The Basse is one of the best fishes in the country... the way to catch them is with hooke and line; the Fisherman taking a great codline, to which he fasteneth a piece of Lobster, and throws it into the sea, the fish biting at it pulls her to him, and knocks her on the head with a stick...  William Wood, New England Prospects, 1635

Well, we may not have it as easy as the folks did in olden times, but in recent years, the Striped Bass fishing seasons in the New York Bight hit the books as good ones.

New Jersey anglers can keep one (1) Striper 28 inches to less than 31 inches per day.   The New Jersey Striper season is open all year in our coastal ocean waters, but is only open from March 1 through December 31 in all other estuarine waters.   In addition, non–offset (inline) circle hooks must be used when fishing for striped bass with natural bait in all waters.   (Using non–offset (inline) circle hooks significantly increases the survival of released striped bass.)

  For 2024, New Jersey recreational anglers can keep one (1) Striper per day

  One fish between 28 inches to less than 31 inches

In addition, the New York Striper season is open from April 15 to December 15 and recreational anglers can keep one (1) Striper not less than 28 inches nor greater than 31 inches in New York marine waters (south of the George Washington Bridge).   Circle hooks are required when fishing for striped bass with bait.

NJ Striped Bass Bonus Program

New Jersey is the only state on the east coast that allows recreational anglers the opportunity to keep up to two Striped Bass per day.   New Jersey receives a commercial quota for Striped Bass from the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) each calendar year.   For 2024, this quota is 200,798 pounds.   Since New Jersey prohibits commercial fishing and/or selling of Striped Bass, the NJ Division of Fish and Wildlife utilizes this quota to provide a "bonus" fish for recreational anglers.

The 2024 New Jersey Striped Bass Bonus Program (SBBP) season is open from May 15 through December 31, 2024.   Applications for the 2024 SBBP can be submitted between May 15 through October 31, 2024.

2024 Striped Bass Bonus Program (SBBP) Individual Angler Application:  https://dep.nj.gov/njfw/fishing/marine/striped–bass–bonus–program/

Through the 2024 Striped Bass Bonus Program (SBBP), recreational anglers can harvest a second fish that is between 24 inches to less than 28 inches per day from May 15 to December 31 in addition to the current daily possession limit.   Please note the order of striped bass harvested does not matter (the bonus fish can be the 1st or 2nd fish).   When you successfully apply, you will receive one NJ Bonus Bass Permit.   After submitting an initial harvest report, you may be issued an additional permit based on availability.   (Individuals may be eligible for multiple permits throughout the season.)

Reporting your bonus harvest within 24 hours is mandatory.
You can report your bonus catch at: https://dep.nj.gov/njfw/fishing/marine/sbbp–harvest–report/

If New Jersey anglers harvest more than the assigned quota in a given calendar year, the following year's quota will be reduced by the amount of overharvest.   The 2024 Striped Bass allocation from the ASMFC is 200,798 pounds to be distributed between individual anglers and party/charter boats.   Should NJ overshoot this quota in 2024 any overage would be subtracted from the 2025 quota.   (The last nasty sentence is called an “accountability measure” and it has the potential to bite us in the posterior, so pay attention to any bonus bass alerts from the NJ Division of Fish and Wildlife.)  

2024 NJ Striped Bass Bonus Program highlights:

•  The New Jersey Striped Bass Bonus Program (SBBP) season is open from May 15 through December 31, 2024

•  Recreational anglers can harvest a SECOND fish between 24 inches to less than 28 inches per day

•  Bonus harvest reporting is mandatory and must be reported within 24 hours of harvest via on–line or by calling 609–748–2074

•  To apply for the Bonus Bass program, visit the NJ Division of Fish and Wildlife at
     https://dep.nj.gov/njfw/fishing/marine/striped–bass–bonus–program/

•  Applications must be submitted before October 31, 2024

•  The Party/Charter Boat Facet of the SBBP will reopen May 15, 2024 – The Party/Charter Boat (PCBT) facet of the SBBP also reopens on May 15, 2024.   Qualified PCBTs will be issued a limited number of permits allowing customers to keep one Bonus Fish between 24 inches to less than 28 inches.   Only one permit may be issued to a customer per day.   PCBTs are required to submit daily logbooks of their striped bass catch and are also required to provide weekly reports of Striped Bass bonus harvest in order to ensure the quota is not exceeded.   To apply, download the application and submit to the Division with a copy of a Captain's license.   Applications will be processed by order of receipt.   Party/Charter Boat Bonus Program Application


