Category: Fishing Reports

By: Steve George – Nightstrikes Surfcasting Guide Svc. LLC

As the “Dog Days” of August fall upon us here along the shores of Long Beach Island New Jersey it’s a period of change. It is especially evident with Fluke Fishing (Summer Flounder) which is the main target species for most summertime surfcasters. As an angler looking for success catching and maybe a great dinner for family and friends, one needs to look for the signs and plan accordingly with tackle and gear.

Look Deeper When The Water Is Warm

This is the time of the year with the hottest weather for New Jersey. That means the water temperatures rise to a steady level high. We all look to cool off and so do the fluke! If you have felt the heat along the surf line and possibly lost the consistent bite or bigger fish it’s time to move.

The fish move into the cooler waters and that means deeper water. The main bodies of these schooled up fish will start staying out and away from most of our local beaches and that’s why boat anglers start to see an increase in action in the ocean.

But as a land based fishermen that doesn’t mean our season is over and in fact it sometimes it gets even better. Now is when I shift attention to the Barnegat Bay and Barnegat Inlet. The deeper holes and channels have water temperatures sometime 10 degrees cooler. This is where I find fluke holding for the rest of the season. At times better fish and active ones.

Last Season Fluke Fishing Gear

So you now know where to look. But it is also time to change up some of your tackle and gear! For the most part we use lighter 7’ and 8’ spinning rods and small spinning reels in the 2000-4000 size.

Along with it goes much lighter weight tackle; lead sinkers, bucktails, leader and line. However, you want to beef up some if planning on fishing along the rock jetty at Barnegat Inlet. There I would suggest a longer 9’ rod and a 4000-5000 spinning reel. You’ll need to be able to cast and fish weights up to 3oz. Here the fast moving current demand it. You’ll need to slow down your baits at times with heavier weights and be able to lift/swing fish up and over the jetty rocks to land them. Having a more moderate and higher rated fishing rod will allow you to do this with success. Smaller lighter rods run the risk of breaking.

Having a large landing net is a great option. Also for your personal safety on the jetty I recommend a good pair of Korkers Cleated Sandals!

Late Season Locations

Aside from the Inlet, another favorite place of mine to fish this time of year is along the banks of the bay. It is very similar to fishing the front surf line. In some occasions you will need just a bit more casting distance to reach the deeper channels where the fish are laying waiting for you. I try to hit these locations early in the morning before the boat traffic gets too hectic and also after sunset and into the night.

Some of my biggest fluke were caught late at night. Snapper bluefish and spike weakfish prey on baitfish around bridges and dock. Sometimes large fluke show up and feed.

Essentail Terminal Changes

Another change I make is to increase the size of hooks and bait. I go with a minimum of 5/0 hooks, up to size 7/0. They match up great on my go to baits, the 5-6” Berkley GULP! Grubs and Swimming Mullets. The fish like bigger baits at this point in the season and also it helps avoid gut hooked fish. We need to protect all throwbacks for the future of the stock.

Closing Remarks

As we head into the latter days of summer there’s a lot more fluke fishing still to go. Gear up right and target promising areas to make the most out of your trips. The Mullet Run is right around the corner and with it the back bay fluke exodus. Then we will have another chance to score on the beaches. Until then, there’s great opportunities to find and catch keeper fluke on the inside.

Good Luck and Stay Safe,
~ Steve George – Nightstrikes Surfcasting Guide Service LLC

Looking to book a guided land based fishing trip on Long Beach Island? Give Steve a call at 609-276-6983

Finally a beautiful stretch of weather along the beach, and the fluke bite is back on for sure in the surf, hit me up if you want to get in on the action the next few mornings/ evenings call 609-276-6983 Nightstrikes Surfcasting Guide Service LLC

A few days after the storm, things are bouncing back. The water is cleaning up a few reports are coming in. This is what we can share on this Friday morning report… Here’s the Long Beach Island Fishing Report Update For Friday August 7, 2020.

