And just like that April is here and “Spring Has Sprung!” The mainland areas have serious bloom-age and the island’s buds are popping. All signs are pointing to fun fishing. The April Full Moon is Wednesday night. The return of the laughing gulls to the area mean any day, usually 7-14 days later, the arrival of migrating striped bass and bluefish. Saw some of the season’s first gnats and that means the black drum will be here soon, most likely on this moon. The drum could be here now!

The radical weather and wild temperature swings are a challenging part of the spring transition. Anglers closely monitoring and riding the storms like salty cowboys get rewarded. This time of year more than any other, picking and choosing location and time/tide is of the utmost importance. Fish smart!

Fish Smart – Pick & Choose Wisely

Fishing after a cold blast chill isn’t the best way to find an active bite. Fishing after a heavy rain usually isn’t a good option either. Fishing in the early mornings after a cold night will more than likely be slow.

The keys to spring fishing this area are fishing the sunny days and fishing the afternoons when the waters are at their warmest. Warmest water is when the fish will be most aggressive and active. Fish the outgoing tide, all the way out and even a portion of the turn. These sections will be the warmest. Get back. Way way back and you’ll find them in the back bays, river mouths, sod banks, tributaries and rivers.

Welcome Back To NJ

More fish move into the state and there’s larger, more active ones too. Both the Delaware River and the Raritan Bay have fish. The arrivals are coming into the bays and heading up the rivers. Stacking up and making their move eventually to spawn soon. Photo below is a lot of striped bass stacked up like cord wood on Monday afternoon.

Here’s Kory Fishbein with a 46″ pig he caught and quickly released on Sunday. Kory lives in Philly and fishes the Jersey Coast beaches as well as the Delaware River. He shared the photo shortly after releasing it, “I finally made up for the one we lost!” This goes back a few year to when Kory had a monster bass on and I managed to loose it on him trying to net the fish boat side. Massive wood plug that was in the fish’s face and challenging to steer into my XXXL striped bass net. The net wouldn’t stay open due to the current and the fish pushed into the net and snagged up the plug. Fish was laying on top of the net but too far out of reach. One big head shake and the fish was free. It sat and looks at us for what seems like 20 seconds before tail slapping a splash of water in our face.

The LBI surf isn’t know for having good surf fishing in March and usually early April is slow too. This year the beaches have been quiet (other than some bait and gannets) until today. Corey Perich caught a 14.98# 35.75″ bass off the Beach Haven surf on salted clam. Yes I repeat a striped bass was caught off of the Long Beach Island surf. It was weighed in at Jingles. No the fish was not in the Spring Derby but would have been one hell of a first fish on the board.

We have seen and heard of other keeper fish caught in the local area too. Jbroz C. sent in a blurry night time keeper striped bass photo recently,”Caught on live bloodworms at 1am.” We also had a striped bass weigh in a few days ago but the team failed to record the anglers and catch info. Photo below.

Winter Flounder

Now’s the time (and all month) to catch some winter flounder. Brandy Hillegass caught this 2.35# flounder, just a hair shy of 18″ last week while worming for striped bass at the bay. The belly was loaded with freshly stolen bloodworms as well as native brown worms (unsure of the proper name but they were sand worms, super slender and about 6-8″ long). Not everyday that anglers catch winter flounder (which have super small mouths) on a 4/0 inline circle hook! One more reason to scale down to 2/0 circles this time of the year when light tackle worming. Brandy said, “The catch was a great surprise!” Brandy also caught a short striped bass today (Monday) fishing bloods on the bayside. “Thanks for the juicy worms!”

Tog Fishing

Tog hunters didn’t have a great kick off to the short one month (just April) spring tog season. It was sour with poor conditions. Nate Kirby reported, “The inlet was rough and the water was brown. Fishing around back it was weedy.” He’s looking forward to things settling down. Peter Gan reported catching a couple but, “the bite was real slow.”

Fishing the waters around Barnegat Light docks, bulkheads and rocks anglers should find a couple but don’t expect anything phenomenal like the crazy fall fishing. It’s also a good idea to have a plugging rod and a small plug bag when looking for April tog at the Barnegat Inlet. The toggers are usually the first ones top see a wave of bass or blues show up.

