LBI's Premier Fishing Report By Fishermans Headquarters
Author: FishHead.Greg
Greg Cudnik is a Long Beach Island native with lifelong experience fishing and navigating the local waters. He is a distinguished Master Captain—the highest level of operator licensing—holding a U.S. Coast Guard Masters 50-Ton Near Coastal License with Towing Endorsement.
Raised in and now managing his family’s bait and tackle business, Fisherman’s Headquarters (est. 1962, The Saltwater Fishing Bait & Tackle Experts), Greg is immersed in fishing on a daily basis. He is the Chief Contributor of FishingLBI.com, Long Beach Island’s leading fishing report blog, and serves as the administrator of Fisherman’s Headquarters’ social media channels on Instagram and Facebook, where he shares real-time fishing reports, conditions, and tactics. Be sure to follow along.
Attention Saltwater Anglers! Now’s the time to join the Village Harbour Fishing Club. This month’s meeting is Friday April 8th at the Bay Ave Community Center (775 E Bay Ave, Stafford Township, NJ 08050). Doors open at 7:30pm.
Prospective new members should attend.
Captain Steve Purul of Reel Fantasea Fishing Charters is the guest speaker.
If that wasn’t enough it’s Pizza Night! Hope to see you there.
Captain Steve Purul of Reel Fantasea Fishing Charters is already into productive spring fishing in the first days of April. Attend the VHFC’s Meeting April 8th to learn from this great Barnegat Bay based captain.
About The VHFC
The Village Harbour Fishing Club, Inc. (VHFC) was started in 1989 as a non-profit organization to bring together those anglers wishing to further their knowledge of sportfishing in our area of the New Jersey shore. Whether it is bay or ocean fishing that boils your blood, the VHFC has members that will share your enthusiasm!
The VHFC supports the conservation of our precious fishing resources and the NJ Artificial Reef Program. VHFS strives to promote the best interests of recreational angling, and to establish sportsmanship and fellowship.
For more information about the VHFC attend the meeting and check out their website… https://vhfishingclub.com/
The recent cold snap really put the breaks on what was a great early spring start. Things already started to bounce back temperature wise and we expect the fishing to rebound too. Here’s the Long Beach Island Fishing Report for March 30, 2022.
Tautog opens on Friday April 1st for NJ’s saltwater anglers.
The bayside striped bass fishing has been nothing short of phenomenal. Great feedback has poured in just about all month long. The past week or two was the best of it with schoolie striped bass hungry and feeding on both bait (bloodworms) and lures (3-4″).
The crew from the shop has been getting out and finding fish both day and night. Frezza reports, “Numerous nights, the bass were piling on the pink Yozuri Mag Darter.” This should be a surprise as the Mag Darter is a proven fish catcher year in and year out.
Another great lure (which is new to the scene) that the bass are loving right now is the Nomad Vertex. I fell in love with this new lure when first fished a sample last fall. It’s hard not to love a lure that hooks up on the first cast with. Long story short is a Vertex aka Vibe is a rattle trap and rubber swim shad morphed together. They can be fished many different ways; burn it, straight crank, snap jig, stop and go, yo-yo, even slow and steady. A straight crank with an intermittent sweep is my most effective. This lure has sold like wild fire since its release and was a hit at the recent Saltwater Expo. We have a limited selection with more expected soon. Check one out today and keep an eye out for the next deliver.
Early season spots (backbay, creeks, rivers, sod bank points) are where you want to focus time but any day things will break on the surf. If you’ve looked at the surf maybe you say the bird activity. Some days it looked like armageddon. The recent stiff west winds had the gannets fired up and diving. Both bunker and herring are in the waters.
Mid-March fishing on and around LBI has been good for striped bass, winter flounder and perch. Some great reports are coming in from around the state too. The weather is great and it’s time to get out and enjoy some time on the water. Let’s fish!!!
Kory from Philly sent in this catch, photo, release yesterday. He’s always fishing the LBI surf but right now he’s fishing and catching good bass in his backyard.
Here’s an update to supplement the recent fishing report post, Early March LBI Fishing Report. Today Paul Lindsey weighed in a 29″ striped bass and won the $100 gift certificate for the first striped bass of 2022 season. He turned around and donated it on the spot to the Southern Regional Fishing Club. Four members (high school students) just scored $25 Fish Heads Gift Cards. Thanks & Congrats Paul!
Do You Fish The Artificial Reefs?