The surf has settled down and the LBI water temperatures have rebounded from their upwelling lows to now in the mid 60’s. It was in the mid to upper 50’s a couple days ago. With the settling comes a welcome return of reports! Already surf anglers are getting back into good fishing along the beach of LBI. On Thursday we had numerous customers in the shop reporting the kingfish are still present. They were all buying Live Bloodworms, Dyna Bait Freeze Dried Bloodworms and Fish Bites. Others reported fluke from the beach. One group of anglers came in and reported tryin for striped bass with clam and bunker. They caught some small blues, skates and dogfish. One striped bass catch was reported by Jaime Grant. Her husband got a 27.5″ striped bass off the mid Island surf.

Fluke fishing reports in the ocean yesterday (Thursday) were slow (from two different sources). We expect this to flip back soon because August is a great moth for ocean fluke fishing!

The bayside activities have a lot to offer. From fishing for blowfish, snappers and weakfish to crabbing and clamming. Store staffer Grey Colston is reporting lots of bait (both spearing and baby bunker) and active game fish. He has caught striped bass, bluefish and weakfish the past couple of days.

The Barnegat Inlet Jetty is a great spot to fish all season long but especially right now! The fluke are present and transiting the inlet on their way out to their late summer early fall hiding spots. Tog, sheepshead and triggerfish are hiding. One customer reported catching five tog, three were keeper size. Also resident striped bass and bluefish are there too. Jetty Master Jeff got a large black drum a few days back! Bayside Dave stopped by late morning and shared a early morning report. He said, “I had a good morning before the rain. Got a keeper tog and a keeper fluke.”

Already got reports of both yellowfin and bluefin tuna as well as mahi from the midshore and offshore waters.

Saturday we hit the mid-shore fishing ground on the hunt to jig up some yellowfin and it produced!

We also hooked up on live peanut bunker. Both yellowfin and mahi mahi couldn’t resist. Mustad Moon Risers Jigs and Nomad Streaker Jigs have been the go to jigs all year.

There’s nothing better then catching tuna on lightweight yet powerful spinning rod set ups like the Shimano Trevala – Penn Slammer combo.

If you’re looking to get out and get in on the fun fishing give Capt. Ryan Horton a call and set up a trip today. Call 609-276-8032.

by Jim Hutchinson Sr.

The fishing over the past week in the Beach Haven area has been very strong. However, the captains of the Beach Haven Charter fishing Association are casting a wary eye at the development of Hurricane Isaias. Although the storm is still south of the United States, Isaias is sure to influence the fishability of local waters for the next few days.

The water temperature in the bay waters behind Long Beach Island have been reaching 80 degrees and even warmer. As a result, most of the fluke have made their move into the ocean. That is where the captains have been concentrating their efforts with much success.

Captain Frank Camarda reports the party boat “Miss Beach Haven” has been finding some nice sized fish on both its ocean and bay trips. One recent pool winner took honors with a 25-inch fluke. Their 6-hourtrips on Saturdays and Sundays have proven to be very popular and advance
reservations help secure a spot at the rail.

The “Starfish” with Captain Carl Sheppard has been fishing inshore structure regularly. A recent trip with a local family experienced action-packed fishing all day. The crew fished many wrecks and caught over 60 fish including sea bass, sea robins, and fluke. The crew kept sea bass and
fluke for dinner. Some sea bass have measured up to 16-inches.

Captain Gary Dugan has seen the rods on the “Irish Jig” bending with large numbers of short fish with some fluke making it into the cooler along with some sea bass and even a ling. Early trip had decent action on short fish with these 2 keepers. Captain Gary had a shark charter for the birthday girl Kim, and they managed a 4-foot tiger shark among other fish.

Captain Brett Taylor of Reel Reaction Sportfishing continues to experience excellent action with up to 30 fish on a tide, although most are throwbacks. Recent trips have seen up to 5 keepers along with some sea bass and even a short striped bass on one trip. Captain Brett says his trolling motor was pivotal in keeping them on the edge between the wind and tide.

