Spring has officially sprung in the Beach Haven area despite some lingering winter-like temperatures. The captains of the Beach Haven Charter Fishing have begun preparing for their spring and summer fishing adventures.
One welcome sign is the Association’s announcement that their much-acclaimed Junior Mates Program will be resuming this year after being suspended in 2020 due to the Corona Virus.
Association President Captain John Lewis announced all classes this year will be held outside at the Beach Haven Marlin and Tuna Club. Mask usage and physical distancing will be utilized to maximize safety standards. The first class will be held on Thursday, June 24, at 7pm.
The Junior Mates Program is designed to provide youngsters with a variety of expert teaching and hands-on experiences to educate them about fishing and provide them with the background necessary to become a mate on a fishing boat. Complete information on the Junior Mates and paperwork can be found on the BHCFA website at https://www.bhcfa.net/junior-mate-program.
Meanwhile, Captain Gary Dugan of the “Irish Jig” has splashed his boat and already brought some fish aboard in a shakedown cruise. Some short striped bass provided nice first of the year action for Captain Gary.
Captain Alex Majewski of “Lighthouse Sportfishing” kept occupied over the winter hitting small ponds in the Pine Barrens. He had productive days with catches of pickerel and largemouth bass. Perhaps getting ready for the new regulations on striped bass, he tried circle hooks with live minnows for pickerel with some “excellent” results. His boat, the “Debbie M” has been upgraded with a Rhodan trolling motor, allowing him to stay positioned over wrecks.
Captain Brett Taylor of Reel Reaction Sportfishing took time this winter for some long-awaited projects including a new house and a new garage. He did construct an electric hoist for his spare Minn-Kota trolling motors. He says he is now ready to start fishing.
Captain John Lewis of the “Insatiable” is now ready to resume making boat deliveries to mark time while he is not fishing. Captain John has been making deliveries for both dealers and private owners for many years and makes many yearly trips back and forth from New Jersey to Florida for boat owners.
Additional information on the Beach Haven Charter Fishing Association can be found at www.BHCFA.net
A lot of progress was made this week coming down off the Worm Moon (Sunday 3/28/21) and entering into April. More anglers are getting out on the water and more fish are being caught. Best of all, bigger fish are showing up. Here’s the Easter Sunday Fishing Report from the crew at Fisherman’s Headquarters. Happy Easter!
Fish Head store staffer Max is holding up a healthy striped bass that went for a metal lip plug on Saturday afternoon. For more on the report see below.
Attentional Recreational Anglers: Please be conservation minded all year but especially during this month of April. A lot of the striped bass that are being caught right now are pre-spawn. The recruitment of our stock depends on their survival. If you weren’t aware, Circle hooks are required when fishing for striped bass with bait. Bait is defined as any marine or aquatic organism live or dead, whole or parts thereof. This does not apply to any artificial lure with bait attached.
Striped Bass Fishing
The local fishing in the Long Beach Island has turned up a few notches. Other areas, rivers and bays are full on!
Paul Lindsey was in the shop again today gearing up with things. He reported, “Fishing today was slow for me. I hit the low tide and fished all morning. Had to make a couple moves to find action. When I did it was all micros on paddle tails. Some anglers fishing bait near me were picking at fish too. Thursday and Friday was much better fishing even though the wind was kicking. There was a nice size range for our local area with most fish between 25-28″. This is up from last week. On Friday I managed another keeper size fish that I sent back to grow up. Thursday and Friday it was all on juicy live bloodworms. Your (Fish Heads) bloods have been really nice!” Paul mentioned that on Thursday, an angler fishing clam right next to him caught two black drum. We shared the post that day on our social media. This was the first black drum report we heard.
Here’s Paul with one of many striped bass he has caught in the past few days.
The first black from we’ve heard and see are these two which were caught down in Great Bay. The report came in from Paul Lindsey who was fishing next to the anglers who caught them.
Hunter Dargay has been putting in a lot of time fishing the local waters of LBI’s bayside and it is paying off for him. Friday he stopped in and got two dozen bloodworms. He then stopped back an hour or so later and got another two dozen worms. Later he shared a solid report, “I lost count at 37, might have caught 40. All were in the 22-25″ range and were released. The wind was cranking and they were on the chew. It was a day of fishing I’ll always remember.”
Hunter caught a bunch of striped bass worming the LBI bayside this weekend.
Anglers fishing the various spots of the Causeway Bridges have been catching good with bait and lures.