Most every saltwater anglers fishing the Central Jersey Coast has fished the local reef sites for fluke, sea bass and tog. If you want to give back and support their ongoing reef building project please Donate Now! No amount is too small or large.
We kicked off March with some great weather which had anglers out and about comfortably fishing. The main target species right now are striped bass, perch and winter flounder. Catch reports have come in from all around our local area. Here’s the report…
Striped Bass
Early season striped bass fishing is all about targeting areas where are holding over and the areas in close proximity. Also focus on finding and fishing the warmest water temperatures which also coincide with the most fish activity. This means fishing higher sun, afternoons, evenings and the outgoing tides.
Right now the rivers and creeks have hungry bass eating both bloodworms and lure. We’ve also received reports of striped bass out back on the mid-Island bayside.
Shop alumni Jordan reports great fishing on the west side of Barnegat Bay, “The bite has been good. I found some healthy sized fish (over 28″) Wednesday evenings.”
Last night Paul Lindsney reported action fishing the mid-Island bayside last night, “The conditions were grassy but I was wailing bass.” He mentioned that lures were tough to fish in the conditions so he switched to bait. This time of the season hungry bass can’t resist the live bloodworms. “I lost my grandfather on Tuesday and he was sending me these fish on almost every cast.”
Winter Flounder
Two reports in one from a land based angler who fished the mid-island bayside. He chummed hard but didn’t catch any.
A boat report came in from Dave Moores who is in the northern Barnegat Bay area. He was fishing with his buddy Nick and they caught some winter flounder yesterday.
I saw this posted on social media and shared it in hopes it promotes cold water fishing safety.
Public Safety Announcement by Travis Iapicco
If you are crazy/hardcore enough to be out in a kayak this time of year please realize you are risking your life. Wear a PFD and ideally a dry suit. Have your other safety gear like a whistle and maybe even a hand held VHF radio and water activated light.
I currently work out in Raritan Bay off Staten Island on a construction project. Our crew boat runs periodically during the day bringing people back and forth from site to our launch/office in Laurence Harbor. Posting this cause hopefully it will end up saving somebody from being in same situation…
This afternoon around 1pm my phone started going off from guys out at the site. Our crew boat was making a run back to drop some people at the office when one of the guys aboard thought they saw someone waving their arms a few hundred yards away. The captain slowed down and that’s exactly what it was – two kayakers had fallen overboard out of their kayaks while going for winter flounder. One said he got knocked out from a rogue wave. The other flipped trying to help his friend. First guy had a PFD aboard but not on. What I understood was 2nd guy had his on but took it off and threw it trying to help save his buddy.
This capsized kayaker is in trouble. Add in cold water and the situation is life threatening fast. This photo is not from the event detailed here but a stock photo from Walking Rivers.
Fortunately the crew boat had all the proper gear onboard the boat to help; a hypothermia kit, a Jason’s Cradle, etc. so they could be safely retrieved and get their body temps back up. One guy barely made it up and needed assistance. We try to do man overboard drill monthly too and it paid off for them. They said they were in the water for 10 mins. Our buoy at site says water temp is about 40 degrees presently. One of the guys onboard our boat called Old Bridge PD/EMS and they met the boat at our dock to care for them. The kayakers were released without going to the hospital. Only casualties were a lost paddle, lost rods, and maybe cell phones.
If it wasn’t a matter of time and space, people would be posting links to local fishing groups about how there’s a search underway for 2 missing kayakers in Raritan Bay. It’s great to get out on the water but everybody be safe and realize the danger especially this time of year when you are basically alone on the water.
Long before all of the engineering advancements in technology and tackle, Pacific aboriginal fishermen carved animal horns and bones to a curved circle shape. Modern day commercial fishermen have successfully used circle hooks much earlier than recreational anglers. It took time but slowly recreational anglers learned of the importance of circle hooks.
Commercial longliners have successfully used circle hooks for tuna, swordfish, tilefish and sharks. Circle hooks offer great hooking efficiency and they reduce fish injury which in turn lowers mortality, dead discard. Photo: Britton Spark @couchchronicles
Recreation Circle Hook Milestones
Central America led the way in the recreational fishing world with j-hook restrictions, mandating circle hooks in all billfish tournaments by 2005. In 2008, all federally permitted boats in the USA were required to use circle hooks with baits in all Atlantic billfish tournaments. In 2019, the federal circle hook mandate expanded to Mako sharks including a specialty HMS Permit Shark Endorsement.
