Author: FishHead.Greg

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.

The plentiful fishing opportunities on LBI and the surrounding waters continue on. Happy customers are catching a variety of species such as but not limited to fluke, kingfish, spot, bluefish, striped bass, sea bass, triggerfish, tog, sheepshead, weakfish, blowfish, houndfish, rays, sharks and tuna!

Not a lot has changed since the last report blog. I’ve been slamming busy so sorry for the lack of update in nearly two weeks. Hopefully you are subscribed to our YouTube Page as I shared two couple video updates just this past week and plan to get one or two out as this week too. Without getting too far off tract, this is the very reason I started the video reports. Typing takes a tremendous amount of time and this time of year I’m stretched thin.

On most every one of my recent trips I’m catching a lot of fluke fishing the bay and inlet. Most days have been active. I am fishing with live minnow and gulp. Some spots live minnow is the ticket, especially when blowfish, baby sea bass and spot are destroying the Gulp quickly. Friends fishing these same areas using a big fish approach with live spot / snappers picked some big fish this past week. These doormats can also be caught on large size Gulp baits too. To offer variety, I’m also fishing inshore wrecks targeting triggerfish. There we weed through sea bass (catching some nice keeper sea bass), out of season tog as well as many other critters from fluke and blowfish to bluefish and porgy. The triggerfish I’m catching on sand fleas using a hi/lo rig with #2 hooks. Some of the blowfish have been big.

Current Regulations:

• Fluke / Summer Flounder: Everyone should know by this point in the season… 3 fish at 18″ with the season closing Sept 25th.
• Black Sea Bass: 1 Fish at 12.5″ July- August 31, Closed For September
• Tautog / Tog / Blackfish: 1 Fish at 15″, August 1 – November 15th
• Porgy / Scup: Closed July & August, Open the rest of the year with a 30 fish bag at a 10″ minimum size
• Here is a downloadable chart with more details on the 2025 NJ Saltwater Fishing Regulations that includes many of the species the state chart leaves out.

In The Bay

Fluke fishing has been good in the main channels and there’s occasionally a coupe nice fish picked from the open bay areas. Fishing deeper water on the outgoing has been best for me and on the incoming I’m fishing some of the same areas that produced for me a month or more ago. Some of these spots are loaded with small fluke as well as spot and blowfish. Fishing the docks, bulkheads and deeper water lagoons with small hooks and worm (live or artificial) or squid/clam can offer an opportunities for spot and blowfish. These spots may also have snapper blues. Crabbing and clamming are two great options too! On the clamming side I’d suggest only harvesting from waters near the inlets as this is the time of year when the warm waters have high bacteria levels. Thinking of the Floatchella and the daily sandbar parties while considering the water’s residence time in the back bay… no thanks!

At The Reefs & Wrecks

Fluke fishing is firing up! We have heard some great reports from customers restocking this past week. Also today Sunday the Miss Barnegat Light reported, “After two slower days the fish decided to chew today.” They had some nice fluke coming over the rail. Inshore structures also have plenty of sea bass and some ares have ling too.

On The Surf

Anglers are catching fluke with a light tackle approach. I shared info on this numerous time over the summer so far. It has been a very good and consistent surf side fluke fishery this summer so far. Most all of the action is on Gulp Grubs and Jerk Shads fishing on a jig. You do not need much more than 1/2oz but you do need a light rod to get a good cast. When rough and windy the fishing is more difficult but if you cast on a 45º angle (if you are faced with a northerly or southerly breezes both of which we have had recently) into the wind it can make it more manageable. This similar technique works great in the fall when fishing lures off the surf. It helps fish the lure in contact with less belly or slack. Also on the surf… kingfish and Elasmobranchii (sharks and rays).

Other notes of particular interest…

• A surprise summertime showing of striped bass has been strong the past 5 days.
• Bluefish from snappers to cocktails are popping up in the bay, inlet and occasionally in the surf.
• The inshore – mid shore tuna fishing has been phenomenal!

