Waters In The Low 50's & Anglers Are Scoring Fish
Spring has arrived on Long Beach Island with an assortment of weather that can be mind boggling at times. Do you want a warm summerlike day followed by near freezing temperatures? We have had it.
We have had successive days of westerly winds that have driven unheard of amounts of water out of the bay producing unusual low tides. Some days have had winds that have gusted to 40 mph. The only thing lacking has been excessive rainfall. The recent forest fire on the mainland attests to the dryness of area forests.
On the fishing front, anglers have been scoring a few fish when the weather permits. As is typical in early spring, anglers have been finding striped bass in the bay waters. While most of these fish are “schoolie” type fish, a few keepers do show up to make things interesting.
With the water temperatures still in the low 50’s, these fish are much more likely to fall for bait than artificials. These early bass are often swimming close to sodbanks, and they find it difficult to stay away from fresh bloodworms or sandworms presented on the bottom on a circle hook. Freshly shucked surf clams have also been taking some linesiders.
Once the water temperatures get closer to 60 degrees, plugs and other artificial offerings will catch their share of fish.
In other news, blackfish have been making a decent appearance, especially around the rocks and bulkheads of Barnegat Light. The problem has been finding keeper sized fish. That season goes out on April 30, unfortunately, but summer flounder opens on May 4.
The latest revelation on the Long Beach Island fishing scene indicates there will be tweaks in this fall’s running of the 71st annual Long Beach Island Surf Fishing Classic. Although the details are being finalized, the dates this year will be Saturday, August 30, through Sunday, November 30. This is the earliest opening date in the history of the tournament.
In addition, there are rumors that there may be additional fish species as well as additional prizes available for successful anglers. The final complete version of the Classic’s rules will be available soon, and anglers are advised to look for them.
As usual, there are three local bait and tackle shops that have undertaken the task of organizing and conducting this historic annual fishing event. The folks at Jingles Bait and Tackle in Beach Haven, Fisherman’s Headquarters in Ship Bottom, and Surf City Bait and Tackle in Surf City are the ones with details on the upcoming fall event.
These local fishing experts are not only the registration headquarters, but they are also the official weigh-in locations.
Meanwhile, the younger sibling of the Classic, the LBI Spring Derby is currently part way through its 23rd annual running. Like the Classic, the Derby is also for shore-based anglers with a focus on striped bass and runs from April 5 through June 23.
The registration fee for the Derby is $20, and all registration fees are given back in cash prizes. The angler catching the top fish in the contest receives 50% of the fees while the second fish earns 25%, and third place 10%.
There is also a bluefish division with the blue earning a cool 15% prize.
There is a special category for the largest striped bass in a “Catch and Release” category. The largest fish over 38-inches receives $50 gift cards from Jingles, Fisherman’s Headquarters, and Surf City Bait and Tackle shops.
As of April 27, Matthew Shapiro leads the field with a 9.96-pound bass he landed on April 22 in Holgate. The fish fell for a clam bait and measured 30 and 5/8’s inches.
Information on the fishing contest can be obtained at the bait and tackle shops and online at https://www.lbisfc.com/lbi-spring-surf-fishing-tournament