Tog Fishing
Fish Heads Store Staffer Jared was out on the Barnegat Jetty today on the hunt for tog. he reported a decent day but a slow bite, “I really had to work for them. They were hitting clam much better than crab. The water was right at 45 degrees. Once that warms up a few more degrees things should start getting really good.” 50 degrees is the magic number!
Anthony Gagliardi and buddy fished the jetty too. They found some shorts but no keepers.
Tony Butch fished out on some snags in the boat. He reported, “Headed out late and fished the afternoon. We fished fished deep and then shallower. Had bites all day with lots of shorts. The last stop on the way in was lights out!” Here’s five for the table.
Here’s a blackfish catch photo from Tony Butch.
Paul Haertel was out today and reported, “Nothing big but we did manage to catch our boat limit.”
Raritan Bay
The Bay offers great fishing every spring. You just can’t miss out on it. A few nights during the past work week, Fish Heads Alumni Dan got into good fishing. These were some of the first reports we heard of quality fish and then photos of some monsters from the kayak crew. More recently this weekend boat anglers go into the action.
Fish Head store staffer Max and Swag had good fishing today. They said both shads and swimming plugs were getting smoked. Max reported, “Most fish weren’t up top but there was a good buddy of striped bass. Anglers trolling were picking at fish pretty good. We drifted and casted which producing a good catch count.”
Neal Hafner caught this 39.5″ striped bass fishing the fly in Raritan bay on Saturday evening.
Fish Heads Alumni Nick Deg was on the water today with his buddy Neal. They reported a great day, “Fish were active in the shallows and eating the fly. Neal managed a 39.5″ bass on the fly. Watching the eat was awesome! I got a 43″ bass too on top water.”
Here’s Nick DeGennaro with a 43′ striped bass he caught on a top water lure.
White Perch
Store staffer Frezza and Tate fish the local waters for white perch and they caught 15 fish in a short session and reported, “Non stop action!”
Another great week of early spring fishing in the books! We saw one major change this week compared to last… the fish are moving around and feeding in many more areas. While the early season hot spots are producing other areas are beginning to shine especially Long Beach Islands stretch from North End, Mid Island and South End. Individual Fishing Reports Further Below
Here’s Frank Perricone with a nice striped bass he caught off the banks of the Mullica River fishing bloodworms this weekend.
Fishing on Long Beach Island and the surrounding areas is consistent offering anglers fun spring fishing. Back Bay Striped Bass anglers continue to have good action fishing the sod banks, bridges and rivers with both bait and artificials. The majority of fish on the sod banks are taken on live bloodworms. Some customers reported multiple double digit catches fishing areas in the local bays and rivers. Also, Perch are plentiful so be prepared with smaller hooks and extra baits.
The time for Winter Flounder fishing is now! Store Staffer Steve-O reports that the bay has warmed up significantly. He has been lurking around and catching striped bass after dark but we will soon fit in some daylight hours for flounder. There’s only one way to go… live bloodworms, clam chum and some corn. The latter is like an ice cream sundae without the cherry on top.
Recently some flies showed so it’s safe to say the spring’s first black drum will be caught any day, if not already. With the full moon here it’s time!
Approaching today’s Worm Moon (the full moon of March) the tidal range increases (higher highs and lower lows) during the waxing moon phase. Now on the down side of the moon tides will wane into April. These tidal flows are important to understand how the water is moving in one direction or another and how much is moving. Looking at the Barnegat Bay Buoy (below) it’s great to see the water temperature warming trending continue.
This past week’s average temp was 51 degrees here on LBI. With a dew point right around the same we had a dense marine layer some days. It’s a common Spring thing but the high on Saturday of 80.8 degrees was extraordinary. We need these mild and warm sunny days to continue to push along the spring’s progression. With a cold front coming through it look the final days of March might not help much but that’s ok. March was very nice to us, especially the second half. In a few days it will be April’s turn to shift us into the next gear.
Here’s Some Individual Fishing Reports
The “abundance of bunker” reports in the bays and rivers continued this week. They stuck around all winter, so let’s hope they stay all spring too! A couple customer reported snagging bunker fishing lures the past couple of night.
Bobby Capri reports, “There’s small striped bass are all over the back bay right now. Saw some bunker flipping too. I was out fishing bloodworms on the banks with my son Mason on Saturday. He caught his first perch and striper. My buddy caught a handful of fish too.”
Chris Lambert caught his first bass of the year, “I got to see the take not far off the sod bank.”
Hunter Dargay is fishing and catching LBI’s bayside. He reported, “A little windy but they were chewing good. I’m having fun fishing for the small ones while waiting for the big boys to come around soon.”
