LBI's Premier Fishing Report By Fisherman's Headquarters
Mid-March fishing on and around LBI has been good for striped bass, winter flounder and perch. Some great reports are coming in from around the state too. The weather is great and it’s time to get out and enjoy some time on the water. Let’s fish!!!
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!
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.
The Beach Haven Charters Fishing Association needs you help to keep the project growing! Last year they spent $100,000 to buy and deploy two new pieces; a tug and a barge. Right now they have 60 reef balls coming up from Florida and need to fund the purchase, transportation and the deployment. Check out this short video of the reef building process.
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…
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.”
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.
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.
Long before all of the engineering advancements in technology and tackle, Pacific aboriginal fishermen carved animal horns and bones to a curved circle shape. Modern day commercial fishermen have successfully used circle hooks much earlier than recreational anglers. It took time but slowly recreational anglers learned of the importance of circle hooks.
This is Part 1 of a three part blog series. Part 2: Fishing For Striped Bass With Circle Hooks
Central America led the way in the recreational fishing world with j-hook restrictions, mandating circle hooks in all billfish tournaments by 2005. In 2008, all federally permitted boats in the USA were required to use circle hooks with baits in all Atlantic billfish tournaments. In 2019, the federal circle hook mandate expanded to Mako sharks including a specialty HMS Permit Shark Endorsement.
Finally, in October 2019 the ASMFC (Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Council) approved Addendum 6 which implemented measures to reduce total striped bass removals by 18% in order to achieve the fishing mortality target in 2020. Among other measures, a mandatory use of circle hooks when fishing with bait in recreational fisheries with a January 1, 2021 deadline.
The circle hook mandate finally reached mainstream coastal anglers.
The circle hook mandate was designed to reduce gut hooking especially in passive fishing situations. Anecdotal evidence from anglers up and down the “Striper Coast” all agree, when natural baits (fresh or live) are dead sticked for striped bass with traditional J-hooks deep hooking is highly likely. However, with inline circle hooks these risks are greatly reduced.
New management measures (size and bag limit regulations) have resulted in an increase of released striped bass. For one reason or another, a considerable portion of released fish die. It’s debatable but the latest assessment assumes +/- 9% release mortality.
The use of inline non-offset circle hooks undoubtedly reduces gut hooking and significantly increases the survival of released fish. This is especially true in the case of striped bass, a very hardy fish that has no teeth and inhales their prey. Inline circle hooks offer the best rate of survival, reducing catch and release mortality.
Fish Fact: In 2018 (most recent year in ASMFC Addendum VI) the Recreational Striped Bass Harvest was 2.24 million fish. The Recreational Striped Bass Release Mortality was 2.82 million fish. Yes science claims recreational anglers released (and then died) more striped bass than they harvested.
ASMFC Addendum VI – 6.0 Table 2 pg14
Are you fishing for striped bass with natural bait? If so you MUST fish inline circle hooks.
For New Jersey Anglers – Circle Hook Regulation As Per NJDEP – In-line (non-offset) circle hooks must be used when fishing for striped bass with natural bait in all waters. Effective January 1, 2021
***Anglers are allowed ONE Striped Bass 28 inches to less than 38 inches*** While some anglers may be against it, this regulation is great for striped bass. All recreational anglers must embrace it and do everything they can to respect the fishery and decrease release mortality. Due to new age tackle, marine electronics and freedom of fast information the fish do not stand a chance.
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.
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.
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.
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.”
Hopefully by now you’ve caught wind of the state/federal clean energy goals and the massive offshore wind projects. If you haven’t, now is the time to start paying attention to what’s taking place. These monumental decisions effect everyone in the state/region and beyond. On the surface offshore wind might sound like a dream but like everything in life when it sounds too good to be true… it’s too good to be true!
What started out with the 2010 ‘Smart From The Start’ initiative, things have really accelerated but not in the “smart” direction. Major regulatory changes, Task Forces (here’s the NJ Renewable Energy Task Force’s activity over the years) and executive orders (EO No8 directed NJBPU to implement Offshore Wind Economic Development Act, EO No79 established council on offshore wind “WIND Institute”, EO No92 raised goal from 3500MW by 2030 to 7500 by 2035) have amplified the expansion of offshore wind developments. Everything is and has been in high gear, seemingly reckless and rushed to meet these far out goals. However there is a very large gap between wishful (possibly delusional) political talk and physical reality.
