Here’s the Fisherman’s Headquarters fishing report update from September 10, 2019.

The Long Beach Island surf offers fluke, kingfish and blues. We heard of a couple resident striped bass too. Two separate pompano reports off the surf this past week.  Recently Rob Vallone reported catching both kingfish and fluke on the surf.

It’s time to Sign Up for the Fall Derby! The 65th Annual LBI Surf Fishing Classic kick off is only 25 days away. Be sure to sign up soon while the early sign up goodies are still available. Also be sure to pre register (free) for the Opening Day Seminar.

Reports from the north end bayside and inlet all talk of fish. Lots of out of season sea bass eating baits. Jetty Jockey Jeff got an 11# sheephead and a 3.6# trigger on Sunday. We got a report from an angler in the shop who got one bass bucktailing the jetty. Expect more linesider action in the coming days and weeks.

Speaking of striped bass… they need everyone’s help! There is a meeting this Thursday September 12, 2019 from 6 to 8:30 PM at the Bay Avenue Community Center. It is located at 775 East Bay Avenue Manahawkin, New Jersey.

The short hand is there are three options on the table. Option 1 is Status Quo. This will not rebuild the stocks. Option 2 calls for an 18% reduction for the recreational sector and an 18% reduction by the commercial sector. This is the option I choose because it calls for a fair and equal reduction. Option 3 would require a 20% reduction for the recreational sector and only a 1.8% reduction for the commercial sector. Under Options 2 and 3 there are various sub-options. From what we hear, it is likely that the ASMFC will approve all or most of them.

Weakfish and blowfish continue to bite good in the bay. Yesterday store staffer Sam was fluke fishing the Barnegat Bay. He reported, “Lots of fluke still in the bay. Got 25 flounder up to 22″ fishing the outgoing tide. Water was 71 degrees. Live minnow and Gulp being bait of the day.”

Offshore Captain Jeff Warford had two good trips out at the edge. He said, “The fall bite is here!” One trip he got two allisons and a swordfish. He shared, “Two sickles came steaming across the spread all light up and crushed the baits. It was one of the best feeds I’ve witnessed.” The next trip out they caught seven large yellowfins (not allisons). He said, “Extra large yellowfin tuna blowing small mackerels out of the water right off the transom. There’s nothing better than hand feeding these hammers!”

Time flies when you are having fun! It’s shocking that the (unofficial) summer has come to an end. BUT! We are stoked for the weeks ahead.

Sept 1 = Holgate is open!

As of September 1 the Holgate Beach Buggy access is open. Beach conditions are good however with a solid north east blow coming it will be interesting to see how the area fares. The “new” Terminal Groin has really changed things. Only a few weeks back the ramp area was looking very bad at a time when it usually fills in with sand. It changed the way the current flows long shore and threatens the area south of it, beach and access ramp.

“All of the sand that was there last year is gone. The ramp was rebuilt back up against the dunes.” John P. reported on opening day (Sunday), “It’s good for now but might not last long. The sand is good, a little on the sugary side. As always, watch the tides! There’s a few sections that are impassible.” John went on and shared a fishing report from the south end. “I put in about two hours fishing and caught plenty of short fluke on bait and Gulp. Other anglers were catching too.” We got word that store staffer Joe C. got a keeper fluke in the mix.

On the fishing front these species are up for grabs… Bay: Blowfish, Blues, Weakfish, Fluke, resident bass, sheepshead… Inlet: Blues, Bass, Triggerfish, Tog, Fluke Surf: Kingfish, Fluke, Blues & Pompano… Inshore: Fluke, Sea Bass, Spanish Mackerel, Bonita. Offshore: Yellowfin Tuna (Some Allisons), Big Eye Tuna, Swordfish, White Marlin

The final days of August are here and the stage is set for a great September. The cool nights, recent North East blow (during the work week) and the ground swell on Thursday had strong FALL vibes shake things up. Here’s the Fisherman’s Headquarters Fishing LBI Fishing Report Update For Labor Day Weekend, Friday August 30th.

Get your fluke fix!

