Waterlands

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Little tunnyPeak season

Cape · New Jersey

Popular Point

39.64°N · 74.22°W · Cape · Coastal waters from Manasquan Inlet to Little Egg Inlet NJ out 20 NM

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Best score today · 1 AM · Little tunny

43/100Fair
Now
305 PM EDT
Best window
5 PM-12 AMDusk
Tide now
Flooding0.6 ft ▲

Data from: NOAA CO-OPS + NDBC + ECMWF + Open-Meteo Marine · Waterlands engine

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24-hour conditions · rolling from now

Conditions · 5 PM · now

Time5PNOW
Score30Fair
Tide0.6 ft ▲Flooding
CurrentSlack0.0 kn
Wind17 kn NEgusts 40 · steady
Sea stateVery rough8.7 ft · 8 s
Air temp63°Mild
WeatherOvercast100% cloud
Water69°FObserved

Current regulations

What you can keep here today

IN EFFECT NOW

No rule for Little tunny is on file here yet, so its status is unknown, not closed. Confirm limits with NJFW before you keep a fish.

Seasonality · 52-week view · this week ringed

When Little tunny is best here

Peak season for Little tunny · 5 more weeks at peak

Little tunny season by week of the year. Peak season for Little tunny · 5 more weeks at peak.
  • Peak
  • Shoulder
  • Off
  • Not here
  • This week

Little tunny in New Jersey

Spot profile

Popular Point

Depth
3-8 ftFlat bottom
Structure
Point · Outer · ExposedPoint · flat bottom
Season
Peak seasonLittle tunny

NOAA NCEI DEM, sampled Sep 13 on a 3.4 m grid. Depths are feet below NAVD 88, not chart datum (MLLW), so they can differ from a chart by a few feet. Not for navigation.

About this spot

Fishing Popular Point

Popular Point is a cape in Coastal waters from Manasquan Inlet to Little Egg Inlet NJ out 20 NM, New Jersey. Depth is 3-8 ft, with a flat bottom. Its profile reads point, outer water and exposed.

Waterlands scores 20 species here; the best right now are Atlantic bluefin tuna, Atlantic croaker and black drum. It is peak season now for little tunny, red drum, scup and sheepshead, and shoulder season for Atlantic bluefin tuna, Atlantic croaker, black sea bass and bluefish. Atlantic bluefin tuna peak from June through July and in December. Atlantic croaker peak from June through August. Black drum peak in May.

Tackle & technique

Little tunny
Little tunny travel fast in schools that pin bait against inlets, points, jetties and tide rips, usually within a few miles of shore and often in less than 60 feet. Stay off the school's path, wait for it to surface within range, and cast small metal or epoxy jigs with a fast retrieve. When fish stay down, troll small feathers along bait edges and color changes to find them.
Atlantic bluefin tuna
Bluefin tuna follow schools of herring, mackerel, sand eels and menhaden over banks, ledges and shoals, mostly in the top 150 feet. Troll spreader bars and daisy chains to find fish, then switch to live bait, chunks or stick baits once a school is located. Heavy tackle and a NOAA HMS permit are required, and size-class limits change through the season.
Atlantic croaker
Croaker feed on mud and sand bottom along channel edges, oyster bars, piers and deeper holes in bays and sounds, mostly in 5 to 30 feet of water. A two-hook bottom rig with small hooks and shrimp, bloodworm or squid catches them from piers, the surf and small boats. Fish the hours around high tide and into the evening.

Nearby spots

Other spots within an easy run

  • Cross Channel

    Channel · 0.3 mi

    30
    Top: Atlantic bluefin tunaShoulder season
    • Atlantic bluefin tuna 30
    • Atlantic croaker 30
    • Black drum 30

    17 kt NEH 9:09 PM · 1.4 ftL 4:31 AM · 0.1 ft

  • Mill Creek Thorofare

    Channel · 0.3 mi

    30
    Top: Atlantic bluefin tunaShoulder season
    • Atlantic bluefin tuna 30
    • Atlantic croaker 30
    • Black drum 30

    17 kt NEH 9:09 PM · 1.4 ftL 4:31 AM · 0.1 ft

  • Oyster Point

    Cape · 0.3 mi

    30
    Top: Atlantic bluefin tunaShoulder season
    • Atlantic bluefin tuna 30
    • Atlantic croaker 30
    • Black drum 30

    17 kt NEH 8:51 PM · 1.8 ftL 4:13 AM · 0.2 ft

  • Mud Cove

    Bay · 0.8 mi

    30
    Top: Atlantic bluefin tunaShoulder season
    • Atlantic bluefin tuna 30
    • Atlantic croaker 30
    • Black drum 30

    17 kt NEH 8:29 PM · 2.0 ftL 3:36 AM · 0.2 ft

Scores and forecasts are for planning only and can be wrong. Conditions on the water change fast; check the marine forecast before you go. Regulations change during the season, so confirm limits and closures with NJFW before you keep a fish.