"TAIL" OF THE TAPE – Comparison Chart of STRIPED BASS Lengths to Weights

Length Minimum Weight Maximum Weight Average Weight 24 inches 6.00–lb. 8.25–lb. 7.00–lb. 25 inches 6.25–lb. 8.75–lb. 7.75–lb. 26 inches 7.00–lb. 10.00–lb. 8.50–lb. 27 inches 8.00–lb. 11.00–lb. 9.75–lb. 28 inches 8.75–lb. 12.00–lb. 10.25–lb. 29 inches 9.75–lb. 13.00–lb. 11.00–lb. 30 inches 10.25–lb. 14.00–lb. 12.25–lb. 31 inches 11.00–lb. 15.00–lb. 13.00–lb. 32 inches 12.00–lb. 16.75–lb. 14.50–lb. 33 inches 13.00–lb. 17.75–lb. 15.75–lb. 34 inches 14.00–lb. 19.00–lb. 16.50–lb. 35 inches 15.50–lb. 20.50–lb. 18.00–lb. 36 inches 16.75–lb. 22.00–lb. 19.50–lb. 37 inches 17.75–lb. 23.50–lb. 20.75–lb. 38 inches 19.00–lb. 25.50–lb. 22.00–lb. 39 inches 20.75–lb. 27.25–lb. 24.50–lb. 40 inches 22.00–lb. 29.50–lb. 26.00–lb. 41 inches 23.00–lb. 31.00–lb. 27.25–lb. 42 inches 25.00–lb. 33.50–lb. 29.75–lb. 43 inches 27.00–lb. 36.25–lb. 32.00–lb. 44 inches 29.00–lb. 39.00–lb. 34.00–lb. 45 inches 30.50–lb. 41.00–lb. 36.00–lb. 46 inches 32.50–lb. 44.00–lb. 38.75–lb. 47 inches 35.00–lb. 47.50–lb. 42.00–lb. 48 inches 37.00–lb. 51.00–lb. 44.00–lb. 49 inches 39.00–lb. 54.00–lb. 47.00–lb. 50 inches 42.00–lb. 58.00–lb. 50.00–lb. 51 inches 45.00–lb. 62.00–lb. 55.00–lb. 52 inches 47.00–lb. 65.00–lb. 58.00–lb. 53 inches 49.00–lb. 68.00–lb. 60.00–lb. 54 inches 52.00–lb. 73.00–lb. 64.00–lb. 55 inches 56.00–lb. 80.00–lb. 70.00–lb.

AC Shiners – Handmade balsa and cedar lures for Stripers and other gamefish – Okeana, OH

Afterhours Custom Plugs – Handcrafted wooden saltwater casting plugs by lure maker Don Guimelli.   Built one plug at a time, each plug line is turned from Alaskan yellow cedar, painted, and assembled by hand.   All plugs are thru–wired with stainless steel wire and use high quality hardware including VMC hooks, Wolverine SS Triple split rings, and Krok swivels – Barrington, RI

American Sportfishing Association – ASA recognizes that a healthy striped bass population and fishery is critical to the sportfishing industry and drives a significant amount of angler engagement and participation along the Atlantic coast. For over 90 years, ASA has been leading the way for sportfishing’s future.

Asbury Park Fishing Club – The oldest striped bass fishing club in the United States.   Meets 7:30 PM the first Monday of the month at the VFW Building, Lake Ave – Asbury Park, NJ

The Bass Barn – New Jersey’s fishing information source!

Berkeley Striper Club – Established in 1966, the Berkeley Striper Club is one of the largest and most active surf–fishing clubs in New Jersey.   They have 180 members, some of whom are among the best fishermen in New Jersey.   Their members have one common thread... the fanatic pursuit of Striped Bass – Seaside Park, NJ

Betty and Nicks Bait and Tackle – Arguably, the first tackle shop on the Internet – Seaside Park, NJ

Big Ed Custom Lures – Custom fishing lures for the discriminating fisherman.   Created by Ed 'Big Ed' Jones and Carmine Martucci, two dedicated fishermen who have been fishing the New Jersey waters for over 30 years.   Lure models include Flat Head Swimmers, Needlefish and 9 Inch Poppers.   All lures are crafted from Alaskan yellow cedar or white birch, have a stainless through–wire, heavy duty stainless rings, VMC hooks, and are finished with a durable epoxy coating.

