Month: May 2025

The Memorial Day Weekend was a good but breezy one. The coastal storm (Nor’easter) that was then followed by stiff westerlies and sunny yet cool temperatures had it feeling more like Labor Day or Columbus Day as opposed to the unofficial kick off to summer. The neighborhood was buzzing and good fishing went down on the beach and bay. Here’s the Long Beach Island Memorial Day Weekend Fishing Report Recap brought to you by Fisherman’s Headquarters, Long Beach Island’s full service bait and tackle shop.

LBI Surf Fishing Report – Striped Bass, Bluefish & Fluke

The Long Beach Island surf scene is alive with activity; however spotty at times. The striped bass are still here in good numbers cruising the suds and clam theme continues as the top producing bait. Live sand fleas is another great bait on the surf which may attract a bite from a variety of species. At this point in the spring season fishing the surf both day or night, no matter the tide will offer a good shot at striped bass.

In addition to the bass, there’s a solid showing of bluefish ranging from cocktails to gators. A number of anglers have reported hooking up on plugs and bait. Both mullet and bunker are what you want to soak for blues and you might also score bass! Some rig up with wire leader however I suggest using extra heavy and hard leader. I prefer 80# Seaguar Fluorocarbon when chunking the surf and blues are present. While considering the rig it’s best to choose a circle this way if a striped bass is caught it will be in compliance with the coastwide circle hook striped bass regulation/mandate. More info on Fishing For Striped Bass With Circle Hooks.

At times the surf has been loaded with big dogfish so that can add some line pulling action as well as a let down once landed. To stay away from doggies fish lures or larger chunk baits. At times fishing through them provides a big bass reward.

Long Beach Island / Barnegat Bay Fluke Fishing Report

The 2025 fluke season is also off to a strong start. We’re seeing quality and quantity from both beach and boat anglers. Land based anglers are doing really good on the surf and jetty with many limit catches reported and some large size fluke. Some large fluke were shared in recent reports, but nothing close to this monster caught by Simon Barlett! He scored a 29″ 8.12# fluke off the LBI surf this past weekend. It fell for a 5″ white Gulp Jerk Shad fished on his teaser hook.

Gulp scented softbaits are doing its usual magic, especially the Grubs and Jerk Shads in white, pink shine and chartreuse among others. For me fishing the bay, the Gulp Shrimp’s have out fished my usual MVP Grubs. The three boats best fishing the pack of boats two days in a row were all using shrimp too. Color didn’t matter as much as profile. A lot of the fluke we caught were all stuff and spitting up grass shrimp and (what I believe to be) tiger shrimp.

As far as rigging up… Use a single jig, a jig with a teaser above or a high / low set up with a looped on weight at bottom. Baiting up with live minnow, spearing, squid strip and Gulp will all do the trick.

This fishery will offer fun fishing a tasty table fare all spring and summer. It’s an easy access fishery that land based, paddle board, kayak, small boat anglers can score. In many situations the small floatation approaches provide an advantage over bigger boats that can’t fish the backwaters.

In addition to fluke, schoolie striped bass remain active in the back, especially around dusk and dawn, when boat traffic is least. There’s great light tackle fun. The bay also offers bluefish and occasional weakfish. The past week’a chilly weather has kept the waters cool and will help prolong our spring fishery from warming up too quick.

Crabbing and clamming are other opportunities to mix it up too.

Fishermans Headquarters Bait & Tackle

Whether you’re working plugs or bait in the surf, heading offshore for sea bass or tuna, or exploring the backwaters for fluke, striped bass and bluefish, the current variety is what makes the spring time of year so exciting. Now is the time to go fish!

Before you go, swing into Fisherman’s Headquarters for premium baits and the right fishing gear to make the most of your next outing. We have what you need to dial in!

Pretty good day today. Two keeper stripers, some bluefish, and short fluke, no keepers for us. Caught the blues on plugs and soft plastics. Got the first striper drifting a bobber with a sandworm into the inlet jetty and then a little later caught another one on clams in Oyster Creek Channel. Keeper fluke were elusive for us today but there are fish around.

Available for Open Boat or Charter tomorrow, Monday, Memorial Day, May 26 and Tues, May 27. 6AM to Noon. $200 person. 4 people max. All fish are shared. 

