The Long Beach Island Spring Fishing Tournament concluded on Sunday, June 22 with Steve Taylor taking home the top prize for striped bass with his 14.46-pound linesider. Patrick Presutto nabbed the bluefish prize with a 12.44-pound blue, while Richard Rasiul won the “Surf Master Catch and Release” with his 44-inch striper.
With the spring contest ending, many surfcasters are already eyeing the start of the fall Classic. Long known as “The Derby” the Long Beach Island Surf Fishing Classic will celebrate its 71st season by kicking off earlier than normal in 2025 to take advantage of the outstanding late summer fluke bite in the LBI surf.
The 71st annual Long Beach Island Surf Fishing Classic will get underway on Saturday, August 30, and runs through Sunday, November 30 with a variety of eligible tournament species including summer flounder, striped bass, bluefish, tautog and kingfish. As always, the Classic is designed to give anglers fishing from shore anywhere on Long Beach Island a chance to compete for a prize.
When the Classic first began 71 years ago, it awarded prizes only for striped bass. Over the years other species have been added including bluefish, along with others such as blackfish and kingfish. In addition to beach fishing, bulkheads and other bay front areas along the 18-mile long barrier island are in the mix as well. The registration fee for the Classic is $40 for adults and $20 for competitors 17 and younger.
For a complete listing of the rules for this year’s contest along with registration, anglers can stop at a registration headquarters and weigh-in station including Surf City Bait & Tackle, Fisherman’s Headquarters in Ship Bottom, and Jingles Bait and Tackle in Beach Haven.
For details go to lbisfc.com.