Land based tautog fishing can get good in the spring but for the most part it is a boat bottom fishing game so long as the weather allows. Some party boats further up the coast reported slow bottom fishing. Norma K III said they are catching fish but working hard for them, nothing great. They shared that what life they did find wanted “all crab. Not a touch on clam.” Usually clam is a great spring time tog bait. It’s a soft bait and it’s said that at this time tog prefer the soft baits in the spring. Not this day. The cod will hammer and slurp clams so you gotta have them!

Bait Update

And we will. We expect our first delivery of live surf clams this week! We have both live green crab and live white leggers in stock. While on the bait topic, I will share we plan to have fresh bunker towards the later part of the month.

On the bloodworm front, things aren’t looking promising. I’m told theres a couple issues that we are up against; persistence cold is making worm digging hard, recently poor tides, depleted resource from over fishing and also habitat destruction. Muscle dredging into the high water wares tore up the seed beds and without the beds you can’t expect to have a fishery. There’s large areas that were once prime time that are void of worms. We have managed to get some nice worms but this year more than ever we have got a lot of small pins. I’m sharing this to say we don’t want them either! But when the delivery shows up it’s either take it or leave it and small baits are better than no bait, no? If we refuse it then the next delivery (that might be better worms) isn’t coming our way.

I plan to dive more into the bloodworm topic in a future blog. Stay tuned!

Here’s a quick report from Store Staffer Frezza…

After an exceptional March full of striped bass fishing (locally and elsewhere in the state) April really came up fast. Time flies when you are having fun! I’m looking forward to black fish this month but will not loose focus on the bass fishing as it’s good and only getting better.

The fishing on the bayside of LBI continues strong with some nice slot fish on both live bloodworms and artificials. The reports from down my way, Tuckerton – Great Bay are starting but not great.

For me and the boys, the No Live Bait Needed paddle tails are working great (as always) around the bridges and sod banks. Store staffer Danny has been on the Bass since March 1st and his lure of choice is the 5” and 3” NLBN in Greenback and White.

As far as other fishing options… We’ve had a few Winter Flounder reports around the Ship Bottom – Surf City and Causeway Bridges area. Some creeks have white perch active on grass shrimp and bloodworm.

The sedges and sod banks have been loaded with Striped Bass and White Perch. Bloodworms have been working best but Store Staffer Frez and Tyler fished  local to him and picked a few school sized Bass on 3” NLBN on a 1/2oz head. 

Store staffer Paul is in on the action with aforementioned, NLBNS, while also scoring on Super Strikes, Yo-Zuri Mag Darters, SP minnows and Kettle Creeks Paddle Tails.  After, the last moon waned many fish were exclusively feeding on grass shrimp and worm from the sod banks, and teasers worked well at that point to match the hatch. Let’s see what this next moon brings us – Tight Lines!

Updated Spring Hours!

Easter Hours: 6:30 to 3PM

Monday – Thursday: 7am – 7pm
Friday: 7am – 8pm
Saturday: 6:30am – 8pm
Sunday: 6:30am – 6pm

Spring has sprung, and the 2023 striped bass fishery in the Long Beach Island area has gotten off to a good start. A prime factor for this is the water temperature being several degrees warmer than usual. 

There seems to be an abundance of fish in local bay waters as well as the creeks feeding into the bay along with the Mullica River. Most of these fish are under the legal keeper size of 28-inches, but some over that have been reported. 

Typically, the prime bait for these stripers has been live bloodworms. Artificial worms such as Fish Bites and Dynabait work too. Linesiders are also being caught on artificials, especially at night. This includes offerings such as plugs and poppers as well as soft plastics.

Surprisingly, there have already been some reports of bunker already in bay waters which is a good sign for the fish. 

Typical spring fishing is done in shallow waters where the water warms up sooner. In addition, sunny days coupled with outgoing tides seem to work best. 

Most of the fishing is done from shore due to the fact that most boats are still in dry dock. In early spring the bass tend to hang around the sod banks, bridges, river mouths and bays. As mentioned earlier, bloodworms are the top choice, but clams can be used too.

LBI Spring Derby – Starts Soon

With action happening from docks and sodbanks on Long Beach Island, the attention of many anglers is turning to the 21^st Annual Spring Derby which runs from April 1 to June 25. This is a competition for registered anglers fishing from shore anywhere on Long Beach Island.

