LBI's Premier Fishing Report By Fishermans Headquarters
Author: FishHead.Greg
Greg Cudnik is a Long Beach Island native with lifelong experience fishing and navigating the local waters. He is a distinguished Master Captain—the highest level of operator licensing—holding a U.S. Coast Guard Masters 50-Ton Near Coastal License with Towing Endorsement.
Raised in and now managing his family’s bait and tackle business, Fisherman’s Headquarters (est. 1962, The Saltwater Fishing Bait & Tackle Experts), Greg is immersed in fishing on a daily basis. He is the Chief Contributor of FishingLBI.com, Long Beach Island’s leading fishing report blog, and serves as the administrator of Fisherman’s Headquarters’ social media channels on Instagram and Facebook, where he shares real-time fishing reports, conditions, and tactics. Be sure to follow along.
Here in the mid-October time frame, we are waning off the full moon with water temperatures much colder than just a week ago. The run of cold nights have dropped both the bay (mid 50’s, warmer closer to the inlets) and surf temps (low 60’s). Today we had a sunny and breezy day with big surf in the 3-5’+ on the beaches. There’s a low-pressure system offshore of the region, so expect easterly swell all weekend.
There’s still some mullet around, but the activity has slowed down. With it the bluefish bite has also tapered some. There are still smaller ones around the bay, inlet and surf. Our fingers are crossed some racers start up.
Striped bass fishing is on the slower side, but common for this point in the season. We have had a few entered into the LBI Surf Fishing Classic surf fishing tournament. Here’s the live results. Recently classy striped bass arrived in NJ waters. Unfortunately for south – central NJ anglers these fish have been for the most part focused around the Monmouth County waters. But there are some creeping into Ocean County waters. It’s only time and these hungry ones will slide down some more. Be ready!
The best striped bass fishing in the LBI areas right now has been on the backside’s bay waters. There’s striped bass hitting both artificials and live bait with anglers catching via boat in the main thoroughfares and sod banks as well as some select land based areas. In the thumbnail photo of today’s report video is angler Tom Smith who is catching striped bass in the bay. This should continue to be an opportunity for the rest of October and well into November. It’s a great shot if the ocean doesn’t tee off.
On the surf the main action has been small blues, a few kingfish and some out of season fluke. As the surf temperatures continue to decline expect both the kings and fluke to fade out and expect a better showing of dogfish and striped bass. They both usually show up in numbers around Halloween.
Tog fishing remains very good, possibly better than earlier this month. It seems like we have an uptick in size. Fish cut green crabs and sand fleas around the north end’s Inlet structure to score these fun quick hitting fish.
Remember: Blackfish aka Tautog / Tog is currently a ONE fish bag limit at 15″ minimum size. On November 16th it goes to a 5 fish bag limit. For more details: NJ Saltwater Fishing Regulations
I was out in the boat the other day and had some great fly fishing for bluefish in some challenging windy conditions. The bass eluded us. On another trip we hammered the tog and had a lot of health good size ones, very few dinks like I had on a previous trip. Wednesday late morning, I ran up the beach looking for new arrivals (bass). I found the mother load of bunker, sand eels, whales and tuna busting, all in the 30-50′ of water but no bass. I’m stoked the stage is set for a great fall!
This morning we have a fall chill in the air with a 50º air temperatures and north west winds. It’s sunny so things will warm up as the day develops. Right now at the lower stage of the incoming tide, there is 1-3’+ swell breaking on the bars. This is lingering energy from Kirk (as well as small but new pulses from Leslie too). We have incoming tide all day with high about 1pm this afternoon.
The waters are cooling and currently the Long Beach Island surf sits in the mid 60’s; 65-67º. Here on the mid-moon of October and we are transitioning out of the mullet run and into prime fall fishing. This past week a variety of fish were caught and in good numbers from anglers fishing the bay, inlet and surf. There tog, bluefish, kingfish and more striped bass everyday. Also blowfish and weakfish in the bay as well as sea bass and porgy on the wrecks. As I reported in today’s fishing report video, we have possibly the first arrivals of migrating fall run in now. Tune in for details on the fishing report and let’s go fishing!