Paul Lindesy reports, “The past month around LBI and its back bays has been something special. So much fun and beauty to this game and our lands. I’ve now caught bass every day for over the past two weeks. Gear up. Get out there. Have Some Fun!” So far Paul has caught one keeper sized striped bass and a whole bunch of shorts in the 23 to 27″ range. Frank Perricone fished with Paul one day recently and they enjoyed their time fishing and landing a couple. It was blowing but 75 degrees. On Sunday during a break in the rain, “I got one on the first cast.”
Dave Minnick had a great day fishing Saturday, “Perfect morning for some back bay fishing.”
Gabe Trevena asked for guidance and we geared him up. He reported back, “Thanks for all of the help! We caught about 20 fish today fishing Great Bay.”
Matt Curtis and his son fish Saturday afternoon and caught some striped bass worming in the bay.
Spring is here and the fishing is only getting better! The past couple of weeks have offered up good early season fishing at times with anglers catching perch, striped bass and winter flounder.
For early season spots think creeks, rivers and the west side of the bay. These are the areas that produce first every year. With the recent sunny days the water temps are creeping up and fish are beginning to get active. One would have thought that Thursday/Friday’s weather would have jacked things up but that wasn’t the case. It didn’t put on the breaks. It pushed on the gas peddle! The waters are very clean clarity wise, the fish are feeding and they are moving around some more. As the days get longer, more sun light warming things up, it’s only getting better.
There’s a couple bass starting to be caught on lures from the LBI bayside waters. We expect this to improve in the coming days and weeks.
Scott Hill caught a couple striped bass fishing the bayside waters behind LBI on Saturday at sunset. He caught two fishing lures and said that other anglers fishing live bloodworms were catching too.
Nate Kirby has been fishing the Island’s bayside and finally today he got his first of the spring. “Just got my first striper of the spring. It hit right at dusk on a black and purple swim shad. It was a health clean fish about 23″.”
Tom Lewis headed out this afternoon in the boat on the hunt for bass and perch. He found both of them. His report, “We really good today fishing live bloodworms. In four hours we caught 14 bass (some keeper size) and 40+ perch with some really big ones in the mix.”
Matthew Denora and his wife were out today and enjoyed the beautiful day fishing the sod banks. They caught a couple striped bass, biggest was 26.5″.
Some of the team members from the shop have been out catching. Max has been fishing just about every afternoon in his boat and he’s catching consistently. He’s fishing the west side of the bay not too far of a ride from his lagoon in Forked River. Jordan has been into the fun too, fishing with his buddies the Winton brothers. They are stringing up good sessions one after the other. Jordan said the bass are crushing small lures with aggression.
We heard of a couple winter flounder about a week or so back but this weekend we only heard one report. Scott Grove reported, “I was fishing for perch on the mainland bayside and was catching winter flounder.” Now’s the time to hunt for them!
Paul Lindsey is keeping the streak alive fishing every single day since the season opened on March 1. He has been in the shop just about everyday stocking up on live bloodworms and essential fishing tackle. Recently he has been into some big white perch and more striped bass. His biggest bass so far was a 29″ that has a whole bunker in its mouth. For a photo check out our Instagram Page. Here’s Pauls report from today… “Day 21: Clean water clarity and light winds to kick off the day with temperatures starting at 25 degrees and warming to 60 degrees. I fished with my buddy Herb and we did well. A little slower than earlier in the week but we caught a good number of bass including a double header. We’ll be back out at it tomorrow. Thanks Fish Heads for the primo juicy works. Tight Lines!”
Some spots in springtime are all about the water temperatures. Knowing the tides and the ocean’s effects will better help your plan your sessions. It can make or break your time on the water. Here’s a look at the recent readings at the Barnegat Bay Buoy. The rising temperatures represent the outgoing tide and the falling water temperatures are the incoming tide which is influenced by the cold ocean water. Spots close to an inlet will have this effect. Areas far away from inlet may not. Next time out fishing bring a thermometer. You might be shocked at how your fishing starts and stops based on the water temperature change that is very tide dependent.
Just a heads up the spring time sands on the surf are soft! It’s common this time of year as the sand is naturally stacking back in as the winter storm activity tapers off. They new sands are unsettled and can be hazardous to 4×4 buggies. As always drive the beaches prepared, aired down and with the proper proper gear in case of emergency.
Finally! There’s clarification on the murky mandates on the circle hook front.
