LBI NJ Fishing Report – LBI Surf Fishing, Barnegat Bay & Inlet

Here on the downside of the early June moon approaching the last quarter, the Long Beach Island area has a lot to offer. There’s something for everyone; enjoying the beaches fishing with toes in the sand, drifting the waters of Barnegat Bay, big game fishing the midshore / offshore waters.

The recent stretch of good weather allowed everyone to get out and wet a line. Nearly all feedback had a similar good theme. Everyone stretched out their fishing lines tight with fish. At the time of this post the wind is blowing out of the south. A cold front will cross our are tonight and another on Friday. Then high pressure takes over for the weekends. We are looking forward to a great weekend of saltwater fishing the LBI region.

Here’s the Long Beach Island Fishing Report Update for Thursday June 11, 2020.

LBI Surf Fishing

Right now anglers enjoy the beaches of LBI soaking bait and casting lures with a target of bluefish, striped bass, fluke and kingfish. This past week could have been the apex of the Long Beach Island striped bass fishing for the 2020 spring run. With that said there’s still lots more action to be had however we expect a trend down. It’s safe to say at this point the spring run was one of the best if not the best spring run in the past five years, possible the past decade. If you still want a piece of the action fish bunker chunks off the surf.

The bluefish action continues in the Inlet and on the beaches. Yesterday Jim Crane fished with his nephew Miles Nippes and they caught some fish.

Fluke fishing on the surf is strong and reports of quality catches are common. Store staffer Jared got a 20″ fluke off the surf a day or two ago. He reported, “Sloane’s fish made mine look small.”

Kingfish are becoming more abundant on the surf. Live bloodworms are best for them but the artificial offering can get the job done.

Jamie Gramley reported catching from the beach. “I caught a 21″ fluke, 37” black drum and some blues as well as some sharks.

Midshore/Offshore Fishing

It’s great to all the positive reports from the inshore, midshore and offshore waters. Big game anglers gear up and prepare all year for the action to heat up. Well… it’s game time! It you are looking to get out and have yet to check off your list we are here to help.

This past week the bluefin tuna fishing exploded with an abundance of fish and a great stretch of weather. Everyone got out even the small boats and had a blast. Great reports from the Resor to the AP to the Glory Hole with anglers catching on the troll and jig. It shouldn’t be a surprise once again Nomad and Chatter are the key products putting fish on the deck. We currently have a selection in stock (there’s holes) and anticipate more arriving next week.

Further offshore fishing some good reports came in from local anglers. Shop regular Dan Latoof fished out in the deep and caught a blue marlin on a big bally. Fish was 112″ about 500 lbs.

The crew aboard the Reel Innovation went to the edge and caught some good ones. Jeff reported, “We had some bigeyes eating right off the transom.” The crew went 3-5 on eyeballs and also had a handful of bluefin tuna.

After a great day on Monday catching a bunch of bluefin tuna Jeff Thummel fished again for a second strike mission with the Kulinki bros. They ran out for a two hour tuna trip and had a great quick morning session.

Not only is the tuna fishing good… there’s big tilefish coming up. Some anglers got into big tilefish on recent trips. Here’s Ryan Schramm with a big golden tilefish. He reported a good tilefish trip aboard the Mud Duck.

Store staffer Willie caught a monster blueline (grey tilefish). This could have been a contender for Mark Milici’s 23-lb 4-oz NJ State Record which was weighed in at Fish Heads back in 2015.

Limits of sea bass and bluefin this past weekend!

Saturday 6/6 we had new clients Matt, Joe, and Sean from Pemberton, who are also fellow firefighters, out for a 6hr sea bass trip. Our first spot started out great but died fast. The fish were very finicky due to the full moon. They were all full of eggs and spawning. We jumped around a little bit and got them feeding good. They easily boxed their limit along with a nice ling as a bonus. Great job fishing hard today guys and we look forward to striped bass fishing with you in the fall!

Sunday 6/7 we had our friends and return clients Mike and Jay along with Suzy and Troy out for what was supposed to be a sea bass trip. We had a late start and didn’t leave the dock until after 10 to let the wind calm down a bit. Thanks to a phone call from our good friend, we made a last minute decision to change it up and look for bluefin that were within a couple miles of where we have been wreck fishing. We were the furthest thing from being prepared, but we set out a few rods and had a knockdown within 15 minutes. We circled back around and were able to catch 3 nice bluefin as fast as the guys could reel them in and set the rods back out. We boxed our limit of unders and went on the hunt for an over but the bite shut down quick. It was a very exciting day as everyone was able to get their first tuna, and very close to home as well!

