Fisherman's Headquarters

Time flies when you are having fun! It’s shocking that the (unofficial) summer has come to an end. BUT! We are stoked for the weeks ahead.

Sept 1 = Holgate is open!

As of September 1 the Holgate Beach Buggy access is open. Beach conditions are good however with a solid north east blow coming it will be interesting to see how the area fares. The “new” Terminal Groin has really changed things. Only a few weeks back the ramp area was looking very bad at a time when it usually fills in with sand. It changed the way the current flows long shore and threatens the area south of it, beach and access ramp.

“All of the sand that was there last year is gone. The ramp was rebuilt back up against the dunes.” John P. reported on opening day (Sunday), “It’s good for now but might not last long. The sand is good, a little on the sugary side. As always, watch the tides! There’s a few sections that are impassible.” John went on and shared a fishing report from the south end. “I put in about two hours fishing and caught plenty of short fluke on bait and Gulp. Other anglers were catching too.” We got word that store staffer Joe C. got a keeper fluke in the mix.

On the fishing front these species are up for grabs… Bay: Blowfish, Blues, Weakfish, Fluke, resident bass, sheepshead… Inlet: Blues, Bass, Triggerfish, Tog, Fluke Surf: Kingfish, Fluke, Blues & Pompano… Inshore: Fluke, Sea Bass, Spanish Mackerel, Bonita. Offshore: Yellowfin Tuna (Some Allisons), Big Eye Tuna, Swordfish, White Marlin

We hope that everyone had a great Labor Day weekend with family, friends, and fishing!

Saturday 8/31, I had return client Mike along with his wife Lisa, and her cousin Melanie, for a 5hr blowfish/clamming bay charter. We spent the first half of the trip catching over 50 blowfish, keeping 30 for the table. The second half of the trip, we had a clamming spot all to ourselves and they were able to rake and tread close to 300 clams to go along with the blowfish for a nice dinner. We look forward to seeing you guys again in November for striped bass!

Sunday 9/1, we attempted to make it outside for a 6hr ocean fluke trip, but were greeted with with over 20 knots of East wind and short period and steep seas to go with it when we broke the inlet. We could not get to where we wanted to fish, and with a drift of over 2 knots we decided to call a quits and reschedule the trip, hoping for much better conditions next time.

Labor Day Monday 9/2, I had Andrew and his 12 year old son Aidan from Chester, NJ out for a 4hr bay trip for blowfish. Once we got set up on anchor with the chum in the water, the father son duo wasted no time catching blowfish on their first drops. They had a blast catching close to 80 blowfish as well as juvenile porgies, sea bass, and 2 nice kingfish. Aidan was all about catch and release, so they kept 30 blowfish and 1 of the kingfish for dinner and released everything else to swim and catch another day. I taught him how to clean the blowfish, which was easy since we are both lefties, and he was very excited to say that he caught, cleaned, and cooked the fish all on his own. Great job today guys and we look forward to getting you out for striped bass in the fall!

There are only 3 weeks left before fluke season closes. This time of year is the best, and personally my favorite time to fish for fluke. I have the next two weekends available to get out on the end of season fluke bite. I also have afternoons available for blowfish if you are looking to take home a tasty dinner. 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

https://www.nolimitssportfishingllc.com/

The final days of August are here and the stage is set for a great September. The cool nights, recent North East blow (during the work week) and the ground swell on Thursday had strong FALL vibes shake things up. Here’s the Fisherman’s Headquarters Fishing LBI Fishing Report Update For Labor Day Weekend, Friday August 30th.

Get your fluke fix!

With only a couple weeks left now’s a great time to get some quality fluke fishing in. Reminder: The NJ recreational summer flounder season closes on September 21st.

This is the time of year when the fluke stage up in the ocean and fishing can be awesome. Recent reports were mixed with some saying great things but others saying poop. It seems that certain areas are holding fish while other areas are barren or loaded with sea robins. We expect it to be good right to the end.

Today local angler Chris stopped in and reported, “Got 11 keepers today fishing an ocean spot working 40′ of water.” Chris is a great angler and clearly dialed in!

Another good report came from Ryan Mollicone. He fished aboard the Jen Jen with Tyler Leary and his brothers. He said fishing at one of the local Long Beach Island reef sites was good but shorts ruled the roost, “We had a great fishing with over 40 fish. The hat color was salmon red. At times they are inhaling jigs.” Also at the reef and wrecks… some decent sea bass fishing.

Great Time For A Barnegat Bay Slam

Late August & September is one of the best times to seek out a Barnegat Bay Slam or better yet a Grand Slam! We reported on the fluke above.

Striped Bass Fishing On LBI

On the striped bass front there’s an abundance of resident striped bass in the local water. Very few off the surf, but the bay (especially at night) offers great opportunities. These linesiders have been around all summer long so we expect these same fish to stick around right into fall.

