Reel Reaction Sportfishing – Barnegat Bay & Inlet Fishing Report

The action has been very good with most trips catching 20 to 35 fish when the conditions are optimal.  The short to keeper ratios have ranged from 10 to 1 down to as low as 4 to 1.  Drift speed and drift angle has been the biggest factor, but when they are right – you can nail them.  We have been finding some of the keepers in very skinny water away from the crowds.  Reminder: We have started running 7 days a week until September.

In the beginning of the week, I had return client Tom McGough of Harrisburg, PA, his wife Kristen, Andy McGough of Philadelphia, and James McGough of Altoona on a 4hr Bay/Inlet charter. We started working one of the areas we worked the day prior and had steady action. With good tide and a solid bite, we stayed in two areas for a duration of the trip. The crew jigged 4 keeper Fluke to 21 inches and a lone 23 inch Bluefish. Nice job by the McGough family and I look forward to seeing them next year.

Next, I had Jacyn Kehr and his girlfriend Hannah Burger of Minnesota on a 4hr Bay/Inlet charter. We checked a couple of areas, but finally found a pretty good body of fish. The duo worked a very shallow area to produce 5 solid keepers (19, 21, 22, 22, 23.5 inches). The bigger fish were definitely on the feed today. All fish were caught on artificials and our new custom teasers. Nice job by both anglers and hope to see you next season.

I had Russ Johnson of Long Beach Island, Alan Gordon of Florida, and Peter Smith of NY on a 4hr Bay/Inlet charter. We had a little more wind then the day prior, but were able to get right on the fish. Russ struck first with a solid 19-inch on the first drift which was quickly boxed, followed by several shorts by Alan and Peter. We worked the same area hard and picked at fish with close to 30 Fluke being released. We lost 2 nice fish alongside the boat and it is so important to keep bigger fish below the surface.  With our next to last drift approaching, Russ nailed another solid 19.5 inch Fluke. Overall it was a solid day and the guys had a blast.

Thursday’s winds were tough making our drifts very quick.  I had return client Stan B. of Rahway and Michael Siessel of Princeton on a 4hr Bay/Inlet charter.  We got out early due to the predicted winds and got right on the fish.  The guys worked hard jigging bucktails over some skinny waters.  About halfway through the trip, the forecasted winds arrived early and we had to contend with sustained 22kt winds and gusts to 30.  The guys worked hard to release 17 fish and boat one nice 20.5 inch keeper in ultra challenging drift conditions.  Great job in tough conditions.  My Friday charter was cancelled due to poor wind conditions, so we will be back at them as soon as the winds subside.

If interested in booking a charter, book through the website (www.reelreactioncharters.com) or call/text 609-290-7709. As always, we use the highest quality gear and everything is included: gear, tackle, fish-cleaning, and ICE!  It’s “no worries” fishing.  Just come aboard and FISH.

Capt. Brett Taylor ~ www.reelreactioncharters.com ~ Call or Text: 609-290-7709

6/28 LBI Fishing Report

Fishing remains hot both inshore and offshore. The fluking in the bay continues to improve as customers are finding quality fish in bigger numbers. Weakfish and Kingfish are also starting to show up big time.  Makos of all sizes are still being caught on the midshore/offshore grounds as well. The bluefin are still chewing pretty good with fish up to over 60″ and quality yellowfin mixed in. As long as this bait holds the fish are not going anywhere for the time being even with this south blow coming.

Tight Lines,

Dan DiPasquale

Lighthouse Sportfishing Barnegat Bay Report 6/26

If fish are in schools, why don’t they read the books about fishing? With all of the south wind, we have had the ocean temp along the beach has dropped well into the 50’s. So my plan of attack for striped bass was to catch the incoming, colder water when they should be feeding. During Friday’s charter with the Lozitto clan we went looking for bass on the last of incoming. After reading the books saying bass like colder water, and with the bay close to 80 I looked to incoming to target them. With water temps down to a chilly 54 degrees pouring over the rocks, you would have thought the bass bite would be on fire. Wrong. With nothing happening, we switched over to catch the warm out going water in the back and found that the fluke read the book. We did not box any but had plenty of fish coming over the gunwales. Sunday morning I caught the last off outgoing around the inlet. Surface water temp was low 70’s and both bluefish and bass (that’s right bass chewing big time in warm water) were getting an early morning meal. Lots of action till about 6:45 when the current went slack. Today, Monday, morning I had Mike Petrazzello and Dianne out. We hit the inlet first and found the fish chewing again under the same conditions as Sunday. Mike landed a keeper bass and a couple blues to 8 pounds. One thing for sure, there are some books either the bass don’t care about or they need to be re-written.

For two weeks now the fish have been catching around the inlet are loaded with 3-4” sandells.. And on the last two trips I used BKDs for the bass and bluefish because they are great sandell imitations. What I also like about them is that even though they are plastic they hold up pretty good under the demands put on them by bluefish. If you know what I am saying. I think I landed five blues Sunday morning before I had to put a new one on. I am not saying they are indestructible, just saying they hold up really well to the razor sharp teeth of bluefish while being an excellent lure in my arsenal. Have some slots open for morning, afternoon or magic hours trips this week so contact me by phone if you want to plan a trip.