We are booked through the closing of sea bass season (June 22), but could fit some afternoon trips in if anyone is looking to fill their freezers with these tasty fish. We have some weekend dates available throughout the summer as well as weekday afternoons available. There are many options of species to fish for right now including fluke, sea bass, bluefish, and blowfish. Also if the bluefin stay close we will try and make some trips out there if the weather and availability allows us to. If you are interested in getting out please contact us to book your trip. Call or text Captain Mike to get out on the water or send us a message through our website! (609)-709-7264

www.nolimitssportfishingllc.com/

Early June is a great time for inshore, offshore and land based fishing in the Long Beach Island area. There’s so much going on it’s hard to choose which species to target. The abundance of life in the local waters is great to see. Here’s the Long Beach Island Fishing Report Update For Sunday June 7, 2020.

This last week was a good one. In hind sight, things really got going on and after the late May moon (new moon on 5/22). The late May north east blow fired things up and it kept going right into June. The early June moon did not disappoint. Now on the downside of the moon it wanes but the fishing remains strong. If you are looking for a classy fish do not waste any time! They are here but will not stick around forever. Go Fish!

LBI Surf Fishing Report

The surf fishing on LBI really kicked into high gear after the late May blow and kept up right into now. The reports continue to flow in strong. Al of them solidify this spring season as one of the best in the last decade. And it’s not over!

Here’s a look at the mid-Island surf this afternoon at low tide.

Now let’s dive into some fishing reports from the Long Beach Island surf…

Sloane Endick puts in time and it shows with her rewards. Like always she was dialed on Saturday and got a double. First she shared a photo of a nice surf side striped bass and reported, “The bass were more hungry than the fluke today.” She then went back out and an afternoon fluke session and caught a good one. A four pounder to be exact. She stopped by the shop to get an official weight and it broke four pounds by a couple hundredths o a pound on our digital. A four pound fluke off the surf is a very impressive fish!

Andrea Morris of Lancaster PA is enjoying her time on LBI fishing with her dad. While in the shop Saturday evening gearing up for a night chunking session she shared, “Got a big bluefish on the bayside a couple days ago.”

Dog Fish King Rick Hyers stopped in for a bag of fresh bunker and a new bunker chunking rod Saturday evening. While in the shop he shared, “Friday night I caught a 28″ and a 32″ striped bass on the beach.”

Brandon P. reported good fishing on the mid Island surf this week with bunker, “Got three fish over 36″ and one at 41″.”

Kyle Quillen tagged us in a photo post, “Bunker pods everywhere with an active whale. I caught three blues.”

All week large schools of bunker were found along the entire stretch of LBI. While they were not all actively boiling with striped bass, some were.

Bluefish action continued this weekend again off the surf, inlet and bay.

Barnegat Bay Fishing Report

The bay offers good fluke fishing, blowfish, bluefish, crabbing and clamming. The deep “back bay” is productive. Store staffer Steve reports the fishing fishing is good. He has been fishing the same area for a couple weeks and routinely pulling nice keepers. On his last trip he got a 24″ fluke. Another angler fishing in the same general area (Southern Barnegat Bay) got a 23″ on Saturday.

Striped Bass Fishing Out Of BI

The striped bass fishing out of Barnegat Inlet is good and has been for a couple weeks. This should not be a surprise because late May and early June is the very best time for striped bass fishing in the area each and every season. Get out and get into the action now while the fishing is hot.

Here a great recent catch… Fisher Coulston (12 years old) caught and released this 53 pound striped bass on Thursday. All on his own and all on gear/tackle from Fishermans Headquarters. “It was an epic day with no other boats around. Just bunker and a big bass.” ~ Frank Coulson aboard the Hard Four

Other anglers are catching live lining as well as trolling

Offshore Fishing

This month will be full of good shark fishing and tuna fishing. Gear up and get out there on the weather windows for big game fishing. Reports from the 30-40 line are good.

Recent bluefin tuna chewing on the troll and jig. Here’s one good one from the mid-shore grounds today by “Flagpole” Jim Kuhl. Inshore slobs!

A few reports of blue sharks from anglers looking for makos. A number of thresher sharks reported from right along the beach out 30 miles.

By: Steve George / Nightstrikes Surfcasting Guide Service

The late May into mid-June period has to be one of my favorite times to
fish for Big Striped Bass. It is also the time that I do not get a lot of sleep
and my days and nights get mixed up. Don’t ask me what day is because I will most likely get it wrong.

Homework

My late spring reading consist of tide charts, moon phases and wind forecast all for good reason. As these major factors go into my planning to target these post spawn migratory striped bass heading northward up the NJ coastline.

