Weather windows have been few and far between for running offshore, but the end is finally near. By Friday, it looks good, and the weekend and beyond, even better. Looking at the long range forecast, from Friday on, all looks good. The wind drops out and the sea condition will be much nicer than what we have been experiencing. Now, fingers crossed with the relentless fog. Speaking of fog, we don’t leave in the fog. Yes, we have radar, but I like to see everything with my own eyes when I am on the ocean. We do occasionally get caught in the fog, that can’t be helped. We are very selective about weather and conditions. The boat is a 25 ft World Cat center console with twin motors, a very capable boat for it’s size. We have all of the safety equipment, 6 man survival raft that is maintained, an EPIRB (search and rescue satellite signal), and an onboard Garmin Sirius/XM satellite weather station that allows us to see any storm cells as they are born. With all of that, we are still very selective on what conditions we sail in. It is not beyond me to get up at 2AM, load the truck and then the boat with all the gear. Take everyone to the inlet, just to turn around and say, Nope, not today. I make these sail/no sail decisions based on prevailing conditions only, not the people’s level of disappointment. I say all this because if you only have this one date to fish and you really want to get offshore, you might want to consider booking a bigger boat. We have a great number of customers that are content with this approach, as they know it is in their best interest, as well.
I usually don’t plan offshore tuna trips this far in advance but all the models I have been looking at are in agreement that the upcoming weekend looks really good. There are school size bluefin in the 30 to 60 mile range with some bigger ones mixed in. We will be headed to wherever the latest intel directs us. Trolling, jigging, and bait fishing. Yellowfin are still further offshore, but 4 to 5 days from now is an eternity in tuna movement, so we will be looking for those fish, as well, if they move back into striking distance.
Open Boat Tuna: Saturday July 20 and Sunday July 21, 4AM to 4PM. $450 person. 4 people max. All fish are shared.
Open Boat Barnegat Ridge: Friday July 19. 6AM to 2PM. $300 person. 4 people max. All fish are shared. We have been catching bonita at the Ridge, you just have to fish through the small blues that are also there. Always a wild card, the Ridge could be holding bluefin, albacore, and more at this time of year. The bonita have been small, 2 to 3 lbs, but they are delicious!
Some good news on our bay fishing, our live grass shrimp supplier is now up and running, so we are available for charter for Live Grass Shrimp trips from here in. These are 5 hour trips in the bay, anchored, chumming with live grass shrimp. The target is always weakfish, but everything that swims in Barnegat Bay eats these shrimp. We use ultralite 6 lb spinning outfits so everything you hook is a good fight. You can see the videos of these trips and all of our fishing on our website below.
FYI: We have available dates up until, and including Thursday July 25. After that, we are fully booked until Tuesday Aug 13.
Things are about to get interesting. Hope to see you on board!
Pic: Retired USMC Andrey Elisha of Burlington NJ with a Barnegat Ridge bonita
We have announced two Open Boat Tuna trips over the last two weeks. The first one did not sail as we did not fill all the spots. This past Friday, we had a full boat and ran north to where I heard the life was, the west side of the Mud Hole. Upon arriving, we had two square miles of fresh slicks with chick birds picking at them, a good amount of finback whales, and nonstop bait ball readings on the machine. We beat that piece of water up for three hours, trolling Joe Shute/Ballyhoo’s and Chatter Side Tracker bars. Never had a sniff. I switched to the drift and we tried bait and jigs for another hour and a half but it only yielded one small shark. On the way back south we stumbled on some shearwaters, a nice size bluefin that aired out, and a pair of humpback whales that put on quite a show. We tried the poppers but no takers.
Not good, I know but we are looking to sail again Tues and Wed, July 2 and 3, 4AM to 4PM, as those days are the weather window to run offshore. We plan on running east this time in search of life and tuna. We will be ready to troll, bait fish, jig, and pop. It’s a beautiful forecast with light winds and calm seas. After that it blows up for a while. Hoping to get some intel on what happened today or we will be off to check out the usual haunts. I really would like to see what is happening at the Resor-Atlantic Princess area.
