The first ever Philadelphia Fishing Show will be held this weekend, February 22-24, 2019 at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks, PA. Over 75,000 square feet of fishing tackle, lodges, guides, apparel, travel destinations, boats, kayaks, RV’s and much more. Round the clock free seminars by professional guides and captains in two rooms presented by The Fisherman Magazine. Check out the 5,000 gallon Hawg Trough aquarium with local freshwater gamefish and then bring the kids over to the fully stocked Trout Pond where they can catch a fish at the show! A fly casting pond and cast net demonstration will help you hone your skills. Exhibitors will be displaying everything from dry fly trout tackle to giant bluefin tuna gear, and everything in between. $10 admission for adults, kids 6 to 12 are $5 and kids 5 and under are FREE. Free parking for everyone. Food and refreshments are available. Open Fri Noon -7PM , Sat 10AM-6PM , Sun 10AM – 5PM.
Check out www.phillyfishingshow.com for all the details, hours, location, exhibitor list, floor plan, attractions pictures, seminar list and much more. Hope to see you there!
Dave DeGennaro Back Bay Adventures 732.330.5674 cell phillyfishingshow.com
Beach Haven Charter Fishing Association Mid-Winter Report
By Jim Hutchinson Sr.
Strong winds, frigid temperatures, snow, and freezing rain can all make the 2019 fishing season seem very far off. The captains of the Beach Haven Charter Fishing Association, however, have already begun preparations for spring fishing. For some, it has been a chance to just charge their own personal batteries and even do some fishing in the south. Others though are preparing their boats and gear for the season.
Captain John Lewis of the boat “Insatiable” reports that he was fortunate to spend a month in sunny Florida where he ate and fished his way through quite a bit of seafood. Captain John says that the Captains and Junior mates have been active attending local fishing flea markets where they have been spreading the good word on the fishing in Beach Haven and the BHCFA. Upcoming events where the members will be in attendance include the Southern Regional High School Fishing Flea market, the Philadelphia Fishing Show, and the Atlantic City Boat Show at the Atlantic City Convention Center. Once the shows end, the “Insatiable” will be looking to get into the spring striper run and some early season bluefish.
Captain Carl Sheppard reports his boat “Star Fish” is in dry dock at Morrison’s Marina in Beach Haven getting new windows installed and her bottom touched up. Meanwhile, the props are being fine tuned for the beginning of the season. The “Star Fish” will launch on the first of April with the new Garmin side scan sonar and GPS system. Her first trip is a bachelor party for 12 persons on April 6th. Captain Carl says he is hoping for a quick warm up and lots of large bass.
Captain Ray Lopez reports he has been working on the “Miss Liane” and upgrading his offshore tackle in preparation for the spring season. Included in this work was upgrading rods and reels and replacing worn cushions with new combing cushions.
Captain Brett Taylor of “Reel Reaction Sportfishing” has done an extensive overhaul of his electronic system as he has transitioned to an all Humminbird system. Captain Brett has them hooked into his Minn Kota Ulterra trolling motor. This permits him to position his boat exactly where he wants to without using a traditional anchoring system.
Additional information on the Beach Haven Charter Fishing Association can be found at www.BHCFA.net.
The popular and proven Tsunami Trophy Series Surf Rods just got a big time upgrade! Let’s dive in and take a look at the Tsunami Trophy II Surf Rods to review their features and benefits.
Tsunami Trophy II Surf Fishing Rods
First and foremost the all new Tsunami Trophy II Series is a high performance line up of surf fishing rods at an unbeatable price. Starting at $74.99 the Tsunami Trophy II Series Surf Rods are a value that can’t be beat!
Graphite Reel Seat With EVA Cushioned Grips (Above & Below Seat)
Top Section Detail Of Rod
Bottom Section Detail Of Rod
Tip Area Detail Of Rod
New Rod Blank Construction Technology
For the second generation Trophy Surf Series, Tsunami went with an all new blank. The technology was developed a few years ago and use on their Trophy Jigging Rod Series. This new blank construction excelled through extensive testing on the beach and proved to put out impressive casting distance.
Utilizing their new technology with high performance carbon fiber blend the Trophy II Surf blanks are smaller diameter, lighter and more resilient than ever before. Delivering greater strength/power to weight ratio. Anglers will appreciate the benefits in performance and comfortable when fishing long hours.
