Moving from raritan bay to forked river

[captainsteve25]

After growing up on the bay, my wife and I decided to get a place on the water and enjoy a new lifestyle. New, good,problem for me, need to learn how to fish these new un chartered waters. Plan to hopefully have the dock built by June and boat in water by mid summer. Will probably miss all of spring season with the move and all the stuff that comes with moving and relocating the kids. Any advice or historical lessons would be appreciated. I'm hoping there is striper life for spring and fall and something to do during the dog days of July and august. I might even be within reach of the chicken canyon ( boat has a 180 mile range)

[shrimpman steve]

Good luck with your new lifestyle. Been thinking of making a move myself. Love it up here in the mountains but think I'd be happier by the water

[Reel Class]

what kind of boat do you have?

[bulletbob]

Made that same move years ago.. Lived in Union Beach, moved to Forked River..
All I can say is this.. I caught a LOT more fish of all species in the Raritan/Sandy Hook bay, and the close by ocean waters than I did in Barnegat/Great Bay and close by waters. For me there was no comparison..
However thats all inshore stuff.. I will defer to the offshore guys, but you might be in a better position there than out of Raritan Bay....

[Sharkyispy]

Had my boat in Toms River and ran Barnegat Bay/Inlet for several years. The bay has windows of fishing when it can be productive, Stripers on the shoals, Fluke at mouth of oyster creek or Meyers Hole. Some fishing between BI and BB markers. Use to be a couple good deep holes at high tide that would hold fish. The inlet? The channel to the inlet and around the lighthouse is narrow and zig zags, watch your markers closely or you will be in shallow water in no time. The inlet, That was interesting to navigate, give yourself plenty of space. Reminds me of the shotgun start at Manasquan, just almost all the time....lol. You have some spots outside , The Tires, wrecks , etc that are good for fishing, Stripers along IBSP when they are running. Quite a few boats run from Forked River area to canyon. Chicken canyon could be a shot for you depending on your boat. I believe a couple fishing clubs from there still have tournaments each summer as well. Good luck on your move and new grounds to explore.....Forgot to mention the crabbing f you're into it and use boat for family time. Head towards the 37 Bay bridge, usually some good ones to be found near the bridge and pole island area/

[captmark]

We fish the bay often in the spring, sometimes it can be crowded on weekends around the BI & BB and a lot of traffic, but it can be productive and you can catch different species down there.

[celticcross]

Come down and check out the Forked River Tuna Club on any Friday at 730pm. Our members fish from the surf to the bay to the Canyons from Kayaks to Big Sporties. It is a great way to get a network going. We have our own club house with a private bar. We do all kinds of get togethers. Come check us out!!!!!
Eric

[fin_s_guy]

Good luck with your new lifestyle. Been thinking of making a move myself. Love it up here in the mountains but think I'd be happier by the water

Steve! Do I have the house for you!!

Taking a 75k hit so practically giving it away.

[captainsteve25]

Thanks everyone for the feedback. My boat is a 275 aquasport with twin 200 evinrudes. Sounds like i might be loosing out on some fishing as i must say the bay has been very good to me year over year with all kinds of fishing but unfortunately their is no housing market i can afford up here, and then the school and the wife.......i was very lucky to make really good friends in those years and will not stop coming up to make the occasional striper trip and get some use out of my bunker net. BI=Barnegat Inlet? what does BB=?SO, i also take that i will be faced with a challenge every time i want to head out to the ocean, interesting.....Not what i wanted to hear but the truth and reality for what it is, i need to deal with it. I am really happy to learn of the club, that may help me learn of the waters, times and species as well as habits, baits fish runs etc. I am not an offhsore guy but may give it a shot since i can probably make it(would probably do incremental trips until i got comfortable and ensured my boats seawrothiness out there).

[Capt. Debbie]

Good luck with Barnegat Inlet too. :)



Good luck with your new lifestyle. Been thinking of making a move myself. Love it up here in the mountains but think I'd be happier by the water

[Man Workin]

I have spent a lot of time on the water down there as a kid, and now, I do the same with mine. Crabbing is excellent down there in the dog days of summer. Oyster creek and every where in between, the kids will have a blast.

