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.

Fluke Fishing LBI Is On Fire!

The storm last weekend produced days of north east winds. At the time only surfers jonsin’ for swell rejoiced. Right now anglers can look back and see those weather days were worth it! The onshore winds created a downwelling event. The sun warmed surface waters pushed into the shore and down into deeper areas of the ocean. This ignited the inshore fluke fishing in the local Long Beach Island area and the surrounding waters.

 

Fish are actively feeding on the local reefs and open bottom areas. Were these fish present for the past month, sluggish due to cold bottom temperatures and just not biting? Very well possible!

Two things came together; time and temperature! Time – August is when most of the summer flounder local biomass move out of the bays. On their way out fluke move into the inshore areas that offer structure or forage. Sometimes this is on the reefs and wrecks or open sandy bottoms where bait like sandeels and crabs are easy pickings. Temperature – August is the year’s warmest combined air and water temperatures. Fluke in warm waters actively feed with a quick metabolism. Best of all they are aggressive.

 

This receipt is something all anglers love and can really use more of! Looking at the forecast it might stick around… North winds Tuesday, then east Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. A lot can change so now is go time! Get out and catch fluke!!!

 

Yesterday went down as the Fishiest Fluke Friday of the 2017 season. All day the shop was filled with anglers raving on the solid fishing. Literally selling boxes of fluke rigs, hooks, bucktails, teasers, Gulp and bait! ***Make sure you stop in and get a free Flounder Sample Pack of hooks! Thanks to Eagle Claw and the NJ Fish & Wildlife for the public awareness campaign “If you can’t keep it save it!” We all need to do our part to help protect undersized fluke.https://fishinglbi.com/2017/07/27/come-get-free-hooks-supplies-last/

 

Now today backs up yesterday with another solid set of reports. Here’s the low down from various anglers who shared.

 

Heres Jacob Bowles with a nice fluke!        

Jacob Bowles was on the water on Friday. He reported it wasn’t the best day out there for us but managed to get a 23” five pounder! We got out a little late in the morning and fished three hours. We worked over hard structure and managed to catch ‘em. Got the largest on a Magic Tail rigged with a big grub.”

 

Kevin Hughes was also on the water fluke fishing Friday. He reported solid fishing “We hit a two man limit in just over three hours of fishing. They want snappers!” Look at this fluke!

 

Chris O’neil got two 20” fluke yesterday with the old school high low with live minnow. He reported fishing Little Egg Inlet.

 

Many other report flowed in from the reefs and Inlet.

 

Today was the 23rd Annual Jersey Coast Anglers Association Fluke Tournament. Since the early days, Fisherman’s Headquarters has been a proud sponsor of the event and honored to be the Port Long Beach Island Weigh Station. Founded in 1981, the JCAA is one of the country’s best groups fighting for the recreational saltwater anglers of New Jersey. The JCAA offers anglers a strong voice on the state and federal level. The hard working group is responsible for many major accomplishments in fisheries management issues. One of the most important wins was achieving game fish status for striped bass in New Jersey. This fight continues today at the federal level. The JCAA also helped control commercial overfishing of menhaden, a vital forage in coastal waters. More recently and crucial to this summer’s fishery, the JCAA pressured the Mid-Atlantic Council and NOAA to reevaluation the way summer flounder are managed. The group defended NJ’s regulations and is one of the main reasons we have the season and limit this year. We encourage all anglers to learn more about the JCAA and fisheries new by checking out their website atwww.JCAA.org

 

Weigh-In log for the…

2017 JCAA Fluke Tournament Port LBI

*** UNOFFICIAL ***

 

PORT LOG – 2017 JCAA FLUKE TOURNAMENT – 08/05/2017
Port: Long Beach Island – Weigh Station: Fisherman’s Headquarters
Place Entry Number Registered Angler’s Name Caught By Angler’s Name Caught By Angler’s Hometown, State Weight (lbs) Length (in) Weigh-In Time
1 244 Werner, David Werner, David Manahawkin, NJ 6.720 24.875″ 4:32:00 PM
2 x?x Howell, Martin Frazer, Rob Tuckerton, NJ 5.880 23.75″ 4:40:00 PM
3 134 Wolfberg, Jack Wolfberg, Jack Fort Washington, NJ 5.790 23.25″ 4:32:00 PM
4 94 Hooven, Christopher Hooven, Christopher Medford, NJ 5.390 24.25″ 3:14:00 PM
5 66 Rust, Edward Rust, Edward Cherry Hill, NJ 5.050 22.25″ 2:50:00 PM
6 106 Cliver, Kevin Cliver, Kevin Sellersville, PA 5.000 23″ 4:15:00 PM
7 124 Schell, Dr.Paul Makitra, Gene Barnegat, NJ 4.960 22.75″ 4:25:00 PM
8 104 DePalma, Vito McKinnon, Gordon Lewis, DE 4.840 22.25″ 4:25:00 PM
9 217 Paolella, Dean Paolella, Dean Springfield, NJ 4.790 23″ 2:00:00 PM
10 95 Phillips, Richard Phillips, Steven Pemberton, NJ 4.340 23.125″ 4:30:00 PM
11 253 Vitale, Bruce Vitale, Bruce Toms River, NJ 3.830 21.25″ 4:35:00 PM
12 24 Partyka, Bruce Partyka, Bruce Manahawkin, NJ 2.900 20″ 2:55:00 PM

 

Dave and Friend with the winning fish.
Dave Werner weighed in the largest fluke today. Heres Dave and friend with the winning fish.

