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Author: Hi Flier

They’re Here! Awesome Striper Fishing. Hi Flier Open Boat or Charter

This is the run we have been waiting for. 30 to 40 pound stripers on bunker pods up and down the coast from Island Beach to Long Branch. Some of the best fishing is in 10 to 20 feet of water. Finback whales, bunker, and bass made for some exciting visual fishing the last few days. If the wind blows and the ocean gets uncomfortable, we have live bait to catch 22 to 36 inch stripers in Barnegat Inlet. Your choice: stripers or stripers. Either way, fish for dinner.
Tomorrow (Wed), and Sat are booked but I will be running Open Boat or Charter trips on Thurs and Fri, Nov 16 and 17, departing at 10 AM, returning at 5 PM and also Sun and Mon, Nov 19 and 20 leaving at 5:30 AM, returning around 1 PM. The weather will dictate if we run outside or fish the inlet so only people that are flexible should reserve. For the most part the wind has some velocity through the weekend but mostly W/NW which makes for a flat ocean in tight to the beach where the action has been. $175 person, four people max on the Open Boat trips, all fish are shared.
You can call right up until go time because we might have a spot. It happens all the time.
Capt. Dave DeGennaro
Hi Flier Sportfishing
732.330.5674 cell
hiflier.com
Pics: Joe Parente (with his hood on) of Springfield, NJ with a 30 pounder that ate his bunker that he just snagged right at the boat.
Tom Tosco of Whitehouse Station, NJ with his pounder on a live bunker.

Open Boat Stripers Tomorrow, Sat Nov 11 on the Hi Flier

We caught slot and keeper stripers in the inlet yesterday on live bait. Apparently while we were doing that, boats from Island Beach to Asbury Park were trolling 25 to 35 pound bass on spoons and mojos. The surf guys caught some fish and there was even some bird play and migration style fishing on the northern end of this bite. It’s time to throw the ropes and have everything on board: trolling gear, snaggers, jigs, swim shads, squid jigs, live bait………we’re going to pack it all. The water temperature dipped into the high 50’s and the fish are on the move. This is what we have all been waiting for!

Open Boat or Charter tomorrow, Saturday Nov 11, 6:30AM departure, return around 2 PM. $175 person, 4 people max. All fish are shared. This is the trip that we are going to make the pics and video happen.
Capt. Dave DeGennaro
Hi Flier Sportfishing
732.330.5674 cell
hiflier.com

 

Hi Flier and the Inspiration

I don’t do nearly as much canyon fishing as I use to, so when I woke up Saturday morning at 7:30 I realized there was time to make the boat. My friend, Capt. Johnny O’Kinsky was leaving for a two day canyon trip at 9AM and so far I didn’t have enough committed crew to make it a go on my own open boat trips. He wasn’t expecting me but I loaded the truck with all my gear and whatever food was in the house for rations. I figured if he had room, I would jump, and if they were too heavy with crew, I could always drive home. I got lucky and they were four guys looking for a fifth. His boat, the Inspiration is a 36 ft custom twin diesel with a 14 ft beam. We threw the ropes at 9AM and Johnny explained our float plan. Head for the warm water break in the Toms Canyon, troll till dark and set up for the overnight chunk. Troll to the Hudson Canyon and drift for tilefish. On the way back, check out the scallop boats for bluefin tuna. Upon arriving at the Toms, we trolled two small mahi. The overnight chunk yielded no tuna but we still had fun jigging squid and catching 5 to 8 lb mahi on light tackle. When they stopped hitting even live bait, I was able to free gaff three of them. Around 5AM we saw a fish break water behind the boat and I noticed the glow sticks right next to it. Turned out to be a legal sword that ate the deep rigged squid 200 feet down and charged to the surface with it without making a sound on the reel’s clicker. Soon after boating the sword we trolled to the Hudson with no bites. Capt Johnny set everyone up with tilefish rods and rigs. We dropped squid, herring, and sardine baits down 500 feet with two pounds of lead. We boated a bunch of 5 to 8 lb golden tilefish. On the second drift I set up on a fish that maxed out my 30 class outfit like I had never before seen it torqued. This fish was taking runs and head shaking all the way. I loosened the drag three times in fear that I would break it off. I had him on adequate gear, an AVET LX loaded with 65 braid on a Shimano Trevalla 80 to 200 class conventional rod. After 25 minutes, the fish came belly up on the surface and Capt Johnny gaffed my new personal best 43 lb golden tilefish. Here’s the video: https://youtu.be/ZqLTE3PFUeE