With only a couple weeks left now’s a great time to get some quality fluke fishing in. Reminder: The NJ recreational summer flounder season closes on September 21st.

This is the time of year when the fluke stage up in the ocean and fishing can be awesome. Recent reports were mixed with some saying great things but others saying poop. It seems that certain areas are holding fish while other areas are barren or loaded with sea robins. We expect it to be good right to the end.

Today local angler Chris stopped in and reported, “Got 11 keepers today fishing an ocean spot working 40′ of water.” Chris is a great angler and clearly dialed in!

Another good report came from Ryan Mollicone. He fished aboard the Jen Jen with Tyler Leary and his brothers. He said fishing at one of the local Long Beach Island reef sites was good but shorts ruled the roost, “We had a great fishing with over 40 fish. The hat color was salmon red. At times they are inhaling jigs.” Also at the reef and wrecks… some decent sea bass fishing.

Great Time For A Barnegat Bay Slam

Late August & September is one of the best times to seek out a Barnegat Bay Slam or better yet a Grand Slam! We reported on the fluke above.

Striped Bass Fishing On LBI

On the striped bass front there’s an abundance of resident striped bass in the local water. Very few off the surf, but the bay (especially at night) offers great opportunities. These linesiders have been around all summer long so we expect these same fish to stick around right into fall.

LBI Bluefish Report

Snappers and cocktails can be found at just about any area of water around LBI. From the street ends and docks on the bayside to the inlets and surf small bluefish are cruising and feeding. They are a ton of on light tackle.

LBI Weakfish Report

The weakfish are still going strong with reports from the north, mid and south end of the Island. The Fishing Musician Rick stopped in today and caught up with us. He’s been into a lot of fun fishing this summer and said the past week has been great on the bayside. He caught 15+ weakfish up to 21″, four this morning up to 20″ and most are eating very good as they are stuffed fat bellied fish. Rick’s go to secret is a 1/2oz lead head with a 5″ Jerk Shad.

Other Points of Interest

Kingfishing slowed due to the recent blow but we expect it will pick right back up. Blowfish is steady at the classic main bay areas. A teen size black drum was reported by a customer fishing the Ship Bottom Bayside. He also mentioned that the kids were having a blast catching snappers and one got a ribbon fish.

The Inlet still has sheepshead, triggerfish and tog. Andrew (photo below) stopped by to check in a 4.5# tog and a 5# triggerfish.

by Jim Hutchinson Sr.

The Beach Haven Charter Fishing Association held its annual fishing tournament recently for the youngsters who participated in this year’s Junior Mates Program. Five captains and boats of the Association volunteered their time to reward the junior mates with a day of competitive fishing.

Boats fishing this year’s event included the “Pension Plan,” “Reel Determined,” “Starfish,” “Hot Tuna,” “M & J,” and the “Insatiable.” There were many fish caught altogether with 16 fish kept for the weigh-in. These fish consisted of black sea bass and summer flounder. In third place on “Reel Determined” was first year mate Matt with a 2.68-pound fluke.

Second place was taken with a 2.78-pound fluke caught by Sam M. aboard the “Starfish. Taking first place was a 3.44-pound fluke caught by second year junior mate Owen aboard “Pension Plan.” The pool winner for the day was a 6.24-pound fluke caught by guest Vikki Graham aboard the “Insatiable.” The fish measured over 25-inches.

On regular fishing trips Captain Ray Lopez has been catching both fluke and black sea bass well on the “Miss Liane.” Recent successful trips featuring nonstop action on these bottom fish have included the Gibbons and McNally families. Another trip Captain Ray had the Holdenfied family out for a 12-hour trolling trip with mates Kieran and Max. The group enjoyed great weather and fishing conditions with constant action throughout the entire day catching giant false albacore, bonito and mahi-mahi.

The next few weeks look like good ones for fishing in the Beach Haven area. A month remains in the summer flounder season with the best fluke fishing of the season traditionally in September. In addition, the inshore trolling action for mackerel, bonito, and bluefish continues to amaze all. Additional information on the Beach Haven Charter Fishing Association can be found at www.BHCFA.org.