Today the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Council (ASMFC) approved the guidance for state implementation of circle hook measures for the recreational fishery, “Circle hooks are required when fishing for striped bass with bait, which is defined as any marine or aquatic organism live or dead, whole or parts thereof. This shall not apply to any artificial lure with bait attached.”
I attended today’s three hour ASMFC Atlantic Striped Bass Mgmt Board Meeting and this is what I can share.
Timeline Of Circle Hook Reqs
To reduce the discard mortality of striped bass, in-line circle hooks are required when recreational fishing for striped bass with natural bait, live or chunk. This is nothing new. It was approved in October 2019 by ASMFC with an implementation mandate deadline of January 2021. States implemented but lots of questions and debates bubbled up! “Things got hairy” at the ASMFC February meeting when things went “‘Round In Circles”.
At that meeting an ad hoc committee was developed to define bait (Task 1), identify methods of fishing that would require circle hooks (Task 2) and also iron out how to handle incidental catch (Task 3). The goal was to create a binding component with consistency across the geographic range of the striped bass fishery. Remember states can always be more conservative, so only time will tell what each state chooses to do.
Recreational anglers must do their part to reduce dead discard. Through public awareness and education anglers must embrace the circle hook mandate to help the striped bass stock immediately. There’s calls right now for a 10 year moratorium so this is not joking matter.
Bait Definition – Task 1
“Bait is defined as any marine or aquatic organism live or dead, whole or parts thereof.”
Thankfully this wording is specific and to the point. It allows tube and worm fishing. It allows the use of pork rind (as well as squid for that matter) when bucktailing for striped bass. It allows eel skin plugs. And best of all… It allows hair and feathers for the dressing of hooks; flies, teasers, tails. The removal of the reference to terrestrial animals or plants was a huge win (motion failed 1-11) for the fly fishing community!
Personally I was happy to see they did not get too far into the muck and mire with this. It could of got very wordy. Then in turn, hard to understand and adopt by masses. Processed baits like Gulp, FishBites, among others that include fish oils could have been looped in, but they were NOT.
While this might not seem like a big thing on the surface. I personally feel it is huge. Why? It sets precedence when circle hook mandates come down on other species. Yes I see them coming to fluke. How else do recreational anglers reduce dead discard?
This healthy striped bass was caught and released by Captain Brendon Craig fishing live bunker on a circle hook.
Methods Of Fishing – Task 2
There was agreement that the circle hook requirement was intended to focus on static bait fishing where gut hooks are common. It was never intended to apply to classic sustainable methods of active fishing (troll, cast and retrieve, vertical jigging) artificial lures with bait attached. There was consideration to specify active fishing methods. The result was the second sentence, “This shall not apply to any artificial lure with bait attached.”
Rigged Eel Debate
There was discussion on rigged eels. Eels are marine organisms and even when rigged they are not considered an artificial lure; therefore, rigged eels fall into the bait category and must be rigged/fished with circle hooks. There could be future exemptions if requested and pursued by states but for now this is how it sits.
Snag & Drop Fishing
Snag and drop fishing is prohibited. Snagged bunker must be brought in and re-hooked using an inline circle hook. If the scenario plays out where a bass hits a snagged bunker while it is being retrieved, the fish technically must be released. Some anglers will be very disappointed by this however it is a win for the striped bass. Snag and drop fishing was a very popular and effective method BUT it had a very high mortality risk.
Sloane Endick caught this striped bass fishing live bunker.
Incidental Catch – Task 3
The handling of striped bass incidental catch when targeting other species with bait and non-circle hooks boiled down to two options, To Keep Or Not To Keep.
A – Allow anglers to keep striped bass that are incidentally caught
B – Require anglers to release striped bass that are incidentally caught.
There’s valid argument on both sides and the has been in hot debate for months.Why? Proving an anglers intended target species is near impossible; therefore enforcement must focus on possession not intent to target.
Striped bass fishing commonly overlaps other species such as perch early season and bluefish during the season among other species. Plus the social media buzz from wiseass naysayers added fuel to the fire. For example the all too common, “I’ll still use j-hooks while chunking. I’m targeting bluefish,” jeering statements. Due to these loop hole seekers, allowing incidental striped bass catches would make the circle hook law unenforceable.
Fortunately the ASMFC put an end to it with a 12-1 vote for Option B.
Striped bass caught on any unapproved method of take must be returned to the water immediately without unnecessary injury.