Prime time summer is here and the summertime spotlight is on inshore fluke and offshore tuna. There’s great summertime bluefish and striped bass action that can be enjoyed on light tackle. Also sheephead and triggers on small crabs near structure with fouling. We have a variety of bait presence fueling the action; peanut bunker, spearing, cinder worms, grass shrimp, mole crabs and baby blue crabs. Fish the structure (rocks, rips, bowls, gutters) and match the hatch to connect.

The beaches and local waters are full of fishing opportunities, but they are also at peak season congestion. Fish earlier or later in the day for more breathing space.

LBI Surf Fishing Report

The best targets are fluke and kingfish on the LBI surf. One of the most effective ways to catch fluke off the beach is fishing Gulp on a jig. It can be fish solo or with a teaser. Another method is using a single drop or double drop rig (hi/lo). Do not use long leader hi/lo or 3 way style rigs as they cast very poorly and can tangle in the surf’s wave action turbulence. These style rigs are for drift fishing in a boat. 

For kingfish use a small hook hi/lo rig that is dressed with pill floats. Rig up a small weight 1/2-3oz is most common depending on the surf conditions and the rod and reel outfit being used. A light 7-8-9′ rod is great. Bait up with live bloodworms or Fish Bites.

TIP: Look for pockets of water, cuts, gutter and rips and focus on them first. If nothing is going on in the first 15 minutes, approach from a different angle and also try another bait. Then prospect another area (might be tough with the crowds) and then another. If three spots in the area don’t produce bites, fish a different tide. Once dialed in you will enjoy some fun summertime surf fishing fun.

Barnegat Bay & Inlet Fishing Report

The bay and inlet zones remain productive, especially for fluke and blues. Anglers drifting the channels and working the structure are catching fluke with keepers in the mix. In recent days we have heard of numerous 4-6# fluke caught by both boat and land based anglers.

Kyle Bucktail scored some nice fluke and a beautiful weakfish off the rock this week.

Also the blues continue to make appearances in the inlet and adjacent areas. Brendan Faust caught this bluefish (below) as well as many others fly fishing the waters of LBI with Captain Zach Flake aboard Fly Away Charters.

 I’ve been out fishing a bunch over the past week. I’ve have had great success catching fluke with Gulp Shrimp and Gulp Grubs 5/6″ both White and Pink Shine. Also live minnow! My best fishing has been n the outgoing, but for me the (past week or more) incoming tide has offered my best success with active fluke in the clean and clear water with little to no snot/seaweed. With the recent storm activity I expect things to be churned up but only time will tell. I’m looking to get back out there today after these storms clear. I’m expecting it might take a couple tides or days to settle down.

This past weekend I fished the 10th annual Fluke-A-Mania Fluke Tournament hosted by the Beach Haven Marlin Tuna Club. My crew and I caught a boat limit + but nothing bigger than 4#. We managed two really good size bluefish.

Congrats to the top three largest fluke…

1. 6.76# Jason Marti and Mike Green
2. 6.56# Philaay
3. 5.92# Morning Wood

Philaay’s 17.58# three fish stringer was the heaviest and earned the team a wad of cash. We managed to catch the only two bluefish in the tournament and took home the side bet calcutta with a 7.98# bluefish. Below is Mike Greene holding up a pair of his fluke.

Whether it’s dropping a couple hand lines from the dock or some traps off a bayside bulkhead, crabbing offers fun for families and kids.

Now’s the time to get dialed in and enjoy some time on the water. Enjoy the catch and then the cook! Here at Fisherman’s Headquarters, the shop is fully stocked with bait and tackle to outfit for inshore and offshore fishing. Stop in or give us a call and let us help you catch more fish this summer.

With the second moon of June behind us (new moon was Wednesday) and the recent extreme record breaking heat and humidity, summer is here and the recent fishing reflects it. It was so hot, the USGS Barnegat Bay Water Temperature Station at Waretown broke! Take a look at the screens hot below. The beaches and waterways are more congested now then at any point this year and it’s only getting busier as July is a few days away. Join the pack and get on the water to enjoy the great summer ahead. Here’s the LBI Fishing Report Update for Friday June 27, 2025.

