Has the Fall Run Reached Normandy Beach Yet? What the Local Tackle Shops Are Saying This October

On October 5, Philly Billy at Charlie's Bait and Tackle in Normandy Beach told The Fisherman that the water was "starting to cough up some stripers." A customer had landed one in the surf that week, and a few larger fish had come in a little farther south. The same report mentioned something that got less attention: blackfishing had been good in the canal.

That second sentence describes this October better than the striper does. Up and down the northern barrier island, the shops are reporting more action on the bay side, in the rivers and around the inlet rocks, than in the ocean surf off Route 35. As of the second week of October 2026, the fall run here looks like it's sitting behind the island and waiting to come out.

A Week of Reports, Read in Order

The shops between Point Pleasant and Seaside Park post short weekly updates. These are the ones from early October.

1. October 1, Grumpy's Tackle, Seaside Park. The shop's Is It Starting? post came out just after the nor'easter. Only two large bass had been reported locally, and one of them came from the surf on a metal lure. In The Fisherman, John at Grumpy's put both fish around the 40-pound range and summed things up as "the fish are here or there."
2. October 5, Gabriel Tackle, Brick. Frank said boaters were starting to find stripers, with a few reported from the surf and in the rivers. He called blackfishing "top notch" at the canal and inlet areas.
3. October 5, Fishermen's Supply, Point Pleasant. Kyle reported a few stripers caught on the barrier island at night on glide baits, and togging was "red hot" at the inlet rocks and backwater structure.
4. October 5, Grumpy's, in a post called Maybe Not Yet.... The shop wondered whether the run was late or anglers were just missing it. It pointed to resident Barnegat Bay stripers and a strong big-bass bite in a bay north of the shop, against a single 36-inch surf striper caught on an eel.
5. October 8, Grumpy's, in Listen Up You Mooks. Back-bay stripers and tautog were available and surf reports were few. Fresh bunker and live eels were in stock.

Taken together, the canal, the rivers, the bay and the inlet rocks are all producing, while the ocean beaches are giving up fish one at a time. Charlie's report from the shop on Route 35 in Normandy Beach fits the same pattern: one surf striper, a few bigger fish farther south, and steady blackfish in the canal.

What Has to Push Out First

The clearest explanation came from the Hook House in Toms River. The shop's October 5 report said small bluefish of 1 to 2 pounds were hitting cut mullet at Island Beach State Park and in Seaside. Then it described what was waiting in the river behind the island:

"There were a ton of peanut bunker stacked in the backwaters in Toms River so when they push out, stripers should be with them."

That was Hook House talking to The Fisherman. If you live in Normandy Beach, that bait is a short drive west across Barnegat Bay. Once it moves out through the inlets and down the beaches, the surf off Route 35 should start looking like the bay side does now.

Weather is the other trigger. In the same issue, Nick Honachefsky wrote that the first big bass, fish up to 52 inches, had shown in the surf, and that "cool nights this week could really spark a major wave to push into the area." He also noted that 2- to 3-pound cocktail blues were moving back into local waters. The 52-inch fish he mentioned came off Long Beach Island. Greg O'Connell of the Merchantville Fishing Club released it during an ASAC tournament, as reported through Fisherman's Headquarters in Ship Bottom. The Fisherman's October 8 forecast also flagged a 52-inch striper release on LBI and said Raritan Bay striper reports were heating up. That puts big fish both north and south of Normandy Beach, with this stretch of the island sitting between them.

The Storm Moved Sand Off the Rocks

The nor'easter that hit over the September 25 to 27 weekend matters here too. The Ocean Star reported that Mantoloking had some sand loss but no damage to its beach entrances. In Lavallette, displaced sand filled the beach approaches.

Honachefsky's surf summary explained why anglers might welcome that. The storm "uncovered many groins in beach towns that had been plowed over with beach replenishment," he wrote, "so we may have a fantastic fall run where bait gets trapped along the jetty rocks once again." Replenishment had buried a lot of the rock structure that used to pin bait against the beach. For now, some of that structure is back in the water. If the peanut bunker comes out of the Toms River backwaters while those rocks are exposed, the surf will have places to hold fish that it didn't have last fall.

The Brawl Was Based in Lavallette

Another sign of how much the season matters on this island came last weekend. The 8th annual Barrier Island Beach Brawl ran October 9 and 10, and The Fisherman's announcement said it would be based at Playa Bowls and the Crabs Claw Inn in Lavallette. Saltwater Underground With Nick Honachefsky hosted it. It was open to surfcasters only, from Point Pleasant Beach to the southern tip of Island Beach State Park, for a $45 entry. More than 15 species were eligible, from bluefish and false albacore to kingfish and blackfish, and striped bass had a photo-and-release-only category.

The same announcement says last year's edition gave away over $35,000 in gear and cash prizes, donated 100 pounds of fresh fillets to the Point Pleasant Pantry, and raised nearly $2,000 for St. Jude. As of October 11, the tournament page shows 2026 registration as closed and has no results posted yet.

Since the weekend leaned on the very weeks when the surf is just waking up, this year's results should show how far the run had come by October 10. For anglers who want a longer season, the 72nd LBI Surf Fishing Classic runs from August 29 to November 29, 2026.

The Rules for an October Morning on the Sand

Once the bait comes out, here's the framework for keeping a fish, getting onto the sand down at the state park, and bringing the dog along up in Mantoloking.

The state's 2026 summary is dated March 2026. Each beach town sets its own rules for walking on or fishing at night after the summer season, so it's best to check with Toms River, Brick or Lavallette directly before planning a nighttime trip on those beaches.

Until the surf catches up, the bay side is where the fish are. Gabriel's canal and inlet blackfish, the resident stripers in Barnegat Bay, and the bunker and eels on Grumpy's shelves all point the same way. The next report from Charlie's on Route 35 should show whether the bunker has reached the beach.

If you spend October mornings watching the surf off Normandy Beach and want to talk about what year-round life on this part of the island looks like, I'm always happy to compare notes on the season, the beaches and the houses that line them. Alissa Serratelli is here when you're ready. Let's Connect.

This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Consult a qualified professional about your situation.