We are sailing Open Boat for Stripers this Sun, Mon, Tues, Nov 1, 2, and 3.
Big stripers on the bunker pods from the north side of the Seaside Pier extending north thru Asbury and Long Branch. Livelining bunker for 25 to 40 plus pound fish. Very exciting, just know that so far, they are all too big to keep. They are over the 31 inch mark. The migration of the mixed size stripers has not come our way, yet, but is due any minute. We could also run out to the deeper water and look for the bluefin that are supposed to be there right now. I say this because a few days is an eternity in the fishing migration in terms of what could happen. I could tell you that we are prepared for every scenario: bunker on the beach, casting to migration stripers, or cast/troll big bluefin off the beach in 80 to 100 ft of water. Every trip from here in, we will have it all on board. I should just call it Open Boat Fishing instead of giving it a label.
Marine and traditional forecasts are both excellent for Sun thru Tues, so we will be sailing Open Boat or Charter all three days.
Sunday Nov 1, Monday Nov 2, and Tuesday Nov 3 Open Boat Stripers (Maybe Bluefin Tuna) Whatever you guys would like to do.
$300 person, $350 if we combo the Bluefin Tuna, 6AM to 2PM (a little later if we Tuna Combo), 4 people max, all fish are shared among the passengers.
Any of these dates are also available for your private charter. We are also offering shorter duration trips fishing the inlet with live bait for stripers.
A week full of more wind… sounds like a broken record but that’s the trend so far this fall. Lots of wind. The surf fishing has been slow and rough, but on the bright side prime time is approaching. Are you ready to rock! I can’t wait. As far as the local fishing right now we have some bayside and inlet opportunities with bass and tog. And the rough surf rats and heavers have the surf side all to their selves. Don’t kid yourself these conditions are BASSY. The Sea Shell Striped Bass Derby kicks off tonight so I’m looking forward to what the boat anglers find this weekend.
My latest fishing report video from this past Monday, October 19th is below. I will also share the LBI Surf Fishing Classic has had 6 weigh ins this week, all tog. For more details on the recent catches as well as info on the event and to sign up online… $40 and there some great prizes (daily, weekly, special prizes) all November. Sign Up Today!
Obviously, not too much to report with this relentless weather that has kept us tied to the dock. But there is an obvious weather window coming up this Sunday Oct 25, and Monday Oct 26. Light and variable winds, seas 2 ft or less.
We are running to the last scene of the crime before the weather happened, the Mud Hole, about a 30 to 35 mile run. We will be packing every size class gear for any size fish. Spinning gear to 80 class. We will be ready to bait fish, jig, pop, or troll. Big emphasis on bait fishing.
Saturday Oct 25 and Sunday Oct 26. 6AM to 3PM. $450 person. 4 people max. All fish are shared by the passengers. Call to reserve a spot.
We are also running striper charters. Live bait fishing in the inlet or running up the beach as far north as we have to, to find the fish. Eventually the migration fishing will be closer to our home base of Barnegat Inlet, but not yet. There’s always bass in the inlet to catch.
We have received a lot of calls and messages asking about the Long Beach Island beaches after the storm and more specifically “How are the 4×4 beach access ramps?” So… Yesterday I took the time to check out all of the Long Beach Township Ramps between Ship Bottom and Beach Haven. Before reading any further be sure to read the disclaimer at the bottom of this page!
Due to the recent powerful coastal storms, the Long Beach Island’s beaches experienced erosion ranging from mild to severe. Since things have settled down many of the beaches have rebounded through natural accretion. Also a lot of work has been done by the municipal crews working bulldozers and front-end loaders. They deserve a big thank you!
The following chart is to share an update based on my inspection (10/13/26) of nine 4×4 beach access ramps between Ship Bottom and Beach Haven. I can also add that Ship Bottom as a whole offers good size beaches and good 4×4 beach access.
The photo above is detailing 66th street beach access ramp in the town of Brant Beach. I listed it as a good ramp with moderate slow but a short beach.
The below photo show 13th street in North Beach Haven which I listed as a ramp in bad condition with steep slope and washed-out ramp leading to a short beach. In the photo a pile of sand can be seen which looks like it was placed there by municipal crew to block public 4×4 access for safety.