Dave Werner of Manahawkin fished the BL Inlet with live bait and caught 7 keepers today. His largest weighed in at 6.72 pounds and was big enough to win the JCAA Port Long Beach Island.

 

Martin Howell and Rob Frazer of Tuckerton were out on the Garden State South Reef today. They caught five keeper fluke on the bucktail and Gulp combo. Their largest weighing in at 5.88 pounds. The crew mentioned they were fishing right beside George Poveromo aboard the Marc VI. It’s nice to see George fishing our local water. Hopefully they were filming! It would be great to see another episode of George fishing the waters of LBI.

 

Christopher Hooven did very good on the BL Reef.

Christopher Hooven of Medford reported the BL Reef produced lots of shorts as well as four keeper fluke (largest 5.39 pounds) and one keeper sea bass. He said live snappers were the hot bait.

“Captain Flattie” Ed Rust got some really nice fish, 7 keepers!

“Captain Flattie” Ed Rust of Cherry Hill and Bill Rust fished the BL Reef and did good. Bucktail rigged with Gulp did the trick for the guys, catching about 50 fish with 7 keepers.

Dean Paolella caught six fish drifting Spro bucktails.

Dean Paolella of Springfield, NJ got six fish drifting Spro bucktails off of Seaside’s open sand bottom. His largest was 4.79 pounds.

 

Most of the weigh ins were caught in the ocean, but a couple good report came in from the bay. Kevin Cliver of Sellersville, PA got six keepers on live minnow fishing the bay. Bruce Partyka of Manahawkin caught 28 fluke with three keepers up to 2.9 pounds. Bruce said he focused on the north end of LBI’s bayside waters. He fished Double Creek and the Inlet with natural and artificial baits.

 

Here’s some reports from offshore anglers fishing bluewater.

Captain Jeff Warford reported an awesome trip to the edge. “On our latest canyon trip (8/3/17) we saw some of the best action in years. It was EPIC!!! It’s the only way to describe the trip. 20+ tunas in the 55-75 pound class, 36 mahi and 33 tilefish up to 21 pounds. The troll was just on fire. They were smoking spreaderbars. While hooked up the cleared lines dangling lures from the riggers were hanging yellowfin that were leaping air born. They were hanging themselves.

 

Another solid report came from Steve Fernandez aboard the Five Seas. “A bunch of yellowfin to 70 pounds some huge tile fish two makos and some mahi and a lone monkfish! It was an action packed trip.”

Heres Steve Fernandez with a big golden tilefish.

Store staffer Dan D split out of town to head up the Mass to get into the solid tuna bite. He went up and had a great time. He hooked an 88” slob and said, “These feeds are sites you can not even dream about!”

 

August Is A Great Time To Be Fishing LBI

August starts off with a bang! Good weather conditions have allowed anglers to get out and fish the waters of Long Beach Island. Positive reports are flowing from inshore, offshore and from shore anglers. Here is the update on the August fishing LBI has to offer.

LBI Fluke Fishing Report:

If looking for large fluke, this is the month! In late summer fluke stack up in the Inlets, beach fronts and near shore structures. Bottom fishing the open bottom sandy areas as well as the local reefs and wrecks are producing. Quality fishing right now from the Barnegat Inlet, the local reef sites and the waters from the Bather’s Beach to the Pier.

Doormat fluke!
Here’s a Long Beach Island doormat caught by Michael Petruzziello with Captain Alex of Lighthouse Sportfishing!

Captain Alex aboard Lighthouse Sportfishing put his client Michael Petruzziello on this 30” 10 pound 2 ounce doormat. It went for a live snappers in the Inlet. Captain Alex reported, “This is the second true doormat I have put clients on in the last three years. The last fish was a monster weighing in at 11.5 pounds which fell for a live peanut bunker.” Large fluke want big live baits!!!”

Here’s an update from two of Long Beach Island’s local party boats fishing out of Barnegat Light. After reading the recent update from both boats we all will agree now is the time to get out and go fluke fishing.

Here’s the Miss Barnegat Light’s fishing report from Captain Lou… “After the weekend’s northeast blow, the fluke fishing aboard the Miss Barnegat Light rebounded quickly. Even on Sunday, while the ocean was still settling, we had a fair amount of keepers. The last couple of days we have had great action. Some anglers are limiting. There’s a good mix of keepers to throwbacks. Seems like things are progressing nicely as we enter August. The squid and spearing combos as well as bucktails with Gulp of various colors have done the trick. So far this week, the pool winners are ranging 3 to 6 pounds.

Four large fluke caught aboard the CA3
Now those are some nice fluke. August is a great time to jump aboard a party boat and drift up some dinner.

The Carolyn Ann III reports, “The bite is on! The fishing is and has been good on recent trips. Some beautiful fish and limits to be had. Get out now while the catching is good!” Here’s a photo of a recent angler on the CA3 with two nice fish!

fluke always fall for a bucktail with Gulp!
Zach M with one of many nice fluke he caught jigging Gulp!

