Ran 60 miles east of Barnegat Inlet yesterday (Tues) with an Open Boat Tuna trip. Not a great start. Trolled for two hours without a hit and then the side tracker got crushed. 45 minutes later, we had color on a ridiculously big shark. Seriously? Trolling with plastics? Such a disappointment. Cut him loose and went back up on the troll for 3 more hours of sight seeing two tone dolphins and a few whales. Ran back to where we started earlier because that was where we had seen the most life. Trolled over a school of dolphin and three rods went off. Dropped one after 10 minutes and boated the other two, a 30 and 50 pounder.
Running an Open Boat Bluefin trip tomorrow, Thursday July 31 to the 20 to 30 mile grounds. 4AM to 4PM. $375 person. 4 people max.
All fish are shared. Troll, jig, bait fish. Whatever conditions dictate.
The next good days to run offshore are Sunday Aug 3, and beyond, so let’s sneak this one in. We will be sailing more Open Boat Tuna trips during that stretch of Sunday and the days to follow. In the meantime we are available for bay and inlet fishing every day. Bluefish at the inlet on lures. Live shedder crab in the bay for weakfish, kingfish, blowfish, fluke, and anything else we could catch on ultralite 6 lb spinning rods.
Pics:
Bob Burkhart of Quakertown, PA with 50 lb Yellowfin Tuna (grey shorts)
Chris Contino of Egg Harbor Twp, NJ holding 30 lb Yellowfin Tuna (tan shorts)
Todd Luyber of Manahawkin, NJ (fish skeleton shorts)
The weather window to get offshore is closing after tomorrow. For my boat, anyway, the bigger boats can still get out. Wednesday is borderline, but tomorrow, Tues July 29 is perfection. Light and variable winds, calm seas, and no storms forecasted.
The yellowfin tuna are in the 60 to 70 mile range, and I have good intel where to point the bow. Good size fish. We will be trolling, jigging, and bait fishing according to what conditions dictate to put fish in the cooler. There have been some mahi and bluefin in the mix, as well.
Open Boat Tuna: Tomorrow, Tuesday July 29, 4AM to 4PM, $450 person, 4 people max, all fish are shared.
Call or text to reserve a spot. You can call right up until “go time” but of course, the sooner, the better.
Remember, we don’t get to pick the weather, the weather picks us. The boat is topped off with fuel, iced up, and we are loaded with bait, jigs, everything we need. Let’s go!!
The plentiful fishing opportunities on LBI and the surrounding waters continue on. Happy customers are catching a variety of species such as but not limited to fluke, kingfish, spot, bluefish, striped bass, sea bass, triggerfish, tog, sheepshead, weakfish, blowfish, houndfish, rays, sharks and tuna!
Not a lot has changed since the last report blog. I’ve been slamming busy so sorry for the lack of update in nearly two weeks. Hopefully you are subscribed to our YouTube Page as I shared two couple video updates just this past week and plan to get one or two out as this week too. Without getting too far off tract, this is the very reason I started the video reports. Typing takes a tremendous amount of time and this time of year I’m stretched thin.
On most every one of my recent trips I’m catching a lot of fluke fishing the bay and inlet. Most days have been active. I am fishing with live minnow and gulp. Some spots live minnow is the ticket, especially when blowfish, baby sea bass and spot are destroying the Gulp quickly. Friends fishing these same areas using a big fish approach with live spot / snappers picked some big fish this past week. These doormats can also be caught on large size Gulp baits too. To offer variety, I’m also fishing inshore wrecks targeting triggerfish. There we weed through sea bass (catching some nice keeper sea bass), out of season tog as well as many other critters from fluke and blowfish to bluefish and porgy. The triggerfish I’m catching on sand fleas using a hi/lo rig with #2 hooks. Some of the blowfish have been big.
Current Regulations:
Fluke / Summer Flounder: Everyone should know by this point in the season… 3 fish at 18″ with the season closing Sept 25th.
