Author: Reel-Fantasea-Fishing

Captain Steve has been fishing our local waters since the age of nine when he purchased his first boat, that was back in 1974. Since then a "few" years have past and his passion for fishing has grown even more ! From Barnegat Bay, inlet and it's offshore waters of Long beach Island N.J. Captain Steve has spent more time on the water than most other captains perfecting and honing his salty skills to provide the most fish catching enjoyment and knowledge to both novice and veteran anglers alike. Captain Steve has grown up fishing these local waters. His knowledge of fishing has been sought by magazines, papers, fishing clubs, boat shows and is also a veteran faculty member of George Poveromo's "National Seminar Series" as well as being Featured on NBC sports George Poveromo's "World Of Salt Water Fishing" . If a fish catching outing is what your looking for than look no further ! Your enjoyment and safety will always be the our focus for a memorable experience!

Reel Fantasea Fishing Charters – Barnegat Bay Fishing Report – Weakfish right on Schedule!!

This week’s light tackle action continued to be busy and fun with scrappy schoolie striped bass testing our anglers skills and light spinning tackle rods. These down sized bass are ranging in size from 12-27″ but employing our well matched tackle to maximize the encounter and sport is what really brings the smiles to all anglers aboard this week. All trips continue to see double digit catch numbers with some of our savvy anglers scoring double digit catches themselves!

Our Last weeks fishing report and season progression prediction appears to have hit pretty accurately as the season’s first wave of Big Weakfish showed up adding to more light tackle excitement and fun. This is a catch and release fishery [ weakfish] on the Reel Fantasea as these bigger trout are here for spawning purposes which we are not about to get in the way of.

It’s too easy to allow the season to slip by and wait for warmer/better weather but in reality the season is on it’s own time schedule and continues to progress despite our belief’s/interpretations of weather effecting/slowing season progression. With that being said I’m expecting bluefish to come storming into our bays this week if not here already as it is “their time to shine”!

I have this Wednesday April 18th – Happy Hour Special 5pm – 8pm – $90pp ,Friday April 20 – 7am – 11am and 1pm – 6pm and Sunday April 22 for 6am – 10am. Times can be adjusted to best fit anglers needs. Remember to join us and like us on Instagram and Facebook for latest pictures and reports.

Wishing everyone fair winds and calm seas,

Captain Steve Purul

Reel Fantasea Fishing Charters

609-290-1217

Reel Fantasea Fishing Charters – Open boat Friday and Sunday

I have a couple of spots still available for Friday morning 7am – 11pm and Sunday morning 7am – 11am , We will be targeting stripers, weakfish and bluefish with light spinning tackle checking around a few locations to “test the waters” for new arrivals.

All bait, tackle, rods, weather and fun included $120pp. In all seriousness the weather inland maybe warm but wind direction can cool off our locale once the likely onshore sea breeze starts.

Best Regards,

Captain Steve Purul

Reel Fantasea Fishing Charters

609-290-1217

Reel Fantasea Fishing Charters – Barnegat bay fishing report – Light tackle striped bass action still the game for now.

This week Mother nature continued on her manic wintry demeanor with continued colder than normal temps and threats of wintry precipitation in the forecast grinding any thought of “season progression” to a “slow as molasses in winter time” pace. Tied to the dock for most of the week is where we found ourselves due to hard North West winds that emptied our bays enough to find the Reel Fantasea soft aground in her slip while testing the tensile strength of her dock lines.

Despite her best effort though the season did continue to progress and with the extended forecast looking more favorable/seasonal/reasonable the optimistic angler in me can’t help to be excited about this weeks warming trend results!

It has been my long time observation and belief that the solar altitude [ longer day – spring or shorter day- fall] is the migration’s more profound influence rather than water temperature alone . Why ? because year after year certain species of fish continue to be on a “time schedule” that conforms to calendar date rather than water temps.

