Author: FishHead.Greg

October is here and we are kicking off the month with beautiful weather and great fishing conditions! The first weekend of October looks perfect with sunny skies, light winds and plenty of fishing options. Get out and make the most of this early October window. Gear up at Fisherman’s Headquarters on your way out.

Ocean Conditions & Weather

October started windy with big swell from offshore hurricanes Imelda and Humberto. Thankfully, both systems stayed out to sea and only delivered rough surf and minor beach erosion. They’ve also given us a prolonged groundswell which is finally starting to settle.

Right now, the surf is running 2–3′ by powerful. Yesterday there was a bit of eelgrass and cabbage weed mixed into the wash. The weekend forecast looks excellent, with the swell dropping, lots of sun and light winds.

LBI Fishing Report

September’s solid fishing rolled right into October with a variety of options both inshore, offshore and from shore.

Sea Bass Season just opened with a 10-fish bag limit at 12.5 inches, and there’s plenty of life on local reefs and wrecks in 50–60+ feet of water. Expect great action as the ocean calms down. Many of these areas are also still holding triggerfish left over from the late summer bite. Today we received two good sea bass reports from anglers who fished yesterday. John Rhodes said yesterday was drop and reel fishing in 80′ with sea bass big triggerfish were chewing too. He said the wind was light but there was a lot of swell. A similar report was shared by Captain Greg Carr aboard LBI Charters, “I wasn’t sure what to expect given the crap weather. Lots of nibbles. The guys had a boat limit of sea bass and a trigger.”

Along the surf, anglers are finding small bluefish (mostly snappers and cocktail size fish) and some out-of-season fluke still tucked tight to the wash. The blues can be targeting and caught on mullet or small lures. The kingfish bite continues, not red hot but it has been steady and dependable. With surf temps still hovering around 70°F, there’s still a shot at seeing a pompano or two mixed in. The bigger kings are coming on small mullet strips, while bloodworms and Fishbites are also producing.

Tautog (blackfish) are a great option right now and should remain prime through October. Reports have been mixed, with some better bites at the inlet rocks more so than the bayside area but that can change day to day. Fishing green crabs and sand fleas. in or near riprap will get the job done. This morning Wayne Smith was out fishing and reported catching a bunch of tog at the rocks and he also saw some keepers caught. He said inside it was ok but not as good.

As for summer species, blowfish are tapering off, and spot are likely exiting soon. We’re shifting quickly into full-on fall fishing mode as October progresses.

Bait & Fall Migration

The fall transition is in motion. Thanks to shorter days and cool nights, the bay is cooling faster than the ocean, now sitting in the low to mid-60s. The surf remains near 70°F.

Resident striped bass are still around, feeding on mullet and peanut bunker in the bay and inlet. Few to no striped bass are on the surf but we expect that to change very soon. Some mullet have made the move out front, are scattered along the surf zone. This past week when surfing I had mullet in the waves and on the bar but I did not see them in the trough or tight to the beach lip. That tells me that at that time they were moving and comfortable. Usually when predators show they stress and move in tight to the beach for added protection.

You’ll also find rain bait, bay anchovies and spearing which can spark feeding frenzies when bluefish find ’em. Also it could draw false albacore on their trip south. Albies were active a few weeks ago and we have a good chance at seeing another shot of them before Halloween… so keep epoxy jigs and small metals ready just in case they pop up frothing.

LBI Surf Fishing Classic Update

The 71st Annual LBI Surf Fishing Classic is rolling strong! This year’s earlier September start was a great call. There’s already a full month of catches on the board with anglers weighing in striped bass, bluefish, kingfish, tautog and before the 9/25 end of season closure fluke.

Entry is $40, and there are LOTS OF PRIZES TO WIN throughout the event.

Visit www.LBIFT.com to see the live weigh-in results, leaderboards and much more info.

LBI 4×4 Beach Access

All LBI beach towns are now open for 4×4 vehicle access as of October. Each township issues its own permit, so be sure to check requirements before driving on. You can find details and links for each town’s permits here:

We have a breezy northerly flow is here today with long period surf in the 2-3’+ range. And LOTS MORE swell on the way! Strong surf from Humberto will be pumping tomorrow. The mullet run continues on and the goldenrod is popping. It’s looking seasonably like autumn however the hot humid days like yesterday have déjà vu setting in, feeling more like summer. With October just a few days away we expect this week’s weather to be a prominent switch into the true autumn fishing season.

Fluke season now closed however tautog – tog – blackfish fishing is in full swing.  The tog bite from the Barnegat Inlet Jetty has significantly picked up this past week.  Also another wave of triggerfish have showed and there’s still some sheepshead and occasional black drum being caught.

On the surf, kingfish and pompano continue in the suds as well as bluefish.

With the peanut bunker, spearing and mullet all schooled up and moving around the bay, waters in close proximity to the inlet and adjacent beaches, the bluefish are active and eating well. Some resident striped bass are also fired up and feeding at the right times, tides and locations. On the last blow they really came alive so there’s no reason to not expect a repeat with this upcoming Nor’easter. Lures to match the hatch as well as live baits like eels and spot are best for striped bass.

This time of year can offer some of the best crabbing and clamming in the area.

Come October 1st, New Jersey’s black sea bass season opens up with a 10 fish bag limit at a 12.5″ minimum size. Come November the bag limit increases to 15 fish. This fishery should be good right to the end of the year. Reports from those wreck fishing the limited weather window on the final stretch of fluke season, reported they are waiting for us!

2025 NJ Saltwater Fishing Regulations

Offshore the yellowfin bite has been very good with mahi in the mix too. The bite was on both jigging and chunking but offshore fishing will be off limits due to weather this week.