We have received a flood of reports this week all themed around lots of bites. Bluefish and tog are the two main games right now for land based anglers. Boat trips can take advance of them too as well as Black Sea Bass and mid-shore tuna. In the bay blowfish and weakfish are also in the cards still too.
Last Saturday, the 75th Annual LBI Surf Fishing Classic kicked off with a bang. We had a large showing at the seminar. It was a full house, pushing 70+ people with standing room only. The coffee was hot and the doughnuts were tasty! Also everyone who came got some free tackle goodies thanks for AFW… rigs, mono leader, wire leader, and some terminal tackle. Myself and Bayside Dave shared details on fishing the LBI surf. If you missed it be sure to look out for the event next year. On the fishing action side of things, that too started with strong activity. Check out the live results page here. You’ll see the majority of the action is blues and tog, but there are also kingfish and one striped bass on the board. It’s time! Join today and go fish.
Last Saturday was the LBI Fishing Club’s World Series Of Surf Fishing. The 32 teams (180 anglers) competed and caught a total of 218 fish. Bluefish dominated the suds with 153 catches. The second most active species was kingfish (50 were caught). Also there were a good amount of fluke caught but because they are out of season did not score. The tournament was won by Ocean City -Blue with 40 fish totaling 489 points. Second place was American Angler – White with 27 fish totaling 363.75. Third place was Merchantville A with 20 fish totaling 233 points. Largest fish in the event was a 21.5″ bluefish caught by Bob Nowatzky. Tournament Director Barry Forgeng shared, “It was a great day with perfect conditions on the surf with wind, tide, swell as well as fish. It was a successful tournament all around.”
Beautiful morning in the neighborhood with light to no winds. Yesterday was a good one too. There’s bluefish on the surf chasing mullet and the mullet run is still under way. The tog fishing is active for land based anglers fishing Barnegat Inlet. With sea bass open they are also on tap for ocean fishing boat anglers. Be ready for the striped bass “run” which may pop off at anytime now. There bass to be caught fishign the eaters of LBI and the action should only get better as the waters cool. It’s usually best Halloween to Thanksgiving timeframe. I’m looking forward to this weekend as the 70th Annual LBI Surf Fishing Classic kicks off Saturday October 5, 2024. Also tomorrow Oct 5th, I’m presenting with bayside Dave a FREE surf fishing seminar at the Ship Bottom Fire House from 9-11am. See you there!
Long Beach Island beaches are great for fishing, but their long open nature makes getting around difficult. This is where 4×4 Beach Buggies come in. We get all sorts of questions with regards to LBI beach driving access as well as 4×4 beach driving rules. So this resource is here to help!
First things first all vehicles must have a 4×4 beach permit. The chart below shares details on this topic…
Next, find a Access Ramp and go. Not so fast! Read on below…
Driving the soft sand beaches of LBI can be challenging, but with some general knowledge you’ll have a successful and enjoyable experience. Here’s a couple tips.
Must Air Down – From 35psi to 15-20psi, lower tire pressure allow the tires to float on and over the sand
Always know the tides and weather
Always have these essentials: shovel, bottle jack with block of wood, tow strap/chain, flashlight, tire gauge
15 MPH Beach Speed Limit – Stay in the track.
Don’t Park In The Tracks
For more details on LBI 4×4 beach buggies and information about driving the soft sand beaches of Long Beach Island be sure to check out our detailed article, LBI 4×4 Beach Driving Access Guide.
More unsettled weather with Nor’easterlies in the forecast for this week with E-ENE swell on the beaches of LBI. Right now it look like later in the work week things finally settle down wind wise and the sun comes out for the weekend, BUT the surf stays up right through the forecast period.