With summer in full swing and the waters warm, the fishing is diverse making it perfect for anglers looking to mix it up. The mainstay of fluke, bluefish, striped bass are joined by triggerfish, sheepshead, cobia and houndfish among others. Surf anglers are starting to see kingfish show up, hitting bloodworms and synthetic baits like FishBites. This is a great time for lighter tackle action, especially when the wind lays down and the swell is mellow.

Summertime’s spotlight is always fluke (summer flounder) which offer great fun fishing in the bay, inlet, surf and inshore waters. Most fluke action is coming on Gulp and jig combo. Savvy anglers are keying in on the areas of structure, drop-offs, bowls of water, funnels and gutters and deeper channels where fluke love to stage. I’ve had a good week of fluke fishing. Below is a photo of Fish Head store staffer Emmet with his limit catch from our HOT trip on Wednesday.

Bluefish, which were aggressive all spring, remain a great fun target species. Currently cocktail blues (1-3# range) are around the bay, inlet and surf at times chasing small bait. It’s common to find the yellow eyes under the terns and laughing gulls which are eating the small forage too. There is a possibility of getting larger fish but they are few and far between.

Striped bass fishing on Long Beach Island has been spotty off the SURF the past couple of weeks. The push of migratory fish has passed. Looking back, we never saw a mid June wave (possibly missing now due to stock status?). As previously shared in other recent reports, the bay and inlet offers resident striped bass fishing all summer long. This will be a dawn or dusk approach with lures as bait fishing will most likely result in bluefish, skates and dogfish. Live bait fishing is possibly the easiest and most effective way to target summertime striped bass. Here’s a nice striped bass that was caught yesterday off the mid-island surf. Fish Head’s alumni and co-founder of Stack Tackle Jack Keating scored this 33″ linesider on a Stack Tackle Screwy Jig while fluke fishing the suds.

The triggers and sheepshead are present around structure with fouling… think rocks, wrecks, bulkheads, pilings, etc. Rig up with small but strong hooks baited with crab (sand fleas are the easiest to get right now).

Crabbing and clamming. This past week offered phenomenal lower low tides due to the new moon phase, making it a prime window for clamming. Everyone who got out scored. Crabbing is also a great activity to enjoy Barnegat Bay’s bounty which has noticeably picked up in the lagoons and creeks. 

The ocean was mellow and the winds were light earlier this week… And the tuna bite turned on. We received a bunch of great reports from boats fishing out of Barnegat Light making the 60 mile run south. We also heard of some big mahi in the area too. Let’s hope these fish stay put or slide up the thirty fathom curve and set up for the summer. Anyone looking to get geared up for big game fishing “we have the meats”!

Here’s my most recent fishing report video…

Summer if finally here and the heat arrived too! With the hot sun and longest days of the year, the water temperatures will be ramping up… a new season of fishing is upon us. Here’s the LBI Fishing Report Update for Friday June 20, 2025.

Right now the LBI surf has primarily fluke and bluefish with kingfish popping up and still some spotty striped bass and black drum catches. With the surf temp today at 65º expect this theme to continue.

The fluke bite on the Long beach Island surf has been consistent for the entire month of June so far. The most recent report came in from Chef Tom who fished the mid-Island surf in Brant Beach yesterday. “Great day fishing! I caught 15+ fluke fishing a nice bowl of water in the late morning. Pink and white were working great with an active bite until noon and then nothing. Another angler fishing close by also caught a bunch but between the both of us no keepers.”

At times the blues are crashing the micro peanut bunker in the bay, inlet and surf. The past couple days 1-3+ pound cocktail blues have popped up in the Barnegat Inlet offering good light tackle fun. Some are chewing on the suds and can be caught on lures or bait (bunker or mullet).

