The powerful coastal low pressure system, late season Nor’Easter, blew a gale on Monday and cleared out this morning leaving a breezy westerly wind and a powerful swell on the beaches of LBI today. The west wind had gannets active painting a very fishy seascape. Here’s the Long Beach Island Fishing Report for April 19, 2022.

LBI Surf Fishing Report

Today there’s a powerful southeast swell in the water with waves in the 4-6′ range. The offshore winds have the swell groomed just right for the surfing crowds that has packed the Island’s more prominent sandbars. We have no report to share from the past 24-28 hours but we can share some updated since the last fishing report post on 4/13/22.

On Friday Rob Swift caught two striped bass off the mid-Island surf. Both were on clam.

Another surf side report came in from Eric, “Third cast with a tin and teaser!”

We anticipate a slow pick at striped bass on the surf side for the next week or so. Possibly a showing of bluefish. Soon (May) the action will heat up!

Boats targeting striped bass nearshore usually start catching at the 48º mark. We will be there any day if not already. It’s game time to get out front and start pulling some spoons! 

Tautog Fishing Report

Right now there’s good tog fishing on the wrecks and reef sites as well as for land based anglers fishing at the Barnegat Light State Park. Here’s a recent catch photo from Richie at the rocks. There’s only this week and next for spring tog fishing! The season ends on April 30th and does not reopen until August 1st to November section at one fish.

Striped Bass Fishing

The striped bass fishing around the Island this spring has been really good. It popped off early and has been going steady. There is and has been an abundance of smaller sized stripers, but keeper sized fish in the schools. While the local south-central Jersey spring fishery (Barnegat Bay, Manahawkin Bay, Great Bay) is radically different from the north jersey fishery of Raritan Bay, it does offers unique favors and highlights with much different vibes.

It’s a fun light tackle fishery that can be joined in by land based approach or from a boat or kayak. As far as time there’s fish caught morning, noon and night. Don’t over look the high sun hours and afternoons because these can offer some of the best spring fishing.

Live bloodworm and clam are the best baits to soak. If a more active approach is preferred get into the fun with small lures, jigs and soft plastics. Fishing the right windows can fire off some great action.

It should be noted that the recent storm could slow the bite for a day or two but we expect it to bounce back fast.

Striped bass fishing continues to be nothing short of epic up north in Raritan Bay. With April’s Full “Pink Moon” behind us we are getting closer to the next stage of spring fishing. Right now bigger bass are present and on the feed before making a charge to spawn! Soon some will make an exit into the ocean and cruise down the Jersey Shore’s beaches, active and hungry, after an energy spent spring spawn.

It’s great to see New Jersey’s vibrant spring striped bass fisheries rocking strong despite the rest of the Atlantic coast striped bass being in trouble.

Clam Up The Black Drum

Now is the time for black drum fishing in the bay. Reports started earlier this month and a few have trickled in over weeks. Locally Great Bay and Manahawkin Bay are the places to fish with clam. 

Speaking of clams

Ryan Warford was out clamming and got a nice Easter haul. Spring is a great time to get our and enjoy some clamming.

13 Day’s To NJ Fluke Season

The 2022 NJ Fluke Fishing Season opens this year on May 2nd. Here’s a link to the new Fluke Slot Limit Regulations

While we have not had an early season shot like this before, we expect the fishing to be good in the back waters. We have already heard about a couple out of season bycatch fluke reports.