Screaming drags,

Capt. Alex 609-548-2511

Reel Fantasea Fishing Charters – Barnegat Bay/inlet fishing report 6/25/17

Although the leading edge of persistent strong SW winds are a welcoming trend to an already established warm and somewhat stagnant water temp to “reset” the bass bite [ which it did] . Prevailing SW is somewhat of a bane for our beloved summer time activities .

The accumulative effect of the Continued SW winds have thrown a salty , rusty wrench into the temped coastal inshore waters into the polar zone to the dismay of both beach goers and inshore fisherman alike. Incoming tidal temps have taken a tail spin way down into the lower 50f [ 53 lowest we have seen] .

Before the frigid up welling took hold bluefish and stripers responded like feeding puppies at meal time but the continued downward spiral mitigated the bite to stages of warmer outgoing tide.
Strong Thunder storms have also reaffirmed my new location in near by Barnegat light to head for safe harbor when conditions look like “things are about to get interesting” with a quick ” Back to the action” opportunity when safer conditions are present.
With winds looking a little more light and variable things should start to re-stabilize as we progress through the next few tidal stages.
Wishing everyone fair winds and calm seas,
Captain Steve Purul
Reel Fantasea Fishing Charters
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Hi Flier Update: Monday Tuna and Tues, Wed, Thurs Afternoon Grass Shrimp Weakies

The boat just became available Monday 6/26 for all day tuna or half day bay fishing for weakies, blues, and fluke. The weather report and sea condition are excellent for either. Open Boat or Charter. Sign on as an individual or charter the boat.
I will be offshore from 4AM to 2PM tomorrow (Sun). I will be back in cell range around 2PM to reply to your email, text, or voicemail. You could also get me between 3:30AM and 5AM tomorrow (Sun) before I’m out of cell range if you feel so inclined. 
Also available Tues, Wed, and Thurs afternoons for bay trips, Charter or Open Boat. It looks like I will have live grass shrimp for these dates so we will be targeting weakfish and the mixed bag on ultralite tackle. We could also mix in topwater lures and soft plastics for blues and short stripers in the inlet. 
Capt Dave DeGennaro

Hi Flier Sportfishing 

732.330.5674 cell

hiflier.com

Hi Flier: Room for one on our Open Boat Tuna Trip Tomorrow Sun 6/25

We have room for one person tomorrow Sun 6/25 on our Open Boat tuna trip. The fare is $300 and the target is bluefin. Four people total. Recent reports have been really good. The run is about 50 miles. The size is varied. A lot of pint size fish with some bigger ones in the mix. I’m going 20 class! Some 30 class and at least one way back ballyhoo for a shot at a cooler fish. All fish are shared. Call me at 732.330.5674 right up until go time.

Hi Flier Sportfishing 

732.330.5674

hiflier.com

6/23/17 Fishing Report

The last couple of days have produced incredible fishing for both inshore and offshore anglers. Both the bay and surf are loaded with Fluke. Over the past week I caught well over 40 fish all on gulp. A good friend of mine Max Lentz caught a 30 incher on a white 4″ swimming mullet from shore on the north end yesterday evening (6/22). There are also quite a few reports of weakfish, blowfish, and kingfish being caught throughout the bay. The fishing should only improve as the water temp is still climbing back up after the south wind knocked it down last weekend. With a cooler temp, lots of bass have been showing both in the surf and bay. Paul Haertel had 11 the other night up to 30″. Paul also did very well Cod fishing on the mid-shore wrecks boating quite a few keepers along with a bunch of ling.

Out front the tuna fishing is on fire, some of the best fishing in a while. Bluefin has been lights out on the mid-shore grounds with blitzes producing fish up into the 40 pound class on plugs. Multiple customers got into them yesterday between 30-50 miles out whether it was trolling Joe Shutes with Ballyhoo or throwing stickbaits. Mark Haley went 7-8 and another friend of mine went 16-16.

  With a few nice bodies of water out in the deep, the canyons are even hotter. I was lucky enough to score big time on Thursday (6/22) aboard the Reel Innovation run by one of my best friends’, Captain Jeff Warford. We started off the morning with a triple header on Bigeyes but only landed one that came in at around 90-100 pounds. Then about 20 minutes later I came tight to the fish of a lifetime. We finally found the one, a 67″, 200+ pound Bigeye. Another solid fish was caught today by the Hubris. These are the first larger-sized class Bigeye of the year. After that, we decided to play around with the yellowfin. We had around 15 or so up to 50 pounds but broke an 80 pound class fish off at the boat. They were feeding on squids at the surface. To end the day we filled the box with over 30 golden and blue line tilefish. I had multiple friends in canyons both to the north and south catch fish as well. Giant Bluefin are still around too as a 350# was landed and an even bigger one was lost. It seems if you can find the right break in the water temp out there, you will get into fish. The amount of bait and life spread out right now is unbelievable.