The cost of registration is $20 with all registration money going to cash prizes. There are three cash prizes for striped bass and one for bluefish. In the striped bass division 50% of registration fees go to the largest fish, 25% to second  place, and third place earns 10%. The angler catching the largest bluefish receives 15% of the pot. 

A unique aspect of this spring event is that it is conducted with an eye on conservation. With only grand prizes, an angler can quickly take note if a catch is worthy of a prize. Those falling short can be released if the angler wishes. 

As with the Fall Classic, this contest is for shoreline fishing only. There are not many rules other than the angler must be registered before catching the fish and be the sole person handling the rod.

Naturally, New Jersey state fishing regulations apply, and anglers should be registered with the NJ saltwater registry. There are three official weigh-in stations where contestants can pre-register for the contest.  These are Fisherman’s Headquarters in Ship Bottom, Surf City Bait and Tackle, and Jingles Bait and Tackle in Beach Haven.

LBI Fall Classic History – The Early Days

Continuing a previous article regarding the background of striped bass fishing on Long Beach Island, in 1960 the fall Classic was called the LBI Striped Bass Derby and was a 41-day event. Anglers from far and wide including Canada, Indiana, and Washington participated. 

The grand prize, a 4-wheel drive jeep, was won by Ernie Lewis of Bristol, Pa., for his 45-pound, 15-ounce fish. Arnold Bloom of Pennsauken took second with a 44-pound, 11-ounce linesider good for a Simca station wagon. 

Jumping ahead to 1963 2,644 anglers paid a $3 registration fee. Top prizes were a pair of $1,000 E-bonds and a console television. James Warner of Hatboro, Pa, took first place honors with a 48-pound, 3-ounce fish. 

1963 was also the year that the  95-foot scalloper, “Sea King” struck the jetty off Barnegat Light while towing the “Prescott,” a decommissioned Navy minesweeper. Both vessels went aground. The “Prescott” was refloated but the “Sea King” remained.  Its mast is still on the beach and part of the history of Barnegat Light and Long Beach Island.

Let’s Go Fishing!

It has been a long winter, and there are fish here. It is now time to break out the fishing gear and get some lines in the water. 

Great weather here on LBI this week but things are turning. Tomorrow (Thursday) a southerly wind and wind swell blows in a 2-3′ swell on the beaches which will stick around all weekend with the support of a coastal low pushing through Saturday night.

The cold blast last week has curbed the spring progression but didn’t stop it. Recent days have offered fun fishing for anglers fishing live bloodworms. There’s no better bait at this stage of the game. Early spring striped bass and winter flounder LOVE BLOODS! Right now we are loaded up with premium live bloodworms!

Dave Moores caught a couple winter founder recently fishing the Barnegat Bay.

Mike Nunziato had some fun fishing Great Bay a few days back.

Some sharpies are catching with artificial; however, most are finding slower fishing with lures. Store staffer Frezza has been getting out and catching. Store staffer Paul has been putting in his fair share of time and catching too. Store staffer Eric is catching a lot of bass this spring. Just the other day he caught a released 27″ tagged striped bass. He called it in and is waiting for the details. Each and everyone had a great story.

I went for a walk on the beach this morning and had gannet dive bombing all over! See this video!

Most Recent Fishing LBI Report Video…

NJ Saltwater Expo

This past weekend’s NJ Saltwater Expo was another awesome show. It once again blew out our expectations. Thanks to all who attended and patronized the booth. We greatly appreciate everyone’s support.

Some years start off cold and slow but not this year. So far early spring striped bass fishing the bayside of Long Beach Island has been nothing short of exceptional. The bass are and have been ravenous, chewing baits and lures. The team is getting into good fun fishing. Reports from customers fishing the greater local area are also positive. The local river action continues and spots in the adjacent river mouths/bays are turning on.

