This past week’s full moon marked another new stage of the season. The waters are warming up and fishing is on all accounts on or ahead of schedule. On the surf side we almost at that magic 50° mark where things pop off. The forecast is looking good for this upcoming week and into next weekend; sunny and warm. Further warming will have result in more/better fishing activity. I have a positive outlook for the next few weeks as we transition into the prime time spring fishing season here on LBI.
Happy Easter! The Easter Bunny was good to anglers fishing Long Beach Island this holiday weekend! Here’s a fishing report update for the Long Beach Island area. Gear up with us at Fish Heads and let’s go fishing!
Long Beach Island Fishing Report
Striped bass hold the spotlight as the most popular target species both in the bay and surf, but others, especially tog, perch, winter flounder and black drum are great options too. We heard of a weakfish caught in the South Jersey backwaters and when there is one, there is more. The next month or so it traditionally the time for spring time tide runners. Our fingers are crossed for some blues to show one of these days!
Fish The Bay
Fish the bay and rivers for striped bass, winter flounder, black drum or perch. Rig up for striped bass with a simple hi/lo or single dropper rig and bait up with live bloodworms or clam. To target winter flounder or perch you’ll need to use a small hook, while on the other hand a larger (6/0-8/0) hook with a short leader for black drum.
The Causeway Bridges offer numerous public access points with good proven fishing over the past coupe of weeks. Other areas like public street ends, docks and bulkheads are worth a shot too.
Cooper Lachowicz sent in a photo of a bass caught the other night off a bayside private dock.
Recently some better size bass in the lower 30″ ranger were caught, so keeper size fish are not out of the question. Here’s a photo of one caught by Bayside Dave.
Black drum are in Great Bay as well as the surf. We expect to see these drum propagate into the Manahawkin Bay as well as the lower Barnegat Bay. Gary Adair has been out in his boat catching a few nice Black Drum on the night shift. He said, “Fresh surf turkeys were the ticket!”
*NJ Black Drum Regulations – 16″ minimum size, 3 fish bag
Fish The Surf
Fish the LBI beaches for striped bass or black drum. Rig up with clam and/or worms and soak. The surf of Long Beach Island has produced both striped bass and black drum in recent days.
Shop regular Jamie Gramley caught and release a nice black drum off the mid-Island surf Sunday. He was fishing clam looking for a striped bass.
Another Easter Sunday catch report from the surf came in from Chris Painter. He caught this 36″ bass (photo above) on live bloodworms as well as a short striped bass. He reported, “No takers on the clam.”
The LBI’s Spring Surf Fishing Tournament Simply Bassin’ is on. Join now and participate in this simple and fun surf fishing tournament.
Tautog Fishing Report
The Barnegat Inlet area has tog. Anglers are catching on green crabs and sand fleas using jigs and rigs. Also reports have come in from wreck anglers. Right now we are in the one month April/Spring Tog Season so taken advantage while it lasts because once closed it will not reopen until August.
*NJ Tautog / Black Fish Regulations – 15″ minimum size, 4 fish bag, April 1-30th
Tony Butch got out to some snags and reported good fishing. Anglers fishing the Mary M out of Barnegat Light caught some fish too. Bayside Dave reported a solid tog bite this weekend. “I got three keepers and took a 16.5″ fish home.”