On the fishing front, anglers getting out and roughing the conditions are primarily targeting and catching striped bass, bluefish and tog. That three way play will be prime for the entire month of October aheads so I suggest putting focus on those. There’s also weakfish and blowfish. The mullet run has slowed down to a trickle the last couple of days. With the new moon on October 2nd, I’ll go out on a limb and say this is the final innings. Maybe another wave or two, then some scattered pieces but I wouldn’t hold your breath. Please let time prove me wrong!
Tune into my latest report video which I recorded and published on Saturday later in the day…
Greg Davis report… “I caught my first surf side striped bass of the 2024 fall. Thanks Paul at Fish Heads for the recommendation on the mullet colored Yozuri Long Cast Hydro Minnow.”
Screenshot
Many other striped bass reports came in this weekend from angler fishing the bay, inlet and surf. We were stoked to heard another great report from Randy Edwards, “Pretty decent bite fishing metal lips and top water. Had 8 fish total but only landed three. Both striped bass and blues doing acrobatics on my popper. It was a fun day!”
Tog fishing has been a consistent opportunity that lots of anglers have taken advantage of. We are fortunate to have such a robust, fun fishery with lots of public access, especially areas to fish that are protected from the wind. Haha, funny, not funny! I don’t want to sound like a broken record but the wind just keeps going.
The NJ Summer Flounder fishing season came to a close this past Thursday (Wednesday 25th was the last day). And with one season closing another opens. NJ Black Sea Bass fishing opens on October 1 (same 12.5″ minimum length all year) with a 10 fish bag. Then come November 1st the bag increases to 15 fish. For more details on the NJ Saltwater Fishing Regulations, here is a convenient pdf download.
Next weekend is the start of the 70th Annual LBI Surf Fishing Classic, Saturday October 5th. The surf fishing tournament runs for 9 weeks with lots of prizes. For more details www.LBISFC.com.
Don’t miss out on the opening day Surf Fishing Seminar! It is a FREE EVENT at the Ship Bottom Fire House hosted by me, Greg from Fisherman’s Headquarters and Bayside Dave where lots of surf fishing info will be shared. Also there are free doughnuts (Crust & Crumb Bakery), free coffee (How You Brewin’) and free goods aka door prizes from American Fishing Wire. We will also give away a couple reels from Penn, another key sponsor of the event. If you have attended in the past, you know this is a great low key fun event. It’s a perfect opportunity for new anglers to get involved and also intermediate and expert anglers to network and meet new faces.
See you there, this Saturday October 5th from 9-11am.
A persistent low pressure has meandered off the East Coast for awhile now and with high pressure to our north over Easter Canada the wind machine is (and has been) on from the north and northeast directions. From the look of things the nearly two week blow isn’t stopping anytime soon and the run of easterly swell will stick around most of the week ahead.
No one is happy at the way the weather patterns have played out for the majority of September clamping and cramping many of the hot local fisheries, but it’s FALL!!! Time to play the cards that are dealt and get into some fun fishing the waters of Long Beach Island.
Tune in now to my fishing report video update from yesterday Saturday September 21, 2024…
The full moon of September really got things moving especially with this persistent blow. Coming down off the backside things got interesting with both lots of bait and game moving. The mullet marathon rolls on. Check out this video from our friends @JettyJockeys. This past week we have seen significantly more striped bass activity in the bay, inlet and surf.
Randy Edwards had himself a great Saturday morning plugging the north end. He reported catching a handful of striped bass with some slot and over slots bass hamming metal lips and darters. Randy shared that his Firmanator metal lip swimmer was the ticket.
For more details on how to take full advantage of the mullet run right now, here are some NJ Mullet Run Tactics. Anyone looking for a new metal lip or two, we have a limited run of Firmanator custom woods lure by Joe Firman in stock now. They are all one off customs so we do not list online for sale. They can be purchased in store or via phone.
Tog fishing continues to offer good fun action fishing crab on jig or rig. Both sand fleas and green crabs are catching. Get up to the north end of LBI and enjoy these quick hitting bulldogs.