The personal log books that I have kept for as long as I can remember are my starting point. But Mother Nature has a way to make my work even harder when it comes to finding the feeding patterns that can change from year to year. I know where to be on certain dates and it always seems to fall under the full and new moons consistently but the weather can really make such a difference as to how to target these fish.

I love to make reports. They say you shouldn’t follow reports but to
tell you the truth I don’t know one fishermen that doesn’t check the
fishing reports on a daily basis. This is very vital information knowing
what is happening and where. With today’s technology it doesn’t get any easier! For example right here at FishingLBI.com. Don’t leave home without checking it out.

The Equipment

You want to handle and turn that 30/40lb+ Big Striped Bass in the surf and heavy current? You better have a fishing rod and solid fishing reel to get the job done. Personally I use nothing under 11’ in length with a moderate/fast action and a 2-5oz lure rating. There are so many great options available today for surfcasters as today’s rods are made lighter and stronger than ever. Lamiglas, ODM, Tsunami among others offer great options in a variety of price points to fit any surfcaster’s needs.

Reels also are lighter and strong. A powerful drag is a must! They don’t necessarily have to be waterproof but it does help under some conditions. The Penn SSVI is a great reel that is affordable and durable. For those who demand the best, Van Staal!

One of my best investments made was a very good pair of pliers. Van Staal Pliers and Danco Premio Pliers are two great options. When you are talking about Big Striped Bass, trying to get hooks out of a fish in a timely manner is a must. Gotta have a quality pair of pliers on your surf belt.

The Tackle

Your hook is the first thing between you and the fish. Whether on your lures/plugs or your bait rigs. Buy the best ones available and keep them sharp! Mustad and VMC offer great treble hooks. Gamakatsu offers some of the best chunking and live bait hooks.

Next is your leader. Both nylon monofilament and fluorocarbon line are good. I use 40# fluoro but you can get by with 30lb. If you are fishing around rocks go heavier, 50-60#.

This brings us to your main line. Braided fishing line is the way to go for both casting distance and rock solid hook sets on the slightest hit you feel. It’s a must have when fishing lures but there are still some occasions where monofilament line comes into play. Some still use it for bait fishing.

The Lures

I am a big fan of fishing darters and bottle plugs especially Super Strike Lures. I have confidence in them for big bass which feed under the cover of darkness. Their action is irresistible when worked the right way in the right conditions. Moving water is preferred during moderate and calm seas as long as you can stay in contact with the lure. Swimming stick bait plugs also have their moments and I never head out on a trip without a Daiwa SP Minnow or Yo-Zuri Mag Darter as they flat out catch.

The Catch

So you made you plan of action by studying your tides. The weather is favorable and you are all set to go. Gear is ready and you made
your way to the water’s edge. It’s time to make that first cast. Confidence in yourself to get the job done is the number one thing is you need. This comes from everything you did up to this point. On each and every cast stay focused on your retrieving and presentation… Then BAM!!!

Do not hesitate to set the hook hard and be sure to never let a big bass get the upper hand. Your gear will do the work – keep that rod tip high and your line tight the entire fight. Allow the fish to run if it wants to. If the fish is taking too much line tighten the reel drag a little but this should have been set before hand. Eventually the fish will tire and turn. Keep the momentum to bring it in.

Keep in mind and be ready for that one last gasp power run. Allow it but don’t let up. Stay in control. At this point, start to back up and use the waves coming into the beach as leverage to ride the fish in. Don’t ever horse it. Keep the line as tight as possible until it’s on the beach and close enough to grab the leader. From there using the leader or lip the fish to officially land it. Now’s the time to rejoice but also act fast with a photo and release.

There is no better feeling of accomplishment at this point as you put in the work and conquered. Now it’s time to do it all over again!

NightStrikes Surfcasting Guide Service LLC
Steve George – Call: 609-276-6983

Any anglers looking to advance their fishing and learn from an experienced and accomplished saltwater guide is encouraged to contact Steve at Night Strikes Surfcasting Guide Service to set up a guided fishing trip.

Hi Folks,

I have this Saturday morning available for light tackle enthusiast looking to test their skills or learn some techniques targeting stripers, blues and fluke plying our safe , protected and very productive back waters employing various techniques with light spinning tackle zzzzzzzz!! Private or open boat is presently available , call only for details or visit us at www.reelfantaseafishing.com for customizing your preferred fishing experience .

Captain Steve Purul

Reel Fantasea Fishing Charters

609-290-12187

We have been in the water for a few weeks now. Slow start for us but things are getting interesting now. We are catching stripers from 20 inches to 20 pounds on bait and lures. Some 2 to 4 lb bluefish mixed in and we are also catching some fluke with a few keepers making it into the cooler. There are some bigger bass being trolled on bunker spoons and mojos. 

