Lavalette Surf Fishing

[JMSurfFishing]

I've been fishing the Lavalette beaches (usually near New York Avenue) for the past 3 summers mostly having success with Fluke and Blues. I can't recall the bite being as slow as it has been this year despite good reports coming from the area.

I know people have differing views on the dredging/beach replenishment projects and the impact it can have on the local ecosystem. I can't help but wonder how this his affected the fish in the area and spoke with a few people who seem to think that the fishing may take years to recover.

Does anyone have thoughts about this? Would like to hear from others who fish Lavalette regularly as well.

Thanks

[Brewlugger]

I have fished there for Bass in the fall regularly for many years. Last fall it was dead there.

[Reel Class]

I have fished the Lavallette surf for most of my life (for as long as I can remember and hold a fishing pole) and last year it was dead purely because of the beach replenishment project. All that sand and dirty water unsettled water basically made the entire stretch from ocean beach down to seaside dead all season, right along the beach.

But this year, bluefish were back this spring feeding in the new cuts and along the new bars, under birds and destroying pencil poppers and we've seen many small bass around rooting for sand fleas and calico crabs this summer.

Fluking is very slow in the entire area, as even down in IBSP the fluking has been very slow to start despite a few fish being caught and weighed in the last few days.

The majority of the fluke we caught in Lavallette over the years were around the jetties and groins, and with them being covered now, that fishery will take longer to rebound.

[Reel Class]

And one more thing, we're seeing more clam shells and other natural denizens washing up on the beach this year, which is a good sign the bottom is rebounding from all the pounding it took with the beach replenishment.

[RBC67]

Thank the ARMY Corp of Morons and beach restoration

[Hookmanski]

My grandma lives down in Lavalette year round and my great uncle fishes it and has done pretty well every year, including this one from what I hear. Haven’t fished it recently myself, but my other grandmother lives in LBI and had a huge beach replenishment on her road.

Historically, her road was a terrible spot and almost everyone who fished it was skunked. In all the years we went down there on family vacations, my dad fished it every time and only once caught a handful of kings and blues. However, after the beach replenishment a few years ago, I have been doing better and better each year. The sand bar structure changed dramatically, but I think for the better. More pockets for bait to get pushed into, and more fish chasing them. I’ve seen more life in the water these past two years than I have in a long time. Maybe it’s lack of experience, but I found it interesting that so many people say projects like that one ruined fishing for them in those areas, especially when it got so much better for me.