LBI Bluefish Report

Snappers and cocktails can be found at just about any area of water around LBI. From the street ends and docks on the bayside to the inlets and surf small bluefish are cruising and feeding. They are a ton of on light tackle.

LBI Weakfish Report

The weakfish are still going strong with reports from the north, mid and south end of the Island. The Fishing Musician Rick stopped in today and caught up with us. He’s been into a lot of fun fishing this summer and said the past week has been great on the bayside. He caught 15+ weakfish up to 21″, four this morning up to 20″ and most are eating very good as they are stuffed fat bellied fish. Rick’s go to secret is a 1/2oz lead head with a 5″ Jerk Shad.

Other Points of Interest

Kingfishing slowed due to the recent blow but we expect it will pick right back up. Blowfish is steady at the classic main bay areas. A teen size black drum was reported by a customer fishing the Ship Bottom Bayside. He also mentioned that the kids were having a blast catching snappers and one got a ribbon fish.

The Inlet still has sheepshead, triggerfish and tog. Andrew (photo below) stopped by to check in a 4.5# tog and a 5# triggerfish.

Saturday 8/24 and Sunday 8/25 we had to cancel both trips due to the northeast blow. Saturday evening the wind laid down enough to be able to take Mason and Brooke out crabbing and fishing in the creek. We caught crabs, bluefish, and even a baby sea bass in one of the crab traps. The kids has a blast and it was a nice way to get them out of the house and tire them about before school starts next week!

This coming weekend we will be back out and at it. I have Labor Day Monday 9/2 available for private charter or open boat. Spend Labor Day morning out on the water before you get stuck going to family barbecues in the afternoon! I expect the northeast blow this past weekend to stir up the ocean with clean water and really get the fish chewing. If you are interested in getting out please give us a call 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

https://www.nolimitssportfishingllc.com/

by Jim Hutchinson Sr.

The Beach Haven Charter Fishing Association held its annual fishing tournament recently for the youngsters who participated in this year’s Junior Mates Program. Five captains and boats of the Association volunteered their time to reward the junior mates with a day of competitive fishing.

Boats fishing this year’s event included the “Pension Plan,” “Reel Determined,” “Starfish,” “Hot Tuna,” “M & J,” and the “Insatiable.” There were many fish caught altogether with 16 fish kept for the weigh-in. These fish consisted of black sea bass and summer flounder. In third place on “Reel Determined” was first year mate Matt with a 2.68-pound fluke.

Second place was taken with a 2.78-pound fluke caught by Sam M. aboard the “Starfish. Taking first place was a 3.44-pound fluke caught by second year junior mate Owen aboard “Pension Plan.” The pool winner for the day was a 6.24-pound fluke caught by guest Vikki Graham aboard the “Insatiable.” The fish measured over 25-inches.

On regular fishing trips Captain Ray Lopez has been catching both fluke and black sea bass well on the “Miss Liane.” Recent successful trips featuring nonstop action on these bottom fish have included the Gibbons and McNally families. Another trip Captain Ray had the Holdenfied family out for a 12-hour trolling trip with mates Kieran and Max. The group enjoyed great weather and fishing conditions with constant action throughout the entire day catching giant false albacore, bonito and mahi-mahi.

The next few weeks look like good ones for fishing in the Beach Haven area. A month remains in the summer flounder season with the best fluke fishing of the season traditionally in September. In addition, the inshore trolling action for mackerel, bonito, and bluefish continues to amaze all. Additional information on the Beach Haven Charter Fishing Association can be found at www.BHCFA.org.

I just spent the last six days in a row on the water, five of them at Barnegat Ridge, and it was a blast. Big bonita, up to six pounds, spanish mackerel, 18 to 24 inches, and false albacore, everything from midgets to jumbos. Every once in a while we are also adding king mackerel and mahi mahi to the catch. We even had a four foot houndfish crash one of our cedar plugs yesterday. We took a few pics and released it. The mix of species on the Ridge offers great sport and delicious eats! Mostly on the high speed troll but we are mixing in some spinning tackle to keep it light and fun. Little squid chains and cedar plugs are doing well for us.

If conditions are not right to go to the Ridge, we are catching two to four foot sharks only 4 miles offshore. This is a catch and release fishery. These fish tear line off of heavy spinning outfits. Mostly Atlantic sharpnose, spinners, blacktips, and an occasional bigger dusky shark. A few pics alongside the boat with you in the background and off he goes.

If the weather isn’t good for going out the inlet at all, we are catching a mixed bag right in the bay. Fluke, blowfish, weakfish, sand sharks, and an assortment of other species. Not a lot of weakfish, but we’re catching a few.

If it’s really nice, like 5 to 10 knots of wind and calm seas, we can go tuna hunting. Most likely in the 40 to 60 mile range. Lots of choices!