Zach Michot reported a solid day fishing with Capt Paul Haertel and Bill Browne, “Good day on the fluke grounds. The Magictail bucktail jigs with Gulp was the bomb! We finished the day with our three man limit of fluke and sea bass. Released a handful of keepers to catch another day!
Adrift Sportfishing reported an epic trip, “Seven fluke over six pounds largest was 8.8 pounds!”

 

The land based duo of David and Alex Ho are dialed in and on the fluke. As reported on the July 30th report, amongst other keepers David got a 28” 9.24 pounder and Alex a 23.25” 5.2 pounder. These are some serious fluke for land based anglers and a great feat for landing on the rocks. Congrats gentlemen!

 

Fish Finder Frank Foley stopped in recently and shared a report, “We enjoyed the day on the water fishing. The bluefish were snapping in the Inlet. Full on feasting on mini snappers. They were crushing poppers on top. It was crazy watching the voracious cannibals. In the area we did good with tog and fluke too.”

 

Speaking of bluefish… Grey Colston just got this gator bluefish off the surf! Good size blues are still cruising both the surf as well as the Inlet. Fluke and kingfish are also in the suds. This morning Rob Vallone tried for kingfish but got run over by snappers.

 

As per our last report resident striped bass are around. The small linesiders are hanging around the lagoons and bayside docks chasing bait. It’s plentiful with both peanut bunker, spearing, mullet and mini snapper blues. Anglers are having fun at night fishing small lures Try a small lead head rigged with a grub or split tail plastic. ¼ oz bucktails and 3” swim shads are also great choices.

LBI Shark Fishing Report:

The local warm summer waters are full of sharks! They are literally everywhere from the inshore waters and surf zone as well as the bay. We suggest not swimming in murky water especially if you have an open wound. It’s said that swimming with jewelry isn’t the best idea either.

 

While these brown sharks (sand bar shark), sand tigers and black tips are plentiful they are not out hunting humans. They’re just cruising and enjoying the waters of LBI like everyone else. If interested in catch and release fishing the largest game possible from shore or near shore this is the ultimate fun!

 

Monday night I had father and son team from Montreal out for a bay sharking trip. The session was slow due to wind against tide. We unfortunately missed two bites but adjusted and worked through the difficult conditions. We finally got a bite that took the hook and it put up a nice fight. The 14 year old Canadian enjoyed his time battling the bruiser like a champion right to the end with a successful release.

large brown sharks love eels
Here’s a monster brown shark that had a serious set of shoulders and was pushing 7′ in length.

Tuesday night’s bay shark fishing trip was different. The conditions were prime and it panned out to be a flawless summer night! Not only did we get a number of bites (released four nice size toothy ones)… we caught our largest brown shark to date. We met Momma Bear the bay monster! She put up an epic fight. The trip will go down as one of our best.

Anyone looking to get out and go shark fishing should go asap! Stop in the shop and we can assist gearing up. You can hit the beach or boat and soak some baits! If looking to get in on a Four Hour Night Bay Shark Fishing Charter with Fish Head Guide Service reach out now by calling or texting Captain Greg at 609-713-9299

 

Midshore & Offshore Fishing:

The relatively calm ocean waters has anglers heading off and most return with meat. Bluewater fishing is solid with a variety of opportunities. Most reports are from anglers pulling fish on the troll however good action has come on the chunk and jig/pop. We heard some boats were heading to the Hudson to fish a promising stretch of water along the west wall. South of there fish were caught at the Toms. The Chicken Canyon and the waters further off around the Baccardi produced. Further south lots of boats are fishing Lemkes and the Cole. We heard one day was smoking hot then the next day was slow.

 

Store staffer Dan was out on Tuesday and beat on the fish. Dan said the jig bite turned on and some boats were into them casting on top. He shared his story about fighting a good size yellowfin but breaking it off near the boat after an hour battle.

 

tuna and wahoo
Tuna and wahoo are being caught mid-shore on the 30 fathom line.

 

Earlier this week, Tom Bernat and Gil Dilts fished with Captain John Rimmer aboard the Old Grandad. The crew boated two yellowfin and a 50 pound wahoo on the troll fishing the mid-shore on the 30 fathom line.

this wahoo went for a joe shute trolled way back
This beautiful 50 pound wahoo caught by Tom went for a Joe Shute trolled way back in the spread.

The crew aboard the Canyon Runner hit the dock yesterday with a solid catch of yellowfin. Captain Phil and Kevin reported, “The fish are all up on top in multiple schools with some yellowbirds up to 70 pounds. Both the chunk and troll are producing.”

 

Captain Mark from Bluerunner Sportfishing & Waterproof reports, “Fishing is great! We loaded the boat with yellowfin, Bluefin, mahi, tiles and mako. Solid fishing shaping up for late summer and fall.

yellowfin tuna caught on the troll
Tuna on the deck!

 

– Fishing LBI Tournament News –

  • The JCAA Fluke Tournament is this weekend! August 5th, 2017, the Jersey Coast Anglers Association will hold its 23rd Annual Fluke Tournament.
  • The Forked River Tuna Club Presents their 60th Annual Fluke Tournament on August 12 to 19th Check out their website for more details.
  • The LBI Surf Fishing Classic is right around the corner! This year’s event is now 9 weeks running October 7th to December 10th. The one extra week was added and the format was modified slightly to offer larger cash prizes. There’s other great new things offering an awesome value… tournament collectable hat and shirt to early sign ups (first 300 before October 7th).  For more details go to LBIFT.com where tournament news will be added. Prizes and special tournament days are still not finalized. Once done the info will be posted.