There are a few kingfish on the LBI surf and with summer here, this fishery should only get better. Fish live bloods and/or Fish Bites baited on a small hook rig for these guys.

At the Barnegat Inlet the catches are primarily fluke and bluefish. There’s also striped bass at the right time/tides and will be all summer long. Sheepshead and triggerfish as well as out of season tog are also on tap at the rocks. A couple (not rare but) uncommon cobia catches have turned up recently. We also heard of a couple caught in the local ocean waters.

In the bay the fluke fishing has been good when the weed/snot grass isn’t bad. At times, the outgoing tides in some areas has been loaded. The classic live minnow, spearing, stripe bait (squid) and of course GULP! are all catching. I shared in a previous report that a lot of the fluke I’m catching (all spring) are spitting up shrimp (both grass shrimp and larger sand shrimp in the 2-3″+ range). This is common year after year as the primary diet of summer flounder is crustaceans; grass shrimp, sand shrimp, baby blue, mole, mud, calico crabs. Most trips the aggressive fluke have been keyed in on these shrimp baits, doing a number on the Gulp Shrimp. This year I fell in love with the new Gulp! Turbo Shrimp for it’s improved tail action. But with all that said it’s hard to go wrong with the curl tail grubs and swimming mullets as well as the slender profile sand eels and jerk shads.

The Miss Barnegat Light is running ocean fishing trips and reported on Wednesday’s trip, “the fluke and sea bass took the back seat to some bluefish and a good showing of bonito.” It’s great to hear they were scattered around chasing bait, sand eels. With summer here expect other hardtails (spanish mackerel, albies) to offer some warm water variety.

When the wind is blowing and the fishing conditions are tough head out crabbing or clamming. Now’s a great time to harvest some shellfish and enjoy the good eats! We have all the gear necessary for these targets.

Looking for a LBI Surf Tide Chart?

Here’s my most recent video report posted on Wednesday June 18, 2025

The “June Gloom” foggy marine layer days have finally given way to some sunshine! The Long Beach Island area’s late spring fishing currently offers a mixed bay of variety for anglers to enjoy; striped bass, bluefish, fluke, black drum, sea bass, sheepshead and weakfish among others. Here’s the Fishing LBI Fishing Report Update for Tuesday June 10, 2025 brought to you by Fisherman’s Headquarters.

LBI Surf Fishing Report

The Long Beach Island surf has spotty striped bass catches with bluefish, fluke and dogfish in the mix. The Strawberry Moon (June’s full moon) is upon us tonight marking a change in the season which officially comes Friday June 20th at 10:42PM… The Summer Solstice, the longest day and shortest night and the start of summer! Historically speaking the month of June can offer great striped bass fishing off the surf and jetty as well as good fishing around back. Some years we have good bass fishing into July. Remember last summer? We had ’em almost all summer thanks (no thanks) to the summer upwelling.

This is normally when pods of bunker and hungry striped bass schooled up along the central Jersey coastline. But the lack of both bunker and bass, the main ingredients, make baking the cake tough. We could really use a week of light to moderate westerlies to get what bunker is around here schooled up. Maybe it comes together but this spring I’m not holding my breath on this one this.

Here’s a couple recent reports of anglers who are catching on clams, bunker and mullet.

Erik Moritz (above) caught this striped bass off the south end surf fishing clam Sunday.

Jason Wilk (above) had a fun weekend surf fishing the LBI surf catching some bluefish, fluke and doggies.

Wayne Smith fished the surf with his buddy TJ O’Reilly (above) Sunday. He shared this report, “TJ, got a bluefish this morning on a clam fishing the mid-Island surf before heading back out west. We had tons of doggies. Last night we fished both mid-Island and the North End. We got some short fluke and saw a couple keepers caught. The night tide mid-Island was loaded with doggies and skates. I lost what might have been a big bass or a drum around 11:15pm. I hit it in the head on a cast. It was ripping line and fighting for a while. Eventually turned it and swam towards the beach but popped off.  The Sea Monster lives on!”