Black Sea Bass: 1 Fish at 12.5″ July- August 31, Closed For September
Tautog / Tog / Blackfish: 1 Fish at 15″, August 1 – November 15th
Porgy / Scup: Closed July & August, Open the rest of the year with a 30 fish bag at a 10″ minimum size
Fluke fishing has been good in the main channels and there’s occasionally a coupe nice fish picked from the open bay areas. Fishing deeper water on the outgoing has been best for me and on the incoming I’m fishing some of the same areas that produced for me a month or more ago. Some of these spots are loaded with small fluke as well as spot and blowfish. Fishing the docks, bulkheads and deeper water lagoons with small hooks and worm (live or artificial) or squid/clam can offer an opportunities for spot and blowfish. These spots may also have snapper blues. Crabbing and clamming are two great options too! On the clamming side I’d suggest only harvesting from waters near the inlets as this is the time of year when the warm waters have high bacteria levels. Thinking of the Floatchella and the daily sandbar parties while considering the water’s residence time in the back bay… no thanks!
At The Reefs & Wrecks
Fluke fishing is firing up! We have heard some great reports from customers restocking this past week. Also today Sunday the Miss Barnegat Light reported, “After two slower days the fish decided to chew today.” They had some nice fluke coming over the rail. Inshore structures also have plenty of sea bass and some ares have ling too.
On The Surf
Anglers are catching fluke with a light tackle approach. I shared info on this numerous time over the summer so far. It has been a very good and consistent surf side fluke fishery this summer so far. Most all of the action is on Gulp Grubs and Jerk Shads fishing on a jig. You do not need much more than 1/2oz but you do need a light rod to get a good cast. When rough and windy the fishing is more difficult but if you cast on a 45º angle (if you are faced with a northerly or southerly breezes both of which we have had recently) into the wind it can make it more manageable. This similar technique works great in the fall when fishing lures off the surf. It helps fish the lure in contact with less belly or slack. Also on the surf… kingfish and Elasmobranchii (sharks and rays).
Other notes of particular interest…
A surprise summertime showing of striped bass has been strong the past 5 days.
Bluefish from snappers to cocktails are popping up in the bay, inlet and occasionally in the surf.
The inshore – mid shore tuna fishing has been phenomenal!
Monday through Thursday all look like potential offshore fishing days right now. Marine forecast has light winds and calm seas. Traditional weather models such as weather channel as no mention of thunderstorms, as well. This is the exact weather scheme we look for to go tuna fishing. We are headed to the yellowfin grounds and if there are any bluefin and mahi in the mix, it will be a bonus. We will be trolling, jigging, and using bait.Open Boat Tuna:Monday, July 28 and Wednesday July 30. 4AM to 4PM. $450 person, 4 people max. All fish are shared. Tues, July 29 is also possible.
We are also available every day for your private charter for inshore, offshore, bay, and inlet fishing.
I am giving the big bluefin effort a break this week, as it is not working for me. I tried yesterday, Sunday. Our departure was delayed by a storm at sunup, so we delayed our departure until 7AM. Hit the inlet for a live bluefish in the livewell. Stopped at a wreck and caught half a dozen ling to add to the bait tank. Put out the live bluefish and he was inhaled by a good size hammerhead that provided the only battle we would have as it was pretty dead from Little Italy to Monster Ledge this day.
So, we are headed east. Weather is perfect for Tues and Wed. There has been a pretty good yellowfin and school bluefin bite in the 50 to 70 mile range. We will be trolling, jigging, and bait fishing. This also puts us in range for mahi, so they will be on our radar, as well.
Open Boat Tuna: Tuesday July 22 and Wednesday July 23, 50 to 70 mile Range, Yellowfin, Bluefin, Mahi. $450 person, 4 people max, all fish are shared. Open Boat dates are also available for your private Charter.
Call or text is the best way to contact me.
Also available every day for charter for bay, inlet, and inshore fishing.