The local inshore fishing has been solid even with the windy conditions. In the final days of the 2024 fluke fishing season (ends Wednesday Sept 25th), get your last hura fishing the bay, inlet or surf. The back bays and bridges are also loaded with bass feeding on smaller baits like spearing, grass shrimp and rain bait. The most effective method for this application is small soft plastics like a 3” NLBN and bucktails ¼-3/4oz range tipped with a curly tail or jig strip in white, red or yellow. Store staffer Frez reported over a dozen bass from 18-26” fishing 3” NLBNs bayside this past week. He also had a few fluke (no keeper size) and some bluefish to 4lbs. He was just missing the weakfish for the inshore slam!
Before the blow, the canyon chunk bite was happening with some sizable yellowfin coming over the rail. Store staffer Tyler fished an overnighter a couple days ago in a marginal weather wind and scored 8 Yellowfin on the chunk. He reported, “They all ate butterfish both freelined and weighted baits. Tyler said the mahi were jumping in the boat and the tilefishing on both squid was good too. I got a couple tilefish on the jig too.”
PSA1: Coastal flooding continues as the persistent onshore winds stack up waters in the back bays. Yes that water in the streets and roadway flooding (at times of bayside high tide) is the bay backing up through the storm drains. Don’t be a ying-yang and blast through it!
PSA2: Something is brewing down in the Gulf… developing, strengthening and moving north. Keep an eye on the models.
Awesome September weather rolls on! With schools back in session the broader area is significantly less congested and fishing is just as good, if not better! The mullet run continues strong and the beach, inlet and bay are bustling with well rounded variety.
Tune in my latest fishing report video from this afternoon…
With the mullet run in full effect here are some NJ Mullet Run Tactics for fishing right now!
For specifics on other approaches right now take a look at my previous report blog from 9/5 (link below) where I detail solid suggestions on targeting inshore hard tail pelagics (false albacore, bonito, spanish mackerel), back bay blowfish, spot and weakfish as well as a couple options for the surf. There blues, kingfish and fluke on the beach. And some big fluke as Dave Werner and his class showed us! See the report video for details.
PSA1: The beaches are opening (some already are) to 4×4 access. Stay tuned for a detailed LBI 4×4 Beach Buggy Access Info blog coming in the next few days.
PAS2: Oyster Creek dredging which started in mid August continues, but is schedules to wrap up any day. The work is being done to clean up the shoaling in the Buoy 38 – 40 area in the western area of Oyster Creek Channel. Boaters have run over the dredge pipe so if you are unaware, please slow down and proceed with caution. The dredge monitors VHF 13 if needed hail.
PSA3: Another round of beach replenishment is coming to LBI this fall. Equipment is already moving into position and sand will be pumping most likely later this month. First on the south end, Beach Haven and Holgate, and then up to the north end; Harvey Cedars as well as some of Loveladies and North Beach. I started writing a blog on the topic of beach replenishments a couple years ago which I never finished. Earlier this summer, when I learned about this fall action, I resurrected it but haven’t found time to complete. I’m hoping to find some time and post sooner than later. Maybe before the end of the year. Be on the look out.
PSA2: The Ship Bottom Wawa is currently closed for renovations. It is scheduled to reopen on Friday October 4th. If plan be is hit the 7-Eleven just a stones throw away… think again as it closed in the fall of 2022. Plan accordingly.
The New Jersey Mullet Run is a distinct segment of Jersey’s Fall Run. It’s the starter fluid that fires up the Shore’s inlets and beaches. As summer winds down the days get shorter, less sunlight and cooler nights get the air and water temperatures trending colder and the weather starts to turn. This transition it when things flip on and the Jersey Mullet Run comes alive.
The run can be short, so get after it and strike right away when the mullet start moving. Some of the fall’s best fishing can take place during the season’s first couple Nor’easters so surf anglers should be comfortable, ready to fish and able to capitalize in stormy conditions. It’s also important to point out that Mullet Run Tactics can be effective even when the mullet run is over.
There are basically two different NJ Mullet Run Tactics than anglers can choose… Bait Up & Soak or Pack Up & Plug!
