Crazy striper bite in New Jersey right now

The spring striper season is off to a crazy good start the past two weeks. The Raritan Bay and its tributaries are loaded with good size striped bass.

These are the Hudson River stripers that come down into the bay and will move offshore as the water warms up. Right now you can find them in many of the hot spots in Raritan Bay and the waters that flow into the bay in New Jersey.

One of the major hot spots last week was on the Navesink River in a spot called Blossom Cove a good way up the Navesink.

Friends of mine did very well there last Friday catching seven nice stripers up to 15 pounds on a charter boat.

If you head up the Navesink to Blossom Cove, wave to this house here and see if Phil Murphy waves back. Maybe if you need to use the bathroom, he might let you tie up.

Dennis Malloy / Townsquare Media

If no one seems to be around, you can try Jon Bon Jovi's place on the same cove. They're both with the political party that likes to help people, so I'm sure they'd love to have you come in and use the facilities and rest a while.

zillow.com

If not, there are some marinas nearby that might be able to help you out. I don't think Murph or Jonny Boy want any fishy-smelling New Jersey rabble traipsing through their property, so just enjoy the view of how the other half lives.

Opinions expressed in the post above are those of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Dennis Malloy only.

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The bass are biting in New Jersey fresh waters

Starting in mid to late May the largemouth bass started biting on my favorite lake. I finally got a chance to get out and see how good the fishing is this year and it didn't take long to catch. I got two bass in the first 10 minutes on the lake. We used to fish exclusively with live bait, either worms, nightcrawlers (the bigger worms), or minnows. That got too easy and it's not what "real" fishermen do.

It's more of a sport if you fool the fish into biting your hook with the right lure and the proper presentation. You have to figure out what they would be feeding on that time of year, pick a lure that resembles that and finesse it in a way that makes it look enticing to the fish. To most people, this is a stupid waste of time, but to those of us who caught the fishing bug as a kid or an adult, it's almost addictive. OK, it is addictive.

Most people look at a body of water such as a pond, lake, river, or stream and admire it for its natural beauty. Fishermen try to figure out what kind of fish are below the surface and what would be the best spot to catch them. If you have small kids and you know how to fish, you can create amazing memories and give a great lesson on nature. My dad and my uncles did that for me and those of some of the best memories of my childhood.

There are so many different kinds of fish and fishing in New Jersey's fresh waters. We usually think of fishing at the Jersey Shore, but there are plenty of fishing opportunities not far from where you live. Make sure you know a few simple rules and ask a local tackle shop for some good advice on what to buy and where to go, and you're good to go. It's a great way to enjoy the diversity of landscapes we have here and challenge yourself a little.

I challenged myself for the first time this season to try and catch a few bass on Thursday afternoon right before the rain and thunderstorms and had success right away in one of my favorite fishing holes in Medford.

What's been killing all the fish in NJ waterways?

Since November, there have been numerous instances of dead menhaden washing ashore or floating in waterways, including in the Raritan Bay and the Navesink and Shrewsbury rivers.

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