Thank you,
Dave
Dave DeGennaro
Hi Flier Sportfishing
732.330.5674 cell
hiflier.com
Pic: Spencer Drotman of California with his first hammerhead caught on a live bluefish at Little Italy on Sunday
I spent last weekend hosting my three good friends from high school, Vinny LaPrete, Steve Ondrof, and John Korn. While these names mean nothing to you, they mean everything to me. Good friends for 45 years, Vinny for 54, we travel, fish, have dinner, crash at one another’s homes, and laugh endlessly.
I took us to the Little Italy grounds on Saturday. We tried the troll for a solid three hours before switching to the drift. No bites on the troll and it was non stop brown and dusky sharks on the drift with the bait rods. On Sunday we fished the inlet for blues and it did not disappoint. The guys threw soft plastics at the jetty for a few hours of 2 to 4 lb bluefish: https://youtube.com/shorts/xzLmlPivylI?feature=shared Next we anchored up on the west side of the bay with shedder crab and caught some spots, croakers, and fluke on the 6 lb spinning rods.
Not a great report I know but I have to post the bad with the good sometimes.
This Saturday is shaping up to be the weather day for going offshore for tuna. Right now, I have my sights on the 25 to 30 mile grounds for bluefin. Troll, jig, and bait fishing, whatever conditions dictate. Open Boat Tuna, Saturday, July 19, 4AM to 4PM, $400 person, 4 people max, all fish are shared.If I get intel on the 40 to 60 mile grounds, we could run that way for bluefin and yellowfin together. That would be $450 person to cover some more fuel. That is always a game time decision based on the latest intel I get.
The boat is also available every day for inshore, bay, and inlet fishing. We will be announcing more Open Boat Tuna dates as we see opportunities in the weather forecast. The long range looks good for next Tues, Wed, and Thurs, but that’s a long way off, so for now, we are just watching and waiting.
Last week we had a minor upwelling event (Wednesday/Thursday) that coincided with the full moon (more extreme tides). This made for some challenging conditions with strong current and large temperature swings. Fortunately it warmed up (70º+) over the weekend due to the downwelling from breezy onshore winds. With the full moon of July behind us (July 10th) we are locked into the heart of summer here on Long Beach Island. The fishing is great and so is the water and weather. Here’s the LBI Fishing Report Update for Tuesday July 15, 2025.
LBI Surf Fishing Report
Today Tuesday July 15th the LBI Ocean Temp is 75º.
With the warm clear waters on the beach of LBI a variety of species are present and surf fishing remains active. But be sure to fish the early mornings and evenings for the most breathing space. The two best surf side targets are fluke and kingfish.
Kingfish are trending and providing fun on bloodworms and Fishbites. The kings really showed up in better numbers this past week and we expect them to stick around for the remainder of the summer. Cocktail blues continue to show in spurts and when active will hit bait or lures; small plugs, poppers and jigs.
This summer’s fluke bite off of the beach has been really strong, possibly one of the best in years. It continues, but seems to be best at/on non-replenished (recently) beaches. Ship Bottom to Beach Haven has produced as well as Barnegat Light. Maybe some anglers are catching elsewhere but these areas seem to be the best and most consistent. There were a couple days last week that were slow/dead due to the minor upwelling chill but once the waters warmed back up the it snapped back too.
Here’s Jake Kloss with a 25″ fluke he caught off of the LBI surf a couple days ago. He shared, ” The surf is producing. After weeding through a ton of shorts, I finally hooked into a stud.” We thing the Fish Heads hat added some good juju!
Mark Myjak reported catching a 22.5″ fluke off the mid-Island surf Sunday, “I fought through the weeds to get five shorts and a nice one!”
PRO TIP: Some beaches in recent days have been weedy and when trying to fish it can be frustrating. When fishing with grass try to fish with the current and not across or against it. Try a different angle to maybe not eliminate all together but lessen the effects. Utilize shorter casts and try to simplify rigging. There’s times when a hi/lo will rake in weed, but a single jig shakes clean with a few firm snap jigs. Other times utilizing a teaser and an extra long drop to the main lure can act as a weed catch to keep the main lure clean. When really thick and terrible, move around to find a clear or more clear area.