LBI Surf Fishing Classic

A full month in and it’s safe to say the one month early start this year was a great change. All positive feedback with really good catches too. As of today, 300 total anglers have entered 26 kingfish, 26 fluke, 13 bass, 21 blues and 15 tog. With flounder fishing season now over and closed that’s one less species however there’s… many others to fish for. We should have a couple more weeks of kingfish and the whole fall for striped bass, blues and tog. There’s lots of great fishing ahead. Sign Up Today! For more info… www.LBIFT.com

Striped Bass Public Comment

This is the final week to submit your public comment on striped bass for Addendum III to Amendment 7. Please take the time to share your comment on Section 3.0 Proposed Management Options with the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission. Fisheries managers need to hear from as many anglers as possible. For all that missed the local and virtual meetings, it’s not too late.

Please don’t pull the “no time” excuse… the online survey is quick and easy! Whether you agree with me or not, that’s fine. I encourage all striped bass anglers to submit comments. The deadline is Friday October 3 at 11:59pm EST.

For complete details – Atlantic Striped Bass Draft Addendum III

Section 3.0 Proposed Management Options has four sections and each has options.

3.1 Method to Measure Total Length

Status quo lacks coast wide total length definition which leaves too much grey area. It is especially important with the three inch slot limit that there is a coastwide standard. For this reason I support Option B. Here in New Jersey it is already defined as a straight line measurement with the fish laid flat, mouth closed and a squeeze of the tail to achieve the longest length possible.This should be adopted coast wide for consistency.

3.2 Commercial Tagging: Point of Tagging

Right now there is too much room for dishonest behavior. To prevent Option B would mandate tagging at point of harvest, immediately upon possession. It is a timely hassle on the water for harvesters; however it’s the only option to remove dishonesty. 

*Striped bass should be a game fish like it is here in New Jersey, no commercial fishing. But that isn’t on the table.

3.3 Maryland Chesapeake Bay Rec. Season Baseline

I’m not well versed in the Maryland CBay seasons and details so I’ll leave this to others with more knowledge on the area. Status Quo or Option C – with 10%+ buffer. Maryland is responsible for 80% of the stock and is a critical area coast wide.

3.4 Reduction in fishery removals to support stock rebuilding 

With regards to this public comment period and the proposed management options, this is where the tough decisions and debates reside.

I do NOT support no target closures. I do not support mode split.

I believe that Option A – Status Quo is the right decision at this time. It technically only provides a 30% chance of rebuilding by the 2029 deadline based on the assumptions and projections. The very restrictive emergency coastwide (ocean recreational fishery) slot limit has been in place since the deadline of July 2, 2023. It is working to protect and rebuild SSB as shown in Figure 1 (SSB has increased since the recent low in 2018). However, since 2018 recruitment has been poor. The 2024 stock assessment update states the striped bass stock is not experiencing overfishing (F = 0.18, below the threshold of 0.21) but remains overfished (SSB = 191 million pounds, below the threshold of 197 million pounds). This is the same as it was in the 2022 assessment. SSB increased in 2023 but it’s still 6 million pounds short.

The 2027 Benchmark Stock Assessment is coming soon (expected early 2027) and will include 2025 data. This will provide a comprehensive update on striped bass. Taking action now with closures will not move the needle in time for the 2027 assessment and therefore not provide meaningful data for management decisions. Enacting closures now will then only become even more strict if the 2027 assessment isn’t positive. With six years of low recruitment and the striped bass technical committee (TC) assumption that 2025 fishing mortality is predicted to increase with 2018 year class entering the slot, there’s a good chance cuts will be coming eventually. As the TC previously presented, “(an) additional year of data under the same management regulations would inform a better estimate for upcoming assessments.”

We are NOT in a over fishing crisis… we are in a recruitment crisis.

We were on track however due to preliminary 2024 MRIP (marine recreational information program) estimates the 50% chance of rebuilding fell to 30%. These current events, this entire push for further reductions, stems from the short-term swings in the recreational FES (fisheries effort survey) data. Peer reviewed and NOAA internal evaluations have documented possible effort (MRIP-FES) inflations by  30%+. The board must temper reliance on preliminary estimates for urgent action.

What we have is a stretched out rebuilding process to a lofty rebuilding target that was set at an all time high in the striped bass fishery. Due to seven consecutive poor recruitment years it is becoming harder to achieve in the ten year timeline of the fisheries management plan. As the deadline nears, action requires more strict action to meet the timeline.

As per Figure 2, striped bass fishing mortality is at 20+ year low and below target levels so further reductions risk unnecessary socioeconomic harm without improving recruitment. With no strong year classes behind the 2018’s… how long do we wait trying to survive on low recruitment. I want to believe that the Chesapeake Bay is capable of making a comeback, but I’m losing hope. There’s too many issues and no one has control over many of them. Moreover, many of these issues date back decades. What has been done about many of these important issues that were identified in the 80’s… nothing.

Myriad Of Issues That Striped Bass Face

Inside The Scope Of The Board

• Forage: Herring and bunker are two major forage species that are not in great shape. ASMFC manages the harvest levels for both of these.
• Invasive Species: Blue catfish and cormorant populations are booming and their predation on young striped bass is detrimental to the rebuilding plan. Blue cat’s were deliberately introduced to the CBay by the state of Virginia in the 70’s and 80’s. They grow VERY large and are thriving, expanded and competing with native fish and forage in the many rivers and tributaries of the CBay.
• Enforcement: Rules are in place but worthless if not enforced. Poaching is out of control, but judges don’t prosecute and don’t drop the hammer.

Outside The Scope Of The Board

• Weather Variability: temperature, rain, river flow, salinity, changes disrupt cues for striped bass reproduction.
• Zoo Plankton: a make or break factor that is a critical link in the food chain. We can have perfect spawning conditions but if zooplankton aren’t present in the right amount and at the right time it all fails.
• Runoff: It doesn’t help that the nation’s largest chicken producers are concentrated in the tidal tributary watershed where striped bass spawn. Nitrogen and phosphorus fuel algae blooms and then lead to hypoxic (low oxygen) zones that stress habitats. Reduced SAV (submerged aquatic vegetation)
  • Endocrine Disrupters: A silent stressor in the CBay. These chemicals interfere with hormones of fish as well as other animals and people. Sources include treated sewage effluent, agriculture runoff,  industrial discharge
• Mycobacteriosus – VIMS study detailed 50-70% of adult striped bass in CBay show signs of mycobacteriosis.