In the case of fishing the surf with a mullet rig. It’s the anglers intent to target bluefish with a classic skewer style mullet rig with split double fang hook baited up with a fresh or frozen finger mullet. An incidental striped bass catch is not uncommon. When it occurs, the striped bass must be release. Anglers hoping for a striped bass while fishing mullet rigs should think about rigging up with a circle hook. In the mullet run time frame most striped bass are small but there are keeper size fish in the mix. Take the same rig and use a split ring to attach an inline circle hook to the skewer. Be sure to have a split ring plier because the hook needs to be removed each time for baiting.
Here’s Bayside Dave with a health striped bass he caught off of the LBI surf.
Wasn’t that nice while it lasted? The recent cold blast has those early spring clean ups, boat preparations and outside duties back on hold. The rest of this work week looks iffy but the upcoming weekend has sunny potential.
Anglers are fishing and some are catching. Most are of shorts however there were a couple keeper bass caught. Here’s some recent catch reports that customers shared.
Striped Bass Fishing Reports
Dave Pellon got this 20″ bass on live bloodworms a couple days ago.
Mark Frederick caught his first striped bass in the windy and cold conditions recently.
Paul Lindsey has been out everyday fishing this March and he’s starting to find some fish. Today he reported, “Cold but sunny, 39 degrees with a cranking wind. I knew the water quality was going to be worse today but I wanted some fish for dinner. I got live bloodworms and put my stake in the mud. I caught a few bass and some fat perch for the table. I’ll be back out again tomorrow.”
Bob Neuweiler shared, “Despite the sporty conditions, I fished the kayak and tagged one striped bass on the Mullica Sunday.”
Winter Flounder Report
Joe Antiorio has been hunting winter flounder. He shared this photo today. “Hey remember these? First keeper of the 2021 year. Can’t get ’em unless ya try!” Thanks for rocking the Fish Heads Striper Hat Joe! We hope it brings you lots of fishy luck this spring!
Delaware River Fishing
Anglers on the Delaware river are starting to pick up bass. Heard of bass up to 30″. They will soon have good ones showing on the banks.
You might ask why share this kind of info on a report blog based in the Long Beach Island area? Because we have customers and readers from all around the tristate area. Actually 57% of the FishingLBI.com blog traffic comes from western New Jersey and Eastern Pennsylvania.
Florida Vacation Fishing
Jon Kelly is on vacation, loving life down in Key West. He caught his first tarpon.
Spacex Rocket Launch
Did you catch the Space X rocket on monday?
March 14th at 6:01am SpaceX launched 60 Starlink satellites from Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Photographer Jennifer Khordi was out on the Barnegat Inlet Jetty taking pictures of the Milky Way and captured this photo of the rocket crossing the Milky Way galaxy. Photo by J. Khordi
What a great week of weather and an awesome weekend ahead. Anglers are out and about fishing the early season spots and finding some striped bass on live bloodworms. We expect this weekend to offer fun early season fishing at the early season areas such as the Mullet River and the Toms River. Both of these areas have resident hold overs. We expect new arrivals to show in our local waters soon. For the best action, look towards the west sides side creeks and rivers for and especially on the outgoing tides when the water is warmest.
Reminder, if targeting striped bass with bait state law mandates inline circle hooks.
Perch will be another great game for the next few weeks.
Winter flounder is also an option, but no reports from anyone yet.
Now’s the time to gear up and prepare for the 2021 spring season. Here at Fisherman’s Headquarters, we are here with bait and tackle covering all of your fishing needs.
Update: Saturday March 13 – Store staffer Grey found some bass last night fishing the night shift. He was using small soft plastics. Other reports came in from anglers fishing worms at the early season spots. Paul Lindsey shared, “The sun has been out and the water is warming up. Fish are getting active and anglers are catching.” We also heard one good report of winter flounder fishing the bay on the south end.
At night striped bass hunt the shadow lines for easy prey. This striped bass was fooled by Grey Coleston who’s a team member at Fish Heads. If you want to learn how to catch bass on light tackle with no need for bait ask Grey today!
Here’s a short video from the north end of LBI on Tuesday March 9, 2021
Here’s some details on the March 4th NJ Marine Fisheries State Council meeting. It was another long call which started at 5pm and ending at 8:35pm. The main topics which I will detail below are; New Enforcement, NJ’s Striped Bass Bonus Program, NJ’s New Cobia Regulations, NJ’s New Summer Flounder Regulations and Offshore Wind.
New Marine Enforcement In Ocean County
It started off with the enforcement report. I was very happy to hear news about two new officers being added to the Marine Unit roster. One officer, will focus enforcement in the central New Jersey area. This addition was needed years ago.