Pic: Dave Estey of Lake Hopatcong, NJ with his keeper striper he caught on a clam.

Thank you,

Dave

Dave DeGennaro

Hi Flier Sportfishing

732.330.5674 cell

hiflier.com

The weather is cool but the fishing is hot! Now’s a great time to get out and fish for striped bass, bluefish, fluke, black drum, weakfish and more. Memorial Day Weekend is near and the fish are here. Get out on the beach or boat and enjoy! Here’s my short report update from yesterday. For more details on recent catches take a look back at other recent report posts and be sure to follow us in Instagram!

“The beach is lit up with this approaching front! I caught 4 bass to 42″ in the last 45 minutes and a big blue too.” Report sent in from Joe Handley Jr last night. A photo he sent in is below.

The Spring Bite Is Strong on LBI

The first half of May was good to anglers fishing the waters of Long Beach Island. And right now the local fishing scene is going strong! Anglers are hooking a mix of striped bass, bluefish, fluke, and even some black drum and weakfish. Clam remains the top-producing bait for striped bass off the beach, while mullet and bunker are attracting a few quality blues. There has been a surprising good number of blues caught on clam too. As per Frezza’s recent instagram story… If you are wonder if you should go… You should of already went! Get out there!!!

Waning off the full moon things lined up with consistent fishing this past week. There’s some medium large bluefish, great striped bass activity with some big bass here, fluke is on fire, a few drum being picked and weakfish are here if you know where to look. Also big game bluefin has started!

The LBI surf bite has been good! Here’s a couple notably catches…

One, American Angler Carl Hartman weighed in a chunky 10-pound bluefish at Fisherman’s Headquarters.

Other good size bluefish were reported by Aiden and Liam McInerney, Tommy Shelly as well as Patrick Socacia.

BUT none bigger than Pat Pressutto’s LBI Spring Surf Fishing Derby Bluefish leader at 12.44#. Pat caught his fish on 5/15 on bunker fishing the mid-Island surf.

On the striped bass side of things…

Andrew Losinno got a 47″ striped bass off the LBI surf. He shared, “I caught this 47″ striped bass las night on your guys BIG ASS CLAMS!”

Steve Taylor took the lead in the LBI Spring Surf Fishing Derby with his 14.56# striped bass.

Fish Heads Alumni and founder of Stack Tackle Jack Keating is having good results plugging the surf after dark. He said the Bomber is unstoppable! Any one who hasn’t fished a Bomber lures over the years should check one out. You just might get tight when all else fails.

Aaron Allison reported a nice black drum that he caught off of the surf on Fish Heads live sand fleas.

Here’s my most recent fishing report video… a foggy Friday morning fishing report update for the Long Beach Island area.

Fluke Fire Off the Surf & Bay

Fluke season started strong across the board. In the surf, inlet and bay anglers are all finding success, with notable catches. One of many great surf side fluke reports came in from Steve George of Night Strikes Guide Service. He puts in the time, working the surf and it pays off. He has limit + catches on recent trips and already a 5#+ surf fluke. Not a common feat! The surf, jetties and bayside channels are also producing well. Work the holes and bowls to score.

LBI Fishing Outlook

The second half of May into early June is historically prime time, so don’t wait. The fish are here now, the bite is on, and the clock is ticking. Whether you’re a seasoned surf caster or just getting started, now’s the time to get out and fish LBI hard! Stop in and see us at Fishermans Headquarters for you bait and tackle needs. We are here to assist and get you in the game.

Here’s a great story from Andrew Folkmann from Nashville, Tennessee. He shared…

“I made the trip up to Long Beach Island, New Jersey this weekend. The Fish Head Instagram posts and fishing reports of great fishing with giant fish is the season I booked the last minutes trip. Thanks for inspiring people to get out there and go fishing! When talking to a clerk at Fishermans Hq I asked him where I should go and where the stripers where. He said go up the street and fish along the beach. He was was right.”

“I caught a fat 30″ striped bass on clam and then a little late caught another larger bass that was 38″. Lastly I caught a gator bluefish. Awesome trips! Thanks!”