Bait Up & Soak
Mullet can range in size from finger muller (small baits ranging from 3-5″) up to corn cobs (large baits weighing a pound or more). Cast net your own bait or buy fresh / frozen from the bait shop. Mullet can be fished a variety of ways; whole, chunk, strip.
A classic skewer style mullet rig is the most popular way to fish a whole mullet in the Jersey surf. These have a 1/0-5/0 size double hook which has has a slot for the rig’s stiff wire skewer to be attached or detached. This allows the hook to be fixed at the tail of the bait which is where bluefish tend to strike. Some of these rigs also have a float added for attracting color and also bring the bait up off the bottom, away from the crabs and gets it to swim in the current.
TIP: When rigging be sure to slide the mullet back down and either settle the hook as deep as possible into the bait (as shown in the photo above) or put one of the two hook into the tail. Be sure to always have at least one hook exposed for best hook ups.
Other popular rigs are the classic bluefish chunk rig (shown above with a half of mullet chunk) as well as the Doodle Bug, Fire Ball Rig and a Hi/Lo or One Drop rig. These rigs can be used to fish a whole mullet, a chunk of mullet or a strip of mullet. Below shows a strip of mullet fished on a simple hi/lo rig with 3/0 hooks which is perfect when small cocktail blues are present. These rigs will also catch fluke when cast and slowly retrieved off the surf.
Mullet is awesome fished live on a plain hook and it can also be deadly fished live off a popping cork on top or a small egg weight on bottom. It all comes down to what the situation calls for.
Pack Up & Plug
Plugging (casting lures) during the mullet run is very effective because mullet tend to swim in tight to the beach and they are a small-medium size bait. This makes it east for anglers to match the hatch.
Match the hatch!
Size: 3-5+”
Profile: Big head for their size
Colors: White, Silver, Blue, Grey
Movement: Distinct v-wave,
Depth: Tends to hang around the surf line in shallow water
Mullet move in a unique way, in schools on the surface, commonly in tight to edge. Their wide nose puts out a v-wave on the surface. Some perfect matches are wake bait – metal lip swimmers and Red-fins as well as floating poppers, Bomber Wind-cheater, light swim baits and darters.
Rather than diving into specifics here , I’ll reference a detailed blog on the best mullet run lures. For more on top producing fishing lures for the Jersey Shore Mullet Run check out this blog article…
A lot of game species chase mullet. The main game here are striped bass, bluefish, fluke, weakfish and occasionally speckled trout and redfish. Yup Jersey surfcasters get a mini window each year.
School sizes striped bass that are mostly made up of residents striped bass that have hung around the area all summer long. There’s also a better class occasionally with fish in the 30″ but rarely in the 40″ range during this part of the run.
Bluefish love mullet and get active during the run. Commonly small class ranging from the year’s young (snappers) ranging up to cocktails in the 2-4# range and occasionally there’s times where bigger blues can show up to the party.
The 9th Inning of fluke normally coincides with the mullet run. It’s one of the best time to fluke fish the surf and inlets in search of large class fluke.
Fishing the jetty’s is a great option to find exiting mullet. But if creeping the rocks… Be Careful!!! Rocks are slippery but there’s more to consider. This time of year the region gets long period tropical swell energy. What look like a calm flat ocean can sometimes have very spaced out inconsistent wave action. The lully set waves can easily catch an angler off guard.
September is here! With cool dry air and easterly swell in the water, it sure feels like fall! The new moon was Tuesday and it marked a new stage in the season’s progression, an exit from summer. I’ve shared recently that the bait is staged up and abundant. Some is moving out front; peanut bunker, bay anchovies, spearing, soon to be mullet!
Yesterday might have been the best weather day of the week for those looking to get our front and fish the ocean via boat. However areas of the bay in the leeward side of the island and sod banks will offer protection. The surf will be a little churned up but that isn’t a bad thing for surf anglers. The second half of this week, we will have onshore winds and easterly swell. A large slow moving low pressure system offshore will keep the conditions sloppy and fall like. Expect 3-4’ surf on the beaches Thursday – Friday – Saturday, then fading Sunday. The tropics are waking up so all should keep an eye and ear out for developments.
