Month: April 2026

The LBI surf bite is on! Striped bass are cruising the surf and feeding. Reports are flooding in daily with anglers catching from the north end to the south end. Fresh clam is leading the charge, but anglers are also catching on lures and frozen bunker. We hope to have fresh bunker one of these days. There are also some black drum on the beaches. The water on the surf has warmed up to the 50º mark and it’s currently clean. The second half of April set up for great fishing, but don’t wait! Now’s the time to Go! Go! Go!

The spring surf fishing has officially shifting into a higher gear on Long Beach Island. After a strong run of bayside action over the last couple of weeks, the surf has really turned on over the past three to five days with quality striped bass and some black drum along the beaches. Clean green water, defined sandbars, bowls and cuts, and water temperatures pushing right around 50 degrees are all positive signs that the second half of April is gonna be a good one.

Most of the surf action right now has been on clam and that’s our recommendation for anglers targeting striped bass and black drum off the beach with bait. That said, it hasn’t been easy to come by so salted and frozen are a backup and have caught good recently. There have also been fish caught on frozen bunker. One anglers had multiple fish two days on a row on it. We are trying to get fresh bunker as soon as possible. As far as reports go, they have come in from all over Long Beach Island, north to south and everywhere in between.

Here’s three photos sent in by Jon Kelly this morning (4/21/26) fishing the incoming tide on the south end with clam. He caught a bunch of them up to the mid 40″ range. He has also been catching on most all of his recent outings.

The Long Beach Island Surf Fishing Classic Spring Derby is also underway, adding even more excitement to an already strong stretch of spring fishing.

The bite is not limited to the surf either, as there are still striped bass holding in the bay, rivers and around the inlet, although some inlet water has been dirty on the outgoing tide. Overall though, this is that classic window from around April 20 through Cinco de Mayo when things traditionally start firing on all cylinders, and that’s exactly what is happening now. If you’ve been waiting for the right time to get in on spring striper fishing at LBI, this is it.

Stop by Fisherman’s Headquarters for fresh bait, tackle, and gear, and get in on the action.

A sunny spring is here this week on Long Beach Island and things are warming up fast. With it, the fishing picture is getting better by the day. With a beautiful stretch of weather, sunny skies and slowly rising water temperatures, the early season bite has expanded. Good reports are now coming in daily from customers fishing the bays and rivers for striped bass. One of the expected developments this week is the arrival of black drum. Check out our latest LBI Fishing Report video published today April 14, 2026.

The progression is positive and right on track for mid-April. The second half of the month looks promising with drum rolling in now! John Haugh caught a big black drum on Sunday fishing fresh clams he got from Fish Heads. He reported that the bite came at slack high tide. This fish was caught locally on a backbay sedge. The next couple weeks are prime time drum fishing in the bay with clam. We have fresh surf clam in the shell in stock now! For help getting geared up to target them stop in.

Our expectations are for a better second half of tog season as the waters warm. We hope to see the Barnegat Inlet rocks come alive before the month is over. So far it has been slow. The sand fleas are just now starting to show so that positive on the tog bait side of things.

This month local white perch fishing is an option too!

On the striped bass side of things, the bays and rivers remain the best bet for anglers looking to get into fish. However that may change over the next couple of weeks. Late April is when things usually begin, with the window from around April 20 through Cinco de Mayo often bringing the first real surf side activity worth talking about. The ocean water remains chilly in the mid 40’s but expect that to warm up this week.

Striped bass are being caught on bloodworms, clam and lures.

Now is the time to get geared up, get out there and take advantage of the season as it starts to unfolds. Fisherman’s Headquarters in Ship Bottom is ready with bait, tackle and expert assistance, just like every year since 1962.

Spring is officially underway and while the Long Beach Island surf remains quiet, the bays and rivers offer good striped bass action. After the full moon and warming trend more fish are showing up adding to the resident population but the recent cold snap will keep things suppresses but not for long. Here’s my lastest fishing report video published on Thursday afternoon, April 9, 2026.

