609-494-5739 Hot and humid with chance of thunderstorms – What else would describe Jersey in July? Well, good fun fishing inshore, offshore and from shore! If you haven’t been out and are looking to beat the heat, I got news for you… it’s cooler than inland but it’s still HOT! Be prepared with sun protection and stay hydrated!
Local Water Temperatures
- LBI Surf – Harvey Cedars 71º, Ship Bottom 71º
- Barnegat Inlet – 70-80º range depending on tide
- Barnegat Bay (Waretown) – Low to mid 80’s
- Barnegat Ocean Buoy – Mid to upper 70’s
Recently we’ve had a nice run of fair sea conditions although some foggy mornings. Some days the marine layer was dense and stuck around more than we would have liked. If heading out and it’s pea soup fog be sure to have your radar on and keep your speed slow. If you don’t have radar you shouldn’t go out until it clears. Being caught out is one thing but leaving the dock is responsible and puts others at risk.
Barnegat Bay Fishing
The streets are busy and so are the main thoroughfares. Boat traffic especially on the weekends make bay fishing challenging, some areas more than others, but there is great fishing to be had all this month in the bay. Fluke fishing remains strong. At times cocktail blues offer light tackle fun. There’s good action with the summertime striped bass either early or late in the day. Houndfish are around in the bay. Blowfish don’t seem to be here in great numbers like last year. But I know there are some because I get plenty of the unmistakable buckteeth bits out of my Gulp while fluke fishing many different areas on the bay. Let’s hope this great fun summertime fishery pops up as summer progresses.
Dan D has used his light tackle approach and caught some striped bass in the backwaters. Also Captain Zach Fly Away Charters is getting bass on the fly. We shared on last report post.
Inshore Fishing
This is the time of year that I enjoy getting out into the ocean and fishing the wrecks and reef sites. For one it’s a great way to beat the heat and the gnats, a much needed relief. I’ve been out a few times and had inconsistent results. One trip was active with both shorts and keepers, no garbage fish. The next trip had a keeper on the first drop but then went dead and had a slow pick of only shorts. As long as the waters stay warm and don’t upwell, expect good fishing at the reef sites to fire back up and rock all July and August. While there are sea bass on tap (present inshore), remember it’s only one per person right now at 12.5″.
A few cobia were been caught locally. Jake Adair released a nice one. “Talked about this one for years. Let him go for karma.” Triggerfish and sheepshead are also around and being caught at inshore snags.
Surf & Jetty Fishing LBI
Fluke is the dependable mainstay on the Island’s beaches the past couple weeks. With the consistently warm surf temps it has been steady for the whole stretch of the island. Some years the surf fluke bite can be hot and cold following the fluctuations in the water temperatures. Not this year, so long as the south wind upwelling stays away.
Other species cruising the sand bars; cow nose rays, assorted shark (know the laws – if you don’t know let it go), occasion bluefish, kingfish few and far between.
Weakfish are hanging around. Some days a couple are picked off the surf, inlet and bayside waters. The next 4-6 weeks should (if they stack up like the last two years for me) offer a fun summertime fishery. Please understand these guys need all the help they can get. Please practice catch and release!
“Cocktail” (2-4# range +/-) bluefish are scattered around in many different areas; bay, beach, inlet. With the warm water Spanish mackerel and bonito should make a showing any day (if not already). It’s common to find them this time of year under one or more common terns. These same birds can tip off where blues are chasing bait. Recently we have had a good amount of small sandeels hanging around. A few days they have been in the inlet and I know they hit the beaches in different areas recently too.
Mid-Shore & Offshore Fishing
The offshore fishing has been good to both anglers fishing the mid-shore waters as well off at the edge. The Fishers, father and son team just took delivery of their new Freeman, an epic fishing machine and already put tuna and a nice swordfish on the deck.
Sloane was out fishing offshore and reported, “Back from the deep! Loaded up with tilefish and then not two minutes into the troll hooked a real one. My first big eye! A few yellowfin in the box too. Nothing better than being offshore… Sushi Time!”