Tune into my latest LBI Fishing Report video…
Current Fishing Info – What’s on tap?
My morning charter yesterday wasn’t bad today. We had a fun trip starting out with quick action with small blues on light tackle. After a few minutes everyone aboard caught a few and we went to hunt albies. It was sloppy with the north easterly blow making it more challenging but we founds some not far from Barnegat Inlet. Since the trip’s main focus was fluke we didn’t spend too much time with the albies before running out to the Barnegat Light Reef. First drift we had a 20″ keeper, a handful of shorts and some perky sea robins. The fish were not cold to the touch, so the bottom temperature was not cold. That was great news and most likely the reason the bite was active for the rest of the trip. The cold bottom was a curse for most of the summer season.
We finished the day with three keepers up to 21″ in about a three hour fluke session drifting the reef. Somehow I caught all of the keeper. The best action for me was on the jig. I was using a Magictail Round Head Jig 6oz Glow baited with 8″ Gulp Grub, rigged with a naked 6″ Gulp Grub teaser above. Salmon (orange) and Fire Tiger (orange /chartreuse) were best. Pink shine and white glow, my two favorites over the past couple of years didn’t come close in terms of productivity.
September Offers Lots Of Good Fishing Opportunities
We are in the final stretch of the fluke season, but in my opinion, some of the best weeks of the season. NJ summer flounder (fluke) season closed on Wednesday September 25, 2024. There’s still good fluke fishing right now in the bay and inlet. The west side of the bay as well as the main thoroughfares linking the open bay to the inlet are great spots to fluke fish all season long and they are producing right now.
With water temperatures hovering around the 70 degree mark, both in the bay and the ocean offer an active bite. With regards to the bay even on both side of the tide.
Summer Flounder
This is not just a boat game. Surf and jetty anglers get good late season fluke fishing too. The inlet is a great area to fish as all fluke departing Barnegat Bay in route east funnel through. These same fish can staged up along the sand beaches feeding on shellfish and other baits (fluke love mullet) in the pockets and wash.
Tautog
There’s action but mostly smaller critters. Anyone looking to go is just about guaranteed to get into an active bite but go into it knowing you will need to earn a keeper size fish. While the water is still warm in addition to the tog, there are sheepshead, triggerfish and porgies as well as smaller class of black sea bass on nearshore structure. We expect tog fishing to only improve from here. Once colder weather and water settles in the tog bite will be prime.
False albacore, bonita and Spanish mackerel as well as mahi are present in the nearshore – inshore – midshore waters. If wanting to hunt these fun and fast small pelagics feeding under the small quick moving bird plays you have to use light tackle. The only way to effectively use small lures which are needed to match the hatch, is to fish light line and a light outfit (rod/reel) to long cast.
My three favorite and best producing lures this season and previous years…
Color is the least of my concern. I’m most particular with the weight and size/length. Fish the smallest possible. On calm days I use the smallest sizes (3/8, 1/2, 5/8) and these are fished on my lightest rods. When fishing windy days I will go up to the 7/8-1oz sizes. I would suggest staying away from anything over 1oz and larger than 4″ unless you are fishing a heavy rod or looking to fish deeper in the water column. I refrain from both in this scenario
With regards to rigging, light line and leader is a must. I prefer 20# braid with a 20# fluorocarbon leader which connect via line to line knot (FG, double alright, uni to uni). I tie a perfection loop at the end of the leader and then loop on the jig. There’s no hardware needed and I can quickly change the lure if needed. I’m not a fan of jewelry (terminal tackle hardware).
In The Bay
Blowfish and weakfish are active in the bay and should offer good fishing all month. Also fluke (mentioned above), blues and striped bass are on tap.