Featuring an offset 70/30 ferrule system, Trophy II Series Rods offer the performance of a one piece rod with the storage and transportation convenience of a two piece. Tsunami’s F3 – Friction Fit Ferrule technology quickly, easily and securely locks for true guide alignment.
Top Quality Guides & Components
For long, smooth casting the Tsunami Trophy II Surf Rods are outfitted with forward lean foul resistant, braid-proof guides, specially designed to prevent line tangles. These guides are lightweight and corrosion resistant. They offer the utmost casting distance too. Forward lean style guides are commonly only found on high dollar rods, two and three times the price of a Tsunami Trophy Series.
Guide Detail – This photo shows the forward lean anti-foul guide.
For long life and ease of use Tsunami went with corrosion proof graphite reel seat. Comfortable EVA foam grips cap off the top and bottom of the seat. For a sleek grip to match the new thinner diameter blank a vinyl shrink wraps rounds out the quality fit and finish.
Bottom Section Detail Of Rod
Multi-Tool For Every Job, Conditions, Application
The Tsunami Trophy II Series should be looked at as a multi-tool surf series with everything covered from back bay to large extra heavy surf rod. The series has two specialty rods, 8’6″ & 10′ with “D” designations, which have a parabolic action (meaning they load and bend deeper into the mid section and beyond). These allow anglers make the longest casts with small lures. These have the ability to cast 1oz lures out of sight. Awesome choice for striped bass, false albacore and carp among many other species.
Best Surf Fishing Rod Value
Hands down the Tsunami brand offers the best value in saltwater surf fishing rods. With the introduction of the new generation, Trophy II Series they raised the bar once again.
Starting at $74.99 with 13 models from 7′ to 12′ in both spinning and casting models (TSTSS = Spinning, TSTSC = Casting aka Conventional)
ICAST 2018 Tsunami Trophy II Surf Rod Introduction
At ICAST in July 2018 we were very excited to hear about the release of the Trophy II Surf Fishing Rods. We reviewed the new product with Jerry. Check it out… The Tsunami Trophy II Surf Rods New At ICAST 2018!
Saturday, February 16th, 2019 – 8:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
The Southern Regional High School Fishing Show is held at the Southern Regional Middle School cafeteria located at 75 Cedar Bridge Road Manahawkin, NJ 08050.
New and used fishing gear and services will be available at 100 vendor tables. Food and beverages will be on site for purchase. Hourly door prizes provided by Captain Seagulls Nautical charts, gift certificates from local charter boats and items donated by show vendors.
Show Morning Seminars
9:00AM – “TBD”
9:45AM – Harrold Eckett “NJ Salt Water Flies”
10:30AM – Chuck Nagel “Cranky Creek Tackle”
Admission
Admission is $4. Children under 12 are free when accompanied by an adult. All proceeds benefit the Southern Regional High School Fishing Club.
Southern Regional Fishing Club
The show support the club and also funds four scholarships for students in the club. During the fall of 2018 the club entered 15 students in the Long Beach Island Surf Fishing Classic. The money raised also offsets the cost of the club’s fishing trips on the Carolyn Ann III. SRHS Fishing Club advisor Jason Hoch said, “Every year it’s a great trip for experienced and beginner anglers.”
Surf Day 2019 is quickly approaching. Save the date now and don’t miss out on the year’s best fishing show.
Who: The Jersey Shore Surfcasters
What: Surf Day 2019
When: Saturday Feb 16, 2019 from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm
Where: Brookdale Community College at 765 Newman Springs Rd, Lincroft, NJ 07738
This purely surf fishing show run by JSS, a group of die hard anglers, is well known in the North East. Many have tried to copy the format and ideas however none come close. This long standing show is a must attend show for surf casters.
The seminar schedule looks great this year with top speakers lined up. John Tiedemann from Monmouth University will be doing a morning talk titled “The Conservation Corner”. The two feature seminars will be given by Comanche Surfcasting “Fishing The Edge” and John Skinner “Bending the Rods – Staying Happy In Today’s Fishery”. These as well as all of the seminars are a can’t miss part of the show!
While the seminars are the backbone of the show, the special part is seeing the surf fishing community all under one roof. The networking and knowledge shared is second to none. Whether a rookie, novice or veteran Surf Day is for you.
The crew here at Fisherman’s Headquarters is looking forward to the show. We’ll have a full spread of surf fishing tackle, equipment and supplies from A to Z… all at Show Special Pricing. For those that have attended in the past, we will be at our same location. In the main room right as you enter on the left side. Stop by and say hello! See you there.