Bloodworms are the bait of choice! We suggest fishing bloods on a high-low rig (2/0-4/0 circle baitholder by Eagle Claw) with a 2-3 ounce bank sinker. Fish Heads Tip: DyanBait freeze dried bloodworms or Fishbites BagO’Worms are two great options to get more milage out of your live bloods. Also juice it up with Fin-Essence

In the evenings and nights cast small swimming plugs like a Daiwa SP Minnow, Yo-Zuri Inshore Fingerling in both sizes, Nomad Shikari 95 size and Rapala SXR 10. Swim shads are a go too option and must have in the bag. NLBN 3 inch with a ⅜- ¾  oz head or a 5” Kettle Creek paddle tail has always been a staple.

During the early months of the season the bass tend to hang around the sod banks, bridges, rivers, river mouths and bays. A seven or eight foot rod (Option 1: Tsunami Airwave Elite Light – TSAWESS-762LT $169.99, Option 2: Magictail Inshore Light – MT-701SL $219.99) paired up with a 3-4k sized reel (Option 1: Penn Battle DX 3/4k $149.99, Option 2: Shimano Stradic 3/4k $219.99) make the perfect combo to have fun with some of the local early season schoolies!

Other Fishing Opportunities

White perch are highly sought after during the winter and spring. These delicious panfish can be caught on bait and artificial. Grass shrimp, bloodworms and earthworms are the baits of choice. Small grubs and minnow style soft plastics 1-2″, 3″ at absolute most, work on a small jig or can be fished on a float.

Winter flounder are another tasty species to catch during the spring months. These are best targeted using bloodworms as well as clam and/or a kernel of corn. Chumming is suggested. Winter flounder have much smaller mouths than summer flounder so be sure to use a small hook or use a classic winter flounder rig.

Tide Chasers Podcast

Over the winter I was asked to join in on the podcast and share a little bit about myself, business, fishing, the LBI area, offshore wind and much more. The Tide Chaser Podcast is live now!

March 1 – March 5th

Striped Bass season kicked off with a bang on Wednesday, March 01.  As expected with the moderately warm winter the fish are here and active in LBI’s bay and tributary rivers.  On opening day, the bite was strong with bass chewing both live bloodworms and lures. On the lure side; 3 inch No Live Bait Needed, Tsunami Swim Shads, Kettle Creeks, Rapala Xraps, Nomad Design Max Vibes and Shikaris were the ticket to get tight.  Thursday, Friday and Saturday the lure bite slowed somewhat with the water dropping a few degrees, but the blood worm bite remained.

There’s good numbers of bass here locally and some have been caught to 34 inches. With the days getting longer and hopefully warmer and sunny, the water should jump back up a few degrees to turn the lure bite back on.

Stop in the shop to get geared up for all your back bay fishing needs. If not in the local area we can get a tackle package of essential sent quickly to you. Reach out or shop online, FishermansHeadquarters.com.

P.S. No reports on winter flounder but now is a good time to try for them.

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The 2023 Regulations have been set and they are the same as last year.
Opening Day on Tuesday May 2nd and until Wednesday 9/27.
*5 Month Season
Size & Bag Limits:
3 fish possession limit with a slot. Two fish at 17 to 17.99 inches and one fish at 18 inches or greater.
*Message Me for more information if you are interested in booking a trip to enjoy / learn such a great fishery we have here during the entire Summer on beautiful Long Beach Island NJ
Prime Time Days go fast especially weekends so it pays to set your day/dates early before the season starts.

**Can’t wait to see what adventures wait in 2023 as I celebrate 40yrs fishing the Jersey Shore 👍 and I hope you can join me.

call 609-276-6983 or Email me at [email protected] and you can also find me on FaceBook & Instagram

Nightstrikes Surfcasting Guide Service LLC / Steve George

The early spring can offer some of the year’s best fishing. With regards to our local area, south central NJ coast, Barnegat Bay, Manahawkin Bay and the areas in close proximity to the north and south anglers have great fishing opportunities. It’s usually special because compared to the fall there is a lot less anglers fishing. But don’t expect great fishing off the LBI surf or at the inlets. In the early spring look around back!

What to catch in the early spring

Striped Bass, Winter Flounder, White Perch

Baits: Baits like live bloods are always best and effective on all three species. No fish can turn down an east to digest worm in the early spring! If the price of live bloods or the necessary care that comes along with live baits is a hassle for you, check out DynaBait’s Freeze Dried Bloodworms. Other natural soft baits like squid and clam are options. Grass shrimp is a prime bait for perch. Also striped bass love them. Last September I was grass shrimping for weakfish and caught a winter flounder so I know they eat shrimp too. For worming bass early season these TNT rigs are perfect. Here’s the classic winter flounder rig options from Tide Rite.