Commercial fishing is not the crux of the problem, however, I have a major issue with the direct targeting and harvesting of striped bass 35”+ by Massachusetts’ open access commercial rod and reel fishery. It must be reformed. Ballers fun fishing and selling striped bass has gone on for far too long, especially the out of state anglers cashing in. Limited access, lottery or better yet close it all together and support striped bass as a gamefish!

I must ask… How many more poor spawns until there is a serious look at hatcheries? It’s expensive and risks the strong genetics of striped bass, but what other potential fixes can be done? 

It’s not on the table but I suggest an alternative course of action.

1. Protecting forage (menhaden/herring) – Ask the Menhaden Board to adopt more precautionary measures, tighten the CBay’s cap as well as adjust coast wide quotas. For herring, in collaboration with states and NOAA prioritize fish passage and dam removal in rivers to improve spawning runs
2. Curbing predator impacts (blue catfish, cormorants) – Create demand both recreational and commercial to better target and sell blue cats as they are a great source of protein. Urge the USFWS to open up a waterfowl hunting season for cormorants or depredation permits.
3. Ensuring compliance & enforcement – As mentioned previously, fines must be increased and the pressure must be put on better enforcement and prosecution to reduce poaching.
4. Prepare a hatchery feasibility study – At minimum the Commission should revisit hatchery supplementation as a contingency option if poor spawns continue.

The recent blow gave us two days of foul weather but good fishing. With the mullet mayhem, it’s safe to say the mullet run is on! There’s still a variety of species on tap; tog, kingfish, bluefish, fluke, striped bass, sheepshead and a few pompano among others.

South Philly Fred stopped by the shop to pick up his Van Staal after an annual service and then heading up to the north end. He reported back, “The mullet are everywhere and the bass are snapping. It’s winds and raining but it’s on! On my second cast the Bomber Windcheater got smoked. Then a few minutes later got another, much bigger one. It was a good mullet run bass about 20#.

LBI Surf Fishing Classic

The 2025 derby is off to a strong start. Check out the live results and weigh-in log for details. Now’s a great time to sign up and participate in this fall fishing event.

Striped Bass Comment Period

The striped bass public comment period is NOW for Addendum III to Amendment 7. The deadline is Friday October 3, 2025 11:59PM.

For all that attend the local meeting this past week in Manahawkin… Thank You. It was a great meeting with lots of questions and answers, but unfortunately there was not a strong attendance. I was expecting a packed house and a long line for public comment but that wasn’t the case.

For those that missed it, there’s still time. All you need to know is published here… It’s super easy to comment online via survey form. Please do it now.

After numerous public service announcement, I continue to share again and again. Sure most know by now but a lot do not. If I can help just one more, I did my part.

Here’s some more details on the hazard…

Notice To Mariners

There is shoaling in the main channel near the inlet, just west of the Barnegat Lighthouse. The sandbar has grown south over the past couple months and encroached on the channel. The most hazardous shoaling is in the area of the 16 nun (red buoy). For those transiting the area, simply do not run close to the red side and all is good. There’s plenty of safe water, just don’t get close to 16.

The following photos provide helpful details. The photo below shows the sandbar in the channel west of 16 nun.

The photo below is the exact same as above with the yellow overlay to identify the shoaling along the north side of the channel near buoy 16.

The photo below shows the shoaling at 16 as well as the rip that forms on the outgoing tide.

Here on Long Beach Island the ocean surf temps are straddling high-60s/low-70s but soon we’ll see a flip of the switch and things will get colder. Let’s hope we have another week or two of these great September sessions. It really has felt like fall since Erin. The recent full moon nudged schools of peanut bunker and mullet closer towards the inlets. With some of the traffic lights already blinking yellow the Island looks like fall. Here’s the fishing report update for the Long Beach Island area for Sunday September 14, 2025. Be sure to check out my latest fishing report video from Friday linked below.

For the most part things are the same from my last report… there’s a variety of things going on.

If you want fast bend-the-rod fishing, start at Barnegat Inlet rocks for blackfish (tog / tautog) with green crabs or sand fleas. Tog fishing has been active since the season opened (lots of shorts, better size class should show as temps tick down). Sand flea soakers are occasionally finding sheepshead too.

Fluke are still in play fishing the bay’s main channels and inlet as well as the surf. The biggest are coming from the deeper edges and on bigger baits. Here’s a 12# 30″ fluke that was caught yesterday by Jimmy Nacion fishing live bait inside.

Channels, inlet, rocks and surf are producing as well as nearshore wrecks/reefs when sea conditions allow. The NJ Fluke season runs through Sept 25 (last day to fish) so don’t delay at scoring the final inning of 2025/s summer flounder fishing season. Below is Jared Zaum who sent in this photo of his recent catch. This 23″ 5# fluke was caught off the Barnegat Inlet rocks. This is the main funnel where fluke slide out on their way offshore for the fall and winter.

Anglers fishing the inshore waters are finding a variety of fishing. There’s tog and fluke. While the water is warm, there will be cobia, mahi and triggerfish too. Also here… albies! Tony Butch shared this report from yesterday, “What a day! We set out this morning hunting for cobia and caught a 40#. Then switched gears to bottom fishing and boxed up a couple tog. Then we put a hurt on the fluke… 3 man limit with Fish Heads Alumni Bill having the largest at 7#.”

Captain Greg Carr aboard LBI Charters reports, “It has been a 9 days since we sailed due to a stretch of poor weather. Saturday was good so we went out fluke fishing. Didn’t expect much and it’s kind of what we got. Some life at times with some beautiful sea bass going back (season is closed until October; October 10 fish bag and then November and December 15 fish bag). My guys fished hard and ended with 10 keeper fluke and a couple XL triggerfish.” One is photoed below. Looking to get our fishing with Captain Greg give him a call at 856.2640319.