LBI Fishing Report July 30th

It’s settling down and the sun is out. The Barnegat Light Buoy is fading and the trend will continue to ease.

I got some fun surf this morning before the lifeguards came out. While walking up the beach one drift I stopped and talked to an anglers soaking a line. He reported a little bit of weed (most was up on the beach), snappers stealing bait and two kingfish. He mentioned that 4oz was rolling with the low tide sweep.
Grey Colston stopped in this morning and shared he was into fish before the blow, “I hope it continues. The inlet was consistent with tog and fluke and the surf had kings.”
David Ho got a good size fluke today. He said, “Fishing was good. The water was chocolate milk but the fluke are on the chew. I got a new personal best, 28″ fluke! Alex (23.5″) and John (20″) both caught too.”
David cuahgt this 28" fluke fishing the BL Inlet
David Ho caught this 28″ fluke off the rocks today.
Rich Beverley also reported fluke on the rocks. Here’s a photo of a 19.5″ flattie he got bucktailing.
Barnegat Inlet Fluke Fishing
Rich got this keepers bucktailing the inlet.
Still some good blues around… “Not a bad way to end my six week vacation!”  Mike Hovan reported. Here’s a bluefish he recently caught off the surf.
LBI surf fishing for bluefish
Still some bluefish cruising the surf.
And a couple bass! Dave Hershberger posted this photo of a resident schoolie. “Lagoon striper!”
Kids love striped bass fishing.
Fishing is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you are going to get.
Reminder, the JCAA Fluke Tournament is next weekend.
Here’s some recent photos from the Miss Barnegat Light!

Looking Forward To The Clearing

If you didn’t get the memo yet the weather is sour! While not a total weekend rain/blow out everyone would have liked better weather for the completion of the 48th Annual Beach Haven White Marlin Invitational.  All can agree it was a great move adding the fourth day this year. The leader board on the WMI site has the Melton Boyz aboard the Jersey Nuts at the top with a 62.5 pound tuna. Looks like there was three white marlin releases as well as 26 tuna, two wahoo and six dolphin boated.

 

 

Very fall like weather has shaped up with strong winds and a gale warning is currently in effect through tonight. The coastal storm will offer stormy conditions today with whipping nor’east winds and building surf. As of 11am the Barnegat Light Buoy (Station 44091) has ramped up and is at 8.5 feet. The swell and winds peak tonight. We expect solid surf on the Long Beach Island beaches Sunday which will linger and slowly ease into the work week. As Sunday progresses expect the winds to decrease. Then light winds on Monday and Tuesday; however 3-4’+ swell will be present. The sun is forecasted to be out Sunday, Monday and Tuesday with beautiful low humidity and comfortable summer temperatures. Since there will be swell in the water, these days should be great for fishing the bay. Once things settle down enough it’s time for ocean fluke fishing.

 

Jacob Bowles sent in this photo with a short report, “Two keepers on bait fishing 60’ of water in the ocean. I also fished the bay three days this week and got a ton of shorts. Had a five pounder boat side but lost him.”

Fluke fishing is in prime time. Get out and start a drift.
Jacob got this pair drifting bait in 60′ of water.

EJ Davis sent in this photo of a sand tiger shark he released. “We stopped in and got geared up at Fisherman’s Headquarters. You guys hooked us up right with bait and tackle. We headed out of Holgate and set up off the beach some. Got this sand tiger shark on mackerel. It was about 7’ long. You guys are on point!”

Near shore shark fishing is a great way to test your tackle.
EJ released this sand tiger shark off Holgate.

 

Here’s a report from Captain Louis Van Bergen of the Miss Barnegat Light… “We’ve seen improvement the last few weeks. More and more fluke, although many are throwbacks, are coming up on our hooks. We have also seen a good number of sea bass and a few porgies. Everyone is busy with those pesky bait stealing sea robins and skates. Squid and spearing combos are working, but Gulp has had its moments in the sun. Join the crew and enjoy a day on the water.”

 

Here’s an update from the Carolyn Ann III… “It isn’t the nicest day of the year but it has to rain sometimes. Thursday one angler limited out and others were catching. Yesterday the boat had an awesome morning trip with lots of limits of quality fish. The storm might have turned it on. There’s fish out there so hang in as the weather passes! We’ll be back on the grounds as soon as possible. Jump aboard and let’s go fishing!

Kids love to go fishing. Gear up and go to enjoy the summer before school starts.
Here’s a group of kids having fun aboard the Carolyn Ann III

Fishing LBI Waters – Surf & Boat Fishing Report Update

Strong showing of summertime pan fish in the waters of LBI!

Fishing LBI is great! A recent wave of snapper blues arrived and tormenting the schools of spearing. Southern kingfish are and have been on the chew. We’ve also seen an uptick in weakfish and finally a couple blowfish. On top of that, fluke fishing reports are great!. Bluefish, tog, triggers and sheepshead are in the inlet too.

