Position
40°28.7′N 74°17.4′W
At the back of Raritan Bay, where the Raritan River spills out past the Driscoll Bridge, the shallow flats off Perth Amboy and South Amboy are one of the earliest striper spots in New Jersey each spring. The dark, shallow water warms quickly on sunny March days, and pre-spawn bass move in to feed. Some reach 40 pounds.
When to fish
- Mid-March through early June: the striper season here, with the water near 50 degrees by mid-March.
- June and July: bluefish move back into the area.
- Summer: fluke.
- Full-moon high tides: push bass up onto the shallowest flats, where you can wade out to them.
Where to fish
- From shore: off Raritan Bay Waterfront Park in South Amboy and the north jetty area inside the Great Beds reach, where stripers often come in tight. Surfcasters have caught bass to 30 pounds on big poppers off the jetty rocks.
- The flats: 1 to 5 feet deep and extending about 300 yards out, wadeable on the right tides.
- By boat: the water off South Amboy and Morgan Creek runs 10 to 18 feet; look for ledges in the 12- to 15-foot range. The Triangle near the Great Beds lighthouse, the Keyport Flats and the waters off Staten Island are a short run away.
How to fish it
Before dawn and at sunrise, slow-roll wooden swimming plugs on the surface. Soft-plastic shads, sand-eel imitations and wide metal spoons also take bass. Bait anglers cast bloodworm balls (three worms bundled on a circle hook) on a sliding fishfinder rig. Boaters troll umbrella rigs and swimming plugs. The area was once known for winter flounder, and a clam-and-mussel chum pot with bloodworms may still turn some up, along with schoolie stripers.
Getting there
Raritan Bay Waterfront Park in South Amboy gives shore access to the flats and jetty. Anglers 16 and older must register with New Jersey's free Saltwater Recreational Registry.
From the water
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