609-494-5739 In the heat of summer the Central Jersey Coast has a lot to offer anglers inshore, offshore and from shore. After the back half of July was plagued with unseasonably cold waters due to an abnormally long and severity upwelling event, August is off to a great start! Let’s beat the heat and go fishing!
Here’s the Fishing LBI Report Update for the Long Beach Island Area on August 3, 2022.
Inlet & Surf Fishing Report
Long Beach Island has great land based fishing opportunities all year. It’s especially good now in the peak of summer. With the waters back, now the LBI surf temp is right about 70º, the fluke and kingfish bite on the surf has improved.
Remember it’s not necessary to cast far for fluke or kingfish. The majority of the fish are caught right at the beach lip.
Store staffer Tyler and Jared are catching fluke on the beach. Tyler says, “The Gulp 5″ Pink Shine Grub has been my go to. I don’t catch as many fish when using the 5” grub over the 4” swimming mullet, but I’m finding better quality fish.”
The kingfish bite has been consistent with the warmer waters. Customer feedback is better trending with kings on the mid-island and south end. A simple Hi/Lo Kingfish rig, a 1-3 oz sinker (depending on conditions) and some blood worms is all you need. The past couple weeks live bloods have been very tough to get and talking to the diggers in Maine there’s not a positive outlook. Fortunately we got a delivery this week. There’s no question they are the ultimate bait but there are awesome substitutes that are very effective and much more convenient to store and fish. Dyna Bait Freeze Dried Bloods & Fish Bites Bag’O Worms Baits such as live sand fleas (mole crabs) as well as cut squid are also good baits for northern kingfish.
Pro Tip: To better your odds in the warm, clear summer waters scale down! When targeting kingfish and fluke we suggest using no more than 20# fluorocarbon. 10-15# is more than enough. Light lines prevail!
Right now there’s bunker pods stretched along Long Beach Island. Some have predators like sharks, COBIA and porpoise. Some do not. Anglers fishing meaty baits like bunker and mackerel are catching some large line pulling creatures.
Here’s a stud cobia that Brendan Craig speared on Wednesday evening and weighed in at 45#.
August is a great month for fishing the Barnegat Inlet Jetty.
Tog fishing is open! One Tautog At 15″ From Now Until November 15th. All summer the inlet and inshore structure has been alive with tog. Now that it’s open. Get in the game! Green crabs and sand fleas are great baits. Reports from the first couple days all point to fleas outproducing. If you don’t have time to dig them we have live sand fleas in stock daily. If you want to catch your own we have rakes in stock. Just a heads up, certain tides have been grassy if you get caught up in those conditions, rather than casting out you will want to fish straight down in the mini caves.
Other opportunities at the Inlet…
We have seen a recent uptick in small to cocktail size bluefish. At times feisty schoolied up cocktails have worked up small schools on spearing into a frenzy. Also there’s a few Spanish Mackerel and small bonita in the mix but they are more of a hit or miss bite. For these it is important to make long casts with metals and don’t hesitate to fish them quick or intermittently. Good lure options include the size #1, #2, and #3 Deadly Dicks Slender Metals as well as Hogy Epoxy Jig and No1 Slender Metals.
Pro Tip: These mini pelagics can be and usually are finicky. This is usually when the quick skipping retrieve fools and entices a bite.
Looking to learn about Surf Fishing 101? Or are you a novice yearning for the finer point of surf fishing?Give Steve George with Night Strikes Guide Service a call. Steve reports, “Conditions have improved and the bite is on.” Anyone looking to expedite their fishing progressions should touch base with Steve and book a trip. He is a very experienced surfcaster that has helped a lot of anglers get around the learning curves and speed bumps that plague rookies.
Back Bay Fishing Report
Areas of the backwaters are stacked with spearing and peanut bunker making for some fun light tackle striped bass and bluefish action. Fluke fishing remains productive at the right times and places really productive with some nice quantity and quality. A recent uptick in blowfish as well as spot round out the fishing in the backside waters of LBI. Last but not least, crabbing and clamming!
Willie Lakes with a nice striped bass!
Inshore Fishing Report
Fluke, sea bass and ling are still on tap bottom fishing the inshore waters and as of August 1 NJ Blackfish – Tautog Season is now open!
Dave Moores was out today and reported a good mixed bag. Some squid around.
John Barrett was fishing out front today in 50′ of water and shared, “Caught approximately 50 shorts with five keepers. Tried to get our two man limit but it didn’t happen.”
Offshore Fishing Report
The month of July has offered good fishing but much more spotty than previously years.
Mid-Shore Fishing Report
Yellowfin and bluefin tuna fishing action has been popping up from 15-50 mile range. Some anglers doing better than others on the troll, on the chunk, on the jig and on top water. To each his own! When you find them and they are ready to eat it’s game on!
Brian Casey and store staffer Tanyon picked up 2 smaller yellowfin on 120g Nomad Streaker jigs. A few days earlier Dave Werner was out with friends and got a good one on a popper. Last year he purchased a top water casting outfit and Dave put it into action!
The mahi mahi have shown up in good numbers. Store staffer Jack and his Buddy Cole took advantage of Lake Atlantic conditions this week and got into some small mahi within 8 miles of the little egg inlet on a 20 foot boat. They caught their fish on small Fat Cow Epoxy Jigs.
There is also king mackerel and wahoo here too! Luke Haley caught a mondo wahoo!
Offshore Fishing Report
There have been a few big eye tuna at the Southern Canyons and some yellowfin. Captain Jeff Warford just got back in today from a two day trip at the Wilmington. His crew got a 175# big eye, a sword and some yellowfin tuna. Here’s first mate Jake holding up the big eye that fell for a Wolkpack Tackle Ahi Head.
Store staffer Frezza picked up a few nice Golden Tiles, 2 rosefish and a keeper Swordfish on a recent trip with Captain Nick Perello.
Capt Jon Kelly from LBI Sportfishing caught a mondo blueline tilefish. He reported, “Had another killer day at the ledge on Monday. Got to the canyon at 11pm, set up on troll looking for a bigeye. At midnight has a huge hit that dumped drag and chaffed up and broke off. Guessing a sword or shark. In the morning we got a solid longfin tuna and a smaller yellowfin. Then we decided to bottom fish for tiles. It was good and we managed to get a big one hand cranking, three pounds shy of the state record!”
Deep Dropping can be an exciting plan B when plan A doesn’t come to fruition. Golden Tilefish, Blueline Tilefish, Rosies, Barrelfish, Wreckfish and even some grouper are all on the menu. It’s also a great Plan A too! Here’s Tom Winters with a stud 80″ sword!
Excellent info. Heading to Surf City next week – any suggestions? Where to surf cast? Bait? Rig?
Surf City is a great town to fish the surf however before gearing up and hitting the beach to fish check with the lifeguards in the area to see where they allow fishing. It’s fair game before and after their daily shifts but when on, some towns do and don’t allow fishing.
As per the report I suggest hitting the surf and targeting fluke and kingfish. All of the needed info is in there as per baits and rigs. Also feel free to stop by the shop and we can offer hands on info to get your dialed in.
Hey Greg,
Thanks so much for your reports and info you provide to all anglers. Can’t wait to get to LBI,
Dan U. Western Pa.
I also have gone out with Steve George twice, Landed a few keeper fluke last summer up north and wouldn’t have been successful without Steve!
Tight lines.