DISCLAIMER – Beach Conditions Can Change Rapidly: This report reflects firsthand observations I made on October 13, 2026. Beach access conditions may change without notice due to tides, wind, waves, storms, erosion, and municipal maintenance. A ramp listed in good condition is not necessarily perfect and good for all vehicles. It is just a helpful, general rating. Always use caution! Always walk a ramp to visually inspect if unfamiliar with the area.
The ocean is flat, Lake Atlantic! We have another great day ahead tomorrow before conditions turn sour on Sunday. The LBI surf temperature is holding in the mid-60s and anglers are finding a mixed bag of fish along the beaches. Recent catches include kingfish, blowfish, bluefish, brown sharks, a couple striped bass and out-of-season fluke. Kingfish and tautog are two of the better species to target right now. Also it’s surprising how many fluke are still hanging around the bay, inlet and surf. Striped bass action remains spotty, but there have been a few notable catches. One standout was a 52-inch striped bass caught by Greg O’Connell during last Saturday’s ASAC tournament hosted by the Long Beach Island Fishing Club. Round two takes place tomorrow, hosted by the Merchantville Fishing Club.
Boat anglers are doing better with bass in the bay, inlet and ocean. Captain Dan aboard Hog Moon Fishing Charters out of Forked River shared this photo with us this morning. Captain Dan is in the center holding the striped bass with Coach Jeff Stoutland (former Eagles offensive line coach) on his left side. Each day we get more reports of nice striped bass. Dan runs a Parker 21SE out of Barnegat Inlet so he couldn’t be too far.
On the bait front, the mullet run appears to be winding down or possible done. Maybe we see a few stragglers. We’re also seeing a transition from spearing to bay anchovies along the Jersey Shore beaches, including LBI. For anglers heading out, we’ve got live eels (great striped bass bait), live green crabs (great tautog bait), live sand fleas (everything eats them from tog and sea bass to striped bass, kingfish and much more), fresh bunker (chunk for striped bass or blues) and plenty of quality frozen mullet (fish whole or chunk for striped bass, bluefish, kingfish, fluke, etc) available at the shop.
It’s a beautiful fall weekend to get outside and enjoy Long Beach Island! The LBI Kite Festival is in town as well as another ASAC surf fishing tournament tomorrow and we are in the middle of the LBI Surf Fishing Classic which runs until the end of November. The weather looks great for enjoying the beach, fishing, crabbing or clamming. For those looking to get out clamming, we have a great selection of quality USA-made clam rakes from KB White and Killer Clam Rakes, along with more affordable imported options too.
Earlier this week here at Fisherman’s Headquarters we received our fall apparel orders so we are loaded up on beanies, hats, hoodies and t-shirts.
Here are two recent video reports from this week…
Notice to Mariners: There is an active dredging operations in the western area of Oyster Creek Channel between the 37 – 41 cans (green). Mariners must pass on the north side of the dredge. Pass between the white poly ball and the dredge. Use VHF channels 13 / 16 if needed.
Marine and traditional forecast looks great for this Saturday, so we are going to run an Open Boat trip for tuna. 6AM to 3PM. Without the benefit of any reports, we are headed to the Mud Hole area. Going on the drift and chunking up a storm in hopes of finding bluefin. Bait fishing mostly, but we are prepared to jig and throw poppers if the opportunity is there. I plan on running the shipping lanes in hopes of some bluefin that should be making their way south from New England with these first few weeks of colder weather. To be clear, not headed out to any known bite, going out on the hunt, loaded for bear, fishing where the fish should be.
Saturday, October 10. 6AM to 3PM. $375 person. 4 people max. All fish are shared by the passengers. Call to reserve a spot.
We are starting to book striper charters from now thru November.
After a gnarly Nor’easter hammered Long Beach Island with big surf, flooding and serious beach erosion, things finally settling down a few days back… And what a difference a few days can make! Now kicking off October today with some great weather and good post storm fall fishing here on Long Beach Island. Here’s the updated fishing report for Long Beach Island and the surrounding waters. Directly below is my most recent fishing report video from Monday September 28, 2026 and then below the video is a text fishing report to recap the fishing activity over the past couple of days.