Finally, in October 2019 the ASMFC (Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Council) approved Addendum 6 which implemented measures to reduce total striped bass removals by 18% in order to achieve the fishing mortality target in 2020. Among other measures, a mandatory use of circle hooks when fishing with bait in recreational fisheries with a January 1, 2021 deadline.
The circle hook mandate finally reached mainstream coastal anglers.
Why The Striped Bass Circle Hook Mandate?
The circle hook mandate was designed to reduce gut hooking especially in passive fishing situations. Anecdotal evidence from anglers up and down the “Striper Coast” all agree, when natural baits (fresh or live) are dead sticked for striped bass with traditional J-hooks deep hooking is highly likely. However, with inline circle hooks these risks are greatly reduced.
New management measures (size and bag limit regulations) have resulted in an increase of released striped bass. For one reason or another, a considerable portion of released fish die. It’s debatable but the latest assessment assumes +/- 9% release mortality.
The use of inline non-offset circle hooks undoubtedly reduces gut hooking and significantly increases the survival of released fish. This is especially true in the case of striped bass, a very hardy fish that has no teeth and inhales their prey. Inline circle hooks offer the best rate of survival, reducing catch and release mortality.
Fish Fact: In 2018 (most recent year in ASMFC Addendum VI) the Recreational Striped Bass Harvest was 2.24 million fish. The Recreational Striped Bass Release Mortality was 2.82 million fish. Yes science claims recreational anglers released (and then died) more striped bass than they harvested.
Are you fishing for striped bass with natural bait? If so you MUST fish inline circle hooks.
Yes, J-hooks are prohibited when bait fishing for striped bass.
Yes, Snag and drop fishing with weighted treble hooks is prohibited!
For New Jersey Anglers – Circle Hook Regulation As Per NJDEP – In-line (non-offset) circle hooks must be used when fishing for striped bass with natural bait in all waters. Effective January 1, 2021
***Anglers are allowed ONE Striped Bass 28 inches to less than 38 inches*** While some anglers may be against it, this regulation is great for striped bass. All recreational anglers must embrace it and do everything they can to respect the fishery and decrease release mortality. Due to new age tackle, marine electronics and freedom of fast information the fish do not stand a chance.
This large striped bass was caught near Barnegat Light by angler Bob Bruns aboard Fish Head Charters with Captain Greg Cudnik on November 15, 2021. Bob caught it on a live bunker fished with a large circle hook. After a good fight the fish was netted, quickly photographed (and properly handled, supported) and swam boat side for a minute before releasing.
We are very happy to close out the shortest month of the year, February. It’s usually filled with unruly winter conditions but for the most part it was fair to us. This has allowed eager anglers to shake off the dust. They are catching fish too!
Currently perch fishing is the mainstay. There’s good fishing reports coming in from both the Mullica River and Toms River area, both early season. Anglers fishing shrimp and worms at these prime areas are catching good number and good size ones. Fishing a small hook hi-lo rig is all you need.
One of a handful of reports came in from Karl Chen. He was recently fishing with Paul Karner and they caught their first fish of 2022. Karl said he caught three perch up to 15 inches on bloodworms.
Tuesday is the big dance!
The backwaters open on March 1st for Striped Bass & Winter Flounder. For winter flounder look around the Causeway Bridges. Usually the soft mud bottoms is where they are holding.
Striped bass are at the early season spots and waiting for all of us! Look towards the like the creeks, rivers and bays where the action turns on first.
There’s no better spring bait than bloodworms! Lethargic fish enjoy a tasty and easy to digest meal. Bloodworms is that perfect treat!
Saltwater Fishing Expo
The Saltwater Fishing Expo is March 18-20 at the NJ Convention & Exposition Center. On all of the days, there is a solid list of seminars from top fishing minds that you don’t want to miss. It’s a great opportunity to learn, hone your skills, explore new ideas and techniques. Best of all you can meet and network with other anglers.
The team from Fishermans Headquarters will be at 401 with a solid spread of fishing tackle. Be sure to stop by and say hello.
Unusual Crab Catch
Check out this albino crab catch by Jeremy Muerman. He shared, “I see a few a year with varying degrees of pigmentation. One claw is more common. It has been awhile since I’ve seen one with this much white. Two claws and two legs for this guy. It’s probably at least ten years since I’ve seen a full albino crab.”