I just spent the last six days in a row on the water, five of them at Barnegat Ridge, and it was a blast. Big bonita, up to six pounds, spanish mackerel, 18 to 24 inches, and false albacore, everything from midgets to jumbos. Every once in a while we are also adding king mackerel and mahi mahi to the catch. We even had a four foot houndfish crash one of our cedar plugs yesterday. We took a few pics and released it. The mix of species on the Ridge offers great sport and delicious eats! Mostly on the high speed troll but we are mixing in some spinning tackle to keep it light and fun. Little squid chains and cedar plugs are doing well for us.

If conditions are not right to go to the Ridge, we are catching two to four foot sharks only 4 miles offshore. This is a catch and release fishery. These fish tear line off of heavy spinning outfits. Mostly Atlantic sharpnose, spinners, blacktips, and an occasional bigger dusky shark. A few pics alongside the boat with you in the background and off he goes.

If the weather isn’t good for going out the inlet at all, we are catching a mixed bag right in the bay. Fluke, blowfish, weakfish, sand sharks, and an assortment of other species. Not a lot of weakfish, but we’re catching a few.

If it’s really nice, like 5 to 10 knots of wind and calm seas, we can go tuna hunting. Most likely in the 40 to 60 mile range. Lots of choices!

Open Boat to Barnegat Ridge Thursday August 22, 10AM to 4PM $150 person. Open Boat Tuna or Barnegat Ridge Saturday August 24 and Sunday August 25. If it’s Mid Range Tuna, we”ll sail 4AM to 4PM, $350 person. If it’s Barnegat Ridge, we”ll sail 7AM to 2PM, $175 person. It will depend on the weather and how many people want to do one or the other. All of the Open Boat trip dates are available for your own private charter, as well. All Open Boat trips are limited to four passengers and all fish are shared.  You can call right up until “go time”!

TGIF! Here’s the work week recap fishing report for Friday August 16, 2019.

The windy weather and occasional storm days this past weeks had things churned up. Anglers picked and chose their trips carefully, stayed on course and productive fishing prevailed. Fish Head’s customers and store staffers have enjoyed some time on the water. Here’s some intel from how they made out this week.

The waters of Long Beach Island offer great fishing opportunities for anglers of all sorts. The variety of species is excellent; blowfish, bluefish, bonita, cobia, fluke, kingfish, mahi, sea bass, sheepshead, spanish mackerel, striped bass, tog, triggerfish, weakfish. I gotta be missing a couple!

The inlet, surf and bay have good fishing for land based anglers. We shared one great report earlier in the week from fishaholic Jeff Crabtree. As always Jeff is dialed in… Monday he checked in a 10# sheepshead and then Wednesday a 7# tog.

Another solid report came in from Mark Macmillan of Ridley, PA. Mark stopped in on Thursday after a fun session and shared, “I caught a variety of fish today. Fishing the Inlet and surf. All together some short fluke, a number of bluefish up to 20″ and two kingfish.”

Also on Thursday a customer brought in a small fish which he caught on the Ship Bottom bayside. He was curious and looking for an identification. Right away we knew it was a baby cobia and advised there is a 40″ minimum size. The fish was illegal. All anglers… know the laws! If you don’t know what you have take a photo and throw it back!

In the bay clamming and crabbing is good. We’ve got the essentials and the hard to find tools and accessories. Stop on by for clamming rakes, bushel baskets, traps, nets and much more!

Dante from Magictail Lures reported an awesome day on the water recently with his dad. He reported, “I got the sheephead itch after Captain Brian Williams showed me a few tricks. I wanted to put it to use in my local waters. Using the Magictail Back Bay Tog Jigs tipped off with crab and it was game on fishing the sod banks. We caught a nice 15# blackdrum, 8 sheephead and a couple tog.

Store staffer Jay reported lots of blowfish in the bay. He tried for triggers and got one.

Store staffer Pat reported the bluefish and striped bass are feeding on the baby bunker in the bay. “The juvenile bunker are growing in size. Most nights the game fish find them and it’s on. The resident striped bass are teeing off on them. Surprisingly the bluefish are ranging in good size from small snappers to almost 7-8 pounds.