In the surf, expect bluefish with shots at kingfish, fluke and possibly pompano. You might even get a striped bass. The bass will become more common along the surf and jetty areas as the peanut bunker, bay anchovies and mullet get moving. Keep an eye out for life along the edges as that’s where mullet trickles through.

The LBI Surf Fishing Classic started a month early and runs through Nov 30 with daily and weekly prizes for kingfish, bluefish, striped bass, tog and fluke. It has been a strong start. Glenn Curtis (above) caught this 3.25# bluefish off the surf and currently holds the lead in the LBI Surf Fishing Classic. For full details on the surf fishing tournament check out… www.LBISFC.com

Did you see the bullshark video we posted on Instagram? If not watch this crazy one now. Yes there was a couple nights where the boys, Austin Pounds and friends Jetty Jockeys got into them and it wasn’t just one. Crazy!!!! I question and ask are these guys just showing up for a long around or were they here all summer and just leaving now?

As the summer wanes and we approach the fall equinox anglers fishing the waters of Long Beach Island enjoy a good variety. During the transition there’s a smorgasbord of different species on tap. No one is stealing the spotlight, but that may change as the days continues to shorten and the weather and water temperatures cool. The full moon has sparked change and bait is moving. Here’s the Long Beach Island Fishing Report Update for Tuesday September 9, 2025. Check out my latest fishing report video from Monday 9/8/25.

Recent catches & Fishing Opportunities…

Monday morning Fish Heads Alumni Erik Hawrylo weighed in a striped bass for the LBI Surf Fishing Classic. He caught the 9.62# bass, 30-5/8″ line sider fishing the night shift. It went for a small NLBN paddle tail fished with the special E$ retrieve and twitch. His photo is part of the video thumbnail above. The past couple weeks has offered really great early seasons striped bass action for anglers fishing both lures and live eels. Here’s a link for more info on the LBI Surf Fishing Classic tournament and live results.

Keith Soycher weighed in a 5.68# sheepshead on Sunday. His photo is part of the video thumbnail above. Tog action has been good, but not a lot of keepers or bigger fish to be had. However anglers are catching and having fun using rigs and jigs baited with sand fleas or green crabs. We just got a restock on the Bottom Sweeper Jigs which are standout OG’s for their shape (many have tried to copy) and their small hook yet strong hook. They are still one of it not the best tog and sheepshead jigs.

Brandy Hillegass weighed in a 13-3/8″ 0.90# kingfish yesterday afternoon. She caught it on mullet and reported it was a great morning on the surf. “Lots of blues and almost as many kingfish, two small fluke and a shark.” Her daughter Savanah Hillegass weighed in a 17-1/4″ 1.90# bluefish on Sunday.

Another kingfish report came in yesterday from Dave Groeber who fished the mid-island suds. He too caught some nice size kingfish on small pieces of frozen mullet.

Kingfish have been spotty some days and some areas. We expect them to stick around another week or two, maybe more (fingers crossed). Pompano are still here being picked by anglers targeting kingfish. They most likely will be gone soon as the surf temperature is in the low 70’s. To catch kings while they are here tie on a small hook rig with or without floats baited with Fishbites, bloodworms, small pieces of mullet / salted clam / squid… small sand fleas also work.

Jamie Gramley shared Monday he was catching cocktail blues and fluke off the Long Beach Island surf. Fish Gulp or mullet to score these guys.

In the bay there’s snappers and cocktail blues depending on the areas. Some channels have plenty of fluke too. Store Alumni Sam shared he got a bunch of fish (40+, but few keepers) working a main thoroughfare a few days back. Blowfish action has not ramped up but there’s some around. You might get more spot and croakers than blow toads. Live bait striped bass anglers aren’t complaining as it’s a great opportunity to load up the pens for the fall run.

Albies have offered light tackle line pulling for for a couple weeks now. Spotty some days but It has been good some days and then others spotty. Expect them to be on deck for the next couple weeks chasing bait out front.

It’s about that time… Jersey Mullet Run!

Offshore – Yellowfin, Tilefish, Swords – Alec Derita shared a report from a recent trip… “I grabbed some rigged Baitmaster tentacles sword baits from you guys last minute before we ran offshore. Landed this nice pointy one.”

Here we are… Labor Day Weekend 2025! Since my last report, Erin and her associated weather side kick combo nor’easter pumped powerful swell which beat the bars and chewed the dunes in some areas. The ocean was churned up (turbidity), mixed (the stratification mixed) and was unsettled for awhile. I’m happy to report a lot of different AND GREAT things are happening right here, right now! Here’s the Long Beach Island fishing report update for Sunday August 31, 2025. First check out my latest fishing report video below from yesterday Saturday August 30, 2025.

Reg Reminder Sea Bass: CLOSED ALL OF SEPTEMBER – Come October it will be open for the entire month with a 10 fish bag at a minimum size of 12.5″. Then all of November and December it’s open with a 15 fish bag (12.5″).

Reg Reminder Cod: 5 fish at 23″ from Sept 1 to the end of the year

For more details on the 2025 fishing regulations…

LBI Fluke Fishing Report

Reg Reminder Fluke: 3 fish at 18″

Now’s a great time to be fluke fishing either beach or boat for the final stretch of the 2025 summer flounder season. The last day of the NJ Fluke Season is September 25. Let’s go catch ’em while the water is warm and they are active! It has been a really strong year for fluke fishing the sand beaches and inlet rocks of LBI. It will continue right to the end.

Yesterday Wayne Smith weighed in a 20″ 3.34# fluke for the LBI Surf Fishing Classic (which added the “new” species to this year’s event). Wayne caught it on a Gulp Jerk Shad rigged in a small lead head jig fishing light tackle on the north end surf. After weighing in he purchased a new fishing reel at our tent sale event and then heading back out to the surf and scored a pompano. More on that action later.