Bait Updates & Weekend Outlook

Fresh bait deliveries are rolling in every chance we can get. Both clams and bunker are both being stocked heavily here at Fisherman’s Headquarters however the bait game isn’t as easy as it sounds. Suppliers have to go out and fish to catch them and we all know fishing can be tricky. Dealing with weather, delays, timing, transport, and storage all play a part. Then there’s unknown calamity. Sometimes bait guys strike out or weather prevents them from fishing. We do our absolute best to plan according to ensure we have the best bait possible while balancing supply and demand. Many time driving all over the state to pick up the freshest baits to ensure our customers get the best.

Case and point, today the local gill net bunker boat that supplies many of the shops around town struck out. And that was two days in a row. Friday a thresher shark ripped large holes in the net. Saturday the swell had bait scattered and the clean water had the baits seeing and swimming away. Expecting a large quantity each day which never showed left us unexpectedly short. Fortunately we have other supply channels which came in clutch. But it required hours of driving. We killed two birds with one stone and also picked up Saturday morning harvest clams too. It doesn’t get any fresher than that. Usually all shops get delivered 1-2 days after harvest. Being on the ONLY shop in the area with fresh bunker today and tomorrow shows we go above and beyond for YOU!

Fishermans Headquarters – Helping Anglers Catch More Fish Since 1962!

American Angler Grand Slam Surf Fishing Tournament

Reel in some fun and potentially some big prizes this Saturday, May 31, fishing the American Angler Grand Slam Surf Fishing Tournament on the beaches of Long Beach Island.

Compete for bragging rights and some fantastic prizes. The tournament is open to everyone with teams (up to six) and individuals.

• Date: Saturday, May 31, 2025.
• Time: 7 am to 12:30 pm.
• Location: Long Beach Island, NJ (South end).
• Registration: Starts at 5:30 am to 7 am.
• Entry Fee: $90.00 team (up to 6 anglers), $100.00 day of. $25.00 Individuals. Day of $30.00, Kids $15.00. Venmo/PayPal accepted. Cash/Checks accepted day of.
• Prizes: First Place Team Six $600.00 Gift Certificates and Six sets of Bajio Sunglasses.
• Rules: This is an ASAC-sanctioned tournament. Rules can be found at www.asaconline.org.
• Extras: Free 4×4 pass and a free light lunch with paid registration. Calcutta’s, raffles, and Individual prizes.
• Contacts: Questions, contact Carl Hartmann at [email protected], or 201-481-4390

Don’t miss out on the chance to test your skills and enjoy a day of fishing with fellow enthusiasts. We hope to see you there! Prizes are subject to change.

The Long Beach Island waters are fishy right now! Our spring run really sped up over the past few days and have delivered. With the full moon behind us, the next few weeks are prime time. My favorite four weeks of the spring are the last two of May and the first two of June. It’s a great time to fish and score a variety of species on the beach and boat.

Here’s my latest fishing report video from Monday afternoon, May 12, 2025…

There’s fish up and down the island. Inlets, bay and front beach all have great fishing opportunities.

Some classy striped bass showed up in the past 5-7 days. One of the largest specimens recently caught was reported in by Captain Jon Kelly aboard LBI Sportfishing. They caught a giant, 52″ striped bass fishing off of Holgate, LBI’s south end. With all of the surf side catches (reports below and loaded on our social media accounts; Facebook & Instagram) now’s the time to work the nearshore waters. There are scattered bunker, a few schools and these baits should come together in the near future.

LBI SURF FISHING

So far this spring run has been really good. It’s stacking up in terms of quality, quantity and variety to last spring which was spectacular. CLAMS remain the top-producing bait in the surf for striped bass and black drum. Bluefish and fluke spiced up the sud more recently (more on that later). The surf side clam jam has been a treat and it’s far from over! Now we have some sour weather (Wednesday) spring fishing to conquer, but Thursday on looks great. The fish are here so it’s go time! There’s presky skates and doggies on the surf too.

More bluefish catches this past weekend showed a wave of bluefish arrived and are here now. Blues are hitting both bait (bunker and mullet) and plugs. Here’s a recent yellow eye caught by Fish Heads Alumni Jack Keating (also from Stack Tackle). Back from college, this was his first spring surf session and got tight on a Stack Tackle Quigley 4.5″ Metal Lip, shown in the photo. He shared, “They wanted the plug!” Stay tuned for the new release Screwy Head Jig drop coming soon!