BigWater Lures – High quality, handmade casting plugs by lure maker Gary Soldati.   Each lure is turned from northern white cedar, has glass eyes from Germany, custom stainless–steel lips made by Gary to get the desired action, through–wired for extra strength, and VMC treble hooks – West Stockbridge MA

Billy Hurley Lures – Home of The Striper Magnet, a soft plastic jerk bait.   Also available are soft plastic sand eels and cod teasers, weighted hooks and jig heads – Northampton, MA

Black Label Plugs – A small New Jersey lure manufacturer catering to surf fisherman who are looking to catch that once in a lifetime fish.   They specialize in handcrafted wooden swimming plugs predominately for large saltwater game fish.   Constructed of the finest cedar and equipped with top of the line hardware, each lure is individually tested to run true – Forked River, NJ

Bodega Bay Lure Company – Handmade, hand sealed, hand painted and hand finished casting lures by Joe Rivera.   A variety of styles are available including swimmers, top water, needlefish, poppers and others – Emeryville, CA

Breakaway Tackle & Development – Terminal Tackle & Rigs for Long Distance Casting – Corpus Christi, TX

Century Fishing Rods – Manufacturers of world record holding Distance Casting Rods.  Century rods are made with a carbon fiber composite that is specially cured in an autoclave to preserve strength and density.  Nobody casts farther than Century – Rodanthe, NC

Connecticut Surfcasters Association – A non–profit organization established for the promotion, protection and preservation of the surfcasting tradition, in its many forms, along our coasts – Madison, CT

Conoflex Rods – Long distance casting rods for surf and boat – Crowborough, East Sussex, United Kingdom

DT Lures – Offers handmade swimming lures made from the best wood, wire, hooks and finishes available.   Several models and colors are available.   Custom paint and refinishing services are also available – Brick, NJ

Gibbs Lures – They manufacture quality wooden fishing lures the old fashioned way... by hand in the good ole USA.   Lure models include the Pencil Popper, Needlefish, Danny Deep Diver, Darter, Stan Gibbs Popper, Danny Surface Swimmer – Cumberland, RI

Guppy Lure Company – A premier maker of classic wood lures for the topwater.   Models include poppers and pencil poppers in a variety of sizes and colors.   All lures feature VMC 4X hooks with Wolverine super rings – Randolph MA

High Hill Striper Club – Founded in 1952 in order to bring together individuals who have a passion for fishing.   Over the years, the Club has evolved into a strictly competitive surf fishing club, whose members compete amongst themselves and with other surf fishing clubs in the New York Surf Fishing Contest.   The Clubs' guiding principles are Fishing, Fun, Friendship and Fish Conservation – Smithtown, NY

Hi–Mar Striper Club – The premiere Striped Bass club in New Jersey.  Most of our members focus their fishing on Raritan Bay and Sandy Hook area.  The club is made of the areas best charter captains, family recreational fisherman, and individuals who want to make a difference in preserving our precious fishery for generations to come.  Throughout its almost forty years of existence, various Hi–Mar members were the innovators of several effective bass catching techniques with plugs and spoons.  Members of the club are also pioneers in developing such effective techniques as worming for bass, chunking Flynn's Knoll, light tackle angling for bass and nighttime plug trolling in the Sandy Hook rips – Sandy Hook, NJ

Jersey Coast Anglers Association – Striped Bass, Migratory Species, Elvers, Menhaden, Youth Education, Legislation, Recreational & Commercial fishing, ASMFC, Governor's Surf Fishing Tournament, Eels

Ken Abrames' Striper Moon – Author, artist, flyfisherman, guide, and lecturer Ken Abrames – Central Falls, RI

Lemire's Plugworks – Offers handcrafted wooden saltwater and freshwater plugs for striper fishing and other types of game fishing.   Models include a full line of swimmers, needlefish, and top water plugs, including the Sea Fly, the first thru wired, salt water rigged wobble bait.   Made one at a time, their plugs are equipped with 4X VMC hooks, Wolverine triple wound stainless steel split rings, Krok super strong stainless steel swivels and nickel plated grommets to protect the surrounding wood – Clayville, RI

Long Island Beach Buggy Association Inc. – Founded in 1958 by a small group of people who were dedicated to beach access and conservation.  They had the foresight to protect and preserve our beautiful shores here on Long Island.  Through the next forty–four years, the LIBBA has continued to lead the way in conservation and beach access – Patchogue, NY

Massachusetts Striped Bass Association – Founded in 1950 and remains the oldest salt water fishing club in the state of Massachusetts.   The MSBA is a non–profit organization, 500 plus members, dedicated to promoting recreational sportfishing, conservation, environmental awareness and good fellowship – Braintree, MA 