The Miss Barnegat Light has had good fishing on recent days, catch photos shown below. They are fluke fishing daily until September 19, 8am to 1pm. The wrecks and reef sites are producing again just like they were before the Erin. Now’s the time to score solid inshore bottom fishing for fluke. Despite blown marine forecasts (all depends on what you look at), we have had lots of great ocean fluke reports over the past week. The most effective way is 5 & 6″ GULP on a jig or rig. The classic squid, spearing, mackerel strip are all great options too.

Tony Butch smoked this 10.86# doormat on Sunday fishing a Magictail Jig with a pink shine Gulp Grub. He reported solid fishing in the slop, “Caught a two man limit with the second biggest at 6# and the smallest of the 6 fish was 20″!”

On The Surf

The following statement shared in my last report (8/15) still remains true. Actually a lot of the report details remain on point and current. “There’s a lot more pompano around right now then you might think.” In recent days more pompano reports have come in. Yesterday (Saturday) we had more pompano reports than we did kingfish reports. Four direct reports all themed around pompano on the LBI surf on Fishbites! John (photo below on left side), Drake from Penn (hit the surf after the event), Wayne Smith (went back after his fluke weigh in with his new reel, photo below on the right side) and another report came in from Evan Hoffmann (photo below in the center) “I caught a bunch of pompano off the surf today and plenty of kingfish too. All on a kingfish rig, baited with Fish Bites and placed in the wash.”

Kingfish action this season so far has not been spectacular but it seems to be picking up now in the later part of the summer. All summer was consistently warm so that can’t be the culprit. Heck, some years the kingfish bite can be good even though chill water spells. Our expectation is September will be a good month for kings and we hope these pompano stick around because they are fun to catch and good eats. Rig up with a small hook rig, added colorful pill floats can help and bait with Fish Bites, live bloodworm, clam or squid.

Also present on the surf; fluke, blues and croakers. There’s also a few XL butter fish which look similar to pompano and permit. The three later species will take small baited hooks.

Smaller size bluefish haven been around all summer, but there are some bigger yellow eye demons. This big bluefish was caught today (Sunday morning) by Chris (@cjb269) on a mullet rig. Chris was not in the LBI Surf Fishing Classic Tournament. That could have been a big winner on just day 2 of the three month event. If you are fishing the LBI surf… sign up now and score!

Many of the beaches are unguarded as the patrols are running on skeleton crews. This means more open beaches to fishing! More beach access coming tomorrow… September 1 means Holgate is open. Soon after most all of the LBI beaches will be open to beach buggies. Be sure to check out LBI 4×4 Beach Driving Info for helpful info.

It’s On – LBI Surf Fishing Classic Tournament

Yesterday was opening day for the 71st Annual LBI Surf Fishing Classic! Here at Fish Heads we had three weigh-ins. A fluke that I mentioned previously by Wayne Smith as well as these two other catches were checked in…

Eddie Kuestner caught an 8.3# 28.5″ striped bass on a lure fishing the north end at sunrise.

Matt Crawford caught a 0.92# 13.5″ kingfish on the mid-Island surf Saturday morning using Fish Bites. Matt also had a surf side bluefish but it did not meet the tournament’s minimum length of 16″.

More Tournament Info > LBI Surf Fishing Classic Website

Surf Fishing Seminar – Sept 6th

Next weekend, Saturday September 6th is the Surf Fishing Classic Seminar. This free event at the Ship Bottom Firehouse will be a great time to talk surf fishing and learn from other anglers. There will be free coffee, doughnuts and possibly bagels. Also door prizes and possibly some raffles.

Barnegat Inlet Fishing Report

The tog fishing for land based anglers working Barnegat Inlet is great. It’s the best it has been and September is lined up to be just as good if not better.

Reg Reminder Tog / Tautog / Blackfish: 1 fish at 15″

Reports from anglers tog fishing the jetty and Barnegat Light bayside were all strong this weekend. Anglers catching on both green crabs and sand fleas. Also on tap… fluke, striped bass, bluefish, SHEEPSHEAD and triggerfish!

Today (Sunday) Connar Kaufmann shared a couple catch photos from his morning fishing trip… a big trigger and a good size sheepshead. Connor said, “Triggers and porgies on the wrecks and sheep at the inlet.”

Reg Reminder Porgy / Scup: 30 fish at 10″ – No regulation on triggerfish nor sheepshead however please fish responsibility. There’s no reason for gluttony as these are important species to our diversified warm water fisheries.

Robert Martinez shared these two photos of sheepshead he caught on Saturday fishing the rocks at Barnegat Inlet.

While on the sheepshead roll, Dan Kiamie Weighed in a 23″ 9# sheepshead that he caught on a sand flea and tog jig.

Near Shore Waters

Albies are showing inshore! Some days better than others but for the most part this past week has been active Store staffer Frezza reported fire albie fishing before the weekend. On the bait other species such as but not limited to the following are here; spanish mackerel, bonito, bluefish and weakfish. Piles of weakfish (mostly spikes) and small blues are out front. Also… COBIA! Big ones are schooled up and roaming the near shore waters of LBI. Stay tuned to our Instagram page for a new cobia drone video post coming soon.

In The Bay

Snappers, some blowfish (anglers are catching but not loading up), spot, weakfish and croakers are good targets. There’s still plenty of fluke in the bay but for the majority of the bigger ones you’ll want to be fishing in close proximity to the inlets.

PSA – Barnegat Inlet Hazard

Barnegat Inlet Hazard to Mariners – There is shoaling in the area of nun 16 – 18 just a few 100 yds to the west of the Barnegat Lighthouse. The sandbar has grown over time and encroached the main channel. This August it has gotten much worse and it’s claiming victims almost daily. I shared the first mention of this about a month ago. I’ve already received a lot of thank you for the warning.

Stay Tuned – Striped Bass

Be on the look out for a striped bass regulation post coming soon. I’ll try to have it up asap to recap the NJ Striped Bass Advisory meeting I attended last week. More changes coming.