With that being said I’m thinking/hoping that bluefish and weakfish will start showing/cooperating in better numbers as this weeks weather trends it’s inevitable warming momentum. As cold as the temps were today [NW wind blown 42 degrees] you could feel the immediate warming of the sun’s steeper influences when the wind laid down. Water temps also responded upwardly in just a matter of hours regardless of air temps via the suns steeper penetration [ not unlike car window heating]

I will have “Happy Hour” specials available 5pm-8pm during the weekdays and I also have Friday and Sunday mornings 7am – 11am available for open or private charter.

Remember to join us on Face Book and Instagram for photos and videos and Like Us!

Wishing everyone fair winds and calm seas,

Captain Steve Purul

Reel Fantasea Fishing Charters

609-290-1217

Reel Fantasea Fishing Charters – Barnegat Bay Striped Bass Fishing Report

Striped bass continue to provide fun and busy light tackle action while utilizing both artificial and natural baits with tidal stages seemingly dictating which to employ.

The resident bass population is seeing larger specimens join in the activity or migrating larger fish are starting to show with some bass approaching the 28″keeper size. Our first keeper bass of the 2018 fishing season could be caught on the next outing!

Presently our striped bass catch and release landings are just shy of 100 stripers in half dozen trips for this young season. With these numbers I’m excited to look forward into our Spring and early Summer bass fishery as it develops.

Anglers have also been entertained observing diving and feeding ospreys and eagles dining on bunker, winter flounder and even our beloved striped bass [ booo!] .

On another note check out April’s edition of “The Fisherman” magazine for tips, techniques and all things fishing with a familiar face on the cover. As a long time reader of the magazine it’s a real honor to have made the front cover!

I have this Thursday 10am – 2pm, Friday 8am – 12pm, 1pm -5pm, Sunday 8am -12pm

Remember to join on Face Book and Instagram for latest fishing reports, photos and trip availability.

Wishing everyone fair winds and calm seas,

Captain Steve Purul

Reel Fantasea Fishing Charters

609-290-1217

Reel Fantasea Fishing Charters – Barnegat Bay Striped Bass Fishing Report -First trip of the year to score 30 Striped Bass!!

Today’s open boat witnessed the season continued progression with slightly larger striped bass , bald eagles, ospreys, and even the first laughing gulls!! Presently our bay is also full of adult bunker that will soon be welcoming our newly arriving game fish into our home waters. The abundant bait that we have on hand could possibly be a real game changer for our Spring run!!

Although we are only 2 days earlier than last year with the arriving laughing gulls it’s still the earliest that I have ever seen them. Over the years I have always looked forward to their arrival as they usually will herald the migration of soon to be arriving stripers and blues within 10-14 days, they have yet to fail me in their prognostication .

Today 3/30 was an on boat with regulars who were joined by The Fishermen Magazine’s Jim Hutchinson Jr. hoping to tag some bass for research purposes . Not only did we succeed in our goal in tagging striped bass but we used up all the tags that were brought aboard! Regular Jay Simmons once again earned Bass Master honors scoring 15 striped bass before trips end. Hutch not to be out done scored the biggest bass of the day at the buzzer.

Wishing everyone fair winds and calm seas,

Captain Steve Purul

Reel Fantasea Fishing Charters

609-290-1217

Reel Fantasea Fishing Charters – Friday open boat [3/30]

Hi Folks,

I have 1 spot open for tomorrow morning 8am -12pm and a couple of spots open for Friday afternoon 1pm-5pm targeting striped bass with light spinning tackle. Weather looks great with temp into the upper fifties low sixties forecasted [ only 50% chance of precip] . $120.00pp.

Captain Steve Purul

Reel Fantasea Fishing Charters

609-290-1217

Reel Fantasea Fishing Charters – End of week report

Today’s open boat proved challenging with wind chills into the twenties [ dock departure air temp 30 degrees] . Although we read fish through out the morning the bass seemed to be off the bite that I was expecting [ I hate when they don’t follow my plan or expectations ]. We did managed to boat 2 striped bass [ along with some random snagged bunker] along with a flurry of short strikes through out the morning before calling it early quits .