LBI Surf Conditions

Right now a light easterly wind and small 1–2 foot swell are keeping ocean conditions clean but cold. Expect 3-4′ ESE swell on the beaches this weekend. With the surf temperature in the low to mid 40s (42-45º) we need a warm up before things start happening. AC ocean temp gauge recorded a swing from 45-48º however that isn’t recorded locally here on LBI. One report from a boater hunting tog today reported 41-43º nearshore on the LBI south end.

The chilly surf temps will hold back the surf bite, but the progression is happening. As soon as we see consistent temps push into that 48–50° range, things should start popping along the beach. Usually that is in the April 20 – May 5 time frame. By Mother’s Day on May 10 expect the surf to have good fishing opportunities with striped bass and possibly black drum and bluefish.

Bays & Rivers Are The Place To Be

In the meantime, the back bays and rivers are the place to be. They have offered up a range of good early season striped bass fishing over the past couple of weeks. And they should continue to do so throughout this month.  Most of the striped bass bites are on live bloodworm. However lure bites are to be had. Anglers finding fish in the back bay and west side of the bay.

Water temps in the bay currently range from the mid-50s up to low 60s in some areas, especially during sunny afternoons with the outgoing tide. That warmer water is key and it’s why the bayside continues to outproduce. Certain areas with warmer waters and more active fish have fish coming on lures. It will improve as we slide deeper into April and experience a real warm up… coming soon. Looking ahead, we have some warmer days with the highs in the 80’s and lows above 60. These temps will be warmer inland away from the water and expect cooler, chilly sea breeze days here on the water. Clams will soon come into play, and we’re expecting the arrival of black drum and possibly the first bluefish any day now. Last year the teens of April produced great black drum fishing… Are You Ready?

Tautog Fishing

As for tautog, the bite around Barnegat Inlet has been SLOW. But it usually is the first week or two of April. Due to the cold water temps the fish have been lethargic. Also inactive… green crabs. They aren’t moving and potting so the bait guys are struggling to catch. It’s the same story each April. The sand fleas have not showed locally yet either. So bait has not come easy for us. When sold out of crab, anglers can turn to clam, shrimp and worms as backup options. Typically, the second half of April brings the better half of the one month tog fishing season. So there’s still tog fishing time look forward to, just don’t sleep on it because it will turn on and then the season will be closed.

Reel-ie Busy Here At Fish Heads

In the shop, it’s full-on spring prep mode. We are “reel” busy servicing reels and spooling line. We’re fully stocked with everything you need for striped bass, tog, and the upcoming fluke season. We also have a lot of new items and much more on the way. Stop by seven days a week and our team here will get dialed in to catch more fish this season.

We got beautiful delivery of Salty-C Wood Lures by craftsman Bob Campi. He has been making some great stuff for many years now and really wanted us to stock his stuff. We are stocked to have his proven fish catching lures on out wall for spring.

We got a monster delivery from JYG! They make some really nice fish catching stuff. It’s all tops, but don’t skip over the new 4″ chubby paddle tail which is pre-molded to fit perfectly with their heads. A match made in heavy.

Here’s four of the top fluke teaser hooks for fishing 5-6″ Gulp Grub Curly Tails. Sure the classic baitholder style hooks work but they don’t hold a bait securely. I fell in love with the BKK Motherfluker late last fluke season but I’m also like some of these other new options from Eagle Claw & Mustad. I can’t wait for fluke season!s this year.

How Brutal Was This Past Winter?

PS: I have heard a lot of talk about the brutal winter and the cold temperatures. While I agree this past winter seemed really cold and far too long, the stats don’t agree! Did you know?… As per the Office of the NJ State Climatologist, “With a statewide ranking of 12th warmest, March 2026 is the eight over the past 26 years to rank in the top 15 with records dating back to 1895.”