Pre Storm Fishing Info
Before the worst of the storm arrived, we had encouraging signs of the fall fishing. Mullet were moving around Barnegat Inlet and Fish Head staffers Emmett and Paul were catching bass on metal lip plugs. Dante from Magictail also got into fish with a buddy, and South Philly Fred (below) reported some nice striped bass catches too. There were also a few bluefish. The inlet was the place to be but not for the faint of heart! Rough and dangerous!
The storm was a doozie! It took a big bite out of dunes in many towns and reshaped our summertime sandbars. Here in Ship Bottom, we have a pronounced outer bar now with a long shore trough inside of it. It looks like a classic Ship Bottom winter beach profile which can offer great fishing.
Ship Bottom Beaches are open to 4×4 access with permit. The current beach conditions in Ship Bottom are good given the severity of the storm. The beach is surprisingly flat and hard. The ramps at 5th, 11th and 17th look good. Here’s more details on LBI 4×4 Beaches Access. Local angler and LBI Fishing Club member shares, “I drove north from 31st in Ship Bottom to Harvey Cedars. Ship Bottom and Surf City were fine. North Beach and Harvey Cedars will be challenging around high tides, possibly not accessible.” Derek Correia shared some beach condition updates after checking out beach buggy entrances in Long Beach Township, ” South 34th and 117th are both good but unless you are driving big foot, 13th Street is no go with a 8′ drop.”
Post Storm Fishing Report Update
This work week started out slow but reports got better each day. Many of those who got out found fish. On the surf there’s a few kingfish (south end report), sparce croakers and blowfish as well as out of season fluke. Barnegat Inlet has tog.
As shared in the video report, the ocean temp dropped from the summertime warmth. On Monday the Long Beach Island (mid-Island, Ship Bottom) surf temp was 64.7°F at the water’s edge. This was a major change from the 70+ degree water we were fishing just a week ago. The storm churned things up and also the days are getting significantly shorter. It’s exactly what we needed to get the fall fishing fired up! Looking ahead it seems like we will get a quick cold snap after the weekend. Tuesday morning I’ seeing a low of 46 degrees. Usually by mid October we have some great striped bass opportunities. Are you ready?
Here’s a nice bayside striped bass catch from Dante Jr. He went out Tuesday after school with his dad.
August and much of September were disappointing on the rocks compared to the past couple of years. But the recent the temperature change has also helped to wake up the Barnegat Inlet tautog bite. Store staffer Steve-o scored on a quick strike mission to the North End bulkhead. He caught a 2.8# tog on green crab and took the led in the LBI Classic Tournament. More on the Classic below…
Yesterday (Wednesday) Dante from Magictails (was out after school again) and his son caught four keeper size tog in less than an hour window. All on green crab. All you need is a simple hi/lo rig or a single drop rig baited with green crab or sand fleas.
So far post storm mullet run as been dismal. There’s still time for another trickle. If not this year’s mullet run was a bust. Only time will tell. I’m optimistic we’ll see some moving one of these days.
Sea Bass fishing is good right now at many of the inshore reefs and wrecks. We got a few reports from customers fishing 50-70′ of water both bait (clam & sand fleas) and jigs. There are also triggerfish in some of the same areas.
LBI Surf Fishing Classic
The Long Beach Island Surf Fishing Classic is rolling through Week 5. There’s fish on the board and anglers are wining great prizes while having fun fishing. If you want to join there are lots of prizes to win during the 13 week event. For the live results, leader board and additional info…. https://www.lbisfc.com/lbi-fall-classic-surf-fishing-tournament
Last week I participated in a two-day Recreational Sector Separation Stakeholder Workshop in Baltimore hosted by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (MAFMC) where recreational mode management for black sea bass, summer flounder, scup and bluefish was discusses. While the workshop was called “sector separation” it was really based around the topic of mode split. Meaning private and for-hire modes may be split to offer each mode better satisfaction.
Think Bluefish… NJ private anglers get a 5 fish bag. NJ anglers fishing aboard For-hire vessels get a 7 fish bag. Last year it was 3/5. This is real life separation or mode management. While we are experiencing a difference in bag, it could be a different season and/or different minimum size or a combination of the three. For example, maybe headboats get less days to fluke but they get a 1″ smaller minimum size. Imagine a shore based angler get a shorter fish similar to the current regulation that exists for fluke at Island Beach State Park. Just for clarification there is already existing mode splits in other states too.