The dog days of summer fishing can be tough but recent reports are good. The Barnegat Bay and Inlet as well as the Long Beach Island Surf are good places to look for fun summer fishing. The inshore, mid-shore and offshore game is strong. Here’s the Fishing LBI fishing report update for Sunday August 11, 2019.

The Long Beach Island Bayside Fishing Report

Blowfishing is still good in Barnegat Bay. Some nice size fish that are prefect for the table. Very few reports from the Manahawkin Bay and Great Bay but we can only assume there are some present.

The local groms fishing the Island’s bayside reported snappers and weakfish this weekend. One of the high hookers, Grey is consistently into weakfish. Just about every night he is catching a bunch in the lights. There’s small striped bass showing too. Fishing small plastics and bucktails is the ticket.

At the Barnegat Inlet rocks anglers reported slow fluke fishing this weekend but other species were present to “take up the slack”. Josh and Anthony from Staten Island reported, “With fluking slow for us and only a couple small blues at the Inlet and we targeted tog with crabs.” They both caught nice size keeper fish. The duo mentioned there’s a lot of small bait around. Expect the tog action to contiue right into fall when better size fish show up and dominate.

Steve from Monroe, NY stopped in this Saturday evening and reported catching two triggerfish at the Inlet rocks. There should also be sheepshead there too.

Long Beach Island Surf Fishing Report

The kingfish action along the surf has been good. Thursday and Friday were slow due to a slight chill to the water. A minor upwell occurred from the southerly blow Wednesday night. However, the light winds and long period groundswell helped let the sun warm things up Saturday and Sunday. Today (Sunday) we heard from one customer there were Spanish Mackerel on the mid-Island surf chasing bait. He caught on small metal. Another customer reported small blues, spike weakfish and two fluke on the North End surf.

Inshore/Mid-Shore Fishing Report

The inshore and mid-shore waters off of Long Beach Island are very productive. From fluke to sea bass to bonita and mackerel.

August is the right time to look towards bottom fishing the reefs and wrecks targeting fluke, sea bass and tog. Anglers putting in time on the reefs (Axel to Garden State South) are getting fluke and sea bass. The open bottom areas in close proximity to the reef sites are also holding fluke.

Captain Jeff Davis aboard Let It Fly Charter (25′ Parker Sport Cabin P: 6093771299) reported the fluke fishing was good today outside of Barnegat Inlet. He said it was a beautiful day on the water fill with with good weather and great fishing. Give him a call to go fish!

Eli Haegele fished today aboard the Doughknot and did good fluke fishing. He said, “Lots of shorts mixed with a ton of sea bass and sea robins. You have to pick your way through to find the keeper fluke.”

The mid-shore game around the Barnegat Ridge has been good all summer. Fun filled fishing with small pelagic species including Kingfish, Bonito, False Albacore and Mahi Mahi. Guys trolling with feathers and spoons are catching.

Nick DeGennaro stopped in this weekend and geared up with some things. He went out and reported lots of life outside of BI. “We trolled around and had a bunch of readings…ended up banging on the fish… mahi, spanish mackerel, false albacore, bonita and king mackerel. Cedar plugs, daisy chains, and live peanuts. It was a good day!”

Ryan Warford was out in the ocean trolling and working the bottom. He reported, “Two bonita, two kingfish, and four man limit of sea bass and ling.”

Bluewater Fishing Off Of The Jersey Shore

Small boats rejoice! The mid-shore bluefin tuna bite continues on. This summer the action has been outstanding and doesn’t seem to be stopping. Mustad Moonriser and Nomad Streaker jigs are the ticket. While we are just about sold out right now we expect more soon. Gotta love when a company decides to move their warehouse, not only in the middle of the season but during a red hot bite! Early this morning the bite was good at the Princess but the boat traffic slowed things up by 8am. We heard of a smoking all out jig bite on Thursday and Friday. Saturday it was slow. Once customer shared he put a Ronz down and it did the trick! You’ll be surprised what a softbait can do!