Long Beach Island Bay Report
The bay is rich with life but also getting to the season’s warmest. Fishing can be tough when in the 80’s as a lot of small critters tare up the baits. These critters are small snappers, spot, croakers, baby sea bass, kingfish, spike weakfish, sea robins and small tropicals among others. But, there’s plenty of great fluke fishing going down and should last all month or more. As the fluke stage up to make their move out over the next couple weeks and months be sure to focus on the deeper channels and cuts as well as the gutters and bowls. They all don’t leave in one big wave and a lot of areas are holding fish. It’s not so much the right place but the right time, right presentation and right bait! Know the tides, but you best know the current. The current windows are key. Also natural baits are producing very good right now. Without getting into the natural bait vs Gulp debate, all I can say is some days you need both! I’m still fishing gulp but I have focused on live minnows, live spot and frozen spearing and it’s paying off.
Captain Dan aboard Hog Moon Charters has been on the bite all summer. He shared a recent Barnegat Bay Slam… weakfish, striped bass, bluefish and fluke.
Rick Bragg got out and enjoyed good fishing the bay on Sunday. He said the fluke fishing was active most of the trip with the best fishing around noon, “We caught a lot of fish, one after the other but only two keepers. The classic squid and minnow was doing it.”
Store staffer Keith was out fishing today (Sunday) with his buddy Dylan. The duo scored five keepers up to 23″ all on live minnows and Gulp. “We stayed in the bay and caught plenty. There was one really good hour in the tide window that was On Like Donkey Kong.”
Inshore & Offshore Fishing Report
Inshore anglers are finding a variety of species from fluke and bluefish to sea bass, triggerfish and sheepshead. The reefs and wrecks are not firing with fluke but they should start. Sea bass and ling have offered good catching fun the past couple weeks. Ocean fluking is only getting better from here.
Offshore anglers are taking advantage of the good weather windows to box up tuna, mahi, tilefish and wahoo. A couple days back, Tim Woodless fished the mid-shore grounds and went 2/4 on yellowfin and got a big wahoo.
Store staffer Grey fishing outside the shipping lanes and scored this bluefin tuna on Sunday.
Remember, July is also prime time for crabbing, clamming, and getting the family involved. Whether you’re hitting the beach, bay, or inlet, there’s action to be found. Stay hydrated, fish smart around the tides, and don’t overlook the simple joy of a sunrise or sunset session. There’s plenty of summer left but now’s the time to get out there and make the most of it!
On Saturday, we ran our first tuna trip of the season. It was not great. We caught 2 small yellowfin tuna and two nice mahi.
This Wed, Thurs, and Fri are available, July 9, 10, and 11. Open Boat or Charter. For those that like to stay in the bay or inlet, we could target bluefish at the inlet and then anchor up in the bay for a mixed bag of species on ultralite tackle. We would be looking for weakfish, kingfish, blowfish, and the whole cast of characters that invade the bay once we hit the water temp we are currently at. I’ve been reading anywhere from 74 to 76 degree water temperature in the back bay. Out at the inlet jetty I am showing 72.
The wind and sea condition looks good for each day. The traditional Weather Channel has a chance of thunderstorms each day, mostly late in the afternoon. This bold prediction is also known as “Summer time”. We usually start early in the morning and finish up before any storm activity. We have a Garmin/Sirius XM satellite weather station onboard that shows us the storm cells as they are born.
Bay/Inlet trips are available for charter on any of the July 9, 10, and 11 dates.
Also on these dates, I could offer an Open Boat to Barnegat Ridge and/or Tolten Lump for blue water fish. OK, greenish blue water. On our ride home from the tuna grounds Saturday, I couldn’t help but notice the good looking water on all of our inshore to mid range spots. We could target bonita, mahi, bluefin, and anything else we could find. 6AM to 2PM $350 person, 4 people max, all fish are shared. If I get enough interest, and the weather is stable, I would consider running to the 50/60 mile grounds again, especially if I get good intel.
We have been picking a few stripers and clobbering the bluefish at the inlet jetty. Using live spots, sandworms, and casting lures. I picked up a bunch of live shedder crabs to try for weakfish, kingfish, blowfish, and the mixed bag on ultralite tackle this weekend.
