Here’s an update to supplement the recent fishing report post, Early March LBI Fishing Report. Today Paul Lindsey weighed in a 29″ striped bass and won the $100 gift certificate for the first striped bass of 2022 season. He turned around and donated it on the spot to the Southern Regional Fishing Club. Four members (high school students) just scored $25 Fish Heads Gift Cards. Thanks & Congrats Paul!
Do You Fish The Artificial Reefs?
Most every saltwater anglers fishing the Central Jersey Coast has fished the local reef sites for fluke, sea bass and tog. If you want to give back and support their ongoing reef building project please Donate Now! No amount is too small or large.
We kicked off March with some great weather which had anglers out and about comfortably fishing. The main target species right now are striped bass, perch and winter flounder. Catch reports have come in from all around our local area. Here’s the report…
Striped Bass
Early season striped bass fishing is all about targeting areas where are holding over and the areas in close proximity. Also focus on finding and fishing the warmest water temperatures which also coincide with the most fish activity. This means fishing higher sun, afternoons, evenings and the outgoing tides.
Right now the rivers and creeks have hungry bass eating both bloodworms and lure. We’ve also received reports of striped bass out back on the mid-Island bayside.
Shop alumni Jordan reports great fishing on the west side of Barnegat Bay, “The bite has been good. I found some healthy sized fish (over 28″) Wednesday evenings.”
Last night Paul Lindsney reported action fishing the mid-Island bayside last night, “The conditions were grassy but I was wailing bass.” He mentioned that lures were tough to fish in the conditions so he switched to bait. This time of the season hungry bass can’t resist the live bloodworms. “I lost my grandfather on Tuesday and he was sending me these fish on almost every cast.”
Winter Flounder
Two reports in one from a land based angler who fished the mid-island bayside. He chummed hard but didn’t catch any.
A boat report came in from Dave Moores who is in the northern Barnegat Bay area. He was fishing with his buddy Nick and they caught some winter flounder yesterday.
I saw this posted on social media and shared it in hopes it promotes cold water fishing safety.
Public Safety Announcement by Travis Iapicco
If you are crazy/hardcore enough to be out in a kayak this time of year please realize you are risking your life. Wear a PFD and ideally a dry suit. Have your other safety gear like a whistle and maybe even a hand held VHF radio and water activated light.
I currently work out in Raritan Bay off Staten Island on a construction project. Our crew boat runs periodically during the day bringing people back and forth from site to our launch/office in Laurence Harbor. Posting this cause hopefully it will end up saving somebody from being in same situation…
This afternoon around 1pm my phone started going off from guys out at the site. Our crew boat was making a run back to drop some people at the office when one of the guys aboard thought they saw someone waving their arms a few hundred yards away. The captain slowed down and that’s exactly what it was – two kayakers had fallen overboard out of their kayaks while going for winter flounder. One said he got knocked out from a rogue wave. The other flipped trying to help his friend. First guy had a PFD aboard but not on. What I understood was 2nd guy had his on but took it off and threw it trying to help save his buddy.
This capsized kayaker is in trouble. Add in cold water and the situation is life threatening fast. This photo is not from the event detailed here but a stock photo from Walking Rivers.
Fortunately the crew boat had all the proper gear onboard the boat to help; a hypothermia kit, a Jason’s Cradle, etc. so they could be safely retrieved and get their body temps back up. One guy barely made it up and needed assistance. We try to do man overboard drill monthly too and it paid off for them. They said they were in the water for 10 mins. Our buoy at site says water temp is about 40 degrees presently. One of the guys onboard our boat called Old Bridge PD/EMS and they met the boat at our dock to care for them. The kayakers were released without going to the hospital. Only casualties were a lost paddle, lost rods, and maybe cell phones.
If it wasn’t a matter of time and space, people would be posting links to local fishing groups about how there’s a search underway for 2 missing kayakers in Raritan Bay. It’s great to get out on the water but everybody be safe and realize the danger especially this time of year when you are basically alone on the water.
We are very happy to close out the shortest month of the year, February. It’s usually filled with unruly winter conditions but for the most part it was fair to us. This has allowed eager anglers to shake off the dust. They are catching fish too!