Local grom Grey Colston is stopping in daily load up on live boodworms and DynaBait freeze dried bloods. Grey reports lots of kings in the surf. “The past couple of days have been great on both live and freeze dried bloods! Some days we have fish on almost every cast. There’s lots of kingfish and snapper blues on the beach. Fish the low tide and walk out on the bar. You gotta reach out to them!” While Grey is fishing the Ship Bottom surf other kingfish and snapper surf reports have came in. Other areas mid-island as well as Beach Haven on the south end are producing. We can only assume they are up on the north end too. But no direct reports. Only talk about blues and fluke from the northern beaches.

Dynabait Freeze Dried Bloodworms

Busy traffic is something we all learn to deal with on LBI during the summer time. Whether on the beach, on the water or on the street traffic is part of daily life. Most of the time traffic on the water makes a bite tough. However the bay and Inlet fluke fishing around LBI has been solid with numerous reports of 4-6 pound fluke as well as a couple 9’s 10’s and a 12!!! With the abundance of bait (specifically spearing, peanut bunker and small snappers) we remind those who switch over to strictly artificial to rethink their game. Big fluke love bait and especially large baits! Whole squid and large mackerel strips are two classic big fish bait as well as peanut bunker, snappers and live spot.

Kyle Brewer was recently on the water drifting and dreaming around the Inlet, Dike and main thoroughfares. He reported good fishing and mentioned, “We got a bunch of shorts and some keepers. Saw a guy land a monster!” Josh Rice sent in this photo seen (below). Josh caught the 12 pound doormat bucktailing Barnegat Bay. Land based anglers fishing the rocks are picking some good fish.

 

Here’s Josh Rice with a 12 pound Barnegat Bay doormat!

 

AJ and the crew at Apex Anglers recently released this dusky shark off the surf.

 

It’s Shark Week and there’s no better way to enjoy the time then shark fishing. Sharking the surf and the bay is lots of fun and the bite is on! Sand tigers and brown sharks are consistently making their presence known however other species are around. AJ at Apex Anglers recently released a dusky. Our local bunker man said small black tips are here and there some threshers still around. Speaking of sharks… the ultimate sportfishing shark species, the mako gave a local boat a surprise. As reported on our last fishing report post (July 22nd) the crew aboard the Jenny Lee got a monster mako. Here’s a must read article on the catch from the Fisherman Magazine http://www.thefisherman.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=feature.display&feature_ID=1800&ParentCat=19
(L to R) Here’s Austin, Paul and Cody with a recent sand tiger release.

 – Bluewater Fishing News – 

Captain Jeff Warford aboard the Reel Innovations stopped in for a case of premium select Baitmaster’s Ballyhoo. While here he reported the tuna fishing is good. We are mugging them on the troll and the chunk is heating up. Other good report came in from Research and Bluerunner Sportfishing. Here’s their spreads!
Recent crew aboard the Bluerunner. Nice haul!
Bill Tallman’s recent catch aboard the Research.
With the Beach Haven White Marlin Invitational this week lips are tight. Not many willing to share locations.

 

Captain Bernie Hyland aboard the Mad Ludwig sent in the report… Brittany Hyland landed her first bluefin tuna aboard the Mad Ludwig on Saturday. We were fishing at Lemkes Canyon. The 36″ 22.9 pound bluefin nailed a good old Green Machine trolled behind a bird rig way back at the end of the pattern.

 

 – Fishing LBI Tournament News –

  • Wednesday is Day 1 of the 48th Annual the Beach Haven Marlin Tuna Invitational. Best of luck to all the boats fishing and a huge thanks to all of the boats that geared up with top quality bait and tackle at Fish Head.
  • JCAA Fluke Tournament – On August 5th, 2017, the Jersey Coast Anglers Association will hold its 23rd Annual Fluke Tournament.
  • The Forked River Tuna Club Presents their 60th Annual Fluke Tournament.

Weekend LBI Fishing Report – July 22, 2017

The warm temperatures and free time of the summer months provide great opportunities for families to get outdoors and spend valuable time together on the water. In an effort to motivate parents and guardians to engage in fun fishing activities with their children and keep them away from drugs, the Partnership for a Drug-Free NJ is holding the 3rd Annual Don’t Get Hooked on Drugs Online NJ Family Fishing Tournament. This year it is from August 4-13th. For more info to participate check out their website http://www.drugfreenj.org/

The Ship Bottom surf temp today is 68 degrees. The warm waters are a comfy home to fluke and kingfish. They are in the suds. Both today (Saturday) and yesterday (Friday) customers purchasing live bloodworms gave the nod yes when asked if they are finding kings. The big blues that are around offer lots of fun too! The epicenter is the Inlet but some feisty yellow eyes are cruising the surf. Gary W. caught this 13 lbs. bluefish off of the Beach Haven surf a couple days ago. Gary got it on fresh Fish Head’s fresh bunker.

Gary W. caught this bluefish off of the surf on bunker.

Beach sharking continues to dominate the surf report.  Both brown sharks and sand tigers give anglers a run for their money and test their tackle. Long Beach Island’s summertime beach shark fishing is the ultimate land based big game fishing experience. It’s a ton of fun but please know these species are federally protected! Due to the restrictions both brown sharks and sand tigers have made a major come back. Know the rules! Both of these shark species (among some others) are prohibited to be possessed. They can not be killed! They can not be landed! It’s grey but simply put landing equals possession even if there is intent to release. Fish must remain in the water. That means do not drag them up the beach for a photo. Dry sand photos are a major no no. This will ruin it for everyone.

