The marine forecast is looking pretty good for Fri and Sat, Oct 4 and 5. We will be headed offshore looking for tuna, yellowfin or bluefin. The first wave of boats should get out Wed and Thurs, so we will base our destination on those reports. We will be bait fishing and jigging. Wherever we wind up, we are going to make a mess! Sardines, peanut bunker, spearing in the chunk slick and live bait on the hooks. There is nothing more exciting than day chunking!
Open Boat Tuna:
Fri Oct 4 5AM to 3PM and Sat Oct 5 5AM to 3PM
$450 person. 4 people max. All fish are shared.
We are also available any day for bay fishing or bonita/albacore depending on the forecast.
This fall there was some confusion circling which all seemed to have stemmed from a clerical typo and confusion between public works, police and administration. No matter the case, now that it is October 1st all of LBI’s beaches are officially open to 4×4 beach buggy access with proper permits. Here’s a link to a detailed 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.
We are catching weakfish, kingfish, and blowfish on the west side of Barnegat Bay. Anchored up chumming with clam and also using live shedder crabs. Fishing between the BI and BB Buoys. Light tackle, six pound spinning outfits. Not catching the weakies and kings every trip. We didn’t have any today, but we had quite a few jumbo blowfish, I call them “whales” at that size. We also had sand sharks, grunts, spots, fluke, and striped burrfish in the mix.
The highlight today was a huge blowfish, technically a Northern Puffer, that I caught and weighed in . It weighed in at 1.21 lbs, making it a pending IGFA All Tackle World Record for that species. It was 11 inches long and 18 inches in circumference when inflated. I kept it in the livewell while we were on the boat, then transferred it to a bucket with an aerator for the weigh in. Once we left the scale, we took her to the bay for a live release and she swam away happy:
Available every day for bay charters. Great way to get fishing while waiting for these relentless ocean conditions to subside. Once things calm down, we will be back on the hunt for bonita, albies, and tuna.
Pics:
Vinny Laprete from Roselle Park, NJ in camo
Max DeGennaro from Barnegat, NJ in black shirt
Dave DeGennaro from Barnegat, NJ in burgundy sweatshirt
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.
Just got off the water with Jim Hutchinson of the Fisherman Magazine. Jim is a long time fan of catching weakfish going back to when he was a kid
chasing them with his Dad, another well known fisherman in the angling community, Jim Sr. He absolutely schooled me today, first catching both of the bigger weakies we had, a pair of 3 plus pound fish on shedder crab. Those came on 1/8 oz jigheads tipped with shedder. You cast it out, let it sink, once it hits bottom you lift the rod very slowly, and then as you lower the rod, capture the slack with the reel. A technique I have deemed “lolly gagging”. We were in 8 feet of water between the BI and BB Buoys. A few sand sharks, blowfish, and a grunt in the mix and we went to pick up our live grass shrimp.
Anchored up on the Barnegat Light side, started chumming with the grass shrimp, and once again, it was all about watching Jim catch weakfish. He had about a dozen to my two. These were the more common 12 to 15 inch fish, but a great fight on the ultralite 6 lb spinning outfits we were using. Added three more species: skate, silver perch, and bluefish to raise the species count to seven. Had action from beginning to end in both spots.
Both of these baits are in short supply, so the end is near. If you are interested in getting out bay fishing while the ocean is not fishable, book a bay trip. We can target weakfish, kingfish, and blowfish, and then there are always surprises in the catch.
No takers on our Open Boat Tuna trip yesterday (Friday Sept 13) so being that the boat was fueled up, iced up, and loaded with bait, my deck hand Dave Flood, and I, decided to run ourselves. We broke the inlet at 4AM. It was a very mild NE wind so the sea condition was mellow. We ran 60 plus miles to the spot. When we arrived at 7AM, there were no birds, no slicks, no whales, no readings,….nothing. Started putt-putting around the area and stumbled on two chick birds and a single shearwater. Said “Oh well, that’s more than we’ve seen, so let’s go on the drift”. A few minutes in we had mackerel on the surface around the boat, Saw a good size splash and then the bow rod went off. Got to it, threw the lever, it was there, and then it wasn’t. Reeled in an empty hook. Finally marked a single fish at 110 feet. Put a bait down to that depth and ten minutes later we are hooked up. Decked a 50 lb yellowfin. Another runoff, bit off by a shark, leader was all scraped up. Go back for another drift, hook and lose another fish, appeared to be a tuna by the run. Hook pulled. At 9AM Dave sets up on a fish that won’t stop dumping line off of his 30 class. We run it down, but it takes two more big runs before we can stick a gaff in his 105 lb yellowfin. 55″ length, 39″ girth. His biggest tuna ever. Couldn’t happen to a nicer guy. All Dave does is help people on my boat catch fish. We were back in by 1:30 PM. Here’s some video, it’s not great, it doesn’t include the end game because I couldn’t film and assist with the gaff: www.youtube.com/watch?v=YJZC2j2Bc68
Looks like the wave heights are up for a little while so we will be fishing in the bay for weakfish, kingfish, blowfish, and the mixed bag on ultralite tackle.
We will be announcing more tuna dates as soon as there is a good weather window.
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.
There are yellowfin tuna in the 50 to 60 mile range. There are also bluefin tuna in the 20 to 25 mile range.
Friday looks like a good marine forecast to go tuna hunting. We are running an Open Boat Tuna trip on Friday Sept 13, 4AM to 3PM $475 person, 4 people max, all fish are shared. This is the schedule and rate for the longer range yellowfin trip. If we don’t get good reports or intel from the yellowfin grounds we will pivot to bluefin fishing.
That schedule would be 5AM to 2PM and the cost $400 person. Either trip the emphasis will be on bait and jigs.
The bonita are still going strong. Good size fish and Ziplocks of some of the most delicious loins you will ever have.
Chumming and catching them on light spinning rods. We have also had albacore, spanish mackerel, chub mackerel and more eat our hookbaits. Bait and lures are working equally well.
Saturday Sept 14 and Sunday Sept 15, we will be sailing Open Boat Bonita 6AM to 2PM, $300 person,
4 people max, all fish are shared.
We are also catching weakfish, kingfish, blowfish, and more in the bay. Super ultralite 6 lb outfits. These trips are offered for charter only and we do not run Open Boat in the bay.
Any of the above Open Boat trips are also available for your private charter.
Pics from recent bay trip:
Geri DeGennaro of Barnegat NJ
(Mrs Hi Flier) with a kingfish
Kelly Kieckhefer of Lake Como NJ with a blowfish
Sue Belford of Lake Como NJ with her second striped burrfish of the trip.
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