Currently perch fishing is the mainstay. There’s good fishing reports coming in from both the Mullica River and Toms River area, both early season. Anglers fishing shrimp and worms at these prime areas are catching good number and good size ones. Fishing a small hook hi-lo rig is all you need.
One of a handful of reports came in from Karl Chen. He was recently fishing with Paul Karner and they caught their first fish of 2022. Karl said he caught three perch up to 15 inches on bloodworms.
Tuesday is the big dance!
The backwaters open on March 1st for Striped Bass & Winter Flounder. For winter flounder look around the Causeway Bridges. Usually the soft mud bottoms is where they are holding.
Striped bass are at the early season spots and waiting for all of us! Look towards the like the creeks, rivers and bays where the action turns on first.
There’s no better spring bait than bloodworms! Lethargic fish enjoy a tasty and easy to digest meal. Bloodworms is that perfect treat!
Saltwater Fishing Expo
The Saltwater Fishing Expo is March 18-20 at the NJ Convention & Exposition Center. On all of the days, there is a solid list of seminars from top fishing minds that you don’t want to miss. It’s a great opportunity to learn, hone your skills, explore new ideas and techniques. Best of all you can meet and network with other anglers.
The team from Fishermans Headquarters will be at 401 with a solid spread of fishing tackle. Be sure to stop by and say hello.
Unusual Crab Catch
Check out this albino crab catch by Jeremy Muerman. He shared, “I see a few a year with varying degrees of pigmentation. One claw is more common. It has been awhile since I’ve seen one with this much white. Two claws and two legs for this guy. It’s probably at least ten years since I’ve seen a full albino crab.”
Jigging and popping (casting) tuna is the most exciting way to experience New Jersey’s inshore & mid-shore pelagic fisheries. Our tuna fishing has been absolutely phenomenal the last few seasons and there’s no reason to expect otherwise heading into the 2022 season! Prepare now and be ready for the action.
Max from Fisherman’s Headquarters fishes the Centaur Combat Arm jigging rod with the Shimano Twin Power 8000. He loves this set up for summertime jigging bluefin and yellowfin tuna on the mid-shore grounds. The outfit offers plenty of line capacity, powerful drag and gear and it’s light enough to fish all day.
Now I am by no means an expert on Tuna. On the contrary; with just about a dozen or so offshore trips under my belt. I’d very much consider myself a beginner in this realm. As someone who lacks experience, I have plenty of questions for the guys in the know. The most important of which is what equipment should I be using? I’d also like to help others in my position who need help getting into this awesome summer time fun fishery here in NJ. Below I will share some of the expert advice I’ve received from some of the fishiest folks I know.
@swagmattic – Matt Sorrentino, Author of Jigging & Popping Tuna 101
Centaur Angler’s Choice Rods
Jigging and Popping Tuna Rods are available from a number of different manufacturers. When looking for the right product, I’m choosing a company that puts serious thought and effort into construction, performance, quality control and most importantly, stands behind their products. Centaur Angler’s Choice is just that. They are not just a brand, but the manufacturer. They design, build and test their products locally for our fishery, in our fishery. All Centaur rods are made using high quality materials; most of which are sourced from Japan.
The entry level Centaur Constellation is the best choice for beginners who just want to get their feet wet. At $189, this budget friendly rod will catch a lot of fish and definitely not break the bank. Constructed from high quality components these rods are built right and are super tough. They include FUJI Alconite guides, aluminum gimbles and custom reel seats, all features found on rods two and three times their price from other manufactures.
Ryan Duffy loves to fish the Centaur Constellation Jigging Rods which he has matches up with a Shimano Saragosa SW6000. This is an outfit Fishermans Headquarters put together for him to enjoy jigging tuna fish.
Best Mid Range Tuna Rod For Jig & Pop
Centaur Combat Arm Series Rods
The Centaur Combat Arm series lands middle of the road and features an upgraded double layer cross section Toray (more on this brand below) carbon blank. This technology offers increased power and increased deadlift capabilities which allow for heavier drag. The guides also have under wrappings to add extra strength and protection on those pressure points. All of this means the angler gets the added edge to fish harder. In addition all the Centaur fishing rods feature a beautiful hand painted epoxy clear coat finish. Which will protect the thread wrappings for long term durability.
