Fishing Reports from Captain Mikes

Great Bay Fishing Profile

Great Bay’s grassy channels and holes are great to target fluke, tautog, striped bass, and bluefish.

April through June is the perfect time to get those early season trips in to pluck black drum, striped bass, and tautog without the summer ruckus on the water.

Striped bass during this time of the year return from the Mullica river back to Great Bay. Fluke fishing tends to heat up toward the tail end of May as well.

June through September is prime time for blowfish, fluke, snapper and cocktail blues. If you’re keen on shark fishing brown sharks patrol the grassy channels of Great Bay as well.

Rutgers Marine has a dock cam you can check the conditions, here.

Long Beach Island Fishing Profile

We have family and friends who fish Barnegat Bay, inlet, and the wrecks off the coast of Long Beach Island (LBI).

April through June is predominantly for striper fishing, blue fishing, and tautoging. The elusive LBI black drum does exist but seldom caught.

Striped bass run through Barnegat Bay and off the coast of LBI as well.

June through August is when most anglers target fluke, bluefish, blowfish, tautog, and seabass when the latter two species are open.

Schoolie striped bass can be found but most anglers opt to wreck fish or bottom fish.

August through December is one of our favorite times of the year. The fall run offers pockets of false albacore and striped bass begin to migrate south through LBI.

Seabass and tautog regulations become more liberal and allow anglers to fill up their freezers for the winter.

Most boats are out of the water by this time of year and it truly is for diehard fishermen who choose to brave the chilly weather for opportunities of glory.

Atlantic City & Brigantine Fishing Profile

May through August is a wreck and fluke fisherman’s paradise. Whether your drifting for fluke or locked into a wreck spot for sea bass or tautog, AC Reef is rich with structure.

Again, if you’re a Captain Mikes’ slip customer you are only 5 minutes ride from breaking the inlet to Garden State South or Atlantic City wrecks.

Depending on the time of year you may even be lucky enough to snag an August Mahi…

August through December is normally when striped bass return within striking distance .

The reefs can still be hold fish but the colder it gets the further they migrate east.

New Jersey Offshore Fishing Reports

We promise our offshore fishing reports from New Jersey’s canyons will be detailed enough with the conditions tuna, mahi, and other species were caught but not enough info to make our canyons a parking lot.

May to August bluefin tuna tend to be closer inshore canyons. Meanwhile yellowfin tuna and other pelagic species are further out in the Hudson canyons.

Mahi Mahi fishing picks up when the ocean temperatures are in the 70’s.

September to December is not for the faint of heart but you can chase ghosts for bluefin during the fall. We typically get a good run of bluefin tuna during late November and early December.