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
- Here is a downloadable chart with more details on the 2025 NJ Saltwater Fishing Regulations that includes many of the species the state chart leaves out.
In The Bay
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!