Open Boat to Barnegat Ridge Thursday August 22, 10AM to 4PM $150 person. Open Boat Tuna or Barnegat Ridge Saturday August 24 and Sunday August 25. If it’s Mid Range Tuna, we”ll sail 4AM to 4PM, $350 person. If it’s Barnegat Ridge, we”ll sail 7AM to 2PM, $175 person. It will depend on the weather and how many people want to do one or the other. All of the Open Boat trip dates are available for your own private charter, as well. All Open Boat trips are limited to four passengers and all fish are shared.  You can call right up until “go time”!

Saturday 8/17 – I had Brian, his wife AnnMarie, and daughter Courtney from Columbus, NJ out for a 5hr ocean fluke trip. We worked several wrecks and pieces of structure and found a ton of life everywhere with fish feeding at every spot. The trio lost count but caught well over 30 short fluke that were all in the 17” range. We had to weave through the aggressive shorts that kept biting but were able to pick up 3 nice keepers in the 20-22” range and well as a very nice 3lb sea bass to add to the mix. They did a great job jigging, catching at least 5 shorts each drift. We also caught a first for me today which was a fluke who had its eyes and mouth on the same side as that of a winter flounder. Great job today and we look forward to having you guys back out in the fall for striped bass!

Sunday 8/18 – I had David and his 8yr old son Desi from Manhattan, NY out for a 5hr fluke trip. We started working the same areas as the day prior but could not find the same life and action which I believe was due to a decent size ground swell out there that we did not have the day before. The drift conditions were very poor so we had to work extra hard to catch some fish. This was their first time jigging for fluke and they managed to catch 25 shorts as well as 3 keepers, 19-21”, to take home for dinner. Desi really wanted to see a cutlassfish and we ended up catching one midway through the trip. He is a very smart kid and all he wanted to do was learn everything that he could while he was out there. He enjoyed measuring every single fish and helped to tie the boat up as well. He watched me tie up one cleat then was able to do the other one all by himself with no questions asked. He has a great fishing career ahead of him and we hope to be able to get you guys on some striped bass in the fall!

This coming week, I have Sunday 8/25 still available for charter. We are getting in to our peak fluke season and I only expect fishing to keep getting better until the end of the season. If you are interested in getting out please give us a call 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

https://www.nolimitssportfishingllc.com/

TGIF! Here’s the work week recap fishing report for Friday August 16, 2019.

The windy weather and occasional storm days this past weeks had things churned up. Anglers picked and chose their trips carefully, stayed on course and productive fishing prevailed. Fish Head’s customers and store staffers have enjoyed some time on the water. Here’s some intel from how they made out this week.

The waters of Long Beach Island offer great fishing opportunities for anglers of all sorts. The variety of species is excellent; blowfish, bluefish, bonita, cobia, fluke, kingfish, mahi, sea bass, sheepshead, spanish mackerel, striped bass, tog, triggerfish, weakfish. I gotta be missing a couple!

The inlet, surf and bay have good fishing for land based anglers. We shared one great report earlier in the week from fishaholic Jeff Crabtree. As always Jeff is dialed in… Monday he checked in a 10# sheepshead and then Wednesday a 7# tog.

Another solid report came in from Mark Macmillan of Ridley, PA. Mark stopped in on Thursday after a fun session and shared, “I caught a variety of fish today. Fishing the Inlet and surf. All together some short fluke, a number of bluefish up to 20″ and two kingfish.”

Also on Thursday a customer brought in a small fish which he caught on the Ship Bottom bayside. He was curious and looking for an identification. Right away we knew it was a baby cobia and advised there is a 40″ minimum size. The fish was illegal. All anglers… know the laws! If you don’t know what you have take a photo and throw it back!

In the bay clamming and crabbing is good. We’ve got the essentials and the hard to find tools and accessories. Stop on by for clamming rakes, bushel baskets, traps, nets and much more!

Dante from Magictail Lures reported an awesome day on the water recently with his dad. He reported, “I got the sheephead itch after Captain Brian Williams showed me a few tricks. I wanted to put it to use in my local waters. Using the Magictail Back Bay Tog Jigs tipped off with crab and it was game on fishing the sod banks. We caught a nice 15# blackdrum, 8 sheephead and a couple tog.

Store staffer Jay reported lots of blowfish in the bay. He tried for triggers and got one.

Store staffer Pat reported the bluefish and striped bass are feeding on the baby bunker in the bay. “The juvenile bunker are growing in size. Most nights the game fish find them and it’s on. The resident striped bass are teeing off on them. Surprisingly the bluefish are ranging in good size from small snappers to almost 7-8 pounds.

The ocean fishing is heating up and I have 2 spots available for a 5hr ocean trip on Sunday August 18. The trip will be from 6-11 for fluke and sea bass. The fair is $120 per person. Please call or text Captain Mike to reserve your spots. 609-709-7264

https://www.nolimitssportfishingllc.com