$450 person, 4 people max. All fish are shared. You don’t need anything except food and drinks, we have everything. If you have a favorite rod or two, bring it.
Fishing inshore for blues, fluke, and whatever swims in the bay and inlet whenever we are not headed offshore.
Just got some good intel on two different spots within our range to go tuna fishing. Whales, bait, chick birds, nice water and surfacing fish. It’s not my information to give, so please don’t ask. That’s how the information pipeline works. If I find them on my own, I can tell whoever I want, but when it is gifted to me, it’s sacred.
Hoping to find bluefin and maybe one other desirable species, some of you may have already heard.
Sailing Open Boat Tuna tomorrow, Friday June 28, 4AM to 2PM, $450 person. 4 people max. All fish are shared. We plan on trolling, bait fishing on the drift, and jigging.
There is a chance we will do the same trip on Saturday June 29, but the forecast is on the razors edge for my liking with that South wind coming up for the last part of the trip and the ride home. If the forecast shapes up for the better, we will go.
Still fishing the bay and inlet on the days we don’t run offshore.
We are running a short notice Open Boat Tuna trip tomorrow, Wed June 19. Just received some intel on where to try. Lots of life, whales, bait. Good reports on both yellowfin and bluefin. The weather was the deciding factor to run. No storm activity and light winds. This will be mostly a trolling trip. Hunting and searching for whales and life. I will have the jigging and popping rods with us, but honestly it is not our strong suit. I am bringing bait to try and drift if the activity is intense and the rods are not going off. While we are drifting with a few bait rods out, you can jig or pop.
4AM to 4PM. $450 person, 4 people max, all fish are shared. We need all four spots filled to sail.
Bluefish are still holding up strong on the west side of the bay. Casting topwater lures at surfacing fish under birds has provided most of the action.
As soon as you find a few terns picking and diving it’s been great action on light spinning gear. Throwing lures at the inlet jetty is also producing blues with a few stripers in the mix. We will be floating sandworms into the jetty to try and increase our odds for a bass but you have to fish through the blackfish to get them. We are starting to catch some fluke on the channel edges and back bay, as well. When the ocean is calm we can also run out a few miles to the reef for sea bass.
The water temp hit a high of 74 degrees in the back bay over the weekend which would explain this big Houndfish that crashed Dennis Cornfield’s topwater lure while we were catching blues. He missed the lure and got snagged which made for a dicey release boatside. If you hook one of these giant needlefish, they average 3 feet plus around here, be careful, they have a lot of sharp teeth.
Running Open Boat or Charter: Wed June 12, Thurs June 13, and Fri June 14, 7AM to 1PM. $200 person. 4 people max. All fish are shared.
Pics:
Paul Levasseur of Clifton Heights PA with topwater Blue
Sailing Tues June 4, Wed June 5, Thurs June 6, and Fri June 7. Open Boat or Charter. We can target stripers, blues, fluke, and sea bass. We could start at the inlet jetty to try for stripers and blues and then head offshore a few miles to fish for sea bass. After that we have the option to cast topwater lures in the back bay for blues or drift the channels for fluke. 7AM to 2PM. $200 person. 4 people max. All fish are shared.
We fished hard Thurs, Fri, Sat, and Sun through the holiday weekend and had great action with 3 to 5 lb blues. Casting topwater lures on the west side of the bay provided most of the action. Here’s a video clip from Sunday: https://youtu.be/4Ysw__DjKR4?si=go2tPavae8Le7jZs
We are also fishing the inlet jetty but we did not have any stripers. We did catch plenty of 3 to 5 lb tog that are out of season so they had to be released. They are hitting the bobber and worm rig we are using to try for stripers. We are also catching blues up to 7 lbs out by the jetty on soft plastics like Fin-S and BKD’s. We also had a few nice keeper fluke in the mix.