Store staffer Pat was out today and got into a good bite on yellowfin tuna out at the canyons. They went five for five on yellowfin and reported lots of life at the Hudson. Pat said, “The bite was not stellar, most people said they didn’t catch. We found a nice stretch of water with tons of life and worked it.”

Upcoming Fluke Tournament

The JCAA Fluke Tournament (second one of the summer) is August 16, 17 and 18th. The new format fluke tournament from JCAA is a unique one. You may fish only one of the dates so you can pick the day you prefer. It’s a three fish tournament but a prize will be offered for the largest fish too. Click here for more details.

Here we go… kicking off August with a solid line up of fishing. The water has rebounded from our last report and with it the fishing on the surf has bounced back. As of this morning the mid island surf temperature is 71 degrees.

From Shore Fishing Report

The fishing from the shores of Long Beach Island have a lot to offer. Kingfish and fluke are the go to targets on the surf. Live bloodworms, DynaBait Freeze Dried Bloods or the artificial alternative… Fish Bites are catching kingfish. For fluke… hands down Gulp is the most effective. Stop by the shop and check out some of the new Gulp colors. The fire tiger, blue fuze, and salmon are red hot colors.

Fluke, weakfish, small blues and striped bass present chances for fun. The inlet has fluke, triggerfish and tog to delight rock hoppers with fun fishing and tasty table fare.

NJ’s Tog season opened August 1 with one fish bag limit at 15″ minimum size. Today we received our first tog report. Frequent flier jetty jockey Jeff got a 19″ 4lb tog today.

The fishing musician Rick W. stopped in and reported getting into a grand slam on the LBI bayside. He caught a five pound weakfish, 17″ fluke, a small bluefish and a sea bass. That’s a epic fishing trip with feet on the ground. No boat needed for him.

Back Bay, Nearshore & Inshore

The blowfishing in Barnegat Bay continues strong. The fluke fishing is also consistence but finding keepers is a challenge.

The waters coastal inshore waters are clean and warm. The reefs and wrecks hold life and will be rocking for the next two months. Recent reports from a couple customers talked of fluke, sea bass, porgy and sharks. In the waters from the reef sites out 15 miles mahi, king mackerel, spanish mackerel, chub mackerel and bonita were caught.

One report came in from Bill Figley who fished Friday morning about 10-15 miles out of BI. He reported king mackerel were just about jumping in the boat.

NJ Artificial Reef Program

Speaking of Bill… A new “patch” reef was just named the William Kane Reef in honor of the first New Jersey Artificial Reef Coordinator, William “Bill” Kane Figley. A caisson gates (heavy steel wall like structure which was a part of an old dry dock) were sunk July 27th and rest at the following coordinates: North 40* 08.033′ x West 073* 56.431′

This deployment will serve as habitat for up to 150 various types of marine species for the next 75 years or more. This project was sponsored in its entirety by the TheSportFishingFund.org.

Mid-Shore Off-Shore Fishing Report

Bluefin! Bluefin!! Bluefin!!! The mid-shore grounds are lit up. I was out Thursday morning fishing with the boys aboard the Reel Innovation. We had Brooks from Cortland on for his first tuna hunt. Turns out we went two for four on the jig. Some boats trolled up some fish early and others chunked a few up. For the most part the jig was the way to go but it’s a lot of work. Get out there and get those jigs moving!

By far the best jigs are the Nomad Streakers and the Mustad Moon Risers. These were proven to outfish the fleet the past month. Expect these to be the stand outs the next few weeks. Boat opting to troll are picking most of their fish on Chatter Side Tracker Spreader Bars and Joe Shute or Magictail Hoo-Magic Heads rigged with Ballyhoo.

Here we are winding down the month of July with great fishing on Long Beach Island. It’s the heart of summer! Get out on the water and enjoy. Here’s the Long Beach Island Fishing Report Update For Monday July 29, 2019.

The past weekend was full of great weather and great fishing.

Barnegat Bay Fun Fishing

A great assortment of species await! Blowfish are plentiful in the main area of Barnegat Bay. Reports from the mid-island were ok but much slower. Fluke fishing is going strong. Small blues roam the waters and savvy anglers are playing catch and release with striped bass and weakfish.