2021 NJ Striped Bass Bonus Program
Everything is basically the same with regards to the NJ SBBP. It is status quo for 2021. But now they are stepping in modern day technology and doing the entire process online. Both the application and submission will be online. Information is expected to be released soon, March/April timeframe. Keep an eye out for it!
Here are some bonus tag striped bass that were caught aboard Reel Fantasea with Captain Steve Purul during the later portion of the fall run.
2021 NJ Cobia Regulations
Over the years NJ has always followed Virginia’s regulations on cobia. Recently Virginia changed regulations to reduce harvest by about 40% over the next three years. With the options that were on the table, few comments from the public came in. All that did were in favor of the option for no closed season. The board’s vote went that way.
The NJ Cobia Regulations for 2021 are: One fish bag/vessel limit with a 37″ total length minimum size with no closed season.
Here is Bob Misak with a beautiful cobia that was caught off the LBI surf on June 5, 2019. If the state chose to keep in line with Virginia this somewhat rare catch would have been out of season. The new 2021 regulations have no closed season.
This part of the meeting started off with a quick mention of some creative regulation ideas that might come about next year. Ideas like possibly splitting the state since there is a clear difference in desire between North Jersey and South Jersey. Ideas like having a separate back bay and ocean season, using zones to best satisfy anglers in different areas. Ideas like changing the bag limit and sizes to take the pressure off the females. Possibly one regulation for the first half of the season and a different regulation at second half. Possibly a slot and a trophy. We’ve heard this kinda talk before. So will 2022 be the year with new creative regulations that help the summer flounder? I’m hoping to hear more details after the fluke advisory meeting which will be taking place once in May/June and then a second in September.
Fluke Facts
Did you know that 70% of fluke 18″ are female and nearly 100% of fluke 21″ and larger are female? Did you know that a 12″ flounder is about 1 year old, 18″ about three years old and a 24″ fluke is about 6-8 years old?
Team Fish Heads Mike Frezza is holding up a nice fluke he caught bucktailing the bayside waters behind Long Beach Island.
Now onto the NJ Fluke Options…
These were the two options on the table:
Option 1) Status Quo: May 22nd – September 19th, 121 total days
Option 2) Shift Back: May 28th – September 28th, 124 days
Both options included the historical opening day before Memorial Day (5/31) and being open past Labor Day (9/6). So they really boiled down to THREE days. Options one an earlier season and option two a later season.
Not the biggest deal right? WRONG!
A public comment survey was done by the state to ask saltwater anglers which option they preferred. 725 responses were received…
And They Survey Says!
Option 1 – 27% Option 2 – 73%
Here’s a breakdown by angler type. It’s clear that the NJ saltwater anglers who took the time to participate in the survey wanted option 2.
Now public comment opened and there was large/overwhelming support of Option 2. Most all mentioned the key benefits like:
Closing the gap between fluke and sea bass (reduces the gap from 25 days to 16)
The additional three days offers more opportunity as we all know days are lost due to weather
In May there’s lots of species to target; striped bass, bluefish, black sea bass, black drum, weakfish, BUT in September there is few especially for land based anglers
In late September the mullet run offers one of the the best times for land based anglers to fish for fluke
Late September is a great time to fish the state’s artificial reef sites
My public comment, “I would like to see Option 2 which supports both the survey and the overwhelming support of the benefits it offers (listed above).” I also commented which was off topic but I had to express a concern that has been eating at me for a while.
“I need to mention the special Island Beach State Park regulation (2 fluke greater than 16″ total length) gives an unfair and preferential treatment to that IBSP area. Anglers that used to fish the Long Beach Island area going to IBSP for the more lax regulations.”
The Fluke Fiasco
Public comments end and then things got crazy. Some of the public (on the call via phone) could not make comments during the live meeting because they were in listen only mode and could not get an opportunity to speak. Concerns with the meeting’s platform (GoToWebinar) were raised. Zoom, Webex, Teams… but GoToWebinar is the same platform that the Atlantic State Marine Fisheries Commission uses successfully. There was actually a motion to push off the decision to the next meeting!
It turns out that failure to pre-register for the event was the root of the problem. I’ll agree the inability to publicly comment does raise a representation concern. HOWEVER, there was more than adequate time given for written and online comment. Why the delay?
Unfortunately during this fiasco, the overwhelming public interest in favor of Options 2 was blown off. The attention went to the potential tech issues and that debate rather than fluke. It really distracted from the situation at stake. What a coincidence, in the end failure to listen to public comment turned out to actually occur!