The Centaur Combat Arm series of rods matches up well with a variety of reels from Penn, Shimano and Daiwa. In this photo angler Tyler Leary is stretched out tight on a nice size yellowfin tuna on a Penn Slammer reel.
Best Quality Tuna Rod For Jig & Pop
Centaur Chiron Series Rods
The Centaur Chiron is the top dog in this fight. It’s the most expensive for a reason. The Chiron Series offers anglers the best fishing rod from Centaur.
Fishing rods all start with the blank composition; graphite/carbon materials and the process in which it’s made.
The Chiron features Toray carbon fibers. Toray is the world’s largest and best supplier in advanced composite materials offering the highest performance carbon fibers for fishing rods. No compromise… the Chiron gets the best!
Here’s the Centaur Chiron down and tight on a fish with angler Dan D.
The Chiron’s also have an added process which greatly improves the blank’s capabilities and reinforces its durability. Using a carbon ribbon outer wrapping, wrapped in X spiral pattern, an incredibly strong construction is created. This offers the ultimate in strength to weight ratio and most of all increased hoop strength, maximizing the deadlift capabilities and reducing torsional load.
The butt section is also strengthened to allow the angler to put even more pressure throughout the entire rod. This eliminates energy loss when lifting heavy loads helping you the angler better fight the fish especially in the end game!
Silicon Carbide (SIC) guides are the gold standard of guide ring material and have been for over 20 years. They are best suited for fast pulling species, heavy drag situations and big fish demands like painfully long battles. SIC is Fuji’s premier material handling high heat situations and offering unequalled hardness and polish. Its ability to prevent line abrasion is bar none.
When targeting tuna, do not under estimate the importance of top quality guides! If you can afford it always go with the rod that has the best guides. They greatly increase the longevity of your braided main line.
Centaur Angler’s Choice Jigging and Popping Tuna Rod Options
This spreadsheet outlines the rods from Centaur Angler’s Choice that we stock in the shop for Jigging and Popping Tuna.
The chart above lists the options for the Centaur Jigging and Popping Tuna Fishing Rods we stock at Fisherman’s Headquarters. The models are broken down simply. The number is the length. S for spinning and B for baitcasting/conventional. M for Medium, L for Light and UL for Ultralight. Don’t let those ratings fool you however, these are some seriously powerful rods.
Centaur Popping Rods
Who doesn’t want to see a tuna air out on a top water plug?!?! Nothing beats the exhilarating style of casting to tuna! Choosing the right rod for the size class and time of the year can make your experiences in this game way better!
Early season (May/June) we tend to see a good size class of bluefin and at this point in the season they are typically eating larger forage. It could be adult menhaden/bunker, mackerel, herring and/or hake. The Centaur 81 is the right call to fish larger lures to match the hatch.
As summer rolls in we start to see yellowfins in the mix with school bluefin feeding on the inshore lumps. It’s common for baits to begin to congregate there. The Centaur 79 is perfect for these roles casting smaller to medium size lures; poppers, stickbaits and/or plastics. This past season (summer ’21) the 81 came in handy as we had beautiful run of round yellowfin, commonly in the 50-70# class with the occasional much larger fish.
Late season (November/December) is cold and the weather gets gnarly but it can offer some of the year’s best fishing! The winter bite is known for having bluefin in the 40-65” class feeding heavily on baby hake, sandeel, sardines and butterfish! This time of year the fish can be skittish and commonly fast moving and and down. A stealthy approach with long casts is essential! Call on the Centaur 81 for this game, casting larger lures and it has the backbone needed to land these brutes.
Choosing the Right Reel For The Job
Pairing your rod with the right reel is huge. And I’ve talked to Fish Head’s shop tuna guru and Blue Runner Sportfishing mate Willie Davis (@epic_willi3) to get the low down on making the perfect combo.
Epic Willie recommends Shimano, “Fish the best quality that you can afford. There’s no better investment than the Shimano Stella and Shimano Twin Power for top of the line quality and performance. I depend on these reels and they always hold up.” Both Penn (Penn Slammer) and Daiwa (Daiwa BG MQ & Saltist MQ) also have options that produce results.
