Brigantine Beach

Brigantine is the barrier island just north of Atlantic City, bookended by Brigantine (Wreck) Inlet to the north and Absecon Inlet to the south. It fishes well from spring through fall: stripers, black drum and bluefish in spring and fall, fluke, kingfish, spot and sharks in summer, and tautog on the jetties. With miles of beach and a drive-on area at the north end, it's a good place to cover ground.

When to fish

• Spring: stripers, bluefish and black drum; drum bite best around the full and new moons.
• Summer: fluke, kingfish and spot, plus sharks and rays for anglers who target them.
• Fall: stripers, especially at the south-end jetty where bait gets trapped.
• Spring through fall: tautog on the jetty rocks.

Where to fish

• The south-end jetty (Absecon Inlet side): walk about three-quarters of the way out to reach deeper water for tautog. The shallower water toward the houses holds fluke, and in fall bait gets pinned in the pocket on the ocean side, drawing stripers.
• Around 38th Street: shifting holes in spring and fall that hold stripers and big black drum.
• 11th Street: submerged pilings from an old jetty hold spring stripers and summer fluke and kingfish. They also eat rigs, so fish carefully.
• The North End: about ten blocks of seawall with parking, then a mile and a half of beach with more submerged pilings, good for fluke. Near Wreck Inlet, anglers target black drum in spring.

How to fish it

Fish clams on the bottom in the holes for stripers and black drum. For kingfish, use a hi-lo rig with small floats and bloodworms early in the season, then synthetic bait strips from midsummer on. Plugs and metals take stripers when bait is trapped against the beach.

Getting there

The middle of the island is mostly guarded swimming beaches in summer. Driving on the beach requires the City of Brigantine's beach permit. Anglers 16 and older must register with New Jersey's free Saltwater Recreational Registry.