The abundance of spikes (small weakfish) is awesome to see. One customer reported catching seven up to 17″ on an LBI west side spot.

Long Beach Island Surf Fishing Report

The Long Beach Island surf has been really warm and consistently warm this year. That is until the recent southerly blow. The southerly blow has put a good chill in the water which slowed the surf bite. Both fluke and kingfishing were very good going into the weekend.

Fortunately, it wasn’t a huge upwelling events like some that can be a week long. We have onshores Thursday thru Monday so we expect things will be bounce back quick.

Mid Shore Fishing

Lake Atlantic conditions prevailed Friday and Saturday allowing boats of all sizes to get out and reach the bluewater. Some did very well. From bluefin (30-50 miles out of BI), cobia and mahi to king mackerel, bonita and spanish mackerel the inshore and midshore waters have lots of life. That’s not even accounting for the plethora of sharks.

The bluefin jig bite continues… Some state it’s the best two month run we’ve seen in years!

Rosetto Stone reported, “I couldn’t be happier! Got one of my best friends up from Florida and on to this crazy jig bite. Thanks for the jigs! This one was on the new Mustad Moon Riser Sardine Jig.”

Brett Ekelmann sent in this report, “Awesome weekend jigging bluefin. I picked up some jigs on Friday and that new Mustad Moon Riser out fished everything else we had in the water. Thanks for the heads up!”

Fish Head Charters

It’s been awhile since my last update. Hasn’t been for a lack of fishing, just lack of time. Here’s a recap of recent days on the water.

Thursday (7/25) morning I had three time (three years in a row) return clients, father Tom and son aboard. We had a great sunrise session with bass and blues on light tackle.

Friday I ran the Pal O’ Mine out to the tuna grounds for a fun day with some friends. It was a beautiful but sort of frustrating day. There were lots of boats and much less fish feeding activity then Thursday (that was a really good day). Looking back we kinda bobbed when we should have weaved. Hind sight is always 20/20. The entire crew worked together and stayed on point all day long. Finally late in the day our bite came.  I dropped a Mustad Moon Riser Jig (very similar to the very popular Nomad Streaker Jig, same slender profile but slightly heavier in the same length) on a couple marks, some quick speed jig pumps and bang! A short 5 minute fight and it was gaffed boatside. It never felt so good to get a boat bloody. The brand new Grady White 27 Canyon loved every minute of it.

Saturday night Scott T and his wife were aboard for a bay shark fishing trip. The tide and water temp were perfect but the abundance of grass made fishing difficult. We regularly cleaned the rigs and managed to get three bites in the 3-4 hour trip. Two were released boatside, the third was a run off but it offered a great screaming fight before it spit the hook. I feel the night would have been much more productive with less grass and a lighter wind. A stiff south never helps. Only a few hours after cleaning up…

Sunday early morning I jumped aboard the Reel Innovation to go on the hunt for tuna. We fished the same areas where fishing was good but we found very little life. Just a few scattered marks. We jigged like all hell but didn’t get a bite.  Went on the troll for a little while, with no results.  Other boats reports slim pickings.

In the midst of a heat wave Long Beach Island is hot and the fishing is even hotter. With 62 more days of summer left, let’s embrace it. There’s no better way to beat the heat than on the water! Get out and fish!

Here’s the Long Beach Island Fishing Report Update for Monday July 21st.

Long Beach Island Surf Fishing Report

The three week run carries on with active kingfish on the surf. So long as the water stays warm and clean these tasty surf critters will be happy and feeding on the beaches of Long Beach Island. Local Ship Bottom resident Jim stopped in over the weekend and shared. Like many other anglers fishing the mid island surf, “I’m finding kingfish regularly.” The mornings this past weekend were good even though the tide was low. Most only fish high tide, but not Jim. “At low tide focus on the pockets and fish them as the water floods in with the tide.” Jim also noted, “You don’t need to bother with live worms.” While live bait is always best, it is always an extra project to take care of. DynaBait’s Freeze Dried Bloodworms are very convenient as well as the bloodworm alternative, Fishbites Bag O’Worms.