When choosing a reel two things you should consider is gearing and line capacity. Yes drag is important but now-a-days just about every reel has adequate drag.
Gearing: When jigging you want standard gearing or a reel with power gearing. When casting/popping a reel with high speed gearing is preferred.
Line Capacity: Depending on the target class fish you’ll want no less than 250yds of line, preferably 300-400yds.
Willie shares, “As far as reels for casting to tuna, the best options are the Shimano 14k and 18k reels because these have a higher gear ratio which offers a great quick line retrieval rate.” This allows the angler to pick line up much quicker to maintain contact with the lure. Remember you can’t hook a fish with slack line!
Also, the Centaur 77 and 79 matched up with a 10k reel is a great outfit for our local fishery’s demands.
Jigging Rods
These rods and this style does not call for a 14k or 18k size reel! Why? The retrieval speed is way too quick to properly work a jig! For a 53 or 52; 6k, 8k, 10k is the perfect size for the jigs and class of fish we see locally the majority of the time! For 51; a 20k is perfect for this big fish rod as it has a 220-400g jig rating.
The ideal conventional (baitcast model “B”) options are listed below.
Choosing a tuna jigging outfit is one thing. Knowing what to do with it is a whole ‘nother ball game. I reached out to Capt Justin Swanson of Just N’ Tyme Sportfishing for a few quick tips for Newbie Tuna Jigger Advice. Captain Justin is a mid-shore tuna specialist in central jersey. The majority of his trips feature new tuna anglers jigging and popping tuna for their very first time. He’s a captain who excels at teaching anglers how to catch fish properly.
Once you drop the jig to the bottom it is time to find your jigging rhythm. Quickly lifting the rod tip about 12” and reel with a down stroke and as you return the rod lower, reel with an up stroke to always keep contact with the jig.
Know where the fish are recording on the sonar and focus on that area of the water column or below.
Mix up your speed. Some days they want it very quick and other days they seem to prefer a slower lazy pace. Sometimes they want the classic yo-yo style or a couple bounces on bottom. In other words change things up until you find what they want.
Set the hook with at least 2-3 forceful hook sets; these fish have hard jaws and it takes some extra effort to sink that hook in.
HOLD ON and keep steady pressure. When the fish stops taking drag its your time to shine. Getting into a rhythm again here helps too to keep the fish coming up rather than the opposite. Focus on utilizing the power stroke of the rod and always cranking down to keep the line tight.
Do not ever drop the tip! Do not high stick! Be cognizant especially when fatigue sets in!
Pro Tip: Angler mistakes happen with sloppy technique and when fatigue sets in. Take a look at the photo below of FishHead Greg (Capt. Greg Cudnik) to point out some key highlights as he fights the end game (close to the boat). First, take note of his stable wide stance with thighs agains the gunnels. Also his shoulders are over his hips. An angler should never get over the top, extended forward, stressing the lower back. Even though it’s late in the fight and his muscles are burning, leaning back in a hero stance is not the right thing to do at this point in the fight. The fish is doing its death circles and getting very close to gaffing. Greg has the rod under arm which offers two advantages. One, it utilizes the power stroke of the rod and also prevents a high stick event. Small lifts of the rod with quarter or half turns of the handle is all that’s needed to keep the line moving in his favor. When the rod is in a deep bend like this the blank’s strongest and most powerful section (the rear – butt) is engaged and utilized. Lifting high would incorrectly use the middle and upper portion which had mush less power. Two, this technique utilizes different muscles than the classic butt on thigh/gut stance, some of which are still fresh even late in the fight. Use these fundamental ideas to better battle our next tuna on light tackle!
Fish Head Greg is tight on the jig! Using the small yet powerful spinning reel like the one here, the Shimano Saragosa SW 8000, light tackle jigging is a super fun and effective way to target mid-shore tuna in the summer months off New Jersey.
Hey Everybody, I wanted to let you all know about my upcoming event: the Philadelphia Fishing Show, Feb 18-20 at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks, PA. phillyfishingshow.com
This is a pure fishing show. Charter boats, party boats, guides, and lodges from all over the world. Great deals on tackle. Exhibits include lure builders, apparel, art, boats, and so much more. Our attractions include: the Hawg Trough, a 5,000 gallon freshwater gamefish aquarium, a fully stocked trout pound where you can actually catch a fish at the show, a Fly Casting Pond where you can either learn or practice with a seasoned guide, and the Great White Shark Challenge that features a 3,000 lb replica Great White. You can get strapped in to a harness while an angler in a fighting chair tries to reel you in!