Hoping and looking forward to the promise warming temps that our extended weather forecast has foretold. There is definitely fish to be caught and rod bending fun to be had in our home waters on light tackle. This upcoming week is ours to conquer!

Friday and Sunday mornings [8am-12pm] and afternoons [1pm-5pm] are available for private or open boat charters. I have 2 spots open for this Friday morning available with the afternoon open.

Join us [ like us] on Facebook and Instagram for latest fishing reports and photos.

Wishing everyone fair winds and calm seas,

Captain Steve Purul

Reel Fantasea Fishing Charters

609-290-1217

Reel Fantasea Fishing Charters – Stripers still active after Nor’Easter blow !

With heavy snow fall and NE winds tipping 40mph I wasn’t sure how the stripers would react afterwards but apparently it hasn’t effected them at all!

These are resident fish that have wintered up in our home waters and generally are running from 10-24″ but utilizing light spinning tackle maximizes the sport and fun for these feisty bass.

I have this Sunday 8am-12pm for any looking to have some fun on with catch and release bass for either open or private charter.

Although these bass are on the smaller side they are tons of fun!

Wishing everyone fair winds and calm seas,

Captain Steve Purul

Reel Fantasea Fishing Charters

609-290-1217

Reel Fantasea Fishing Charters – Sunday Brunch Special – 20 +Bass Slamboree!!

Despite cold and windy conditions, anglers aboard the Reel Fantasea forged full speed ahead into the 2018 fishing season and were rewarded with cabin fever curing fun from schoolie striped bass while employing light spinning tackle tactics.

Our maiden trip of the season was met with wind chills dipping well into the polar zone and bay temps well below my “interpretation of ideal” water temps [38 degrees] I must admit my on optimistic hope for the new season was on shaky grounds.

Within minutes of throwing the dock lines, all doubt of the unseasonably cold temps effecting our catches were erased as the rods were once again arched with smiling anglers on one end and feisty striped bass on the other end.

All trips saw double digit catches with high catch seeing over 20+ striped bass!

Weekly Bass Master Kudo’s goes out to regular Jay Simmons who single handedly scored 10 bass on our “Sunday Brunch Special” [ 10am-2pm].

I’ll be running more open and private charter trips as we progress into the season so be sure to call/text/email to get in on our list if interested in trip availability.

Remember, these trips are strictly a catch and release affair with most fish ranging in size between 10- 18″ + or – but an absolute blast on light spinning tackle.

I have this Friday morning 8am-12pm and afternoon 1pm-5pm and a Sunday with the same timeline available for both open or private charter.

Wishing everyone fair winds and calm seas,

Captain Steve Purul

Reel Fantasea Fishing Charters

609-290-1217

Reel Fantasea Fishing Charters – 2018 Season Opener – We hit the ground running !

Although it has been only a couple of months since I’ve been behind the helm of the Reel Fantasea it actually feels like an eternity! With winter [hopefully] winding down the optimism of a new season is always full of excitement and wonder. Today we found the reason for optimism!

Despite windy [30mph+] and cold conditions we managed to get our early season anglers catching and releasing striped bass on a mix of artificial and live baits while employing light spinning tackle. Both morning and afternoon trips saw double digit catch numbers even though air and water temps were low and gale force winds proved challenging with boat positioning. With weather looking a bit more timid [ for now] I am anxious to get back out there to see what more civilized conditions will produce.

Keep in mind that these early season trips are for those cabin fever ridden few that need to get back out on the brine and catch a few fish and enjoy the day. Most of the striped bass are ranging in the 12-18″ with a few smaller and larger but on our light spinning tackle are just what the doctor ordered to cure cabin fever.

I have 2 spots open for this Sunday 10am -2pm , all bait, tackle, rods….. included $120.00pp.

Don’t forget to book your 2018 season trips soon as we are already booking into November!! Please join us Face Book and Instagram and Like us and share us!

Wishing everyone fair winds and calm seas,

Captain Steve Purul

Reel Fantasea Fishing Charters

609-290-1217