Panfish in Shark River?

[bulletbob]

Years past I have had great fishing in Shark River for various salt water pan fish.. Blowfish/Kingfish/Porgies/Spots/Croakers/Snappers.. Not to mention a ton of short fluke mixed in with them, as well as some monster size Bergalls a few times... Some years in Sept its great, you can't keep a baited hook in the water for a second, other years not so good.. I no longer live at the shore and have no idea of whats going on other than what I can read here.

I was wondering if the river is giving up good numbers of small pan size fish this year as yet?.. i have been thinking of throwing my 12 footer w 2 HP in the back of my pickup, driving down, grabbing some clams and squid, and spending a day with a couple of fresh water rods, and some flounder/porgy rigs..Any help would be appreciated.. bob

[teddysclaw]

Was told by the employee at Fishermen's den that the panfish have not showed up yet. Just small blues and short fluke.

[bulletbob]

Thanks for the reply...
Too bad-Might just be a poor year for them this year..
I doubt we'll get a big influx of fish into the river after the storms pass through,.. Probably more will move out than move in,, but you never know... bob

[ALS Mako]

head a little further south and fish barnaget bay. lots blowfish.

[tombanjo]

There's plenty of short stripers there. Not for me but others have been catching them off the bow before the PB's leave. Apparently I'm doing it the wrong way by actually holding onto the rod, didn't know you're supposed to dead stick it and walk away and wait for the yelling. Couple of keepers last year.

[courbeco]

We used fish bloodworms on a small porgy rig along the inlet wall at a few of the side streets on the Avon side this time of year. CNR on porgies, spot, blowfish. Haven't done that in years, but I still see people fishing there when I'm down there.

[bulletbob]

We used fish bloodworms on a small porgy rig along the inlet wall at a few of the side streets on the Avon side this time of year. CNR on porgies, spot, blowfish. Haven't done that in years, but I still see people fishing there when I'm down there.

Yes some years the river is stiff with smaller fish this time of year,, Not this year from what I gather, and its doubtful they will appear.. If they aren't there in numbers by early Sept, they won't be coming at all, especially with storms churning up the coast.... bob

[WhaleFart]

I caught A ton of pan fish in manasquan river in my cast net last weekend. Spots, kings, pinfish, baby porgies, look downs, oyster toads, some baby jacks, blowfish and of course mullet and peanuts.

[SaltLife1980]

Ton of small bass blowing up bunker in the harbor again the other day. Then when i fished on Thursday the bunker was so thick i was snagging em with a 1oz jig rig out front of the boat. Guys catching snappers like crazy

[bulletbob]

I caught A ton of pan fish in manasquan river in my cast net last weekend. Spots, kings, pinfish, baby porgies, look downs, oyster toads, some baby jacks, blowfish and of course mullet and peanuts.

I was thinking more along the lines of good "eating size" pan fish, not the tiny juvenile size stuff usually caught while netting bait, if thats what you caught... bob

[courbeco]

I was thinking more along the lines of good "eating size" pan fish, not the tiny juvenile size stuff usually caught while netting bait, if thats what you caught... bob

Bob,

You may want to try at the back end of the river at high tide, past the Shark River marina before the little bridge. We actually used to catch a lot of spot there as well. You can probably launch your 12 footer somewhere along the river before the marina.