There are three seminar rooms hosted by The Fisherman Magazine with the best guides and captains in fresh and saltwater sharing what they know about the sport they love. These seminars are continuous throughout the show and are FREE with your admission. FREE parking, as well. Food and refreshments are available. Hope to see you there!
This week the Hi Flier was featured in an episode of Saltwater Underground with Nick Honachefsky. The show combines two different trips in September where we targeted bluefish at the Barnegat Inlet jetty and live grass shrimping for weakfish and the ultralite mixed bag in Barnegat Bay. It was so much fun to fish with Nick, my son Nick, and Austin Perilli. Nick Honachefsky does a great job with this show that shares some tactics and is fun to watch whether you are a fisherman or not. Look for his show on the Sportsman Channel. Our episode aired this past Sunday, and will air again Fri Jan 21 at 10:30 AM and Sun at 4:30 AM and 4:30 PM. Set your DVR! Channel 605 on Direct TV and Channel 736 on Comcast.
What an awesome year it was! We had great fishing with some surprising and controversial catches. Check out the photo below for our Top 9 2021 Posts on Instagram. Thank you to all of our customers for a great year! Since 1962 it has been and continues to be our pleasure and passion to help anglers catch more fish and help anglers enjoy fishing to its fullest. Happy New Year! Tight lines in 2022!
Without question Jake Kline’s Barnegat Light tarpon catch and kill was one of the most hot topics of summer 2021. The grounding of the Bear was also a very popular one. It didn’t get any less weird in early December when a surf angler on the LBI beach got a bluefin tuna.
Here’s the first Long Beach Island Fishing Report of the year!
Long Beach Island Fishing Info
Anglers are still enjoying fun striped bass fishing here on and around LBI. That’s right… the broken record repeats. With flip flopping colder and mild temps ahead things might change. But right now the fishing is and has been surprisingly good for this point in the year.
LBI Surf Fishing Report
The Long Beach Island surf fishing is not epic but anglers are catching on both lures and bait (clam & bunker).
Joe Handley Jr fished on New Years Eve and reported great fishing on the south end of LBI fishing. “There’s still lots of fish pushing down!” He reported, “I was thinking of hangin it up till spring but not after what I saw today. Don’t quit yet! I had good striped bass fishing from Spray Beach down into Holgate. Not a major blitz but I followed the birds and caught fish along the was as they pushed in and out. Got 6-7 bass from 16-37′. The fish wanted metals and larger bucktails worked slow. They ignored paddle tails, poppers, Redfins and SP minnows.”
Lee Saxton reported fishing NYE too but his trip was slow with three spiny dog fish and one 25.5″ bass at about 10am. His father in law caught one bass 23″ at about 1pm and then another one about 22″ an hour later.
Reports From The Boats
Boat anglers fishing out of the local inlets (Barnegat & Little Egg) are targeting and catching striped bass and tog. Few but very strong striped bass reports spoke of great striped bass activity feeding under bird plays over herring. It doesn’t get any better than that for this time of year!
Jake Kline was out in the fog and got into them really good. Other reports came in too.
Jon Coen (above) had a blast chasing striped bass on his skiff on December 30th. He reported, “50º, no wind, all along and they bit on everything we threw!”
Here’s a recent catch from Trever Jones and son.
On The Tog Scene:Fishing seems to be what what inconsistent right now. There’s some anglers reporting good fishing one day and then slow the next but that’s fishing! There are some nice ones being caught. Right now is a great parts of the season to get after them fishing white and green crabs.
Here’s Dave Moores with one of many quality tog he caught, tagged and released in 2021.
Just a reminder now that it is January…
Striped Bass fishing in the bay and rivers is closed. Fishing for striped bass from the ocean shores 0-3 nautical miles is open year round.
Also Black Sea Bass fishing is closed! Expect the season to open back up in mid May.