Also on the surf, fluke continue with reports strong from the north, mid and south end. Who would of guessed? White 4″ Gulp swimming mullet has been the hot color! Rays and various species of sharks cruise the beaches and are taking meaty baits.

The inlet and rocks are holding bluefish, fluke and triggerfish. The triggers made a strong showing a couple weeks ago and continue to offer great fishing opportunities for both boat and land based anglers. They also offer great table fare. Also in the area (Inlet/Beach/Nearshore) bonita and spanish mackerel.

Barnegat Bay Fishing Report

Summertime on Barnegat Bay is a very special time with so much to do. Both clamming and crabbing are good this year. Both of these activities can be done without a boat. In order to access less pressured areas a boat is suggested. Don’t have a boat but want to enjoy a day on the bay? Rent a boat or hire a captain to take you out and show you a great time.

Fishing Barnegat Bay in mid July can sometimes feel like the Daytona 500 however, there are ways to fish and most importantly catch! Get out early and seek out areas less traveled. You’ll be rewarded!

The blowfishing in the bay rolls on. A couple good weekend reports came in. Anglers setting up with clam/squid and chum are catching. Hoven22 reported a great three hour session recently, “Clam was by far the best bait out producing squid.” Another solid report came in from Eli Haegele who had a fun time catching a cooler full.

An abundance of very small weakfish seemed to have showed out of nowhere. In the past couple of days numerous reports were shared. These spikes were reported in the bay and the surf. Austin pounds, Jack Keating, Grey Colstan and Ray Goeke all reported catching weakfish. One angler did report catching a 20″ one off the north end surf. Ray is catching and releasing in the bay using small jigs, softbaits rigged on Magictail lead heads. Jack and Grey got them on the bayside too. Austin on the surf.

Midshore Tuna Fishing

So many saltwater anglers look forward to summer for Jersey’s midshore bluefin fishery. This season has not disappointed, so far putting out quite the firework show. The inshore bluefin tuna fishing is awesome!

I got the invite to join the boys aboard Waterman Charters on Sunday and was stoked to get in on the action. The plan was to get out early for a quick dawn strike mission and get back to the dock as early as possible. That’s exactly what we did. We were on the grounds early and got two fish at day break. One on a Ronz Softbait, One on a Shimano Butterfly Jig. We headed in at 8:30 and I was to work at the shop by 1pm. Friends Dan & Jeff from the Reel Innovation showed up later in the morning missing the early bite however they stayed later and it paid off. They got into some great action all on the jig. Jeff reported we had quads on a couple time and all the boats around us were hooked up.

If heading our be prepared as some days the gator bluefish are there and these toothy demons reek havoc on tackle. Guys trolling have had one hell of a time with them.

Offshore Big Game Fishing

The offshore canyons have simmered from their peak action earlier in the month. We heard through the grape vine the more northern canyons (out of local boat’s range) are lit up.. One customer said the bigeyes are jumping in the boat. No joke! Here’s photo of the Canyon Runner Captain Dean with a monstrous haul.

The timing will make this year’s Beach Haven Marlin Tuna Club’s White Marlin Invitational Tournament interesting. Will the majority of the boats focus on the marlin side of the game or will they be hunting tuna. Will the tuna guys try to seek out a big eye or take the easy road and try to cull a bluefin out of the heard? Only time will tell. Stay tuned to their website,
http://thewmit.com/ for updates, weigh ins and a live weigh to see the boats pull in and hit the dock and scale.

Awesome Catches

Kyle Brodwater stopped in the shop over the wekedn and loaded up on Mgictail lures… bucktails and hoochie jigs. He told us he has been catching all of his fish on them. We asked, “On your next trip snap a photo for us.” Today he sent this in… monster knot head sea bass!

Local angler and regular customer Steve-o stopped in and showed us his awesome catch. “I was fluke fishing with light tackle and hooked into a big fish. At first I thought it was a big striped bass then maybe a small cow nose ray. Turns out it was a 72 pound black drum.”