Lures: Soft plastics are great in the spring when fishing shallow water with a slow approach. The Kettle Creeks and Tsunami Swim Shads have worked very well for me over the years. More recently I have fallen in love with the No Live Bait Needed. Skinny minnow pattern plugs are good too as they match the jumbo spearing that are commonly around in the early spring. I like the Yo-zuri Fingerling , Yo-zuri Mag Minnow or Daiwa DSPM13 SP Minnow. Anglers can never go wrong with a small jig like a bucktail or a lead head rigged with a plastic. Also popper draw attention to trigger strikes and are easy to fish in shallow areas. My best catching back bay popper is the Stillwater Smack-It Jr and the Storm Chug Bug.

When to fish the early spring

Fish the warmest water you can find, which is commonly mid to later in the day, shallow areas on the outgoing time.

Where to fish the early spring

Sorry I can’t publish exact spots but stop in and patronize the shop, get to know the team and we’ll help point you in the right direction. It’s best to start out searching for public access on Google Maps or Google Earth. Lots of valuable information can be gathered scouting satellite images as well as the old school method of nautical charts (we have them in the shop) or the new school method of Navionics. Some local fish producing general areas over the years… the Mullica River and the river mouth, Great Bay area, Toms River and the many west side of the bay creeks. All are fishy area to scout. The early spring is all about fishing the rivers, creeks, sod banks and bay!

How to fish the early spring

Generally speaking in the early spring, approach with a slower retrieve, smaller lure profiles. As the spring progresses larger profiles will prevail. On the bait side of the game, nothing beat live blood worm for striped bass and winter flounder. Other details were previously provided in the sections above under baits and lures.

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Another Major Considerations…

Current Water Temperatures

The water temperature is one of the most important factors to consider in the spring. Much more so now than in the fall. Why? Because the waters are cold and the fish are on the lethargic side. As the days get longer (March 17th will be the first time we have 12 hours of sunlight 7:06am – 7:06PM) the sun warms the rivers and shallow areas of the bay first, especially darker mud bottoms. As we get into spring the average daily temperatures help turn up the dial too. As these shallow waters warm the bottom water temperatures especially in deeper areas stay cold. This stratified water column can make or break an outing. Tide plays a huge role is spring time fishing success too. It’s even more important when fishing closer to the ocean or ares that have ocean water tidal flow/influence.

Here’s current water temperature data for the Barnegat Bay from USGS. The top chart details the west side of the bay near Waretown. The bottom chart details the east side of the bay, near the inlet in Barnegat Light. The Barnegat Light location gets both bay (outgoing) and ocean (incoming) waters temperature readings depending on the tide. The Waretown location gets much less influence of ocean water.

Looking at the past 30 day chart… The Barnegat Bay water temperature at Waretown is currently (3/1/23 2:30PM) at 45º. It had a low of 30º on Feb 4th at 2:49am and a high of 48º on Feb 17th at 3:45pm and then again on Feb 21st at 3:54pm. Barnegat Light is currently at 42º (3/1/23 2:30PM). It had a low of 32º on Feb 5th at 3:30am and a high of 45º on Feb 17th at 2:49pm and then again on Feb 24th at 5:30pm.

The ocean temperature yesterday record by IBSP Park ranger 44º.

The last weekend of February is over and I can hardly believe that this Wednesday is opening of back bay striped bass fishing. Winter flew by! Well it isn’t officially over until March 20th and Punxsutawney Phil (groundhog) back on 2/2 said six more weeks of winter (which would be March 16th). Fortunately the 10 outlook doesn’t seem too warm nor too cold, but we do have an active pattern of coastal lows this week, one after the other. Here’s the Fishing LBI Fishing Report Update for Sunday February 26, 2023.

At this point in the season usually there aren’t reports to help better plan an approach. In this case, fishy anglers look back to their logs and past info to guide them. Link coming soon… “How The Sharpies Fish The Early Spring”. This year it all hold true but things could be accelerated a week or two due to the short, mild winter. Also the positive fishy news has flowed through the grapevine of great winter bass fishing. Since illegal, we do not condone or would have posted about them all winter long. I’m here to share the news.