Finally, sharking continues to get better and better. Brown sharks are being caught both in the bay and on the beach. Threshers are still close in as a customer went 1-2 the other day 5 miles off. The canyons are loaded with Mako’s on the night chunk. Don’t forget, Mako Mania is this weekend!

Looking forward to the coming weeks as everything seems to be coming together nicely, now is the time to get out and get on it!
Tight Lines,

Dan DiPasquale




Reel Reaction Sportfishing – Barnegat Bay & Inlet Fishing Report

It’s been a pretty busy since school ended, and I have been on the water almost everyday, except when it’s blowing 20 and over. After some careful investigating, I changed some things up in our lures and it has paid off with some nice keepers in the last few trips. I plan on running double trips on the days when the afternoon winds aren’t howling, so don’t hesitate to call. Here was the past few days rundown:

I had an opportunity to fish with my son Luke and my father on a quick morning trip to check out some new areas. We ended with over 20 Fluke and one keeper to 22 inches.

I had return client Tom Clark of Waretown, and his 11yr old daughter Alexis working a variety of areas with jigs to produce a decent number of Fluke. We had a steady bite at most of the areas we worked and Alexis nailed a nice 5 pound Fluke, along with two other keepers to 20 inches. Tom was a close second with a fish at 18in and 19in. We did catch a few that were about an 1/8in shy of making it into the box. A great day on the water, and nice job by Alexis for being the high hook of the day.

Next, I had new client Doug Wainwright of Columbus, NJ and his son Doug Jr. on a 4hr Bay/Inlet trip. The father and son team had to contend with a little more wind and different tidal conditions, but they worked hard at a variety of spots to put 3 quality keepers in the boat. Two of the fish measured close to 23 inches and weighed about 4.5 pounds. We deployed all tactics to slow down our drifts allowing the team to use light jigs to nail the Fluke. Nice job by the crew on working those rods the entire time. We thank and wish Doug Jr. the best of luck on entering the U.S. Marines Corps Officer Training this summer.

Finally, I had return client Dan Unger of Long Beach Island and his son Danny on a 4hr Bay & Inlet trip with Fluke as the target. We had a tough morning with some weather fronts that came through and it blew over 20 knots. We fished a couple of areas where the current wasn’t as strong and the father & son team nailed some Fluke with some close to the 18 inch mark. After working a few of the areas hard, the two ended up with two decent Fluke at 18.5 inches and 22 inches that fell for our “new” custom teaser. The last hour of the trip had us battling 20 knot winds, rain, and tide. Nice job in some challenging conditions.

If interested in booking a charter, book through the website (www.reelreactioncharters.com) or call/text 609-290-7709. As always, we use the highest quality gear and everything is included: gear, tackle, fish-cleaning, and ICE! It’s “no worries” fishing. Just come aboard and FISH.

Capt. Brett Taylor ~ www.reelreactioncharters.com ~ Call or Text: 609-290-7709

 

Fluke-A-Mania is July 1st

The 2nd Annual Fluke-A-Mania “Fishing For A Cure” Tournament is July 1, 2017.

The 2nd Annual Fluke-A-Mania “Fishing For A Cure” Tournament is July 1, 2017.

This awesome fluke fishing tournament is hosted by the Beach Haven Marlin & Tuna Club to raise awareness and support the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. 20% of all entrance fees will go to the Foundation to aid in research for a cure to the disease.

Fluke-A-Mania is a great opportunity to spend time on the water with your family. There’s also a great BBQ awards dinner for the whole crew! The tournament awards prizes for all members of the Family – Men, Women, Teenagers, and Juniors.
Registration fee for this tournament is $125 per boat!
For more details go to Fluke-A-Mania and register now.

 

Here a recent fluke photo sent in from Pete at the local Ship Bottom Branch Bank Of America… Jayden visiting from Georgia got this beautiful fluke fishing the bay.

Weakies and more in the Bay. Barnegat Ridge Time!

We had some nice weakfish this week in the bay. 15 to 17 inch fish and then we had some 23 and 24 inch weakies like this one Greg Borras of Wantage, NJ bagged on a live killie meant for a fluke. We did have a pair of nice fluke, too, 19 1/2 and 20 inch fish that were mixed in with the weakies on the east side of Barnegat Bay. We also had a two bad efforts in the same spot, so it’s not like we’re beating them up, but they are quality fish when we get them. The inlet is giving up all size blues for us lately, last night (Wed) we had 3 to 6 pound fish, a pair of 9 and 10 pounders and some short stripers. Those fish are on soft plastics and poppers. Mix in some fluking and it’s a well rounded trip.

Sailing Open Boat or Charter tomorrow (Fri) afternoon, Noon to 5 PM and two trips Saturday, 5AM to 10 AM and then again 10AM to 3PM.

The forecast looks really good for running offshore Sun and Mon so I am running Open Boat or Charter for either inshore or offshore fishing. Maybe Barnegat Ridge…Resor…Fingers….Bonita, Bluefin, Mako? I’m game! Call me for more info.

Capt. Dave DeGennaro

Hi Flier Sportfishing

732.330.5674 cell

hiflier.com

 

 

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