Captain Dave Wittenborn had the Smale group on the “Benita J” offshore on a tuna trip. The crew put together a nice catch of 50-60-pound class yellowfin tuna. By mid-morning everyone was tired from reeling in tuna, and they headed back home. Captain Dave stressed it was a great group that never once complained about the sporty conditions.

Additional information on the Beach Haven Charter Fishing Association can be found at www.bhcfa.net

Wow ! August 1st , can’t believe we are at the crossroads of Summer here already on LBI – And it means I only have 5 more weeks of Fluke Fishing left here before I shift gears and start fishing Northern NJ – So if you are interested in a Surf\Jetty Fluke Trip on The Beaches of Long Beach Island NJ >Now is the time to Book~It up until Labor Day 2020 😉 ( I’ll post soon about my plans starting in September that I think you’ll like 👍* Stay Tuned for That) , in the mean time just reach out to me for more information. Nightstrikes Surfcasting Guide Service LLC Call 609-276-6983

Fishing is heating up. There have been 20 to 30 lb bluefin tuna within 20 miles of Barnegat Inlet. We are also catching king mackerel in the mix. All on the troll, so far. Side tracker bars are accounting for most of the hookups but cedar plugs are starting to get bit, too.
Further offshore, 60 to 70 miles, there is a mix of bluefin and yellowfin. They are hitting on the troll as well as drifting with jigs and bait fishing, my personal favorite. There is nothing like when a tuna eats your bait and you are holding the rod to feel that acceleration. 
It is also possible to mix in some 2 to 3 ft pelagic sharks on spinning tackle when we fish the 20 mile grounds.
Open Boat or Charter:
Sunday, July 26 Mid Range Tuna, 60 to 70 miles, 3AM to 5PM $450 person

Monday, July 27 Barnegat Ridge, 15 to 20 miles, 7AM to 3PM $225 person

Saturday, August 1 Barnegat Ridge, 15 to 20 miles, 6AM to 1PM $200 person

4 people max on all Open Boat trips, all fish are shared.

Pic: Jon and Ray Vernon of Butler, NJ with two of their three bluefin tuna trolled at Barnegat Ridge on Saturday. 

Dave DeGennaro

Hi Flier Sportfishing

732.330.5674 cell

hiflier.com

Right now is a great time to be fishing the waters of Long Beach Island. Whether fishing from shore, inshore or offshore, there’s a lot on offer. Here’s the Long Beach Island Fishing Report Update for Wednesday July 22, 2020.

Inshore – Midshore Bluewater

By far the most spectacular topic on the local fishing front is the abundance of school bluefin tuna (in the 27 to <47″ range) surprisingly close to port. These fish are and have been hanging around the 10-15-20 fathom inshore/midshore lumps and ridges. Some of these areas have good water (beautiful clean blue water) with bait (sand eels and squid) and that’s the receipt for good fishing. It’s not only bluefin! There’s king mackerel (southern kingfish) and a few small mahi. Soon the bonita and albies will join the party too. Here’s some recent reports from anglers fishing out of Barnegat Light the past couple of days.

Matt Thomas shared, “After hearing some reports that tuna fish were close we tossed together a last minute trip to get my son Dexter his first tuna. We got out there and got one. He did awesome and would not quit! Needless to say he is a very happy kid and I’m a very proud father!”

Frequent customer Joe Franckowiak has been out fishing every chance he gets and his catch count shows. He was reporting tuna near shore for some time now. Tuesday he had another good day (previous report included on the July 14th post) going four for seven on bluefin.

Fun Trip Aboard The Pal’O Mine

I got the call from Paul D’Aloia (friend and owner of the Pal’O Mine) on Monday, “Let’s go fish!” Tuesday morning we (Paul, Max, Matt, I) pushed off and headed east about 15 miles. We quickly found positive sings (tuna chicks and slicks) and got our trolling spread in the water. First a few good bait marks showed up on the sounder. Then tuna marks and shortly after we were tight on our first fish of the morning. We kept working the area and stayed with it for most of the morning going five for five on school bluefin tuna. Almost all of our bites came on spreader bars from splash bars from Chatter and Tormenter.

