Author: Hi Flier

In light of the good striper fishing and nice weather coming up I decided to keep the boat in for one more weekend. We have been casting lures into migratory fish under flocks of birds. Mostly 24 to 26 inch stripers with a few pushing 30 inches. When that slows down, we go on the troll where we have been getting a few bigger fish for the cooler. The bellies have been loaded with peanut bunker. 

Congratulations to Capt Nick DeGennaro and his crew, John Cavaliere and Colby Capri for landing our boat’s first Fall/Winter bluefin yesterday. A 60 pounder that Colby coaxed into crashing his popper. 

Nick will be working deck on the Hi Flier this weekend and it probably won’t be hard to convince us to give that fishery a try if everyone wants to. For now, I’m going to call these trips striper trips because we certainly are no experts in this winter bluefin fishery. If you add Nick’s fish from yesterday to all of mine, it comes out to a total of one, if that tells you anything. I’ve been in them a bunch of times, watching them air out, and crash bait on the surface, but getting them to eat has been a difficult task for me personally. It’s fine, though, I’m enjoying the ride. If any of you guys on board, want to try, we”ll make the run. We have the gear for it, as well. 

Open Boat or Charter: Sat Dec 4 and Sun Dec 5. 6AM to 2PM $250 person, 4 people max, all fish are shared. $950 for private charter.If we go chasing bluefin, either exclusively, or combined with striper fishing $350 person, $1,350 for private charter. 
Dave DeGennaro

Hi Flier Sportfishing

732.330.5674 cell

hiflier.com 

Open Boat Stripers this Saturday, November 20, 6AM departure $250 per man, 4 people max. Snagging, trolling, casting, jigging…… Whatever it takes to put fish in the boat. Return time around 2-3PM.

Only two more available dates: Monday, Nov 22 and 29, available for Charter or Open Boat and then we are hauling out for the season. 

This big turkey showed up right around the fish cleaning table at our marina. Thought that was pretty bold considering how close to Thanksgiving we are! The other striper pics show every size class fish is available right now. 

Hi Flier Sportfishing

732.330.5674

hiflier.com

The latest models have Hurricane Henri passing by NJ this weekend about 200 miles offshore. Far enough to keep us safe, but close enough to make the ocean too rough for small craft like ours. At least for a couple of days. 
We have had some good and bad days on the tuna grounds as of late. The inshore bluefin bite that we have been running hard to has been hit and miss for us lately so I switched gears to the longer run for big yellowfin on Monday and we did nothing but observe other boats that were hooked up. I have a pretty good idea of why we came up short and can not wait to return there to make things right as soon as the sea condition allows.
We are available Sat Aug 21 and Mon Aug 23 for weakfish charters in the bay. We chum with live grass shrimp

Dave DeGennaro
Hi Flier Sportfishing

732.330.5674 cell

hiflier.com

We are running an Open Boat Tuna trip this Wednesday August 4, 9AM to 5PM. $350 person. 4 people max, all fish are shared. It has been a very steady bite at the 25 mile range on 30 to 60 lb bluefin and yellowfin. We are catching all our fish on bait while drifting and chunking. Day chunking tuna is very exciting. The hits are violent! Give me a call to reserve a spot. Also sailing Open Boat this Sat and Sun, Aug 7 and 8, 4AM to 3PM. $450 person, 4 people max, all fish are shared.

Hi Flier Sportfishing

732.330.5674

hiflier.com

The bite is on!!! Day tuna chunking is as good as it gets right now. We had bluefin from 30 to 100 pounds and a solid 15 pound bull mahi. All fish were caught in the last 48 hours, less than 30 miles offshore, all on bait, with 30 class outfits. Tons of fun!

We Are Sailing Open Boat Trips… $350 person, 4 People Max, All fish shared

• Wednesday July 28 – 4AM to 1PM
• Tuesday July 29 – 4AM to 1PM

Captain Dave DeGennaro – Hi Flier Sportfishing
Cell: 732.330.5674  – – www.hiflier.com

It looks like the weather window is there for Friday to run to the tuna grounds. We have been catching a mix of yellowfin and bluefin tuna from 30 to 50 pounds. The best part is we are not trolling. All of the action has been on jigs and bait. Very exciting way to connect with these amazing fish. 

Running Open Boat Tuna Trips:
Friday July 23 9AM to 4PM $300 per person
4 people max. All fish are shared.

Pics: Mike Sedor of Norristown PA (Blue shirt and Hi Flier hat)          
Steve Ondrof of Rockaway NJ (Dock shot)

Dave DeGennaro

Hi Flier Sportfishing

732.330.5674 cell

hiflier.com

The tuna are here and it is very exciting. We have been running 25 to 30 miles for 20 to 40 lb bluefin tuna on jigs and bait. Saturday and Sunday we never had to put the trolling rods out to put tuna in the cooler. We are using 20 and 30 class outfits to keep it sporty. Slicks, chick birds, readings, lots of life. Blue-ish green 71 degree water. Getting quite a few king mackeral bite offs, too. I was tired of getting bit off so I put a few circle hooks on and wound up fighting a 5 foot hammerhead to the boat before cutting him off. If you want to catch tuna but don’t like to make the long trek of 60 to 90 plus miles, this is a unique opportunity. No telling how long it will last. Forever…..I hope!