Sailing Open Boat or Charter this coming Thurs May 30, Fri May 31, Sat June 1, and Sun June 2. 6AM to 1PM. $200 person. 4 people max. All fish are shared. Targeting Stripers and Blues.
Pics:
Mike Daly Sr of Bayville NJ with Tog and Fluke
Michael Daly of Bayville NJ with 7 lb Bluefish
Jay Blanchfield of Belvidere NJ with one of his topwater Blues
Looks like we are finally getting a break in the weather here. I am looking forward to getting out this week. We will be in the bay and inlet on the hunt for stripers and blues. We will be fishing a variety of techniques, including anchored with clams, drifting with worms, casting soft plastic and topwater lures, and trolling plugs. Throwing the kitchen sink at ’em!
We are available Wed May 22 and Sun May 26 for charter or we will be running Open Boat on those days. 6AM to Noon. $200 person. 4 people max. All fish are shared.
We also have one spot available on Friday May 24. There is a group of 3 people looking to add one more. Same hours and cost as above.
Attached pic is Bill Buckham of PA with his keeper striper that ate a worm under a bobber at the inlet jetty on a recent trip.
We will be running Open Boat trips this Tues May 14 and Fri May 17, the only days in the forecast without rain. 6AM to 1PM. $200 person, 4 people max, all fish are shared.
We will start out trolling plugs on the west side of the bay looking for birds or swirling fish to cast soft plastics and topwater lures. We will continue the hunt through Oyster Creek Channel looking for life and progressing east to fish the inlet. At the inlet we will use a combination of bait and lures. Bass and blues are the targeted species.
Barnegat Bay, spanning 64 square miles, is a relatively shallow body of water which runs from Bay Head, behind Island Beach State Park and Long Beach Island to Little Egg Harbor. Teeming with diverse aquatic life, the bay offers anglers an array of fishing opportunities throughout the spring, summer, and fall seasons.
On the West Side of the bay anglers encounter a muddy bottom with areas of grass beds, lower salinity, low visibility and much less tide movement as opposed to areas closer to the inlet. This estuary provides a much different opportunity to fish. The West Side waters warms up quicker in the spring and they have a population of small forage. The forage attracts gamefish and the stained waters give anglers an advantage by reducing fish wariness.
Nestled within the heart of Barnegat Bay lies three daymarks delineating safe water along the Intracoastal Waterway, a vital component of the broader maritime landscape. These navigational aids serve as waypoints for mariners, guiding them through the bay’s waters.
These three wooden towers from south to north reside behind…
42 – Off of Barnegat, marks the west side start of Double Creek Creek Channel
BI – Off of Waretown, marks the west side start of Oyster Creek Channel which is the largest and deepest channel that leads to Barnegat Inlet.
BB – Off of Forked River, marks the open Barnegat Bay as well as the entrance to the Forked River.
There are approximately 2 miles between each. The average depth in this 6 mile stretch is 7 to 8 feet, with deeper water at and around the BB 8-10 and a little deeper in some spots.
I rarely stray south of the 42 or north of the BB, as this is my home base. But there’s opportunities to the north and the south of here utilizing the same techniques I’m about to dive into. Depending on the time of year, I am pursuing stripers, blues, fluke, weakfish, kingfish, or blowfish somewhere in this stretch.
This is how we fish the Barnegat Bay’s “West Side Highway” aboard Hi Flier Fishing Charters.
A tactic we use for early season stripers and May/June blues is to troll 5 to 6 inch, floating, Yo-Zuri Crystal Minnows or Daiwa SP Minnows in subdued natural patterns, dark backs and white bellies. Using a pair of 10 to 12 lb spinning gear, drop them way back and put them in a set of outrodders to keep the tips low and the plugs in the water. Be sure to use a snap to connect the plug, do not tie direct or use a snap swivel, as either of these will kill the action. If your gear is light enough either of these lures will give the rod tip a slight pulse. The hardest part of trolling Barnegat Bay at any time of year, is keeping the lures clean, especially with this very long drop back. If the plug picks up the smallest piece of weed or debris, that pulse will stop and you need to crank it in, clean it up, and re-launch it. This can be exhausting at times but if there’s anything on the lure than you’re not even fishing. 3 to 3.5 knots for bass and 4 to 4.5 knots for the blues.