Black drum continue to roam the local surf and bay. While fluke fishing Little Egg Inlet Sunday Nick Feindt caught this monster black drum.

Fluke season is off to a great start. The bay, inlet and surf all continue to produce good fishing. Over the past week it has been the most consistent target for anglers. Gulp is an uber-successful fluke bait that can be fished on a jig or a plain hook. I find it’s most effective on a jig or a hook via a dropper loop, either single drop or double drop (hi/lo – chicken rig). Strip baits and live baits are great options too.

Those that love fishing live baits, minnows have been tough. They are always a great bait but this season they are hard to come by. There isn’t a lot around and what is, just isn’t potting well. It’s possibly due to the spring’s chilly weather but also might be due to the early spring’s drought which ran over from 2024 and into a large part of this year until recently. Then the more recent rains have reversed the dry to heavy soakings flushing out the creeks. Most likely it’s a combination of things. The minnow shortage has been a statewide things. We have had customer driving from all over to get them. Unlike others in the state we are not jacking up our prices to gouge. Today we got another delivery of minnows so right now things are looking good. But only time will tell.

With the season progression comes new species… weakfish and sheepshead are somewhat old news. But New News! Alex Martone caught this 26.5″ cobia while hunting for fluke off the rocks at the Barnegat Inlet Jetty.

Looking ahead, the next few days will be a change from the past trends of wet, foggy and cool. Things look to be sunny Wednesday, Thursday and Friday but then we might see some unsettled weather again. What perfect timing for the weekend, not! By now everyone has their lightweight summertime rain jackets ready. For those who do not, we have you covered. Stop in and get a new Lightweight waterproof jacket from Grundens. The Grundens Tourney is a great choice! Get your today.

June is here and a warming trend is upon us! We have a variety of good fisheries and all offer great catching opportunities; striped bass, fluke, bluefish, sea bass. Whether fishing the beach or boat, now is a great time to score some fun on the water. Here’s my latest fishing report video from today Monday June 2, 2025.

This past weekend had shifty weather. It’s rare we see breezy westerly winds with rain but we had it. At times it was brutal but there were window of prime fishing.

The American Angler Spring Grand Slam tournament was held on the beach of LBI this past Saturday May 31 and the participants went hard and caught fish. Tournament director Carl Hartmann reported, “The anglers fishing caught a variety of species; striped bass, bluefish, black drum, fluke and yes… King Fish Are Here! It was a successful event.” Here are some catch photos…

While on the topic of surf fishing tournament the LBI Spring Derby is on until June 22.

Surfside striped bass remains a prime time target. Historically speaking the firrst two weeks of June are a great time to bass fish the beaches of LBI. This year the water is running cool so depending how things go we might have another full month of good bass fishing. With a warming trend coming, let’s hope it doesn’t warm up too fast.

Vince Russo of Russo’s Italian Restaurant in Ship Bottom shared an awesome report today (after my afternoon video recording so it was not included). “I had a great day on the surf today in the afternoon… three big striped bass and one slot.”

The inshore / surf ocean water is very clean and green… on the verge of tropical. But… who let the dogs out? There’s lots of dogfish are on the beaches. There’s also striped bass, black drum, bluefish, fluke and kingfish in the suds too.

PSA: The cow nose rays arrived! Be on the lookout as snagging one of these on light tackle turns into a nightmare tug of war.

Fluke fishing remains good… in the bay, inlet and surf. Clayton caught his limit fishing this weekend. He reported catching his three keepers in 30 minutes! 

New Bluefin Tuna Fishing Regulations take effect tomorrow June 3, 2025 – Know before you go. For full details refer to NOAA Fisheries Retention Limit Adjustment: Atlantic Bluefin Tuna Angling Category Fishery

The Memorial Day Weekend was a good but breezy one. The coastal storm (Nor’easter) that was then followed by stiff westerlies and sunny yet cool temperatures had it feeling more like Labor Day or Columbus Day as opposed to the unofficial kick off to summer. The neighborhood was buzzing and good fishing went down on the beach and bay. Here’s the Long Beach Island Memorial Day Weekend Fishing Report Recap brought to you by Fisherman’s Headquarters, Long Beach Island’s full service bait and tackle shop.