We are available this Sunday, June 7 and Monday, June 8. 

We are always watching the forecast for the perfect weather window to head offshore but the early look at this weekend does not look favorable for us to run to the bluewater. As soon as we get that perfect forecast, we are throwing the ropes. 

Pic: Griffin Chrostowski of Moorestown, NJ with his first striper, a 44 inch, 26 lber taken right outside the inlet with Capt Nick DeGennaro at the helm. That fish was released. They also had a 30 incher and a 25 incher that were legal to keep with our bonus tags.

Dave DeGennaro
Back Bay Adventures

732.330.5674 cell

phillyfishingshow.com

June is here and there’s no gloom. Fishing on all fronts is strong. From striped bass, blues and fluke to sea bass and sheepshead there’s a good offering for coastal anglers in the Long Beach Island area and surrounding waters. Here’s the Long Beach Island Fishing Report Update for June 2, 2020.

LBI Surf Fishing Report

Hike the LBI dunes in early June for great striped bass fishing. The past couple of weeks were good to surf anglers fishing the beach of LBI. So far June is off to a great start. Would have to say it’s one of the better springs runs we have seen in a few years. Anglers chunking bunker, fishing clam and also working lures are catching fish.

Josh Basket hit the surf early Monday morning and was rewarded. He shared, “Good quality fish to start out the morning. The bass can’t resist Fish Head Bunker”

Solid report from customers Dan, Jim and Thomas. They fished the night tide on Sunday and caught. Dan reported, “A night I’ll never forget! We went three for three… Three buddies, Three rods, Three bass! They went 33, 35, 36″ all chunking bunker on the mid-island surf.”

Another good Long Beach Island surf fishing report came in from Mike Villez. He’s getting into them the last couple of nights on plugs on the south end o LBI. Some good ones too. He also caught. 19″ fluke on an SP Minnow. More on fluke further below.

Todd Luyber fished the Sunday evening sunset session and got a nice striped bass off the surf on wood. Todd reported, “Not just on bunker. Went for the ghost mackerel pencil popper.”

Whether fishing here on LBI or down in the Caribbean fishing the waters of Puerto Rico Jonathan Price always gears up right at Fish Heads. Recently he stopped in and got set up for bass fishing the surf. It didn’t take long and he reported back… “Three great days out back on the beach!” Each trip out he’s catching good size fish off the surf. This evening we got a 50″ beast! “The boys at Fishermans Headquarters did the right thing once again. Give the guys a shout… they are on point.”

Striped Bass

Striped bass reports from the boat anglers are not been epic but there’s fish to be caught. Most boats are getting out and finding fish. Some days they’re taken on live baits and others on the troll. Mike O’Grady released a 48″ bass on the troll Sunday. “Went for a Tony Maja green bunker spoon off Seaside late in the day. A lot of whales and dolphin in the areas.” Acers of bunker schools were stretched out along the beaches of LBI the past few days. Monday and Tuesday large schools were found off the south end and mid island beaches. There were also pods on the north end too.

Bluefish

Right now bluefish of all size ranges are here. Bluefish from 1-3 pounds can be found just about anywhere. They are common catches in locations like the Island’s surf, inlet and bayside channels and docks. Some area have an abundance of snapper and other areas have a few larger bluefish.

Small bluefish make for great fishing fun… especially for kids. Now’s a great time to get outdoors and leave the crazy world behind fro a few hours while on the water fishing. Keep America Fishing by introducing new anglers to the sport. By sharing your love for fishing with a child, friend, neighbor you might gain a new fishing buddy and possibly spark a new life long passion for someone.

Fluke

Fluke fishing is strong and by all accounts we anticipate it to keep cranking the whole month of June. Lukey got a nice the flukey! Luke McCann caught this 24″ fishing Barnegat Bay on Monday.

With striped bass, bluefish and fluke all chewing now is a great time for a Barnegat Bay Slam! Better yet… Try your luck at a Barnegat Bay Grand Slam! The weakfish are here.

Sea Bass Fishing

Sea bass fishing is strong with boats catching limits on a consistent basis. Fishing 7-20+ miles offshore. Grey Colston went sea bass fishing and loaded up. Shop Ambassador Swagmattic was out on Sunday and said they hammers ’em, but due to weather conditions they couldn’t get out as far offshore as they would have like to in search of the big knuckle heads.

Offshore Fishing

This is the time where the mid-shore and offshore waters heat up. Right now there’s cold water stretched over the grounds but that should change soon. Be ready for sharks and also the tuna action should break open again.