Sharking is prime time right now, through July and all of August. This fishing is best during low light and dark hours, making it a great way to spend a few hours at night. Store staffer Willie D shares this report, “Sharking off the beach is hot right now. Keys to success? Rig up right. No weak links. Bait up with mackerel, bunker or anything meaty with some stink. Be ready for a good bite and a solid fight. Stop in the shop if you need assistance getting geared up!”

I personally prefer to enjoy the summertime sharking via boat. Over the years (15+) I’ve had a blast with friend enjoying the summer nights on the bay this way. Now that I’m a licensed captain I’m running 1-3 man bay sharking charters. If interested in going, call the shop 609-494-5739 and ask for me, Greg. If not available leave your name and phone number.

Earlier in the week I was out a couple times and we had toothy ones both trips. One trip we had a consistent bite that lasted couple hours, right into slack low tide. Everyone got their turn to battle a brown or two. At one point we had a double header. We blew through hook baits, rigs and the super warm bay ate the chum quick. The next night a stiff southerly wind maked for poor wind against tide conditions. We battled through the challenge, managed to release one and missed a couple opportunities. More recently store alumni Joni was out with friend. They released three brownies.

Shop alumni Kenny U reported good tog fishing at the Inlet rocks. He mentioned the tiggers are plentiful too! For a number of weeks now, the area has big blues holding. Anglers are having a blast hooking them on lures from bucktails to poppers. The inlet also offers great fluke fishing as the flounder slide out of the bay and take on the near shore lumps and reefs.

Bluefish offer lots of fun for all age groups but especially for kids.

Fluke fishing is solid! Anglers bucktailing the bay’s channel edges are still catching and some occasional nice fish at that. As the season progresses other areas are heating up! New reports from the inlets and ocean are strong. The consistent warm ocean temps mean one thing for late July fluke fishing… it’s on!

Howard Clark was out on the water yesterday. His caught five fish 21-23″ and dropped an even bigger fluke boatside. Howard reported quality size fluke were on the chew and everyone was stacked with squid. It’s a great sign!

The Carolyn Ann III recently reported, “Nice improvement with an upswing in the fishing. We are seeing a good catch of sea bass along with keeper fluke coming over the rail! Hopefully this upward trend continues!!! Here’s a report from Jacob Bowles who was recently fishing aboard the CA3. “We got out to the fluke grounds,had a good drift and started off picking. Got an 18″ and worked through some sea robins. Landed a 23″ 4 pound fluke which took the pool.” When asked Jacob said he was catching fish on both Gulp and bait, “Both keepers were on bait.” Sometimes you have to give them some meat!

Jacob Bowles with his pool winning 23″ 4 pound fluke.

We tend to get 90% of our reports from anglers fishing Barnegat Bay and the north end of the Island however recently some positive reports came from the southend waters. Store staffer Willie said, “Fluke fishing on the south end of the Island is pretty good. Been a better mix of keeper size fish for anglers fishing the Gulp 4” Shrimp. Those have been the go to baits for some sharpies.

Sometimes you hear about the epic fishing and just have to pack up and go. Montauk is well known for quality striped bass and fluke fishing. The reports out of Montauk have been stellar to say the least! Zach Michot took a road trip to the East End and it was well worth it! Zach reported, “Jigged up 13 nice fluke and five jumbo sea bass. All on MagicTail Jigs. It was a great day on the water aboard the Miss Montauk.”

Clamming and crabbing are a great way to enjoy LBI’s beauty and beat the heat. Here’s a photo of Archie Coen clamming away.

Achie Coen is enjoying LBI’s salt life clamming Barnegat Bay.

For a large group of passionate anglers, bluewater fishing is a release from the summertime land life full off hustle, bustle, traffic and noise. Those hours on the high seas are where some of life’s best memories are made. Today the crew from Jenny Lee Sportfishing weighed in a monster mako at Hoffman’s Marina. It’s possibly a pending new state record, unofficial weight at 926 pounds.

Bluewater fishing has been strong! Stop in for premium Baitmaster Ballyhoo, super popular Joe Shute Lures and top quality spreader bars! We have all the essentials and more to get you geared up and into the bite. The mid-shore and offshore action continues. Anglers fishing 30-50 miles  off are into bluefin tuna on a routine basis. Some heavy weeds recently moved into a fishy area that was very productive. This makes for frustrating fishing but you never know what’s underneath. Most of the time these weedy areas have bait as well as mahi and whites. Some cobia were pulled.

Store staffer Willie Davis has a nice bluefin tuna he caught trolling the mid-shore tuna grounds

Lots of local boats are catching on the mid-shore grounds trolling bars as well as bally/shutes. It seems the larger class of bluefin that were around the past month or two might have push up out of out area. It seems a smaller class of fish are now present. Hopefully some nicer ones keep picking. Spreaderbars have been hot for these smaller class bluefin. Joe Shue trolling lures rigged up with a large or select ballyhoo is also a deadly trolling combo that tuna can not resist. Most run them on the long rigger, but some prefer them in the shotgun, way back. On the other hand there’s boats that stack the spread and run them in both positions. It seems like the bigger fish like to fall for the stealth way.