Thank You

Thanks to all of our customers for an awesome summer. It was a crazy busy one full of great weather and great fishing. Last but not least, sorry for the lack of updates in the past two weeks. I’m beyond too busy and have not been able to carve out the time to provide both a video and a text report so be sure you are subscribed to the Fish Head’s Youtube page and be sure to follow the Fish Head’s Instagram page as it’s the most frequently updated channel with shop info, weigh-ins and current events. Publishing these blogs take a tremendous amount of time. In the near future expect more infrequent reports as school’s back and my schedule becomes more limited. I’ll do my best.

As we hit the mid-August mark, there’s signs of summer winding down. College students are packing up with back to school prep AND we got our first fresh mullet delivery this week (sold out fast). Nothing hints at fall more than schools of mullet, a sure sign fall fishing isn’t far.

Today’s easterly winds brought some relief from the heat but kept many boats from pushing out into the ocean. Tomorrow looks more fishable, and I’m eager to get out on the fluke grounds. My recent trips have been consistently productive and the chatter in the shop backs it up.

A wave of fluke left the bay over the last week (last weekend was the full moon of August) lighting up the inlets with quality action for both boat and beach / jetty / surf anglers. I’ve mentioned before how the main arteries are the place to be. That still holds true. And the reef and wreck sites are all flukie. The stock is healthy (summer flounder spawning stock biomass was not over fished in 2024 and our fishing effort is not over fishing the stock – for details see the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council’s morning meeting on August 13 about Summer Flounder, scrub ahead to the 12:30 mark for the start), and the fish are feeding.

After a beautiful stretch of weather, we’re now eyeing easterly winds next week and the arrival of big swell from Hurricane Erin. Her development should be watched closely in the coming days as it intensifies and propagates west, north west and then north doing the classic recurve. Right now the models have it splitting the gap between Bermuda and the Outer Banks as a major hurricane. A large long-period swell will be pumping for the entire eastern seaboard with forerunners showing on LBI’s beaches early next week. As the swell arrives there will be east north east wind and windswell present so the surf will be sloppy and disorganized. If all plays out like the models are showing right now (most likely a lot of things will change) mid-week we might have the largest tropical swell LBI has seen in decades. Erin swell will be peaking  Thursday morning and fading through the weekend. Stay tuned to the National Hurricane Center for updates

Here’s the LBI Fishing Report Update For Friday August 15, 2025, but first a link to my most recent fishing report video from the 13th.

LBI SURF FISHING REPORT

Unlike last year which was plagued with ice cold waters due to upwelling (LBI Upwelling Explained) and a more dominant Labrador current (I mentioned on the 7/4/24 report update and then it was later detailed by NOAA Fisheries), the ocean water temperatures are warm and have been warm all summer. The Atlantic City gauge hit 79°F on August 12 and slightly topped it again on August 15, likely marking the seasonal high. Recent days the LBI surf has been in the mid-70º’s. Today, Friday 8/15/25 the Harvey Cedars Beach Patrol posted a surf temp of 77º!

With the warm water temperatures the fish on the beach are active. The fluke fishing continues with the majority of action full of shorts. But surf side keepers are there. So far this summer we have had a surprising number of classy surf side fluke making it one of the best summer surf fluke seasons in a while. Best of all it’s not localized to one spot. We have had great fishing north to south with a whole lot in between on the mid-Island beaches. A recent fluke catch photo we can share is from Patrick Socaciu who scored this 22” fluke fishing sun rise on the mid-Island surf. His photo is shown below.

The kingfish (northern kingfish) has improved and anglers are catching on FishBites with a small hook hi/lo rig with colorful mini floats. Also with these same baited rigs catch croakers and POMPANO!!! We received a video from Jack Keating from Stack Tackle showing what we believe to be schools of pompano with their yellow tails clearly visible cruising the mid-Island surf. The next day after he showed us we received three different reports of surf anglers targeting either fluke or kingfish catching pompano.

Father and daughter duo John and Jennifer Gottshall caught kingfish and pompano fishing Fish  Bites on the LBI surf Wednesday.

Dave C. stopped in the shop Thursday and reported good fishing off the mid-Island surf. “It’s the opposite of last year! The warm water has kept the fishing great up my street. All summer I have caught fluke. More recently the kingfish bite has been great and today, now POMPANO. All on Gulp!” Dave’s pompano catch is shown above on the left side of the fluke catch photo. Here’s another one that was caught on a sand flea by Seamus Stanicky.

There’s a lot more pompano around right now than you might think.

Bluefish are a surf opportunity too but spotty.

Register now for the LBI Surf Fishing Classic!

This year is the 71st Annual running of the event and there’s lots of new additions and exciting changes. The dates were shifted forward to add fluke (for one month of September) and due to popular demand broaden the tautog category. The event kicks off this August 30th and runs until November 30th. There is also a new prize structure so the event offers weekly and daily prizes for striped bass and bluefish, but no more segments. For kingfish, tautog and fluke there are weekly prizes, no dailies. There’s a bunch of special bonus dates and additional bonus prizes. Also the Surfmaster photo catch and release division is on again with the winning fish taking home a full size replica fish mount by Rinehart Taxidermy as well as a custom fishing rod by master craftsman John Parzaych. Be sure to sign up to score a free tournament hat while supplies last. Registration is $40. For more details check out www.LBISFC.com.

INLET FISHING

The Barnegat Inlet offers a good variety of action right now. And the newly modified bulkhead at the wall provides much easier fishing access. We are not sure how much this may change but right now the lowered bulkhead and removal of the railing and topping of a flat top dock like decking is a game changer for anglers. That area is offering tautog and fluke right now.

Did you see Jake’s Jumbo from a few days ago?

Further out the jetty walk there’s more fluke and tautog as well as cocktail size bluefish. Both Thursday and Friday on the incoming current (~11am – 2pm) the yellow eyes were active with bird play. It looked like both blues and birds were chasing bay anchovies and spearing.