While this may sound great to some and it very well may be, I feel it is a slippery slope. We must be careful to ensure that mode management does not unnecessarily divide the recreational fishing community and create competition between modes/groups that ultimately share the same harvest limit.
Percent Change Approach will still be used and the process will still compare the combined harvest estimate of the entire recreational fishery to the RHL (recreational harvest limit). So there’s only one pizza pie.
The more a pie gets cut, the more crumbs are lost. But I believe there is reason to explore the possibilities. One look at Long Beach Island’s headboat history and current state shows it’s obvious the local boats and the region’s fleet needs help. There’s only two headboats left here… Miss Barnegat Light and Miss Beach Haven.
Among many topics we explored and commented on permitting, limited entry, tiered permit system, minimum requirements for participation as well as enhanced state level reporting. I also made sure to share my perspective that private boats and some six-pack for hire charters have a huge advantage over traditional headboats. These smaller boats are nimble and much more effective at catching fish with a tackle and technology edge. I’ll mention just a couple; speed, trolling motors. Letting every six pack charter operation join the mode may turn into chaos hence the topic/discussion on a two tier permit system (with criteria requirements and thresholds) and/or a letter of authorization program.
Right now it’s really all about exploring the process and guidelines to see if improvements can be made and how stakeholders feel about these needs and concern. The Council’s consideration will be later in 2026 and early 2027. It was a two day workshop so there’s far too much to share here, but I want to encourage all anglers to follow the MAFMC for updates.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Friday, September 18, 2026 — President Trump announced the “Restoring America’s Saltwater Angling and Recreation” Executive Order in the White House Rose Garden Thursday night. The order establishes a national policy to elevate marine recreational fishing in federal fisheries management and directs federal agencies to pursue better data and more modern management approaches, strengthen State-Federal partnerships, remove unnecessary barriers to access and advance innovative solutions for American anglers.
“This Executive Order is a historic recognition of what millions of American anglers and coastal communities have known for decades: marine recreational fishing deserves a management system built for the way Americans fish,” said Jeff Angers, president of the Center for Sportfishing Policy. “By prioritizing better data, stronger state partnerships and modern management approaches, President Trump’s order builds on our conservation gains creating a path to more reliable access and opportunity in America’s oceans.”
“The American Sportfishing Association thanks President Trump for this decisive action to improve management and data collection for America’s saltwater fisheries,” added Glenn Hughes, president and CEO of the American Sportfishing Association. “This Executive Order will have long-term benefits for the sportfishing industry and America’s 15.5 million saltwater recreational anglers.”
Under the Executive Order, federal agencies are directed, consistent with existing law, to:
Modernize recreational fisheries data collection by evaluating outdated survey methods, expanding electronic and mobile reporting and incorporating real-time catch, effort and observational data into federal fisheries management;
Strengthen State-Federal partnerships and improve the use of state data, including consideration of more precise state recreational catch-and-effort data in federal management decisions;
Improve recreational fisheries economic data so the economic value of recreational fishing, for-hire fisheries and shoreside businesses is more fully considered in federal fisheries management decisions;
Advance technology-based approaches to marine mammal avoidance, including directing NOAA to work with the private sector to integrate new technologies that can improve marine mammal detection and avoidance;
Fast-track artificial reef and habitat creation, including establishing a federal Reef-in-Place Program for eligible offshore structures and streamlining permitting for qualifying artificial reef projects, and
Address shark and pinniped depredation and their impacts on recreational fishing by improving research and coordination among federal and state fisheries managers, anglers and the recreational fishing community and advancing management strategies to reduce harmful interactions.
The order also directs federal agencies to streamline permitting, remove administrative barriers to recreational fishing and habitat projects, improve the delivery of Dingell-Johnson Sport Fish Restoration funds, and strengthen coordination of habitat restoration efforts.
The order builds on a bipartisan history of presidential support for recreational fishing. President Bill Clinton issued Executive Order 12962 in 1995 establishing recreational fishing as a federal policy priority. President George W. Bush strengthened that order in 2008 by explicitly protecting recreational fishing as a sustainable activity on federal lands and waters.