[bulletbob]

When I lived in Forked River I trailered back to Raritan Bay, or sometimes I went out of Shark River or Tuckerton/Great Bay...
The fishing in Barnegat Bay was just never that great for me.. Yes there are fish to be caught, but much of the bay is REALLY shallow and sandy, not a lot of channels, structure, deep water etc... The spots that hold fish are well known and get hit hard by locals.. Its not like sandy Hook/Raritan where you can go off on your own away from the crowds and find great fishing... Barnegat bay DOES have very good crabbing however.. If I were you I would keep the Aquasport, but maybe find a cheap used 17 on a trailer to take out of Belmar/PP, and up to the Highlands.. Thats what I did... bob

[MrAC1980]

Welcome to the area! Unfortunately I have to agree with what others have said that the areas up north are definitely more productive. But you'll fit in and find the fish. May/June the blues and fluke invade the bay. Then come the blowfish (hopefully). If you're into wreck fishing, the seabass and blackfish can be had just like everywhere else if you can find the right wrecks. Ocean fluking starts in Juneish at the Tires and Garden State reefs. Over the summer the bonita have been pretty good at the North and South Ridges which are about 14miles from LBI. The BI and BB bouys that guys have mentioned is the Barnegat Inlet bouy that marks the Oyster Creek channel you will get to know well and the Barnegat Bay bouy is about a mile or so north of the BI bouy. You can take the kids over to Tices Shoal in the summer or Party Island areas of Island Beach by the Light House. It can be like grand central station, but everyone typically gets along. See you on the water! ~Anthony

[MrAC1980]

Oh and you'll mostly use Oyster Creek channel to get to the light house, but you'll see Double Creek on the map. Avoid Double Creek as its closed until it gets dredged hopefully in the spring of 2099:rolleyes:. It got shoaled over during Sandy and hasn't been fixed yet.

[NoLimit]

Good crabbing and clamming.

Hole in front of fuel dock by Barneget light

40' lumps offshore for fluke

but you will miss Raritan

[NoWorries]

Just different , 27' with twins. Offshore I say ! Bluefins,Mahi,Sharks, offshore wrecks for cod,pollock in summer. Wreckin for seabass and big fluke in deep water. I'd only fish the bay when it's too rough to go offshore. An hour or so from the ocean side of the inlet. Sure you'll get stripers and fluke but there's much more :D

[captainsteve25]

Wow, I really appreciate everyone's feedback. Making
Me really regret wanting to live on the water and leave my bay. I grew up having all I wanted within 5-30 minutes and now all reading is crabbing and strictly offshore...... Thought I was making the right move to have a great view year round and have the boat behind the house. Maybe this wasn't the best thought out plan I envisioned when we started. Is it really that bad getting out of the inlet to the ocean? Is their really no fishing in bb like Raritan bay? I may sound stupid, not, I'm just clueless which is why I decided to put my neck out and make the post.

[NoLimit]

Winter flouder is good too but you have the limit problem

[Reel Class]

I fished the stretch from good luck point down to "the bend" by the 44 buoy A LOT in the 90's. I even ran charters out of Chadwick up until 2004 and fished down there occasionally.

Lots of good fishing to be had, yet it's not like Raritan bay, but again there are fish to be caught:

Bass in the inlet on the sod banks, and also a few other spots to the north (37 bridge, 72 bridge parts of IBSP, etc)

Weakfish (when around) between 40 buoy and the BI

Also blowfish and kingfish in those same spots, but more down near the BI.

Loads of bluefish every spring on both sides of the bay.

Fluke in the inlet itself and also between the BB and BI.

Winter flounder between the BB and BI.

Tog at the sod banks S of the causeway

*Some years the fishing in the bay can be good, others it simply sucks. Bait migrations, slowly warming water, and even fish migrations really can change the fisheries from season to season. Gotta put your time in!

[celticcross]

PM Sent

[HDMarc]

You're going to love living on the water, period! I agree that the Raritan Bay is one of the best areas to fish along our coast, but once you get familiar with your new surroundings, you'll figure out where the fish are and adjust accordingly. I'm on the water in Brick and absolutely love it, blue claws right off the dock all summer long keeps the kids entertained and the steam pot full. Nothing beats entertaining guests with a barbeque on the water. Your 27 footer will get your crew over to Tices Shoal like Anthony mentioned which is an all weekend party from June to September (do a YouTube search of Tices Shoal to see what I mean) and is a straight shot across the bay from Forked River. There's some great places to dine on the bay in your area that have transient slips for your boat, Waters Edge in Bayville has moorings you can hook up to and their water taxi will bring your crew to their tiki bar for dinner and drinks. Enjoy your move, I assure you that you won't regret it!