While we just got a skunk report sent in from an angler who fished the Hudson we also got an awesome report out of the same Canyon. Since it is a very large area they must have been fishing different sections. We were not told where in the Hud but we saw some solid photos of yellowfin tuna from the area.

Our current bait situation… We have fresh bunker, salted clam, live bloods, live eels and live minnow. We are low on green crab but expected on Monday. Baitmaster ballyhoo is in stock with all of the sizes from dink/peewee, small, medium, med/large, select and horse. We also have spanish mackerel, premium swordfish squid (5pk) and professionally pre-rigged ballyhoo.

Jersey Coast Anglers Association (JCAA) – 23rd Annual Fluke Tournament

On August 5th, 2017, the Jersey Coast Anglers Association will hold its 23rd Annual Fluke Tournament. This year there will be special cash prizes for early entrants (enter by 7/24) who catch the largest fluke, 1st place – $1000., 2nd place – $500 and 3rd place – $250.  We will also have a doormat fluke category with a $50,000 cash prize for the largest fluke over 12 lbs.  There will be nine ports (weigh-in stations) with identical 1st to 10th place prizes for each port. First place for each port will be $1200 cash which is guaranteed regardless of the number of entrants. For 2nd – 10th place, valuable merchandise prizes will be awarded from Canyon Reels, Costa, The Fisherman Magazine, Fuel Ox, Tica, Tony Maja and others.  Ports will be located at Liberty Landing in Jersey City, Gateway Marina in Sandy Hook, Fisherman’s Den in Shark River, Hoffman’s Marina in Manasquan River, South Harbor Marina in Barnegat Bay, Fisherman’s Headquarters on Long Beach Island, Great Bay Marina in Great Bay, Fin-Atics Marine Supply in Ocean City and Jim’s Bait and Tackle in Cape May.

Additionally, there will be $50 and $100 port Calcuttas and $50 and $100 Overall Calcuttas. The awards ceremony will be held at 7:00 PM on August 10th at the Clarion Motel in Toms River. Rooms will be available at a discounted rate for tournament participants provided that reservations are made in advance. There will be free cheeseburgers, hot dogs, mozzarella sticks, soda, coffee and tea at the ceremony. There will also be plenty of door prizes at the ceremony and a huge 50/ 50. To top everything off there will be a Grand Prize Drawing for a Starcraft boat, Yamaha engine and a Yacht Club Trailer.
The early entry fee is $130 per boat (up to 6 anglers) if paid by 7/24. After 7/24 the fee is $160. For complete details and/or to register online visit www.jcaa.org or call the JCAA office at 732-506-6975. Details will also be available on our Facebook page where tournament results will be posted as soon as possible after the conclusion of the tournament.

Paul Haertel JCAA Board Member / Past President

LBI Fishing Report July 17, 2017

July is a great month for fishing on Long Beach Island because there opportunity inshore, offshore and from shore.

Fish Finder Frank Folley was on the water today fishing the bay and Inlet. Frank said, “There’s still lots of bluefish around. Some good size ones too! They were crushing poppers which made for some fun fishing. We got some tog fishing crabs but no keepers. We got a couple keeper fluke bucktailing. Hooked into a monster cow nose which took us for a ride. There’s lots around so watch out!”

Jacob Bowles reported a good catch of fluke and sea bass, “Ocean water is up to 73 degrees. Fishing was great for me. Managed to get a 5 pound sea bass and a 24″ fluke.”

Dave Werner recently fished the Forked River Tuna Club’s Ladies Fishing Tournament. His girls on the boat caught 5 keepers and over 20 shorts.

Tog opened today (July 17th, one fishing at fifteen inches) and Dylan Fisher took the run to search some mid shore wrecks. He reported, “I had a blast with my uncle today wreck fishing about ten miles off. Light tackle black fishing with green crabs. We released 19 fish and kept one along with a nice sea bass. Heading out tomorrow to get back on the tuna!”

Beach Haven Marlin Tuna Club’s War of the Shore was this past weekend. The tournament’s inaugural year had a strong turn out with 70 boats. Over $3000 was raised for charity, the Childhood Leukemia Foundation in name of Parker Nork! Here is a photo of Intermediate angler Luke Wittenborn with a solid yellowfin tuna weigh-in caught aboard the Compass Rose in the tournament. Sorry we don’t have the final results.

One of the local party boats fishing out of Barnegat Light, the Carolyn Ann III reports, “Fishing has been slow all week but recently we put together some better catches. Seems like it is picking up a bit. We are keeping our fingers crossed and plugging away. Jump aboard and lets go fishing!

Numerous cobia reports floating around! We saw Nick Honachefsky’s “Jersey Cobia” post on Instagram as well as a couple others. Store staffer Kelley Lutzgave us this photo of his dad, Brett. Mr. Lutz caught the beast 76 pound cobia.

Good reports of yellowfin and bluefin tuna continue! Solid reports from anglers fishing the mid-shore grounds as well as the edge. With the somewhat calm sea conditions now’s the time to get out on the bluewater!

Cactus Juice Giveaway ! Winner Picked Saturday 7/15/17

Head on over to our Instagram page to win a 6oz Bottle of Cactus Juice! This stuff is the real deal! Perfect to protect against the nasty greenheads and flies that cover our region.