On the way back we stopped on the scallop boats and caught five 30 to 40 class bluefins. If we sailed with a one or two dimensional plan of a typical canyon overnight trip we would not have enjoyed the success we did with Capt Johnny O’s aggressive multi faceted attack. Well done Captain! So glad I jumped on for this one.

On the inshore scene there are big stripers on the bunker pods as well as trolling bunker spoons. Albies are still abundant and we are casting small metals on light spinning gear for them.

Thurs and Fri, Oct 26 and 27 look good with W/NW winds forecasted to allow us to get outside the inlet and chase these fish. Saturday is a wait and see with a borderline forecast for my boat anyway. If it’s too rough we have live bait to fish inside the inlet and bay for bass. I just got back from a quick two hour trip to the inlet with my friend Tim Werder. I wanted to try drifting some live bait in the inlet and it did not disappoint. We went five for eight on 26 to 34 inch fish.

I was considering this as a Plan B for this upcoming week might be good enough for Plan A! Here’s a video clip from the action: Inlet Striper: https://youtu.be/0jyyP5sHDm0 
Sailing every day, ocean or bay, Charter or Open Boat for stripers.

Open Boat or Charter Thurs and Fri leaving at 11AM. Saturday leaving at 6AM. 7 hour trips.$175 person. Four people max. All fish are shared.

Attached pics: Capt Johnny O’Kinsky on the left and Dave DeGennaro of Barnegat NJ with Dave’s 43 lb golden tilefish. Free gaffed mahi. Scallop boat Bluefin. Dave with a Barnegat Inlet striper from this afternoon on the Hi Flier.
Capt. Dave DeGennaro
Hi Flier Sportfishing
732.330.5674 cell
hiflier.com

Hi Flier: The Fish and the Weather Are Here!

Heading to the dock right now to jump on the boat and head out. Birds, bunker, whales, stripers, blues, and albies are up and down the beach. Perfection westerly forecast and temps in the 70’s. These next few days are not to be missed.
Open Boat or Charter tomorrow (Fri) Oct 20 leaving at 11AM to 5 PM. Also Sat, Sun, and Mon, Oct 21, 22, and 23 leave at 6AM return around 1 PM. 4 people max on Open Boat trips. $175 person. All fish are shared. We provide everything.
Never too late to try for an opening, you can call right up until “go time”.
Capt. Dave DeGennaro
Hi Flier Sportfishing
732.330.5674 cell
hiflier.com

Weakfish and Blowfish

It looks like the ocean is going to be a little rough for the next few days so we are going to fish the bay. Sun and Mon, Oct 8 and 9. I ordered live grass shrimp for both days so we will be targeting weakfish and whatever else swims into our shrimp slick on light tackle. I”ll pack some clam chum and clams as there are some blowfish chewing on the west side of the bay, as well. We will give the inlet a look over, as the albies have been popping up as far inside as the lighthouse. 8AM to 1PM each day. $125 person. Call to reserve a spot.
Capt. Dave DeGennaro
Hi Flier Sportfishing
732.330.5674 cell
hiflier.com

Hi Flier Open Boat Bonita and Albacore Monday, Oct 2

Looks like a break in the weather and sea condition is forecasted for this Monday, Oct. 2. We are planning an Open Boat trip to Barnegat Ridge for bonita and albacore. Trolling and bait fishing with the light rods. We will also be prepared to cast any surface albies on our way out and back. Depending on sea condition and our success we could also mix in some bay fishing for weakfish. 7AM to 2PM. A full day to allow us some time to hunt them and then catch them. The boat is also available to charter this day and then you could dictate the hours and agenda. Some folks prefer the bay,and that’s fine with me. $175 person if we run the seven hour Open Boat trip. Four people max. All fish are shared.