NJ Summer Flounder – Option One Status Quo
Offshore Wind
A new Offshore Wind Committee was previously created and the state’s advisory application period had received 32 applications. It’s great to see the interest. It was said that the Ocean Wind project was much further ahead of the Atlantic Shores project and the The Ocean Wind COP is expected to be released (possibly) this spring. But the council was not 100% sure of the dates.
What is a COP? Construction & Operations Plan – It is the document which outlines the purpose and scope of the activities as well as the intended construction onshore and offshore. It will comprehensively describe the project and include maintenance and decommissioning procedures among many other topics. The COP will provide a basis for the analysis of the environmental and socioeconomic effects and operational integrity of the developments proposed activities. More Info On A COP by BOEM.
Right now there is not an upcoming meeting with opportunity scheduled for public comment. However it was said that BOEM (Bureau Of Ocean Energy Management – US Dept Of The Interior) accepts public comments at any time. Take the time to commit NOW!
It was noted that in recent town hall meetings that numerous shore towns opposed the developments. More recently, towns are waking up to the issue.
There is a lot of things coming down the pike with regards to wind turbine developments in New Jersey. Staying in the loop right now is very difficult but there is hope that will change. There’s rumor the state will have a site where the public can go to source all of the information/documents from all of the different developers. This way everyone gets to see everything at one place.
The million dollar question…Will it be bias and share all of the concerns or just what the state want to share?
The Next NJ Marine Fisheries State Council Meeting is May 13th 5pm.
It’s finally here, opening of Back Bay Bassin’! The somewhat mild and short winter should set up awesome back bay fishing along Long Beach Island and the surrounding areas to its north and south. A few recent reports from “Winter White Perchers” tell us our favorite seven striped fish are in the mix with perch. They are eating worms and grass shrimp, two great early season bait choices.
Early Season Backwater Striped Bass
South / Central Jersey is very fortunate to have a population of resident bass. They winter over in the deep holes and when hungry eat the simple stuff. What’s easiest to find, eat and digest? Soft baits like worms, clams, mussel, crabs and shrimp are their preference.
Opening day striped bass caught today March 1, 2021 by Gary Adair. He reported, “I got one but missed many more. Still getting dialed in with the new circle hook law. I missed more then I hooked.”
The first place to hunt striped bass that are looking to eat is river side beaches and along the shallow dark bottom mud flats in the backwaters. Here, the water warms first. But sure to target these areas on the outgoing tide to ensure the warmest water possible. Time of day can make a huge difference. Fish midday and afternoons as opposed to mornings. Let the sun get out and warm up the shallow mud flats.
Don’t be afraid to look as far back as possible. You’ll be surprised what you find. As the days get longer, more hours of sunshine warm the waters and soon other areas will begin to produce. Then work towards the point, mouths and adjacent/outer banks.
Winter Flounder Fishing
We are all excited to have fun catching Striped Bass but don’t forget Barnegat Bay offers good winter flounder fishing which also opens March 1st. With a regulation of two flounder at 12″ some overlook the fishery but it is a great way to enjoy early season fishing on the bayside on LBI. I had a ton of fun growing up catching flounder on the Island’s bayside nooks and these same areas still produce. Ship Bottom and Surf City’s bayside dock and street ends offer a multitude of areas to fish. You just need to poke around. There were a few slow years, but last year was one of the better showings in some time. We hope that it’s the beginning of a new cycle and this year keeps the trend rolling.
This fat winter flounder as well as many more were caught by Dave Moores last year during the first week of the season. Worm and a cord bead is the classic approach to catching.
Fish Head Team member Steve-o shares, “If looking for winter flounder you need to pick your days right. I look for the water to break the 42 degree mark (45 is best) and then go on the first sunny day. I like fishing high sun midday. Rig up with a classic winter flounder set up and then soak some bloodworms or sandworm on the bayside. Add a corn kernel for extra bling! I’ve found my ticket to success to be finding and fishing the mussel beds. They are common along some sod banks and they hold fish. There are some areas that can be accessed land based if you know where to look. Another tip, when in the boat chum heavy!”
Current Bait Status
Just a heads up on the bait… We decided to not get live bloodworms for the last weekend of February since opening day the weather looked poor (on the long range when we had to place our bait order). We do our best to have the best bait, so we felt like selling five day old worms on Tuesday and then each day getting progressively older wasn’t the best idea. We expect to have a batch of beautiful bloods this week. We are hoping at latest Wednesday. We will be sure to post on our social media pages when they are in as well as our “Bait Board” on here. In the meantime Dyna Bait offers a great solution. Dynabait Freeze Dried Bloodworms work great, they are convenient and affordable.
