Excitement On The Beach With The LBI Spring Derby
Late May and the first few weeks in June are always an exciting time of the year for surf fishing on Long Beach Island. 2025 certainly fits that statement, except for a few periods of lousy weather.
What makes this a good time for fishing at the beach, you ask. To start with, the sands are not yet crowded with people enjoying the sun and waves. Give it another week or so, especially after the Fourth of July, and hordes of vacationers will be arriving. Right now, anglers pretty much have the beach to themselves.
As a rule, this time of the year is marked by pleasant weather. Generally, the temperatures are in the 60’s and 70’s, and the rains of April are a memory. Unfortunately, this spring has often experienced lower than normal temperatures and above average rainfall.
But, hey, we take our surf fishing gear to the beach for one reason, to catch fish despite the weather. This spring has been a decent one for catching fish, and that action seems to be improving day by day.
What has made this year a significant spring is a combination of decent-sized fish along with anglers reeling in a wide variety of species. As is customary for the spring, many surf casters are targeting striped bass, and a goodly number of them have been beached. Many of these linesiders are fitting in the slot category, making them worthy to take home for dinner.
These bass seekers have also found black drum in the wash biting on their clam baits. On the other side of the breakers some long, skinny bluefish with lots of fight in them are bending rods. In addition, more fluke have been making their appearance than normal, especially considering the surf temperatures are still in the 50’s.
Helping to add excitement on the beach is the LBI Spring Derby, which is coming down the home stretch and slated to close on June 23. With the increase in weigh-ins over the past two weeks, it is not too late to spend $20 and register. All proceeds from the registration fees are doled out in cash prizes. With the fish still in the area, prize winning fish are still waiting to be caught.
Registrations and details can be obtained at the three official weigh-in stations for the Derby: Fisherman’s Headquarters in Ship Bottom, Surf City Bait and Tackle, and Jingles in Beach Haven. The latest fishing information can also be found there.
Steve Tay lor currently sits in the top spot with his 14.36-pound striper he landed on May 16. George Konowal Jr. is second with a bass taken on May 18, and Luke Suydam is third with his fish caught on May 8.
Patrick Presutto leads the bluefish division with a 12.44-pounder caught on May 15. In the Surfmaster Catch and Release category, Richard Rasiul has the lead with his 44-inch bass.
An examination of the fish currently weighed-in thus far shows most have been caught on bait with surf clam leading followed by mullet and bunker chunks.
As much fun as beach anglers are currently having, many are already looking forward to the start of the 71st annual Long Beach Island Surf Fishing Classic which kicks off on Saturday, August 30. This year’s version of the famed tournament is starting earlier than previous ones as additional fish species are being added. The closing date will be Sunday, November 30.
Although final details are still being ironed out, anglers can expect another great event with outstanding prizes. Striped bass will once again be the primary target. Up to date details along with registration information can be found at the three bait and tackle shops mentioned earlier.