Also mixed bag bay fishing this Wed, Thurs, and Fri afternoons, Oct 4, 5, and 6. Depart at 11AM and return at 4PM. $150 person.
Capt. Dave DeGennaro
Hi Flier Sportfishing
732.330.5674 cell
hiflier.com

Hi Flier Inshore Sharks, Fluke, and Tuna

This is a great stretch of fishing we are experiencing right now. On the inshore scene we are catching brown and blacktip sharks within five miles of Barnegat Inlet. Three to five foot sharks on spinning and light conventional tackle. After a few hours of that, we have been hammering the fluke in the bay. A very high percentage of small fish with some really nice keepers making it into the cooler. You have to catch 30 shorts to put one on ice, but it is steady action.
If you want to go on an adventure, the tuna have moved within 45 miles of the inlet and the upcoming weather for Sunday and Monday looks good. Yellowfin and bluefin mixed together. 20 to 60 pound fish on the troll, chunk, or jig. This is the closest they have come to our inlet all season. We are going to load the boat with slabs of bait, the trolling arsenal, jigging rods and come home with some tuna!
Tomorrow (Thurs), Friday, and Saturday, August 17, 18, and 19, I am going to stay close to shore as there is still some sea condition in the forecast. We will be doing the shark and fluke combo. If the inlet or ocean is too rough, we will just stay on the fluke. Open Boat or Charter, Noon to 6 PM. $175 person for the combo trip, $150 person if we just fluke.
Sunday and Monday, August 20 and 21, we will be headed to the bluewater for tuna. Open Boat or Charter. Leaving at 4AM and returning around 4PM. $300 person.
All Open Boat trips, inshore or offshore, are limited to 4 people max and all fish are shared. Any of these dates can be booked for your own charter, as well. It’s never too late to check availability. You can call right up until “go time”. On inshore charter trips, the headcount is more flexible.
Here’s my boys Nick and Max who jumped on Monday morning for a few hours of shark fishing:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Ytb87JNFGQ
We had seven brown sharks in the morning and then we had seven more on the afternoon trip for Mike Fuhrman and his friends. We came back in the bay, caught a ton of short fluke as well as a 19 incher and a 25 inch, 6 1/2 pounder, that Erin Foose of Cumberland, MD is holding in the pic.
Capt. Dave DeGennaro
Hi Flier Sportfishing
732.330.5674 cell
hiflier.com

Hi Flier Flukin’ and Sharkin’

Lately we’ve been participating in two fisheries that we usually don’t target: fluke and sharks. After throwing gallons and gallons of shrimp and not connecting with any weakfish I decided to fish for what is here instead of what is not.
Although, they are mostly shorts, the bay, inlet, and ocean are all giving up good numbers of fluke. If you put your time in, you wind up with some good size fish for the cooler.
We have been targeting sharks for the last week and a half and catching them on every trip. Mostly all are 3 to 4 foot brown sharks. We are using lighter conventional outfits and releasing all that we catch. Only a 4 to 5 mile run from the inlet. They are super aggressive and give a great fight.
It is possible to combine both of these fisheries in the same 5 or 6 hour trip. We could also cast lures in the inlet for blues and small stripers when the conditions are right.
Sailing Open Boat or Charter: tomorrow (Friday) Aug 11, Noon to 6PM and Sat, Sun, and Mon, Aug 12, 13, and 14, 6AM to Noon, and 1 PM to 7 PM. $150 per person, 4 people max.
Attached pic: Lucas Petruzzo, 14, of Yorktown Heights, NY, with his first ever saltwater fish, a 4 ft. brown shark about to be released.
Capt. Dave DeGennaro
Hi Flier Sportfishing
732.330.5674 cell
hiflier.com