First, I have secured a sponsorship with Humminbird / MinnKota and will be replacing all of my “other brand” electronics with 2 Humminbird SOLIX units/SONAR/GPS/RADAR. We will start doing charters early March for combo Winter Flounder and schoolie Striped Bass charters. April will bring Tog or Blackfish in the crosshairs. I’m very excited for 2019 and can’t wait to get back on the water.
In addition, I have been asked to do fishing seminars at the Edison Boat Show, Philadelphia Fishing Show, and Atlantic City Boat Show. I will be also doing several appearances in Atlantic City January through March! February will be a busy month, followed by splashing the boat in early March!! Lastly, we are in the beginning stages of possibly adding another boat and captain to the fleet to target skinny-water backwater fishing. But more on that in the future. FHQ has some nice deals going on right now and throughout the winter months. I will be stopping in to gear up for the 2019 season, so hopefully will run into some of you there!
If interested in booking a charter, book our site (reelreactioncharters.com) or call/text 609-290-7709. As always, we use the highest quality gear and everything is included: gear, tackle, fish-cleaning, and ICE! It’s “no worries” fishing. Just come aboard and FISH.
Here’s the Fishing Report Update for Monday January 14, 2019. This time of year reports get few and far between; however, some anglers are getting out and fishing. This is what they shared.
One report of information came in from a boater who took a ride on Saturday. “I took advantage of the flat calm conditions and burned some fuel. The water was cold and everywhere was void of life. Bay temp was in high 30’s and the ocean was in the mid to low 40’s.”
Bottom Fishing When Weather Allows
When the weather allows, anglers targeting blackfish are rewarded. Tog fishing continues to be good with the fish still in surprisingly (close) shallow water for the time of year. January fishing is the time to start looking deeper in search of a trophy size blackfish. Full boat limit light be hard to reach now but there’s still plenty of good tog fishing going down.
Some boats are heading offshore trips for porgies, cod and pollock. We recently had customers in to shop gearing up be have not heard any reports back. Unfortunately Black Sea Bass season is closed.
Long Beach Island Surf Fishing Report
On the surf there’s not much going on. The water’s cold and all of the fish have migrated out of our waters. There’s a possibility to find a roaming resident but it’s slim. On his way to the surf, one Ship Bottom based angler stoped into today and picked up a few small lures. He reported, “Last two trips out I got the skunk. One more strike and I’m out till Spring.”
Here’s a great product that we brought in for 2019…
The Princeton Tec SNAP Headlamp/Light is a multi-talented light perfect for everyday life and adventure. Featuring a magnetic mounting solution, the SNAP is a one stop tool for all lighting needs; headlamp, flashlight, bike light, safety flasher, lantern and magnetic area light.
All Of These Option, All In One SNAP!
One Light So Many Options!!! The Princeton Tech SNAP offers all of this in one light.
More Info About The SNAP
The Princeton Tec SNAP starts as a straightforward headlamp but what makes it an unique and award winning light is its modular, adaptable design. The SNAP’s Light Unit has a magnetic mount which allows for quick transformation from a headlamp, to a lantern on carabiner, pipe/pole or a boat rail. It can even stick on a metal surface.
Above all the SNAP is basic and simple to use. A large, easy to find button on the head unit turns the versatile spot beam on, dims it and switches over to flash mode.
Performance Rating – 200 Lumens
Putting out 200 Lumens of power the SNAP offers a good balance of power and run time for its size. The three AAA batteries put out 40 hours in High (~36 meter distance reach), 130 hours in Low (~9m), 130 hours in High – Safety Flash (~36m) and 40 hours in High
Water Resistance Rating – IPX4
Featuring an IPX4 rating, the Princeton Tech SNAP is designed for water resistance to splashing and quick dunks. It is not made to be submerged for a long period of time.
Yesterday Wednesday January 2, 2018 Magictail’s Dante Soriente stopped in with TOGZILLA. Here’s his report from the day…
Big Blackfish Love Magictail Tog Jigs
What a day! I’ve been on the hunt for a 15 pound tog on one of my jigs. I caught ten double digit blackfish this year (2018) but nothing over the 13 pound mark. I can’t believe it finally happened today!