I expect anglers to enjoy a great month of early season in the local waters targeting striped bass, winter flounder and perch. As mentioned, there’s striped bass here and are waiting. Perch fishing is an all winter long thing for those that know where to go and know what to do. Winter flounder rounds out the trio and should be hungry and waiting in the back bay areas, usually around the bridges and creek/river mouths in the early part of the season. In the not so distant future I expect a showing of weakfish because the past couple years I’ve had an uptick in my catches of weakies. We’ll see. Maybe there’s a return of the bluefish?🤞

Salt Water Expo

We’ll be there again in full force and for sure bringing the heat. Save The Dates – March 17-19th!

LOCATION: New Jersey Convention and Exposition Center97 Sunfield AveEdison, NJ 08837
DATE/TIME: March 17-19, 2023Friday: 12pm – 8pmSaturday: 10am – 6pmSunday: 10am – 5pm
WEBSITE: https://saltwater.sportshows.com/

Reminder – March 1st Tog Fishing Closes

LBI Spring Derby Surf Fishing Tournament

The 21st Annual LBI Spring Derby runs April 1st to June 25th. Registration is $20 and will begin soon. Stay tuned for more information.

Here’s Part 3 of a three part blog series to help you Better Fish Circle Hooks! Read the first two parts for more information on many the fundamentals include defining and confirming inline circle hooks, hook terminology, characteristics and most importantly choosing the best inline circle hook for striped bass fishing.

Part 1 – Circle Hooks & Striped Bass

Part 2 – Fishing For Striped Bass With Circle Hooks

Baiting Up Matters!

There are a variety of great ways to hook live baits on circle hooks and there is a wrong way. Do not choke the hook gap! Let me repeat. Never block or obstruct the hook’s gap! 

Top Five Natural Baits & Matching Hook Sizes For Striped Bass:

When riggin up to bait fish striped bass the angler must ask. What bait is going to be used and how big is the bait?

• Bunker: 8/0 to 10/0 medium to med/hvy gauge wire hook
• Eel & Spot: 4/0 to 7/0 medium wire hook
• Clam & Worm: 2/0 to 6/0 Light wire hook (Eagle Claw Baitholder Inline Circle)

Tips For Fishing Circle Hooks

Have you tried a circle hook before? Have you had good or bad experiences? When approached and fished properly circle hooks offer anglers no downside. With these tips you will better your results and just might fall in love with them.

• Do Not Fill The Hook Gap! – The more exposed the hook the better. Too much bait on the hook obstructs the hooks ability to find the jaw. When using larger baits some anglers prefer to bridle baits with the entire hook outside of the bait. Keeping the hook free and exposed is a key part of effectively fishing circle hooks.

For best results anglers must fish circle hooks differently than a traditional j-hook.

• With A J-hook – An angler detects a bite and then uses the rod to make a fast and powerful hook set to drive the hook point past the barb. This might be in the fish’s face, lip/jaw, mouth, throat or worse esophagus. This traditional hook set when using circle hooks is a bad tendency.
• With A Circle Hook – An angler detects a bite but must be patiently aware. Commonly pointing the rod at the fish, anglers wait 3-5 seconds before slowly tightening the line and applying firm pressure. This is to allow the fish to first take/eat the bait/hook and then turn with it. As the fish moves, swims away, the hook finds the corner of the mouth (jaw) and then comes tight. Most of the time when swallowed a circle hook slips out of the esophagus safely and perfectly finds the jaw. This is the magic of circle hooks!
• Do Not Set The Hook! – Circle hooks set themselves. Attempting to set the hook (like a j-hook) will result in pulled hooks and lost fish.
  • Crank – Don’t Yank!
  • Once Tight – Begin The Fight! 

Lever drag conventional reels and spinning reels with a secondary free spool drag (Penn Live Liners, Shimano Baitrunners) are great for fishing circle hooks. They make it very easy for an angler to patiently drop back to a fish.

For anglers looking to broaden their horizons and have some tricks when situations call for it, here are some hooking options more specifically for live bait fishing with bunker, herring, mullet, spot, etc. 