There were not that many boats out there, so we did the right thing and shared some intel to help others get blood on the deck. We were happy to get feedback! Richard Applegate said, “Heard you on the radio. Thank you. You helped us get tight on one.” Another thanks came from Mike Pritsch, “You called us in on the bite today. Thank you!!!”

With piles of sandeels and squid, school size bluefin tuna are hanging well within reach for small boat anglers. Gear up and be ready for the right days to get out thee and enjoy this great fishing!

LBI’s Near Shore Fishing Report

Solid fluke fishing reports continue from the ocean’s near shore waters, open bottom, wrecks and reefs. The game is good at certain areas and certain times. Having the right tackle and a skilled hand is paramount! Some of the snags have good sea bass fishing too.

One angler with the right tackle and a good hand is store staffer Jared Grady. He was out on the Carolyn Ann Tuesday and took the pool with a health one!

Today (Wednesday) Robbie Gagliardi had a great day aboard the Miss Barnegat Light. He caught five keepers. Since others fishing near him were struggling he was a nice guy and shared.

Another great ocean fluke report came in from Tyler Leary. His crew limited out at an undisclosed reef site.

The reports from the two local party boats (Miss Barnegat Light and the Carolyn Ann) are positive the past cope of days. It’s great to see some limited as well as some quality fluke and also knuckle head black sea bass. They are sailing everyday from 8am to1pm. Get out there!

Fishing the Long Beach Island Bays

The fluke fishing in the bay continues strong with an abundance of shorts but still a great number of quality keepers. You just need to work for them. Blowfish and weakfish continue too.

Here’s a nice weakfish from Chris Wright, safely release. “Wind against tide made easy with my Rhodan Trolling Motor!

Fishing the Long Beach Island Surf & Inlet

Right now there’s fun land based fishing opportunities on LBI. Kingfish (northern kingfish) and fluke (summer flounder) are both possibly at the best stage of the season. Anglers fishing the beaches and the Barnegat Inlet State Park are catching fluke, kingfish, small bluefish, Spanish mackerel, weakfish, an occasional striped bass and the sharpies are picking sheepshead too. Be careful of the cow nose rays!. They can be a time consuming handful.

Fishing with worms for kingfish, Gulp fluke, small meaty bait (bunker, mullet) for blues/bass. Fiddler crabs would be the ticket to target sheepshead.

Yes there’s some spike weakfish in the surf. Matt Listor shared a photo and gave us heads up. He got three from the LBI surf. A number of spike weakfish were reported this past week from the surf and bay. It’s great to see they are here. Let’s hope this stick around all summer!

Yes there’s Spanish mackerel being caught off of the Long Beach Island surf. Here is a photo sent in from Greg O’Connell from the Merchantville Fishing Team. He reported, “Landed three off of the north end surf and lost two others.” Some of the best producing lures for these as well as bonita and false albacore are the Hogy Epoxy Jigs and Tsunami Fork Tail Candy among some other small slender metals.

Summer land based Fluke Fishing is on Fire 🔥 Fish are looking for cooler water and there is no better place personally to cool off then by the waters edge. I have a few *Open Dates this coming week if you would like to get out and get in on the action on LBI NJ. Just *Contact Me If your interested. Thanks Nightstrikes Surfcasting Guide Service LLC Call 609-276-6983

The marine forecast looks really good for offshore this Sunday. Light and variable winds, just the way we like it. We are available for charter or you can sign on as an individual on our Open Boat trips for this Sunday, July 19. Departing at 3AM, returning around 4PM. Could be yellowfin or bluefin. $450 person, 4 people max.

Call me on my cell, that’s the best way to reserve a spot or get more information.

During the week we will be running bay trips and Barnegat Ridge trips in search of bonita and albacore. We have also been doing really well with our inshore sharking trips. Atlantic sharpnose, spinners, and an occasional dusky shark make up most of the catch. Mostly 2 to 4 foot sharks. They are great sport on the spinning tackle we use, all within sight of land.
Dave DeGennaro 732.330.5674 cell hiflier.com