LBI Surf Fishing Report – Striped Bass, Bluefish & Fluke

The Long Beach Island surf scene is alive with activity; however spotty at times. The striped bass are still here in good numbers cruising the suds and clam theme continues as the top producing bait. Live sand fleas is another great bait on the surf which may attract a bite from a variety of species. At this point in the spring season fishing the surf both day or night, no matter the tide will offer a good shot at striped bass.

In addition to the bass, there’s a solid showing of bluefish ranging from cocktails to gators. A number of anglers have reported hooking up on plugs and bait. Both mullet and bunker are what you want to soak for blues and you might also score bass! Some rig up with wire leader however I suggest using extra heavy and hard leader. I prefer 80# Seaguar Fluorocarbon when chunking the surf and blues are present. While considering the rig it’s best to choose a circle this way if a striped bass is caught it will be in compliance with the coastwide circle hook striped bass regulation/mandate. More info on Fishing For Striped Bass With Circle Hooks.

At times the surf has been loaded with big dogfish so that can add some line pulling action as well as a let down once landed. To stay away from doggies fish lures or larger chunk baits. At times fishing through them provides a big bass reward.

Long Beach Island / Barnegat Bay Fluke Fishing Report

The 2025 fluke season is also off to a strong start. We’re seeing quality and quantity from both beach and boat anglers. Land based anglers are doing really good on the surf and jetty with many limit catches reported and some large size fluke. Some large fluke were shared in recent reports, but nothing close to this monster caught by Simon Barlett! He scored a 29″ 8.12# fluke off the LBI surf this past weekend. It fell for a 5″ white Gulp Jerk Shad fished on his teaser hook.

Gulp scented softbaits are doing its usual magic, especially the Grubs and Jerk Shads in white, pink shine and chartreuse among others. For me fishing the bay, the Gulp Shrimp’s have out fished my usual MVP Grubs. The three boats best fishing the pack of boats two days in a row were all using shrimp too. Color didn’t matter as much as profile. A lot of the fluke we caught were all stuff and spitting up grass shrimp and (what I believe to be) tiger shrimp.

As far as rigging up… Use a single jig, a jig with a teaser above or a high / low set up with a looped on weight at bottom. Baiting up with live minnow, spearing, squid strip and Gulp will all do the trick.

This fishery will offer fun fishing a tasty table fare all spring and summer. It’s an easy access fishery that land based, paddle board, kayak, small boat anglers can score. In many situations the small floatation approaches provide an advantage over bigger boats that can’t fish the backwaters.

In addition to fluke, schoolie striped bass remain active in the back, especially around dusk and dawn, when boat traffic is least. There’s great light tackle fun. The bay also offers bluefish and occasional weakfish. The past week’a chilly weather has kept the waters cool and will help prolong our spring fishery from warming up too quick.

Crabbing and clamming are other opportunities to mix it up too.

Fishermans Headquarters Bait & Tackle

Whether you’re working plugs or bait in the surf, heading offshore for sea bass or tuna, or exploring the backwaters for fluke, striped bass and bluefish, the current variety is what makes the spring time of year so exciting. Now is the time to go fish!

Before you go, swing into Fisherman’s Headquarters for premium baits and the right fishing gear to make the most of your next outing. We have what you need to dial in!

The weather is cool but the fishing is hot! Now’s a great time to get out and fish for striped bass, bluefish, fluke, black drum, weakfish and more. Memorial Day Weekend is near and the fish are here. Get out on the beach or boat and enjoy! Here’s my short report update from yesterday. For more details on recent catches take a look back at other recent report posts and be sure to follow us in Instagram!

“The beach is lit up with this approaching front! I caught 4 bass to 42″ in the last 45 minutes and a big blue too.” Report sent in from Joe Handley Jr last night. A photo he sent in is below.