Available Fri, Sat, Sun, or Mon for Charter or Open Boat. Sat July 5 and Sun July 6 have potential to be offshore tuna trips or Barnegat Ridge to Tolten Lumps. Open Boat or Charter. Any of these days are available for bay/inlet charters as well.
Prime time summer is here and the summertime spotlight is on inshore fluke and offshore tuna. There’s great summertime bluefish and striped bass action that can be enjoyed on light tackle. Also sheephead and triggers on small crabs near structure with fouling. We have a variety of bait presence fueling the action; peanut bunker, spearing, cinder worms, grass shrimp, mole crabs and baby blue crabs. Fish the structure (rocks, rips, bowls, gutters) and match the hatch to connect.
The beaches and local waters are full of fishing opportunities, but they are also at peak season congestion. Fish earlier or later in the day for more breathing space.
LBI Surf Fishing Report
The best targets are fluke and kingfish on the LBI surf. One of the most effective ways to catch fluke off the beach is fishing Gulp on a jig. It can be fish solo or with a teaser. Another method is using a single drop or double drop rig (hi/lo). Do not use long leader hi/lo or 3 way style rigs as they cast very poorly and can tangle in the surf’s wave action turbulence. These style rigs are for drift fishing in a boat.
For kingfish use a small hook hi/lo rig that is dressed with pill floats. Rig up a small weight 1/2-3oz is most common depending on the surf conditions and the rod and reel outfit being used. A light 7-8-9′ rod is great. Bait up with live bloodworms or Fish Bites.
TIP: Look for pockets of water, cuts, gutter and rips and focus on them first. If nothing is going on in the first 15 minutes, approach from a different angle and also try another bait. Then prospect another area (might be tough with the crowds) and then another. If three spots in the area don’t produce bites, fish a different tide. Once dialed in you will enjoy some fun summertime surf fishing fun.
Barnegat Bay & Inlet Fishing Report
The bay and inlet zones remain productive, especially for fluke and blues. Anglers drifting the channels and working the structure are catching fluke with keepers in the mix. In recent days we have heard of numerous 4-6# fluke caught by both boat and land based anglers.
Kyle Bucktail scored some nice fluke and a beautiful weakfish off the rock this week.
Also the blues continue to make appearances in the inlet and adjacent areas. Brendan Faust caught this bluefish (below) as well as many others fly fishing the waters of LBI with Captain Zach Flake aboard Fly Away Charters.
I’ve been out fishing a bunch over the past week. I’ve have had great success catching fluke with Gulp Shrimp and Gulp Grubs 5/6″ both White and Pink Shine. Also live minnow! My best fishing has been n the outgoing, but for me the (past week or more) incoming tide has offered my best success with active fluke in the clean and clear water with little to no snot/seaweed. With the recent storm activity I expect things to be churned up but only time will tell. I’m looking to get back out there today after these storms clear. I’m expecting it might take a couple tides or days to settle down.
This past weekend I fished the 10th annual Fluke-A-Mania Fluke Tournament hosted by the Beach Haven Marlin Tuna Club. My crew and I caught a boat limit + but nothing bigger than 4#. We managed two really good size bluefish.
Congrats to the top three largest fluke…
6.76# Jason Marti and Mike Green
6.56# Philaay
5.92# Morning Wood
Philaay’s 17.58# three fish stringer was the heaviest and earned the team a wad of cash. We managed to catch the only two bluefish in the tournament and took home the side bet calcutta with a 7.98# bluefish. Below is Mike Greene holding up a pair of his fluke.
Whether it’s dropping a couple hand lines from the dock or some traps off a bayside bulkhead, crabbing offers fun for families and kids.
Now’s the time to get dialed in and enjoy some time on the water. Enjoy the catch and then the cook! Here at Fisherman’s Headquarters, the shop is fully stocked with bait and tackle to outfit for inshore and offshore fishing. Stop in or give us a call and let us help you catch more fish this summer.
