Drum Roll Please!

by: John Budish
April 2025
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But first, shop news.

We have added a new item to the online store that has been in the brick & mortar store for a while, and has been a well kept secret among some of the local sharpies. Well, now the secret is out. Check out Ruthless Tackle’s 9” Candy soft stickbaits. Tweaked and tested on Ruthless Charters out of Belmar, NJ. These baits have been crushing bass, both from the boat and the beach. They are hand poured and locally made. Check them out and let’s keep Capt Andy busy.

We received a large order of Salty C’s plugs. Most plugs have been restocked, and there are a couple new sizes for existing models. First, there is now a 5.5 Inch pencil popper. These are going to be killer for spring bass in the bay, or for any time the fish you are after are looking at mullet or peanut bunker. At the other end of the size spectrum is the 7 inch glider. At approximately 4.5 oz you are going to need a good rod to throw it, and at 7 inches long, you are going to need that rod to land the fish that will eat it.

Just a reminder, we are switching over to our summer hours on Saturday 4/19/2025. That means we will be open from 4:30 am to 8:00 pm. This has made Scott infinitely happy. Please give the shop a call as close to 4:30 am to let Scott know how happy you are about the new hours. Serious questions only.

Don't forget we have an online only sale. All Berkley Gulp! is 20% off until Wednesday 4/23/2025. Now is the time to stock up for fluke season. No need to enter a code, just put the items in your cart and the discount will be automatically applied.

The drum have arrived. They showed up Friday night like a pack of cooped up schoolchildren finally allowed on the playground. We got reports of them on the east side of the bay from the root beer stand in Seaside Heights all the way down to the back side of Island Beach State Park. Clams are the ticket. Fresh if you can get them, but salted will do too. (Hint: We currently have both).

There are also still bass being caught in the bay. Clams are taking those too, as are small plastic shads and small plastic swimming lures. We have heard more reports on the east side of the bay, but all the usual spots seem to be producing.

The surf still remains quiet. We are not sure if it is because of lack of fish or lack of participation on the beachfront (as everyone seems to be concentrating on the bay right now), but as soon as we hear anything we will post it on social media.

Here are some recent notable catches:

Cover: Liz with another one! And even Scott got into the act.