Blowfish are a fairly easy approach; anchor up in 7-10′ of water in the heart of Barnegat Bay, drop a chum pot down and then a rig (small long shank blowfish hooks – Blowfish Rig) baited with clam and/or small pieces of Fish Bites. You very well may catch spot, croakers and some spike weakfish.
Targeting weakfish is a little more challenging. They are occasionally caught by accident/bycatch when targeting fluke or blowfish. To best target them you’ll want to anchor up and chum with live grass shrimp.
Fishing for blues and striped bass is best done earlier or late in the days with light tackle utilizing plugs in the 3-5″ range. Expect this fishing which was really great all summer to continue if not get better as we exit summer.
On The Surf
Kingfish, fluke, blues and a stray striped bass are surf side opportunities. Fishing a small hook rig baited with live bloodworm or Fish Bites is best for kingfish. Catching fluke on the surf is easy use a Gulp baited jig, with or without a Gulp teaser or a simple hi-lo rig baited with Gulp. Fish slowly yet actively working the pockets of water in the cuts and troughs. Blues will hammer any type of lure, but I suggest fishing an epoxy jig or a 4-5″ Jerk Bait. Striped bass and fluke will also eat these two.
Chris Moffitt shared the first surf side striped bass we have heard about in a weeks. Bass have been active in the bay and inlet all summer long and we are looking forward to an increase of linesiders in the suds as the mullet run rolls on.
Speaking of the mullet run, here’s mullet run blog from 2018 that is just as valuable today as it was then.
The 70th Annual LBI Surf Fishing Classic kicks off October 5th with the opening day seminar at the Ship Bottom Fire House 9am. Registration has already begun so now is a great time to sign up and score the free goods while supplies last! Be sure to participate in the main event as well as the Surf Master Catch and release division. If you have questions or want to learn about getting into surf fishing and the event I welcome you to stop by the seminar. See you there!
Since my last post, Ernesto gave us a weekend full of waves and that has petered out into the new work week. Monday’s full “super” moon gave us extreme tides/currents which will slowly wane. The water temperatures have been somewhat stable and warm making fishing more active and consistent.
The past couple days we have had a taste of fall with some northwest flow and cool dry air. The outlook shows somewhat fair winds and fair seas. So now is a great time to get out and enjoy what’s left of summer… Let’s go fishing!
On the fishing front, we are still playing the same old record with a new addition. There’s a variety of species from fluke, bluefish, striped bass and weakfish to tog, sheepshead and triggerfish. Recently we’ve had some larger (then the common summertime cocktail 1-3 cocktail blues) size bluefish. ALSO… Albies were cracking the past two days! Now is also prime time fluke fishing with great opportunities in the bay, inlet, surf and ocean.
Just a heads up the tropics look clear however towards the end of the month things very well may get active again so keep an eye out.
Prize Categories: 1st – 5th Place Single Heaviest Fluke: (Entrants may take a only a single place) 1-2nd Place Single Heaviest Fluke Female Angler (18+) 1-2nd Place Single Heaviest Fluke Jr Angler Ages 12 and Under 1-2nd Place Single Heaviest Fluke Jr Angler Ages 13-17 1st Place Single Heaviest Fluke Land Based/Kayak Angler
$1,000 BONUS DRAWING: A random tournament entrant who weighs in a legal sized fluke (18”+) will be selected to win $1,000 thanks to sponsors: Fisherman’s Headquarters, Jingles, The Boatyard and Beach Haven Yacht Club
Entry Fee
Private Vessel: $225 (Early Bird Entry $200 Before August 10th) Land Based/Kayak Angler: $60 (Early Bird Entry $50 Before August 10th) Miss Beach Haven Angler: To Be Announced
Single Entry Calcutta
Private Vessel $300 Single Angler $60 Calcutta Payouts: Single Entry Calcutta Makes you Eligible for the following prizes 1st and 2nd Single Heaviest Fluke (1 Entry can win both places in Calcutta) 1st and 2nd Combined Three Heaviest Fluke 1st Place Heaviest Sea Robin
