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
Next week is our 2024 Philadelphia Fishing Show in Oaks, PA, Feb 16-18. This will be our 5th Annual and biggest show to date. There are 145 different companies filling out over 220 booths, as well as boats, RV’s, and attractions. This is a pure fishing show, no junk booths. Only five percent of our floor is non-fishing and I hand pick those exhibits: hot sauce, pickles, mustard, jerky, crab cakes, moonshine, bourbon, and more! Check out the Hawg Trough, a 5,000 gallon aquarium full of freshwater gamefish. The kids can even catch a fish at the show in the fully stocked Trout Pond. There is also a fishing simulator where you can go toe to toe with a tarpon or sailfish. FREE Seminars: there are three seminar rooms going around the clock for all three days with some of the area’s best guides and captains sharing what they know about their favorite sport.
I do have some news about the Hi Flier. I retired from my truck driving job, so I will be available full time, 7 days a week for charters. We will be starting to striper fish in late April and will keep fishing into Thanksgiving. Those of you that fish with us know we fish Barnegat Bay to the tuna grounds and everything in between.
We will have a booth at the show, Booth 426, if you want to stop by and say Hey to me or Capt Nick. I am rarely in the booth, as I am usually all over the show making sure everything is running smoothly. But if you want to book a trip, have a question, or just say hello, have Nick or anyone with a bright green STAFF shirt get me on the radio and I will meet you at the booth.
Looking forward to a great show and fishing season!
Looks like a nice weather pattern coming up so we will be sailing Open Boat or Charter for Stripers Thurs Nov 2, Fri Nov 3, Sat Nov 4, and Sun Nov 5. These cooler temps along with the passing of the full moon should really accelerate the migration. We have been catching 35 to 50 lb class fish on live bunker recently but there should be a good push of school size fish this week. We are going to make a left and trek north each day until we find them. We will be ready to snag, drift bait, jig, cast lures, or troll, whatever conditions dictate. We always have everything on board. We have bonus tags for everyone on board so we can keep one fish between 24 and 28 inches per person, and one fish between 28 and 31 inches per person.
Open Boat or Charter for Stripers Thurs Nov 2, Fri Nov 3, Sat Nov 4, and Sun Nov 5. 6AM to 2PM (or later).
$275 person. 4 people max. All fish are shared.
Pics are from our Fri and Sat trips this past weekend.Hope to see you on board.
The striper fishery is heating up. I had the Gordon Soda group from Allentown, PA out for some personal best striper fishing. A 45 and 50 pound bass on live bunker off of Island Beach State Park in 10 feet of water. Pics below.
There are now some smaller size fish mixed in so that we could try to put some in the cooler, as well. We will have to trek some miles north for that but I don’t mind if you don’t mind. I don’t have any north or south boundaries when it comes to finding fish. Number one rule: Fish where the fish are. We are armed to the teeth with gear for snagging, bait fishing, jigging, casting, and trolling.
Sailing Open Boat or Charter: Thurs Oct 26, Fri Oct 27, and Sat Oct 28. 6:30 AM to 2:30PM (could be later) $275 person. 4 people max. All fish are shared. Everything is included. We are available tomorrow, Wed Oct 25 and Sun Oct 29, as well, for charters.
We have bonus tags for everyone, so we can keep one fish per person between 24 and 31 inches.
We have a few spots available on our Open Boat Tuna trip scheduled for this Thurs Oct 12. Departing at 4AM, returning sometime late afternoon, approx 4PM. The weather and sea condition look great. Light and variable wind and calm seas. The target is tuna, bluefin and/or yellowfin. We have good intel on both. Everything is on bait and jigs. Best way to catch them!
It appears that this “End of all time” weather is finally coming to an end. Monday is borderline for our boat, so I am going to give it one more day for the seas to come down even more by Tues. Then Tues thru Fri, Oct 3, 4, 5, and 6, we will be running Open Boat or Charter for anything we can. Nobody has been out, so it is going to be a work in progress schedule.
The bay does not have a lot to offer as my shrimp supplier is done for the season. The good news is that there are plenty of options in the ocean. If I had to pick a place to start, it would be Barnegat Ridge. Good chance of finding bonita and albies there. Right before all this messy weather, there were quite a few big bluefin taken there, as well. I plan on bringing every size gear from 12 lb spinning outfits to 80 class standups. I have pails of spearing and peanut bunker to get the party started. The big bluefin were taken on live bait that could be caught right on the same grounds.
The other fishery we are all watching and hoping is at the 60 to 65 mile range where we left the yellowfin tuna biting. These fish were bruisers, all 50 to 80 plus pound fish. On bait and jigs during daylight hours, the most fun way to catch these tuna. We will be trading info within our network and if those fish are there, we’re gone!
October is a good time of year to fish the inlet jetty for stripers and blues. We will be mostly casting lures at the jetty. There is a chance of finding migrating albacore along the beach, as well.
Here is how the Open Boat trips will play out:
Tues Oct 3, Wed Oct 4, Thurs Oct 5, and Fri Oct 6
Barnegat Ridge 6AM to 2PM $300 person or $1,200 Charter
60 to 65 Mile Yellowfin Tuna: 4AM to 4PM $450 person or $1,800 Charter
Inlet or Inshore Trips 7AM to Noon $700, or 7AM to 1PM $800 for Charter only, no Open Boat
All trips are 4 people max, all fish are shared. Call right up until “go time”! If it goes right to voicemail it means I am offshore, out of cell range, and will call you back as soon as we get back in range.
We will be running Open Boat Tuna on Mon/Tues/Wed, Sept 18/19/20, 5AM to 5PM, 60-70 mile range, $500 person, 4 people max, all fish are shared. Everything is provided. If you have a favorite rod or two that you want to use, bring it.
These are 50 to 80 lb yellowfins. Bait fishing and jigging. Everything is provided.Call to reserve a spot, right up until “go time”.
These dates are also available for your private charter, inshore or offshore, as well. This is an exciting time of year for fishing. Tuna offshore, albies and bonita at the Ridge, weakies and more in the bay. Today we had a bunch of weakies, a 20 inch fluke, and 11 species total on the live shrimp using 6 lb spinning rods. Weakfish, fluke, sea bass, blowfish, sand shark, bluefish, skate, pinfish, silver perch, goggle eye, and spots. All spots are immediately confiscated and are property of the Hi Flier.
There’s good reason for the exclamation point. The weather looks excellent for going offshore tomorrow and that is going to change very soon. Also, there is a hot bite on big yellowfin tuna within our range, 50 to 60 miles. A lot of these fish are being caught on bait during daylight hours. To me, there is nothing more exciting than having that reel go from zero to 40!
We will have the trolling gear on board in case we have to scout around, but I am hoping not to use it all. We will also have jigging rods and jigs, as it sounds like that has been producing, as well.
OPEN BOAT TUNA: Thurs Sept 7, 4AM to 4PM, $500 person, 4 people max, all fish are shared.You can call right up until “Go Time”, I am really pushing to get this trip off while the fishing is hot and the sea condition is right.
Call to reserve a spot. See you on board!
Dave DeGennaro Hi Flier Sportfishing 732.330.5674 cell hiflier.com
609-494-5739