This Executive Order recognizes the significant economic contributions of America’s outdoor recreation, noting that the sector generates more than $1.2 trillion annually, supports 5.2 million jobs and accounts for 2.4 percent of U.S. GDP. Recreational boating and fishing are the nation’s largest conventional outdoor recreation activity, contributing $38.4 billion in value added to the U.S. economy. Saltwater recreational fishing alone generates $145.4 billion in sales impacts and supports nearly 700,000 jobs nationwide.
“President Trump is sending a clear message that America’s saltwater anglers matter. Better data, modern management and stronger state partnerships can deliver what anglers and coastal communities have needed for years: healthier public fisheries and more reliable access to them,” Angers continued.
“Recreational boating and fishing are the foundation of America’s outdoor heritage and an important driver of our nation’s recreation economy,” said Frank Hugelmeyer, president and CEO of the National Marine Manufacturers Association. “Today’s actions further reaffirm the importance of ensuring Americans can access and enjoy our nation’s waters. Access supports American manufacturing, jobs and small businesses across the country. Thank you to President Trump and his administration for recognizing the value of outdoor recreation and the American industries and communities it supports.”
“We’re grateful the Administration has taken this opportunity to emphasize the social and economic importance of recreational fishing,” said Pat Murray, president and CEO of Coastal Conservation Association. “State-based management has never been more important for our federal fisheries, and we applaud this critical need being highlighted in this Executive Order.”
“America’s anglers were among the nation’s first and most dedicated conservationists, and this Executive Order recognizes that commitment while charting a path towards increased access to healthy fisheries,” said Jeff Crane, president and CEO of the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation. “We thank President Trump for elevating recreational fishing as a national priority and look forward to working with the Administration to turn these directives into meaningful results on the water.”
ASA and our partners have long advocated for federal fisheries policies that recognize the distinct nature of recreational fishing, improve the quality and use of data, promote innovation and provide meaningful public access to sustainably managed marine resources.
We have had some good fishing inshore and offshore lately. I have to give a lot of the credit to the live peanut bunker that’s been working on both fisheries. On Saturday, I headed out with Paul Perpiglia Sr and Jr from PA, and a livewell full of peanut bunker, for bonita and albacore. After catching a few on jigs we switched over to live peanut bunker and then things heated up. We caught a bunch of each, bleeding and slushing the bonita for some very cold tuna-ish loins for everyone to take home. We even sliced one on the cutting board for everyone to try some chilled sashimi with the Ponzu soy I packed for just such an occasion and it was delicious! Ponzu is a citrus infused soy by Kikkoman that is perfect for this. We used light spinning gear for these speedy powerful fish and it was a blast.
Yesterday, Tuesday, I was not sure if we were going to be able to get offshore. I had Jim Hutchinson, editor of The Fisherman Magazine, Mike Viviano from Galloway Twp, NJ and John Korn from Washington, NJ. The wind was forecasted to drop down to a lower velocity, but it was NE with a few days of NE momentum, so I wasn’t hopeful. I castnetted a bunch of peanut bunker for whatever we would wind up targeting. On board I had a pail of spearing to chum the bonita and albies, squid for tuna bait, live shedder crabs to try the back bay for weakfish and the variety of species that eats that bait, and 18 rods ranging from 6 lb blowfish rods to 30 class conventional setups, and everything in between. I just didn’t know how far we would get and what we would be fishing for. We got to the inlet and the wind had not yet dropped, and the sea condition was a little more than I like to start out in for heading offshore. The tide was just right to cast lures at the inlet jetty. Halfway in to the incoming tide and the water was turbulent on the North Jetty. And the terns were picking and squawking. It was going to be a turkey shoot. I was partially right, the only other boat fishing there boated a bluefish on each drift while we watched and caught bupkus for a solid hour. Scratching my head, I opted for a new plan. Let’s go inside and try fluking. We dropped down our rigs baited with the live peanuts and for the next two hours we had the best fluke fishing I have had all season, boxing six keepers up to 6 pounds, and releasing countless respectable throwbacks between 15″ and 17 7/8″.
Available every day for charter. Looking like bay and inlet fishing for a little bit, as the marine forecast has some wind for a stretch. As soon as it subsides we will add some offshore fishing dates. Fluke/Blowfish combo would be a good trip right now.