It has been a rough ride to the start of the season with everything going on, but we have been busy and out on the water! Sorry that this is our first report, but here is a recap of what’s been going on since the governor allowed us to start chartering again.

Jess and I made it out for sea bass (the day before we were allowed to run charters) and easily boxed our limit in under an hour along with a bonus ling. Sea bass fishing has been phenomenal and still continues to be excellent. Now is the time to get out and fill the freezer with these tasty fish before the season closes on June 22.

Memorial Day Weekend

Due to storms and wind we had to reschedule 2 of our trips and were only able to make it out on Memorial Day Monday. We had Dan and his wife Alyssa along with surprise guests, our good friends, Forrest and Nicole, out for a 5hr fluke trip in the bay. The northeast wind didn’t cooperate. Conditions were less than favorable and the water was 10 degrees colder than Saturday. We put our time in and worked several areas but were only picking away at small fish. In overtime on the last drift of the trip, we were able to box a solid 21” keeper. Although fishing wasn’t the best, everyone still had a good time.

We ran a couple afternoon fluke trips during the week and were rewarded with a limit one day as well as a solid 5lber the following day. We caught between 15 and 30 shorts on each of the trips as well.

Saturday 5/30, We had return client Mike Lombardi (who also joined us on one of the afternoon fluke trips), along with his friends Will and John, out for a sea bass trip. The trio wasted no time boxing double header keepers as soon as we stopped. They quickly put their limit in the box at our one and only stop of the day. Along with their limit of sea bass, Will caught a jumbo 3lb porgy to add to the box as well as Mike’s nice ling. Great job today guys we look forward to our next trip!

Sunday 5/31, We had Dj, Gabby, their almost 4 year old son Spencer, along with Ryan and Dave out for a 5hr bay fluke trip. To say that fishing was tough would be an understatement. We had a strong wind vs tide all morning. It was Spencer’s first time ever on a boat and we also managed to catch him his first fish! We only had one shot at a keeper but lost it right before it got next to the boat. Spencer also took the wheel and sailed the boat the whole way in to the marina. Happy early birthday Spencer, next time we will work on getting you a keeper!

We have some weekend dates available throughout the summer as well as weekday afternoons available. There are many options of species to fish for right now including fluke, sea bass, striped bass, bluefish, and blowfish. If you are interested in getting out please contact us to book your trip. Call or text Captain Mike to get out on the water or send us a message through our website! (609)-709-7264

www.nolimitssportfishingllc.com/

by Jim Hutchinson Sr.

The captains of the Beach Haven Charter Fishing Association are slowly getting back into the swing of things after their lengthy layoff thanks to the Corona Virus.

Captains Dave Kreines of the “Byte Me” and Carl Sheppard of the “Star Fish” both report they have complied with all the New Jersey state regulations regarding safe fishing practices. Captain Dave notes he is holding his parties to three passengers with “all precautions taken.” He is currently working on finding some of the first fluke of the season.

Captain Carl says the “Star Fish” is compliant with all guidelines including a recent successful Coast Guard Inspection and an insurance survey. He is looking for striped bass and black sea bass in the ocean and fluke in the bay waters.

Captain Brett Taylor has been running daily trips in the waters of lower Barnegat Bay as well as some of the inshore wrecks. Some days he guides two half-day trips. He estimates that his parties are catching 25-40 flatties per trip with 3-6 keepers per day.

The BHCFA Junior Mate Reef Project was started just one year ago, and it has already been embraced and supported by the local fishing and business community. Association president Captain John Lewis proudly stated, “Our fundraising to date has been greater than anyone would have anticipated.” To date $160,000 has been raised in cash and matching funds, some
$60,000 more than the original goal.

The delivery of a 140-foot barge, a 52-foot crew boat and a 45-foot tugboat are expected to be deployed on the Little Egg Reef very shortly. This will be paid for with funds raised by the Junior Mates combined with dollar for dollar matching funds from the Ann E. Clark foundation and the Sport Fishing Fund, long time financiers of artificial reefs in New Jersey.

A second project is also close to fruition. A pair of 210-foot scows are being eyed that can have concrete rubble loaded in them giving them much more fish attracting habitat. These would greatly increase the amount of material to be used with one on the Little Egg Reef and the other on the Garden State South. At this point the $60,000 remaining from the first project will cover
most of the cost with another $20,000 needing to be raised.

The reefs located off the coast of Long Beach Island are the most underdeveloped artificial reefs in the state, by far. The mates are continuing their fund-raising activities, and Captain Lewis notes the BHCFA is a registered non-profit organization and will gladly accept donations from other sources. He can be contacted at Captjohn22@comcast.net

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