Dante and Magictails set out to make The Best Tog Jigs that would outfish all competition based on superior design elements. It’s safe to claim they hit a home run!
More tog and the biggest tog in the past two years have been caught on Magictail Tog Jigs than any other tog jig on the market.
On 1/2/2019 I fished with Paul Haertel aboard his boat the Angler. We got into some really good fishing. It all started off when I caught a really good fish. On my Boga Grip 15 it pulled down and almost bottomed out. This fish which was about 14.5-15 pounds. It was photographed and released. Then a few minutes later another double digit fish hit the deck. This 12 pound tog was also released. An hour went by and Paul caught a 11.5 pound tog on the jig.
About two hours later I hooked a big fish on a baited Magictail Tog Jig, 2oz Glow White Legger. This fish actually pulled drag and took me deep twice. What An Epic Battle! Shocking all of us it bottomed out my Boga Grip 15. Fortunately Paul had a Boga Grip 60 onboard. It weighed in between 20-21 pounds. I was going to release it but Paul wouldn’t let me. He said, “It’s a true giant!”
Once back on land I stopped in at Fishermans Headquarters and got a certified weight, 20.96 pounds. Just a few pounds shy of the state record. I’m so happy to have smashed the 15 pound mark. I’m in shock that I broke the 20 pound mark. Best of all I did it on my Magictail Jig… Mission Complete!
That’s a smile only a 20+ pound tog can produce! 20.96 to be exact. Congrats Big D on a fish of a lifetime! With all the time and dedication, you earned it!
Tog Jigs are very effective and at times outproduce. For those blackfish anglers looking to add to their arsenal and learn more about targeting tog with specialty jigs, we published a fishing blog article just for you. But first…
Here’s Paul Haertel with a large blackfish that fell for a Magictail Tog Jig.
Here’s a testimonial from ace anglers Paul Haertel, “I’m sold on using Magictail Jigs! Up until a week or so ago I was more of a rig fisherman. Today I caught my limit plus, all on jigs. With a new boat record and all of these double digit catches they proved their value to me.”
Light Tackle Fishing Florida’s South Central West Coast
For the holidays (late 2018), I enjoyed some family time down in the Sunshine State visiting family. Not knowing our exact plans I did not book a guide in advance. I managed to score a last minute light tackle trip with Captain Jim Klopfer of Adventure Charters out of Sarasota, conveniently only 15 minutes from in law’s house.
The day started off slow due to dense fog. Looking for game we worked some mangrove lined creeks with small Rapala X-Rap Swimming Plugs but we came up short. Live bait might have made the difference but we stayed away from the dark side. Captain Jim kept us moving and on the hunt with a hit and run mentality.
On The Hunt For Game
It paid off! On the way to check out another area we came across jack crevelle crashing on top. It was a frothy feed! My cousin Mike struck first and enjoyed the fight on a 20# braid, Penn Conflict 2000 Spinning Reel and St. Croix 6’6″ Medium Action Rod. The feed dispersed.
Here’s Mike enjoying the fight, hooked up with a Jack Crevelle. The Penn Conflict Reel and St Croix Rod make a perfect light tackle inshore rod and reel setup.
We continued to work the area and our patience paid off. I managed a hook up on the 7wt fly rod blind casting a sink tip line with an Olive/White clouser minnow. During my tug of war, Mike hooked up again on the X-Rap. Before we knew it the jacks were smashing on top again.
Boat Side Top Water Take
Above all other, the next couple of minutes are ingrained in my brain for awhile. I punched out a good cast but was a little bit short of the target. One strip and then I let it settle. Second guessing my placement I quickly stripped the line to clear and recast. Five feet from the boat a big jack half out of the water fright trained my clouser. One solid strip set and he took off, clearing my line and into backing. These challenging close encounters is why I’m hooked on saltwater fly fishings!
Here’s a short video from our day light tackle fishing Sarasota Bay with Captain Jim…
We finished the day working some flats (grass and oyster beds) with Berkley Gulp Shrimp on a lead head jig. Using a snap jigging technique similar to fluke fishing at home we caught a couple ladyfish.
In the end we had a great day with a ton of fun. The jacks (three on fly, five on spin) and ladyfish kept our line tight for the majority of the four hour trip.
Highlight Note: While pulling into the ramp at the end of the day a very rare jet engine powered boat was leaving the dock. It’s shown at the end of the video. Have you ever seen a boat like this before? Let us know in the comment section.