What’s Our Go To?
As many of our blog readers are looking to put a bend in a rod, so is the crew here at Fisherman’s Headquarters! The crew is stoked to get out and go fishing. We get questioned every day what do you guys fish. A quick poll from the crew has these as the top three approaches for early season striped bass fishing.
Here’s Our Back Bay Favorites
For bait fishing, bloodworms and clam are phenomenal baits that hungry striped bass love
Here at Fisherman’s Headquarters, we have all your back bay needs in stock and more on the way.
Striped Bass
Opens March 1 – Resident striped bass that call our waters home year round will be hungry. A few days back in the bitter cold store staffer Grey shook the snow dust off with a couple cast and caught two striped bass fishing the bayside. He tried the same spot this weekend but struck out. “They are definitely around but I wasn’t about to connect the right time and tide.”
This back bay striped bass could not resist a white Kettle Creek Shad fished on a 1/2oz lead head jig/ Such a super simple yet deadly combination!
NJ Striped Bass Regulations: The same limits as 2020 are still in place… One fish 28″ to less than 38″. The 2021 change is inline circle hooks must be used when fishing for striped bass with natural bait. As most know there’s lots of discussion and debate over situational specifics as well as possible exemptions (for bucktail tipped with pork rind, rigged eels, tune and worm rig) but NOTHING was approved in NJ. For right now there are no exemptions!
NJ Tautog Regulations Reminder: New Jersey’s Blackfish “Tog” Tautog season closed on Sunday Feb 28. Team Fish Heads angler Rob Vallone went out aboard the Jamaica this past weekend to try his luck before the end of the tog season. Unfortunately he reported a bad trip. “It as a gorgeous late February day to scratch the itch but the fishing was dead. 14 anglers with only one tog. Ocean pout and big dogfish.”
New Jersey Blackfish Season will re-open April 1, 2021 with a 15″ minimum size and a 4 fish bag limit. There will be a lot of anglers ready to hit it hard after a long winter. A great spot to look on opening day will be the Barnegat Inlet Jetty. Every year April is very productive for land based anglers fishing the rocks with live crabs.
Here’s a photo of Anthony Gagliardi from opening day April 2020, where he limited out with four fish at 15 or better.
Summer Flounder “Fluke” Fishing
NJ Summer Flounder Regulations: For the 2021 New Jersey Fluke Season there were no size limit changes. It is still a 3 fish bag limit with an 18″ minimum size. However the exact season dates are still up in the air. Expect them to be finalized at the NJ Marine Fisheries Meeting this Thursday March 4th 5pm. Link will be posted on this page if you are looking to join in.
There’s two options on the table. NJ Fluke Options:
Option 1) May 22nd – September 19th, 121 days (the same as last year)
Option 2) May 28th – September 28th, 124 days
The two options really boil down to three days and a slightly earlier or slightly later season? Option 1’s earlier season is preferred by most anglers in South Jersey who want to target fluke in the bays before the Memorial Day rush (May 31, 2021). Option 2’s later season and three extra days is preferred by most anglers in North, Central and some in South Jersey who want the slightly later season to take advantage of fall fluke fishing along the beaches and the ocean waters and reef sites. Obviously the extra three days are a plus.
After reviewing the options I wrote in that I prefer Option 2. Why? In late May there’s a lot more going on in the local LBI fishery with striped bass, black sea bass, black drum, bluefish and weakfish. The three additional days in September helps anglers fishing the LBI surf and inshore waters. September is a great month for fluke fishing NJ artificial reefs during a time when all other fisheries are slow or close. Option 2 helps close the gap between fluke and sea bass season giving saltwater anglers opportunity to fish.
I would like to announce that I have opened up my 2021 dates for Summer Fluke/ Flounder Surf Fishing Guided Trips on Long Beach Island N.J. >> *Daily starting 6/1/21 and running until 9/6/21 The last few seasons the fishing has been great and I expect that to continue this year and I’m really looking forward to hitting the beach again with everyone. I will once again be providing all tackle, bait and gear needed for a fun day fishing on beautiful LBI. *I would suggest if you are interested in joining me to Book as-soon-as-possible as I expect it to be another busy season with prime dates/days going fast. You can contact me for more information via email at Nightstrikes@comcast.net – Cell # 609-276-6983 or Direct Message me on my FaceBook and Instagram pages. Thank You,, Steve George / Nightstrikes Surfcasting Guide Svc. LLC