Hi Flier Afternoon Shark Fishing Trips

We have been running afternoon shark fishing trips and doing very good. We are having a blast catching three to four foot brown sharks on 20 and 30 class tackle. So far all the action has been within five miles from the inlet. All catch and release. We go on the drift, deploy a bucket of chum overboard to create a slick, and set out a rod for everyone with a balloon bobber. We did this on Thurs and Fri afternoon and on each trip we had the sharks visibly eating at the chum can.

Open Boat or Charter tomorrow (Wed) and Friday, Aug 2 and 4, Noon to 5PM. We could also mix in fluke in the bay or blues in the inlet. $150 person, 4 people max.
We are booked Thurs, Sat and Sun, Aug 3, 5, and 6.
Monday, Aug 7, is available and the early look at the marine forecast is favorable so we could be headed offshore for tuna, Open Boat or Charter. The day is available to fish inshore or offshore.
Capt. Dave DeGennaro
Hi Flier Sportfishing
732.330.5674 cell
hiflier.com

 

We’re Back from OC,MD. Hi Flier Fishing Bay and Offshore

We just got back from OC,MD yesterday with the Hi Flier. She’s back in Waretown and we are jumping back in to our home base fishing. We did pretty good down there. We didn’t kill it, but we weren’t awful. The weather allowed us to get out four days out of the ten we were there. Attached are the pics of our catch. Steve Spina of Canton, CT with his first ever tuna, a 60 lb bluefin that crushed a rainbow spreader bar. Here’s a few minutes of the end game: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EhB5RBwXsvA
Anthony Scalea Jr. of Cranford, NJ with a mahi that snatched a flatlined cedar plug. Nick DeGennaro, my son and first mate with his first wahoo, a 31 pounder that smoked a ballyhoo he just learned to rig on the ride out. Steve Ondrof of Rockaway, NJ with his first billfish, a 90 plus pound white marlin that put on endless show of jumps and greyhounding. We counted eight jumps in a row on just one of his ariels. Big thanks to Darren Dorris who gratefully was on board to teach Nick how to rig Joe Shutes with ballyhoo as well as how to maneuver the boat and handle a marlin boatside. I didn’t anticipate a billfish as I had tuna on my brain when making our packing list so I didn’t have any leader gloves. Nick volunteered the sleeves of his sweatshirt and Darren used them as makeshift gloves to bill the fish for a few quick pics and then we revived her until she swam away on her own. A magnificent thing to experience. Had the trip of a lifetime down there with both my boys, Nick 18, and Max 16, working deck while I ran the boat. Max stuck his first fish with a gaff, the 60 lb bluefin. He also did battle with a 150 pound Southern Sting Ray that ate a chunk bait and after 30 minutes he got him close enough for me to cut the leader at his mouth. Nick filled the void of Darren’s departure by taking over the cockpit and rigging all the baits, and they caught fish.
Locally we will be jumping right into grass shrimping and other gourmet baits for weakfish and the mixed bag on light tackle in the back bay. There are also blues and bass to catch in the inlet throwing soft plastics and surface lures. We will also be running offshore in search of tuna and mahi. I have availability this Fri, July 14 for an afternoon trip in the bay and inlet. Sun and Mon, July 16 and 17 I am available for inshore or offshore morning and afternoon. The marine weather looks favorable so if nobody charters those days, I will be running Open Boat trips on Sun and Mon to the 50 to 60 mile bluefin tuna grounds. This is mostly a trolling trip but we will always be armed with jigs and casting gear just in case the opportunity presents itself. $350 person, 4 people max, all fish are shared. Depart at 3AM, return around 12 hours later (probably later). Everything is provided, just bring whatever you want to eat and drink for the time we are out.
Capt. Dave DeGennaro
Hi Flier Sportfishing
732.330.5674 cell
hiflier.com