Somewhere around the third week in April, I start the season on the striper hunt in these backwaters. I start about a half mile south of the BB and troll right to it. If there’s no life worth doubling back on, set a course for Tices Shoal and look for birds or swirling fish. Have some spinning rods armed with soft plastics in case you get a shot at casting fish. These stripers are typically anywhere from 20 to 30 inch fish.
All of May and June you can usually troll 1 to 4 lb bluefish on this West Side Highway. If you want to have even more fun with these fish, go east of this line and the water will shallow up. Once you are in 3 to 4 feet of water, blind cast poppers or any surface lure. Crank it fast and splashy. If you get one chasing, don’t slow it down, you’re only shot is to keep it coming. If you don’t get any reactions after 5 minutes, make a move and keep hunting. More often than not, I get on these fish with no visual life, just keep hunting until you get one chasing. FYI: These might be the world’s best bluefish to eat as they are small enough where they do not have that strong bloodline throughout, the meat is very light when you fillet them. Also, they feed almost exclusively on sand shrimp at this time of year. Anything that feeds exclusively on shrimp takes on some of that sweetness. I’m not saying they are as good as fluke or weakfish, just that as far as bluefish goes, as table fare, these are the best.
From July 1 to Sept 30, I like to anchor up with live shedder crab in hopes of weakfish and kingfish. Cut up some crab and tip an 1/8 or 1/16 oz jig. Flip it out as far as you can behind the boat and work it back with what I call a “lollygag” retrieve. After the cast, let it hit bottom, then lift the rod painfully slow. Lower the rod and only capture the slack you created from the lift. Do this all the way back to the boat. When you feel a tick or a thump, cross his eyes! I usually use the 6 lb spinning rods for this. I am partial to anchoring a little southeast of the 42 or in the deepest water halfway between the BI and BB, which you will find as 11 or 12 feet.
July, August, and September also brings peak blowfishing to this stretch. Anchor up in 6 to 8 foot of water, which will be a little east of this highway. Put a chum pot down with a frozen clam chum log. Tie on some store bought blowfish or winter flounder rigs. Cut up some squid and clams into small strips and you are good to go. Bring a lot of chum because if you don’t get any in the first 15 minutes, it’s time to move. These are a lot of fun to catch and in the end you have a Ziploc of delicious fish. I use a chunking knife to cut right behind the head, go through the meat but not through the bottom layer of skin. Peel back a little of the skin right at the cut on the top to expose some of the flesh. Jab a fork that you stole from the silverware drawer into this flesh and pull back on the semi severed head slow and steady until it peels away all the skin, and you are left with a nice chunk of white meat. Use some shears to cut away any fins. Peel away any schmutz or lining and it is ready for the fryer.
After decades of targeting saltwater gamefish inshore from fluke, weakfish and striped bass to big game offshore fishing for giant tuna and sharks, Captain Dave DeGennaro is a well versed captain who does it all.
Captain Dave has a knack for finding fish season in and season out. After 40+ years on the local waters, he knows them like the back of his hand. Also his knowledge and ability to deploy both modern as well as classic even old school methods set him apart from the fleet and keep the lines tight.
He works hard to ensure his clients are safe and happy while enjoying their time on the water aboard his 25′ World Cat catamaran. It’s a wide, very stable and soft riding boat that is super sea worthy. It performs great in the ocean as well as the shallow bay. Hi Flier Sportfishing can accommodate parties up to 6 on bay trips and 4 for ocean trips.
Contact Captain Dave DeGennaro today for your next fishing charter adventure... HiFlier.com – Call/Text: 732.330.5674