Winner picked tomorrow, Saturday 7/15/17

*RULES*
Follow @fishermansheadquarters on Instagram
Like the photo
Tag 2 friends on the Instagram post

NOAA Affirms NJ’s Fluke Regulations

PRESS RELEASE FROM NJ FISH & GAME
IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

NOAA AFFIRMS NEW JERSEY’S CURRENT-SEASON SUMMER FLOUNDER LENGTH AND BAG LIMITS

DIVISION OF FISH AND WILDLIFE LAUNCHES OUTREACH CAMPAIGN TO EDUCATE ANGLERS ON KEEPING FISHERY SUSTAINABLE

 

(17/P73) TRENTON – The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has affirmed New Jersey’s summer-flounder fishing size, bag limits and season, meaning all rules adopted by the state earlier this year will remain in effect through early September, Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Bob Martin announced today.

 

The decision, approved by U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross, finds New Jersey in compliance for management of summer flounder. It follows weeks of information-sharing between the DEP and NOAA about the expected impacts on New Jersey’s summer flounder fishery imposed by a regional fisheries commission earlier this year.

 

“We are very pleased that NOAA worked with us to understand our position that sound science and good long-term planning must drive decisions about the management of summer flounder, one of the state’s most important recreational and commercial fish species,” Commissioner Martin said. “New Jersey is fully committed to employing science and public education to conserve a species that is critical to the fishing culture and economy of the state.”

 

“I would like to thank Secretary Ross and Assistant Administrator of NOAA Fisheries Chris Oliver and for working with the State of New Jersey to preserve and manage our fisheries through responsible management processes, while recognizing the economic impacts of this industry to the state,” said DEP Deputy Commissioner David Glass.

The decision means that the recreational summer flounder season, that began May 25 and runs through Sept. 5, remains unchanged. The minimum size remains 18 inches for summer flounder for most coastal waters, including the ocean, estuaries and creeks. Anglers in these areas may keep three legally sized fish per day. The size limit for Delaware Bay is 17 inches, with a three-fish per day limit. At Island Beach State Park the size limit for shore fishing is 16 inches, with a daily two-fish limit.
Toward the DEP’s goal of ensuring a sustainable summer flounder fishery, the DEP’s Division of Fish and Wildlife launched a campaign to educate the fishing public on how to reduce discard mortality by safely releasing summer flounder that do not meet minimum size requirements.

 

“We are asking all anglers to help protect this important species for future generations,” Commissioner Martin said.

 

Recreational and commercial fishing generates $2.5 billion in economic activity in the state each year. Also known as fluke, summer flounder is popular because of its delicate flavor and abundance along beaches and in bays and other coastal waters.

 

The “If You Can’t Keep It, Save It!” campaign focuses on the proper handling methods and gear to use to reduce unintentional mortalities that can occur when flounder that do not meet minimum length requirements are returned to the water.

 

The campaign builds upon the FishSmart campaign promoted by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. New Jersey’s effort features distribution of print and electronic brochures to anglers registered through the state’s Saltwater Registry, charter and party boat operations, bait-and-tackle shops and members of fishing organizations, as well as radio public-service announcements and newspaper advertisements. The Division of Fish and Wildlife is also doing outreach through its website, email lists and social media.

 

To make the “If You Can’t Keep It, Save It!” campaign even more successful, the Division of Fish and Wildlife, in coordination with the American Sportfishing Association and Eagle Claw

Fishing, will distribute 20,000 free larger-sized hooks that help anglers land bigger fish and reduce the potential for discards.

 

These hooks will be available soon at bait-and-tackle shops. The Save the Flounder Fishery Fund provided valuable support to this effort. A list of participating shops will be made available on the DEP’s website and the Division of Fish and Wildlife Facebook page.

 

The Division of Fish and Wildlife encourages anglers to follow these techniques:

 

• Plan ahead – Expect to release fish and have the necessary equipment to do so, including de-hookers and proper nets; more experienced anglers may also consider using a recompression tool, a device that allows fish to be returned to the water at a safer depth.

 

• Use appropriate gear – Use gear suited to the size of the fish that you are trying to catch; 5/0 to 7/0 size hooks are recommended to successfully land bigger fish and reduce discards.

 

• Handle fish carefully – Use knotless, rubberized landing nets and rubberized gloves to avoid removing the protective slime layer on fish and help ensure survival when it is placed back in the water.

 

“By following these guidelines, anglers will be giving fish a better chance of survival,” said Division of Fish and Wildlife Director Larry Herrighty. “This campaign reminds all generations of anglers that proper handling and quick return to the water will help ensure an ample supply of keepers for generations to come.”

 

In February, the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC), a regional board comprised of representatives from Maine to Florida, approved a 19-inch size limit for New Jersey. However, Division of Fish and Wildlife data show that few fish in New Jersey reach that size due to the species’ biological needs and distribution patterns. Moreover, the overwhelming majority of fish that would meet that “keeper” size limit would be reproductive females.

 

New Jersey appealed the ASMFC decision to NOAA, expressing concerns that the larger size limit would result in a significant increase in discard mortalities and would make the population less sustainable by forcing anglers to keep reproductive females.