Here’s Dave Flood of Mantua, NJ battling a 45 lb bluefin tuna on 20 class: youtu.be/U0uar_F5C9c

Running Open Boat or Charter for Tuna: 

Thursday, July 15 10AM to 5PM, $300 person

Saturday, July 17  5AM to 2PM,   $400 person

Pics are:
Dave Flood of Mantua NJ (green cargo shorts and visor)
Jim Hutchinson, Editor of The Fisherman magazine, Brick NJ (Light blue shirt, blue hat, blue lenses)Fabian Colonna of Matawan NJ (dark shirt, red hat)

Dave DeGennaro
Hi Flier Sportfishing

732.330.5674 cell

hiflier.com 

The tuna are here and the marine forecast looks pretty good through the weekend. We are sailing Open Boat or Charter on Sat July 10 and Mon July12.

Mostly 20 to 30 lb class bluefins, and now there are 50 to 80 lb yellowfins in the mix. Trolling, jigging, and casting are all producing. Running about 35 to 45 miles each way. We will have gear for trolling, jigging, and casting.

Running Open Boat or Charter Sat July 10 and Mon July 12. $450 person. Depart at 4AM, returning at 4PM. 4 people max. All fish are shared. 

Pics are from our trip on Monday. 3 for 3 on 25 to 35 lb bluefins for Greg Toufayan with sons Sevan, Artin, and nephew Michael Nargizian, all from Bergen County, NJ.

Give me a call to reserve a spot.

Dave DeGennaro

Hi Flier Sportfishing

732.330.5674 cell

hiflier.com

We are running Open Boat or Charter SundaJuly 4 and Monday, July 5.

We can run to Barnegat Ridge and try trolling for bonita and albacore and anything else that might be there. I say “try” because we have not yet been there this season. It’s just the right time to go. We could push further off and troll the Resor Wreck area for a shot at 20 to 30 pound bluefin. From what I hear, you have to catch a lot of false albacore to put a few bluefin in the boat but I guess there’s worse problems to have than catching too many fish. It is still pretty much a troll bite, so if that’s not your thing, you might want to wait until it transitions more into a jigging and bait opportunity. 
If we hit the Ridge, we leave at 6AM, returning at 2PM. $300 person
If we run to the Resor Wreck, we leave at 5AM, returning between 4-5PM. $450 person

Either trip is 4 people max, all fish are shared. Everything is provided. 
If you want to charter the boat for either day, we can fish for whatever you like, including fishing the bay and inlet for schoolie stripers, blues, and fluke. Or we can run offshore.

This awful stormy weather is on the way out and they have cleaned up the marine forecast to mostly single digit winds for each of these days and finally a break from the incessant SW winds. The wind is changing direction from all over the dial. 

I’m headed to the dock to get her fueled up, iced up, and ready to roll. 

Hope to see you on board.

Dave DeGennaro

Hi Flier Sportfishing

732.330.5674 cell

hiflier.com 

We had some good striper fishing the last couple of days, both in the inlet and behind the sod banks. Not big fish, anywhere from 16 to 26 inches. These fish are super agressive right now and are great sport on the light tackle spinning rods. 

Now it’s time to put something of value in my report instead of just shameless self promotion of our charters and Open Boats. We caught them all on sandworms. The bulk of them we caught floating a whole sandworm under a bobber right in the inlet jetty. About 12 feet of line under the float, 30 inches of 20 lb flourocarbon leader, and a #1 bronze baitholder hook. Use a small splitshot over your leader to help keep it down. Let it float right over the rocks, most of the hits come right before it hits the first rock. Caught more than a few nice tog, also, but it’s not open season, so they were released. 
On the bay side we use the same worms to tip our 3/8 to 1/2 oz jigheads for the half pint stripers behind the sod banks. Just drop them to the bottom and vertical jig them with a short, sharp sweep. 
This bait will catch everything that swims in Barnegat Bay and the inlet. We use it from the inlet all the way back to the west side of the bay, what I like to call the “West Side Highway”, between the 42 Buoy and the BB Buoy, they are actually mid channel towers. 
Sailing Open Boat or Charter this Thursday June 24 and Friday June 25, 11AM to 4PM, and also Saturday June 26 and Monday June 28 7AM to Noon. $150 person, 4 people max, all fish are shared. We will likely mix in some fluke fishing, too. 
Here’s Chris Hartman from PA with one of his bass from yesterday (Monday): youtu.be/hR1djChCJic

Dave DeGennaro

Hi Flier Sportfishing

732.330.5674 cell

hiflier.com