On the tog side of things, most are underside but great fun to catch and release. There’s keepers in the mix and as the season progresses should only get better. Rig up with a hi/lo, single drop or single jig. Tog offer powerful bites on sand fleas and green crabs. So far our deliveries this month have been large size crabs. It’s all we can get, so if you want to fish small baits and don’t want to chop the large crabs with shears…use sand fleas. They are simple and effective! Best of all everything eats them from tog, triggers, sheepshead to sea bass, fluke and striped bass. Speaking of striped bass… two different anglers in the shop reported catching striped bass “tog fishing” with sand fleas on small light weight tog jigs.

At the inlet there’s also sheepshead, triggerfish and a couple black drum.

With Erin coming there will be great opportunities for striped bass with the easterly winds and swell! But be extremely careful for large long period swells and unexpected sneaker set waves next week! It will be best to stay away from the outer reaches of the rock. No matter the case, before venturing out there strap on Korkers Cleats for sure and safe footing.

OCEAN INSHORE FISHING REPORT

The ocean fluke fishing has been really good. Really really good! Some hard structures are loaded with sea bass and some areas are stacked bait robbing (sea) robins. But for the most part a variety of areas have great bottom fishing for fluke. Some snags offer triggerfish too! With tog open (one fish bag at 15” minimum size) that’s another target to bag as well. Photo below shows youth angler Juliana and her dad Tony as well as friend Bill with a fun day catching multiple species bottom fishing.

Compared to last season, it’s no contest. For all of August I’ve had great fishing out in the ocean fishing my favorite spots in 55-65’ of water. Just about every local wreck and reef site has good fluke fishing. My last trip (Thursday) was my worst in two weeks, possibly due to a ripping south current. First trip I didn’t have a solid catch in some time. All of my bites are on 5-6” Gulp Grubs in White Glow, Pink Shine, Nuclear Chicken tipped with meat; mackerel strips or belly strips. A friend of mine said the Salmon Red was lights out on his last couple trips.

Captain Greg Carr aboard LBI Charters runs a 28′ Crowley Beale Downeast boat the “Kev N Ash III” that is built for comfort, specializing in bottom fishing with full boat charters up to 6 people. He is always one the meat and shares that fluke fishing out of Barnegat Light this past week has been good, “LBI Charters has returned to the dock with good catches of nice sized fluke to 7-lbs. We are catching most all on 5 and 6” Gulp grubs from Fish Heads.  Our 6 hour charters ended with a boat limit of 21 fish Sunday AM, crew limit of 18 fish Sunday PM, 1 shy of boat limit with 20 fish Monday AM, boat limit of 18 fish Tuesday AM, and limit of 15 fish Thursday PM. We are booked for August but have a handful of dates still open in September. Now’s the time to reach out and book your dates for fall fishing. Call Captain Greg Carr today at 856-264-0318

Cobia are cruising around, lurking about the juvenile bunker schools. Photo bover is a big ones that was caught recently. These small bunker in the 4-7” range have been present for a couple of weeks so a variety of different species have found them. But their small size makes snagging them difficult. Most anglers fishing them are utilizing lures such as strong buckails, NLBN and Yo-Zuri Twichbaits (shown below) to target the cobia. Check out this video captured right off the LBI surf by Jack at Stack Tackle. There’s a lot more cobia around right now than you might think.

There’s lots of rays and toothy critters around; black tip, spinners, threshers, brown sharks, sand tigers and much more. Check out the latest video we shared on IG of a monsta manta ray.

The inshore to mid-shore waters also have Spanish mackerel and bonito. These hard tail speedsters are good fun on light tackle as well as good eats when cared for properly.

BARNEGAT BAY FISHING REPORT

The bay is very warm (upper 70º’s – low 80º’s on the Waretown temp gauge) which doesn’t offer the best fishing. It was significantly better 2-4 weeks back. But some of the channels and deeper areas are holding better size fluke, especially closer to the inlets and there are other species on tap too.

There is plenty of fluke still in the bay but a lot are on the smaller side. At this stage of the season a lot have made their exit. Fluke fishing the bay will be dominated by active shorts and small critters nibbling baits. Weeding and picking through you might be able to put together a catch. There are a few big ones still hanging around. Case and point look back at some recent catches from Jimmy Nacion (10.2#), Jake Smith (9.12#) and there were many others in the past couple weeks. August is a time when the big ones get caught trying to sneak out the Barnegat Inlet funnel.

Other species to target in the bay… blowfish are around but not stacked thick, spot, snapper blues, weakfish and croakers. Crabbing reports are better now than last week, possibly the slow down around the moon was due to the shed.

Clamming offers great fun and should be a great way to take advantage of the wind conditions and rough surf this upcoming week.

OFFSHORE / BIG GAME FISHING REPORT

With the recreational bluefin fishery closed (catch and release is allowed), tuna anglers are targeting yellowfin and big eye tuna. It’s a major disappointment as everyone was looking forward to a repeat of last fall into winter Bluefin Banger! Some bluewater anglers are enjoying the great billfish bite. Others are deep dropping for tilefish or pot hopping for mahi. There should be wahoo around too.

Store staffer Tyler was out fishing with Captain Jake Kline aboard On The Rocks Sportfishing and reported good deep drop fishing. “I chaffed off a big tilefish when the jig’s assist cord frayed and broke. I switched to a different brand on the re-rig and landed this monster on a JYG Pro Tilefish Jig fishing a Daiwa Tanacom 500 Electric Reel and a Magictail Wreck Rod. Tyler and the caught some deep drop gold and filling a cooler box.

The offshore tournament circuit is in full swing. Last week was the White Marlin Open in Ocean City Maryland. This week is the White Marlin Invitation in Beach Haven. Right here in Beach Haven, the WMI is the oldest white marlin tournament in the world. Mid Atlantic 500 is next week August 18-22nd.

As far as the WMI tournament, the weather and fishing have been great! Here’s a couple short reports from the WMI tournament chairman Dave Wittenborn on the first two days of fishing…

Day 1: Fantastic white marlin fishing for the fleet. Even Benita J got in on the action with the first fish of the tournament, going 1-4 on white marlin. Not real easy to catch them on tuna gear but this one took a pink chain intended for a big eye. No tuna bites for us but we’re on the board with 225 release points and will be back out Friday for our second day of fishing. 