Common Hooking Options:

• Across The Nostrils: The nose is one of the best locations for most situations so long as baits are good quality and conditions allow. It allows for live baits to swim and breath freely when drift fishing with a minimally invasive hooking. When bites occur the bait rips off easily so it does not impede the effectiveness of the hook. However if baits rip off too easily try other options.
• Hook Up Through Both Lips: Great hook holding power that’s effective for head hits but chokes and kills baits fast. Good with a cast and retrieve approach.
• Hook In & Through Roof of Mouth – Great hook holding power that is good for casting and slowly retrieving. Must hook with care so the bait is not killed prematurely. Can’t be used in heavy current as the flow opens the bait’s mouth and floods with water killing the bait and making it spin.This hooking is very similar to hook in and through the cheek.
• In The Back By Dorsal – A very popular choice which keeps the bait upright for live lining and kite fishing. Some anglers choose to hook at different locations of the back; ⅓ front, ½ middle or ⅓ rear depending on the baits, conditions and way fish are eating. This hooking option is the easiest to “overhook” and take up too much of the hook’s bend and gap. Be cognizant!
• Underside Breast (Under/Behind Gills) – A very underutilized location that offers good hook holding and also commonly helps get the stubborn bait to swim down. This hooking location allows for the hook to still be in the front portion of the bait but set back from the nose therefore helps when fish are short striking. Yes it kills a bait faster but usually a bite comes sooner. 
• Hook Near Anal Vent Or At the Tail – One of, if not the toughest spots with little risk at killing the bait. This hooking usually gets baits to swim away but commonly keeps the bait at or near the surface. Improves hook ups on short strike tail bites. When utilizing this hooking location/option be aware that the bait’s tail kicks will send pulses and this can mask light touches from skittish fish. Also be aware live bait will need to be given line consistently so it can swim and not be killed by being pulled backwards in the water.
• Edge of Collar (behind the gill and out through the side): Good for lively yet soft baits. I’ve found this option to be very good on calm days when I want my baits to get away from the boat and swim off to the side. This also keeps the baits swimming shallow.
• Bridal – Best hook freedom and for large baits but adds rigging time. Great for trolling.

My favorite all purpose circle hook for striped bass fishing is the Mustad 39944. This series of hooks is called the Mustad Demond Inline Perfect Circle and that is exactly what I like to call them, the perfect circle. They have a good shape with a slightly shorter shank and a nice curved bend that hooks well, holds well. Even though they aren’t forged, the round wire hooks are strong enough and their needle point is sharp enough too. Moreover it’s available in a full size range from #4 to 10/0 and available in 50 piece packs so it’s convenient for me. They are a much better price than a lot of the other hook options too.

Hello Everyone,

Our 4th Annual Philadelphia Fishing Show will be held Feb 17-19, 2023 at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks, PA. 

There are over 230 booths of fishing tackle, guides, lodges, apparel and more. All fishing, no junk! There are also boats, outboards, and RV’s on display. Check out the Hawg Trough, a 5,000 gallon gamefish aquarium. Catch a fish at the show in our fully stocked Trout Pond. See the 3,000 lb Great White Shark replica, get harnessed up and and go toe-to-toe against the rod and reel that caught him. Our newest attraction this year is our Virtual Fishing simulator that lets you battle a variety of species from all over the world.

There are three seminar rooms going around the clock for all three days with some of fishing’s top captains and guides sharing what they know about the sport they are most passionate about. Speakers such as Capt Tom Daffin, Nick Honachefsky, Frank Mihalic, Capt Freddy Gamboa, and Capt Alan Lee, just to name a few. The seminars are FREE and included with your admission to the show.
Meet Dave Marciano, captain of the F/V Hard Merchandise from Wicked Tuna. He will be at the Fishing Nosara booth during the entire show. He will also be giving a seminar on Giant Bluefin Tuna on Sunday at Noon. Check out our website for the entire seminar schedule and list of exhibitors.

Admission is $12 for adults, Kids 6 to 12 $6, 5 and under are FREE. FREE parking for everyone. FREE Seminars. Food and beverages available inside the show. 
For all of the info, visit: phillyfishingshow.com

Hope to see you there!
Thank you,
DaveDave DeGennaro

Back Bay Adventures

732.330.5674 cell

phillyfishingshow.com