REPORTS

MARCH 2009  |  APRIL 2009  |  MAY 2009  |  JUNE 2009

JULY 2009  |  AUGUST 2009  |  SEPTEMBER 2009

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September 27 -- At the moment, wind 15 knots out of the SSE and hard rain & forecast is more of the same.  Yesterday reports of a lot of small blackfish off the south jetty in BL.  Also some boats catching stripers drifting spots & eels along both jetties in Barnegat Inlet in the early morning.  Crabbing has been good on the west side of the bay especially in the creeks & lagoons.  (06:00 at)

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September 25 --  Sea bass fishing on the Barnegat Light & Little Egg reef sites has provided a lot of action, with just a few keepers.  Blackfishing (tautog) has been very good along the sod banks in Holgate just south of Little Sheepshead creek.  Green crabs working very well, but you can also use clam.  Blowfishing in Barnegat bay has slowed a bit, but still enough puffers out there to make a meal.  Still a few snapper blues by the Causeway bridges along with some very small sea bass and an occasional  small striper.  Surf reports have consisted of a mix bag of kingfish, croakers, small blues & some small smooth doggies.  Bloodworms for the kingfish, clam for the croakers & bunker or mullet for the blues.  At the moment wind is out of NNE at 8 knots.  Forecast is for stronger NE later today & tomorrow.  (10:10 at)

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September 24 -- Just got a report of False Albacore 2 miles straight out of Barnegat Inlet. (13:23 pb)

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September 23 -- Croakers in 40ft of water along IBSP and LBI. Few kingfish and croakers still along the surf from shipbottom to holgate. Bluefish 6-15lbs are being caught off of IBSP but a few are moving down towards Barnegat light. They've been hitting on mullet, bunker chunks and just about anything metal such as a hopkins or diamond jig. (7:50 pb)

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September 20 -- Blowfishing in Barnegat and Waretown is great right now, guys have been catching good numbers by anchoring and using clam chum with pieces of clam on the hook. Also a few reports of some nice tautog being caught in the inlet along the rocks. On the surf there's been good numbers of kingfish and croakers being caught in the Brant Beach and Beach Haven area. Clams have been best for the croakers and bloodworms for kingfish. (10:19 pb)

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September 19 -- Jay & Jacob Lemelin and Ted & Jack Lavender (photo) had a banner day on the sod banks down in Holgate.  The foursome had tautog up to 4.5 lbs & a 2 lb triggerfish ... all caught on green crab or clam.  Also a few calls in from the Barnegat/ Waretown area on Barnegat Bay with reports of great blowfishing.  A lot of small ones, but definitely plenty large enough for the table.  Snapper blues biting well over in Ship Bottom by the bridge & ramp and crabbing is half decent in the same area.  (15:00 at)

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September 18 -- Report of blowfish just in off Waretown near BI buoy.  Definitely  the most consistent fishery in the bay right now.  Fish them like winter flounder ... anchor up, chum with clam chum on the bottom & clam, squid, or bloodworm on a high/ low rig.  A size 8 Mustad Pacific Bass hook works great or even a kingfish rig.  Report from the surf, not much happening with kingfish ... a good swell crashing in the surf.  (13:15 at)

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September 17 -- Brant Beach to Beach Haven surf has been producing a good amount of nice kingfish, and a couple short bass. The kings are being caught on bloodworms. (17:39 pb)

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September 16 --  Reports of kingfish in the Beach Haven surf and I'm sure they are up and down the whole island.  Bloodworms & FishBites bloodworms both working.  Right now blowing 15 knots out of the northeast and light rain.  (12:35 at)

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September 15 --  Sorry for the lack of reports & if you tried calling the shop ... our Comcast service was out.  Weakfish reports from Sunday & Monday were not great ... some off Waretown & Forked River, but not many.  Loads of blowfish reported from Gulf Point to the "BI" buoy in Barnegat Bay.  Also some blowfish being caught by the Causeway bridges;  anchor up & chum ... fish the same as winter flounder, if you remember what they are.  Snapper blues & sea herring around the bridges also.  The surf has been consistent with small blues, fluke and kingfish.  Most reports are coming from Ship Bottom, Brant Beach & Beach Haven.  Also the Holgate surf is producing some small blues & Sunday a 17 lb striper was taken off the beach down there on clam.  Fish was weighed at Jingle's B & T.  Weather today looks great ... light west wind.  I'll be out looking for bunker, so hopefully some fresh bunker later and some good ocean reports!  (05:30 at)

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September 8 -- Good reports of blowfish & weakfish from yesterday afternoon up by the BI buoy area in Barnegat Bay.  Also some weakfish off of West Creek.  Right now wind is out of the ENE at 15 and a light drizzle.  (06:00 at)

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September 7 -- A good breeze out of the east right now ... at least 10 knots.  Ocean is going to be tasty today, but the bay has a lot to offer if you can find some protection from the wind.  A variety of fish to be had ... blowfish, kingfish, sea bass, porgies, weakfish & snapper blues.  I would recommend fishing somewhere on the east side of the bay and let LBI cut the wind.  In the Beach Haven area, drifting along Morrison's bulkhead has been producing weakfish on pink Fin-S or a small bucktail tipped with shedder crab.  Also anchoring up & chumming with clam chum in the same area has been producing some small sea bass, porgies & kingfish.  A lot of snapper blues around the Causeway bridges.  Casting small silver metal lures or fresh spearing on a small hook with a bobber work great.  Crabbing has slowed down.  Best crabbing lately has been up in the creeks or lagoons.  (06:00 at)   Surf report from Margaret O'Brien in Beach Haven ... kingfish on the out going tide, closer to low tide & small blues on the incoming.  Surf is very rough at the moment.  (07:00 at)

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September 5 -- Few weakfish being caught in the bay now, mostly in Barnegat bay and up around Barnegat light..Myers hole area. Small jig heads or bucktails tipped with shedder crab has been working best. Also some nice Kingfish and blowfish in the bay, anchor up with some clam chum and either pieces of clam or bloodworm on the hook. (5:27 pb)

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September 4 -- Final day of legal fluke fishing ... so get it in.  Ocean is a bit tasty, but still plenty in the bay up at the Dike in BL and also around the inlet up there.  Also some small one pound blues in that area.  Kingfish on the surf on bloodworms ... best has been in Beach Haven & Barnegat Light beaches.  Crabbing in Barnegat & Manahawkin bays has been good with a lot of just legal size crabs (4 1/2 inches).  (13:50 at)