Jason Sari got out this week before the NJ Black Sea Bass season closed and got into some quality fishing. Here’s one of many big ones he caught fishing Lake Atlantic conditions.
The local fishing in the Long Beach Island area keeps rolling on. Reports from the beach and boat are positive.
With this great late season mild weather… How long with things push into winter? Right now there’s no end in sight. Only time will tell!
LBI Surf Fishing
Striped bass continue to be caught on the beaches of LBI. Most are in the smaller size class however there’s always a shot at a keeper fish.
On Saturday (Christmas) Jamie Gramley reported two fish so far… 22″ and a 26″ on bunker, both released. He got the 26″ on his first cast.
Chris Masino shared a photo on Christmas Eve of a striper catch. His went for a teaser fished ahead of a Kettle Creek Paddle Tail Lure. Photo shown above.
On Sunday, Dennis McNamara reported catching one 17.5″ striped bass that went for a Daiwa SP Minnow lure. He tagged and released it. Jamie Gramley reported he also caught a bass, a 23″ fish that went for a frozen bunker chunk.
Tommy McCann caught this (shown above) 23″ striped bass fishing Monday (12/27/21) off the LBI mid-Island surf using bunker.
Also on Monday Jonathan Marinari reported a surf side striper on a softbait. Looking at the photo (below) brings back memories of the legendary Vision Sand Eel. Unfortunately they are no longer made but a great substitute that is a proven fish catcher is the Tsunami Sand Eel.
Boat Fishing
We’ve heard a number of reports from the past few days of boat anglers catching along the beaches of IBSP and LBI on the troll and by anglers actively working lures.
Kip Patterson caught this striped bass fishing the waters near shore to Long Beach Island on Tuesday December 28. Thank Kip for rocking the Fish Heads Beanie!!!
Kip Patterson reported striped bass action today fishing in the ocean near shore to Long Beach Island. Dave Werner was out (different boat) and reported finding and catching striped bass. Dave also had great action on Friday morning (Christmas Eve).
Here’s Eli Haegele with a nice striped bass he caught fishing with Nick Perello on Monday.
Here is my most recent video forecast… from 12/26/21
Not included… reports from boat anglers working the wrecks and reef sites for tautog has been good. Also the inshore bluefin tuna bite continues on with anglers still catching nice fish.
Captain Nick DeGennaro (r) jumped aboard with the Side Chick Fishing crew yesterday and got one at 48.5″.
The unseasonably warm week came to a close and more realistic December weather is here. But we are happy to see the brutal Arctic is staying away for now. Anglers fishing the local waters of Long Beach Island are catching fish. Some are reporting really good things. They way things are going we expect the local fishing to roll right through the holidays and into the new year. We’ll see! Here’s a quick Long Beach Island fishing report update for Sunday December 19, 2021
Here’s the latest fishing report video posted yesterday evening…
Both yesterday and today we received positive fishing reports from anglers fishing in the beach and boat. We are still getting reports of bass in the bay too.
Today Sunday December 19, 2021 Jamie Gramley caught this 25″ striped bass. He reported, “This this one at low tide. They are definitely still here.”
Rob Swift reported in, “I just saw a guy pull a nice fat 31″ bass in on a paddle tail. I tried the same but no luck.”
From the boats, striped bass fishing was very good the past two-three days. Great reports came in from numerous sources (direct) from both the waters on the north end and south end of Long Beach Island.
Dave Werner was fishing the north end waters reported, ” This morning was the best jig bite I have ever experiences! I had 20+ fish to 38″ without another boat in sight!”
Zach Michot was fishing the south end waters and reported, “Really good bites went down this past week. One day we had them off Brant Beach and another day we worked south out of Holgate. We got them really good in 45′ of water off Brigantine.”
It’s prime time tog fishing right now and anglers are rightfully catching good size fish. Also NJ’s Black Sea Bass season only has a few days left. It closes at the end of the year.
We can’t complain about the cards dealt this late fall. This week we’ve got mild weather and today is a beautiful sunny mid December day. Anglers are still catching fish on the boat and beach in the local LBI waters. Yesterday afternoon was good for some surf anglers on the south end of the island. Here’s a fishing report update for Tuesday afternoon December 14, 2021.