A couple more drum reports today from the suds. “The drum are chewing!” Keith Soycher reported Monday evening. He sent in a drum photo (above) and then a good size bluefish. “I’m still out here! Hopefully I can get a striper and it will make for an epic night!” Both fish were caught on clam. Yup bluefish eat clam… they might eat just about anything.

LBI FLUKE FISHING

The early season fluke-in is a great fishery for both beach and boat anglers. At times the bay has offered up good hauls. Some even better catches were had by land based anglers in recent days. One of many great reports come from Steve George at Night Strikes Guide Service. He checked in a limit catch from the surf and shared, “I had my limit and then released two more keepers!”

FIRST THRESHER SHARK

The first local spring thresher shark report came in from John Beard. He reported, “It’s really awesome when a plan comes together. Soaking bait at 8:40 and hooked up at 9am. Two hours later and it was all over. 220# on the scale.” These powerful inshore big game species are around the local waters May-October and are commonly found around bunker schools.

NJ’s 2025 BLACK SEA BASS SEASON

On Saturday May 17th the 2025 New Jersey recreational Black Sea Bass season opens with a 12.5″ minimum size and a 10 fish per person possession bag limit. Sea bass fishing is one hella fun fishery and especially fun light tackle jigging. Plus they’re tasty table fair is a fan favorite.

• Season Dates: May 17 – June 19, 2025
• Size Limit: 12.5″ excluding tail filament
• Bag Limit: 10 Fish per person

For more details on the 2025 NJ Fishing Regulations – Here is a helpful source which includes many that the state leaves out.

The bite is on! Not epic blitz fishing but the Long Beach Island surf is producing striped bass and some black drum. We have also heard a couple bluefish reports off of the surf, with many more in the bay. Also the fluke season is off to a great start with many strong reports from beach and boat anglers. Reports have come in from the north end, mid-Island and south end. There’s really not one hot spot. Gear up and fish a cut… It’s go time!

For photos check out our Facebook and Instagram pages. Be sure to follow for notifications on fishing updates. Also be sure to check back on our other recent reports.

Here’s a quick fishing report morning updated for Wednesday May 7, 2025.

The past two days brought some quality fishing to the waters of LBI with striped bass responding well to bait and lures. I’ve taken full advantage with a couple productive after work trips. Over the past two days, I managed to land a handful of nice bass fishing lures. The water is still cold but creeping up and we’ve had a solid uptick in local action. It’s not full-blown spring mayhem here yet, BUT things are trending in the right direction. There are quality striped bass here right NOW… unders, slots and 15-20-30-40+# class stripers.

Go Fish!!!

1:30PM Live Report Sent In- Jamie Gramley got a pair of striped bass on Tuesday. He reported, “Your clams caught a 23″ and a 30″ bass on the surf.” He’s on the beach today and shared, “Good day today so far! Got two striped bass and also one drum. I also lost something big on a bunker chunk.”

May Starts Off Strong With Stripers Of All Sizes On The Surf

May kicked off with a bang here on Long Beach Island, as a solid wave of striped bass fired up the spring run. Surf side anglers had an excellent weekend fishing with all size classes, from schoolies to slot fish and some larger ones showing too! Most of the action is from anglers soaking clams and chunking bunker but there are anglers catching working the suds with lures. Fishing is also good in the bay and inlet where both striped bass, bluefish and now fluke are on tap. Anglers also have a slim chance at spring tide runners (weakfish).

Looking ahead, the next few weeks represent prime time for spring striped bass fishing on LBI. May is a great time! This is the window to fish and find some of the season’s best action. Don’t wait for it to get better! Gear up at Fishermans Headquarters Bait & Tackle and get into the action now.

Greg Davis caught this 30″ striped bass off the surf on Sunday plugging. He weighed in for the Spring Surf Fishing Derby and is currently in the lead at 10.14#. More details on the spring tournament

Another plugging surf side report came in from Chris Masino. He shared, “39-40 incher on a Joe Baggs Miracle Minnow! Thank you.” A couple days prior Chris released another nice bass. If you are looking for some of these very effective Fall time lures we have them currently on sale, click the link above. As Chris shows they produce in the spring time too!

Heather and Pat reported a nice weekend fishing the beaches of LBI. “We had ourselves a nice weekend and we are about to have an even better dinner!” Below is one of Heather’s bass and one of Pat’s.