For perspective on the massive scale, which is arbitrarily concentrated inequitable in close proximity to New Jersey… As of January 2022, there’s more 500,000 aches of leased wind areas nearshore the central and south Jersey coastline; Atlantic Shore (OCS-A 0499: 183,353 acres) and Ocean Wind (OCS-A 0498: 160,480 acres). There is also Empire Wind (OCS-A 0512: 79,350 acres) in the Bight about 20 miles east of Sandy hook as well as a couple not far from Cape May, Skipjack & GSOE (OCS-A 0519; 26,332 acres & OCS-A 0482: 70,098 acres).
BOEM’s Outer Continental Shelf Renewable Energy Leases Map Book
On January 19th 2021, I attended the NY Bight Final Sale Notice Fisheries Stakeholder Meeting. [For anyone who has read this far you might care to] See these slides are basically the same as what was presented. And just like every other offshore wind energy meeting I’ve attended (and that is lots of them) the attendance was poor. Does no one care? Or does no one know?
The theme of responsible offshore wind development is now run over by the threat of rapidly expansion. We currently face the risk of the largest ecological destruction of the century. Sadly the environmental community has turned a blind eye. Could the hush money (funding and non disclosure agreements) have something to do with their blurry vision, thinking and lack of voice?
It’s concerning that the poster children in the USA, Block Island Wind Farm, has painted a bad picture with a long list of failures.
There’s scientists working on important topics right. Would it not make sense to halt development until the works are completed? Also baseline studies must be complete. Unfortunately much of the reports from previous studies is either ignored or overlooked. This 2010 study outlines ecologically and environmentally sensitive areas along the south-central NJ coast and identifies conflicts.
That was NJ's Offshore Wind Fiasco Part 1. NJ's Offshore Wind Fiasco Part 2 dives into to the ocean, environment and more specifically the fisheries. Part 3 in all about OffShore Wind & Whales. Part 4 will outline topics concerning everyone; energy policy, economics and feasibility.
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.
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
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.
Jigging & Popping Tuna Rods from Centaur come in 3 levels and are designed to match New Jersey’s inshore and mid-shore pelagic fishery.
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.
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 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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
51BM; Talica 16, Speed Master 16, Ocea Jigger 4000 – This is a BIG FISH rod and should be used when hunting 65″ and larger fish.
52BL; Avel MXL, Talica 12, Fathom 30/25ld, Speedmaster 12. In short this is a great all around rod for both Bluefin and Yellowfin Tuna.
53BUL; Avet MXL/MXJ, Talica 12/10, Fathom 15ld, Speedmaster 12. This is the ideal choice for fishing the inshore to midshore grounds; ridges, lumps and wrecks.
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.
Here’s what he had to say:
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!
February 11, 2023 – 8 am to 2 pm
The Southern Regional High School Fishing Flea Market is February 11, 2023. Like every years the event is held at the Southern Regional Middle School cafeteria from 8:00 AM – 2:00 PM.
Southern Regional’s annual fishing show is one of the largest and best fishing shows in Southern Ocean County. Both new and used fishing gear will be on display from a variety of vendors. There’s also hourly door prizes, gift certificates from local charter boats and items donated by show vendors.
Admission is $4. Children under 12 are free when accompanied by an adult. This is a great family oriented event.
All proceeds benefit the Southern Regional High School Fishing Club. During the fall of 2021 SRHS-FC entered 15 students in the Long Beach Island Surf Fishing Classic. The money raised goes to offset the cost of trips for students on the fleet sailing out of Viking Village. Funds also go to providing scholarships for four year members of the club.
The Southern Regional High School Fishing Club is the perfect place for younger anglers to start out and get a good first impression of fishing. And it’s also a great place where youth anglers learn and take their fishing to the next level.
For additional show or vendor information contact
Jason Hoch, 609 597-9481 ext. 2120 [email protected]
