get them to crush it like two weeks ago.

Seems like less fish as I had to put it in a variety of spots to come up with about 10-15 shorts or so. 

[Pfishingruven]

Nice catch!!

 

[Hotrod]

Fished 10:30 am to 1:30pm.
 
Incoming to slow incoming.  Fish picked at the baits, only one short until it began to slack off and then you could hook them. 3 to 5 ounces, # 5 Virginia hooks, green crabs.  A bunch of shorts to 13.5 inches.  Rolled a nice one that just crushed it out on the ledge.  My line was on the bail instead of in the roller.  Set it and popped the bail and then the line drifted and a short took the place of the keeper.

Most of the fish just barely hooked on the outside of the lip.  Could not get them to crush it like two weeks ago.

Seems like less fish as I had to put it in a variety of spots to come up with about 10-15 shorts or so. 

Great report