Mike Shaw's MS Slammer – Hand Crafted Lures for Giant Stripers.   Each plug is individually waterproofed and hand painted with an ultra–realisitic trout or kokanee finish.  We use premium VMC 9649 BZ Model hooks on all of our lures – Arroyo Grande, CA

Montauk Surfcasters Association – A non–profit association which was started in 1985 by a handful of surf fishermen who wanted to have a voice in preserving and protecting the privilege to surf fish at all our pristine beaches in the East Coast – Montauk, NY

MX Plugs – Handcrafted wooden lures that are hand painted and custom designed help you catch more fish.   Each of their plugs is unique in color, shape, size, and action.   Their fishing lures are made from a variety of selected woods including Alaskan yellow cedar, pine, oak and others.   Each lure is wired with VMC® or Mustad® hooks, and heavy duty swivels and split rings – Stem, NC

New Jersey Beach Buggy Association – Since 1954 the NJBBA has fought to preserve beach access for all beach users.   The NJBBA not only builds protective fences and plants dune grasses to protect beaches, but they get involved with community leaders and other worthy organizations to keep beaches open for all types of uses.  From birding to fishing and horseback riding or just for folks who like to walk the beach, the NJBBA is there for you – Seaside Park , NJ

New Jersey Striped Bass Bonus Fish Program

Shark River Surf Anglers – The SRSA is a saltwater fishing club dedicated to the pursuit of striped bass and good times!   A fully insured, not–for–profit organization, they have enjoyed tremendous success the past few years and have emerged as one of the premier fishing clubs along the Jersey Coast.   Although their primary focus is always on fishing, the club has a lot more to offer and they hold a variety of great activities throughout the year – Belmar, NJ

ShorelineBT – Tom Clayton had a passion for Striper fishing and old Striper Lures... his site offers information about Striper fishing in New Jersey and offers new, used, antique and collectible lures and other fishing items for sale or trade.   Tom passed away in 2019, but his son Tel Clayton continues in his father’s footsteps.   He offers help identifying a saltwater lure, offers free appraisals and is interested in hearing from you if you have any saltwater lures for sale or trade – Wall Township, NJ

Sigler Guide Service – Fishing Boston's North Shore for Striped Bass and Bluefish

Spring Lake Live Liners Fishing Club – Active in local surf fishing activities for over 20 years.   Their name is derived from the fact that many of the biggest trophy bass that they have caught over the years were by live lining baitfish, notably herring.   Despite the club's name the members fish using a variety of techniques including a very active core group of fly rodders – Spring Lake Heights, NJ

Stripers247.com – Instructional striped bass and hybrid bass fishing report forum and community.  If you're passionate about striper fishing and want to increase your hook–ups, we offer a wealth of information for the beginner as well as the seasoned veteran – Staten Island, NY

Stripers Forever! – A not-for-profit organization dedicated to making the striped bass a gamefish – South Portland, ME

StripersOnline.com – We'll show you how to catch more fish!  Surf fishing and striped bass tackle, techniques, articles, fishing reports, “Surf Talk” discussion forums and “Surf Chat” message board – Wall, NJ

Striper Surf Club, Inc – Organized in 1948, is one of the oldest organized surf fishing clubs in New York – Freeport, NY

Tackle Box Bait & Tackle – Raritan Bay and Sandy Hook, NJ’s Premier Sportfishing Center and Striped Bass charters – Live and frozen bait – Stop in and Phil Sciortino Jr . and family will help you with all your fishing needs.  The family has been helping fisherman catch fish for over 50 years – Route 36, Hazlet, NJ

TG's Rocket Fuel – High–speed reel oils, greases and ceramic reel bearings for long distance casting – Lowestoft, England

Tony Maja's Bunker Spoons – Custom Stainless Steel Bunker Spoons that are ready to use right out of the package.   They are made of extra heavy gauge stainless steel and work at a greater depth with less wire or line and with only one keel.   Several models are available and include a 9/0 stainless bucktail hook – Bayville, NJ

The Surfcaster – For thirty years THE name in saltwater surf fishing tackle and accessories.   They offer everything a surf fisherman needs to hit the beaches of the world.   They carry lures, rods, reels, hooks, swivels, waders, a full assortment of terminal tackle and many accessories – Darien, CT

Zziplex Ltd. – High Performance Fishing and Casting Products.   Long Distance Match Casting Surf Rods – Washington, UK