Day 2: Incredible fishing so far as WMIT records continue to fall in the billfish categories, and a new BHMTC record yellowfin tuna was brought to the scale last night by Gray Fox, weighing in at 115 lbs. Not to mention, we have a record payout this year of $575,000. And we’re still only halfway through the tournament. Shark Byte Sportfishing has broken almost all previous billfish records with 15 daily releases (set twice on each day), overall releases totaling 30, and billfish points reaching 6,750, crushing their old record set just a few years ago. Jersey Nutz is currently in the tuna lead with a 167# bigeye. This is what happens when you put world-class fishermen in a world-class fishery… records will fall.

And it’s not just Shark Byte having an amazing week; several other billfish boats are reporting double-digit billfish releases, and we have multiple big eyes and huge yellowfins hitting the deck. This is some amazing competition and fishing and I’m back out Friday to see if I can get on the board… I hope they’re still snapping. Can’t wait until 5:00 today when the scales open at Dock Road Marlin Fest.

Here’s a link to the Leader Board

Long Beach Island has some really nice warm summertime waters and with it a lot of different species on tap. Currently we have the full moon of August so be prepared for more extreme tides. These higher highs and lower lows mean stronger tides at times so focus on the slower current windows for the best bite. Here’s the LBI Fishing Report Update video from this evening.

Long Beach Island Surf Fishing Report

The LBI surf is in the lower to mid 70’s; 72-75º. Just beautiful from the easterly winds. Despite a medium size (2-4′) summertime easterly swell churning the surf, fluke and kingfish as well as a few croakers are being caught off the sand. There are also cobia near shore as well as a few mahi. Check out the cobia and mahi video footage from 1/4-1/2 miles off LBI the other day! It was captured by Jack Keating at Stack Tackle. Check out the video report above and look for them at the 4:30 mark! Be on the lookout for blues, spanish mackerel, bonito and possibly false albies the next few weeks.

Barnegat Bay & Inlet Fishing Report

The inlets adjacent thoroughfares are particularly good as of late. The fluke movement out of the bays has been underway and will continue. These main arteries are where the fluke funnel on their way out. The past few days there have been many 4 to 8-pound fluke caught on Gulp and live bait (spot, minnows, snappers, peanut bunker. Jetty Jockey Jake Smith weighed in a big 9# fluke today. He speared it up at Barnegat Inlet. There’s also spot to catch as well as crabbing and clamming to enjoy.

Anglers fishing the rocks at Barnegat Light are finding a good multi-species bite, with plenty of action. Tog (opened August 1) and there’s mostly smaller fish but some keepers are possible, triggerfish, sheepshead, fluke, blues, weakfish and striped bass are all present. Here’s a spread from Keith Soycher.

Inshore / Near Shore Fishing Report

Inshore fishing has been good with great bottom fishing for fluke on the reef and wrecks. Depending on depth, some areas also have tog, sea bass, trigger, ling, porgy and other critters (sea robins, squid, mackerel). As long as the water temps (and bottom temps) remain warm and stable we should a have great fishing for the rest of the summer flounder fishing season.

Bluefins Tuna Recreational Tuna Quota Met

The recreational bluefin tuna fishing has been shut down because the quota has been reached. All anglers should check with NOAA Fisheries for updates.

Fortunately the yellowfin bite has been good so angler have them as well as big eye, tilefish and swords. We are looking forward to the 56th Annual White Marline Invitational Tournament hosted by the Beach Haven Marlin And Tuna Club this week… August 11-16th.

Angling category – All sizes, all areas CLOSED August 12, 2025, 11:30 p.m. local time – December 31, 2025. During a closure, recreational fishermen may continue to catch-and-release, or tag and release, bluefin tuna of all sizes, subject to the requirements of the catch-and-release and tag-and-release programs. Additionally, recreational fishermen may continue to recreationally harvest other highly migratory species, including other tunas, during this closure.

Atlantic Highly Migratory Species (HMS) Angling and HMS Charter/Headboat permitted vessels fishing recreationally for bluefin tuna.

Recreational fishermen aboard vessels with an HMS Angling or HMS Charter/Headboat permit, while fishing recreationally, may not retain, possess, or land any Atlantic bluefin tuna, including school, large school, small medium, large medium or giant-sized Atlantic bluefin tuna, from 11:30 p.m., August 12, 2025, through December 31, 2025.

Commercial fishery is not affected by this closure.

MORE INFO HERE

August starts with warm waters and solid variety of inshore fishing for Long Beach Island. The Barnegat Bay continues to deliver fluke, crabbing , clamming, uptick in blowfish, spot, bluefish, striped bass and boat flipping fun (whale gone wild – view on our Instagram page). Out front the surf has fluke and kingfish as well as a variety of Elasmobranchii (sharks and rays). Light tackle inshore anglers also have have Atlantic mackerel, Spanish mackerel and bonito. On the structure anglers are catching sea bass, tautog, fluke, triggerfish and sheepshead. For more details check out the latest fishing report video (see below) and also be sure to check back to the last blog post as all of the information from my last post is still current and just as accurate then as it is today.

Occasional striped bass have been reported. Captain Dan aboard Hog Moon Charters is catching some in the early mornings light tackle plugging. A recent surf side striper report came in from Brain Arrabito.

There’s still plenty of fluke in the bay and some nice ones. Tom Smith caught this 24″ fluke the incoming tide in the bay today (Sunday).

Blackfish season is open with a one fish bag at 15″. Best way to target these is green crabs or sand fleas on a plain hook or jig. There’s plenty of bites to be had up at the Barnegat Inlet Jetty however finding a keeper right now could be tough..

Whether you’re fishing the back bays, beaches, or heading offshore, there’s something happening right now on every front. Now’s the time to go fish.