Fisherman's Headquarters

Anyone that has seen me present / teach either at a seminar or during my Fishing Barnegat Bay classes have heard me talk about the 3 Ts to successful saltwater fishing. The 3 Ts are temperature; tide; and technique. Although you only truly have control of the last T it is with knowledge and experience that you work the other two to your advantage. After a truly epic July bluefish fishery around Barnegat Inlet seemed to come to an end it took a major rebound Saturday morning. The last two weeks my client or I have had to work hard to land a few blues. Even while seeing them surfing waves, swimming around or following lures they just were not in the mood to feed. Some thought it might be due to them spawning, however, any of the fish kept did not the signs of a fish ready to spawn. I thought it was the water was too warm as some studies show adult bluefish do not feed as actively when the temperature approaches 74. Well, Friday’s strong southerlies were the spark to start the flame. It caused an upwelling dropping the inshore water temperature by 6-7 deg F to around 69. Around sun up Saturday morning the bluefish bite returned with a vengeance. Baits spraying, birds diving and some swirls and breaks made it obvious the feed bags were on. My first cast of a Savage Gear Panic Popper was rewarded with a tail slap and an explosion of a 6-pound blue. I landed around 10 before calling it a session. I do not think I have ever seen so many blues jump as frequently as of late. My suspension is they are well fed and the temperature is in their preferred range.

After hopping off the Debbie M I hoped on board a 33’ Stamas with twin 250’s to guide the owner and some kids to the waters of Barnegat Bay and Inlet and do a little fishing. Although we did not have the best tide we had some good action with short fluke. Switching gears we searched for some weakies and found some spikes to keep the kids smiling. Zack managed a Barnegat Bay slam of fluke, weakfish, and bluefish. This is about the 10th Slam I have put a client on this year. Still have a few slots open for this week whether it is fluke, blues, weaks, sharks and maybe a bass give me a call.

Screaming drags, Capt. Alex 609-548-2511

Did a combo trip (off the beach sharking – bay/inlet) Thursday with long time client Bill Hirschberg, his 15-year-old son James and his friend Matt. It was a little bumpy going to where I want to start chumming, but being only a few miles from the inlet and off the beach we made it there in no time. With chum bucket over I started baiting the rods and setting them out. Before I got the third rod out we had a 3’ brown shark swim up the slick right the chum. Pitching a bait it was a swing and a miss but that was fine since a few minutes later there was another shark swimming up to the plate. Pitching the bait, it was a swing and a hit! The first of 6 sharks was hooked up. It was a cute little guy. Yes I know it was a male shark based on the presences of claspers. Most of the sharks were sand bar sharks (aka brown) with the biggest an estimated 40 pounds, but at least one was a Dusky shark (pictured below). A Dusky on a Dusky. Brown and Dusky sharks look very similar. If the first dorsal fin originates over or slightly before free tips of pectoral fins free edge, as seen in the picture, it is a Dusky. If the first dorsal fin originates over or slightly before the pectoral fin insertion it is a Brown. Friday afternoon Larry Hrebiniak and his son Justin were out for a bay fluke trip. With the south wind honking conditions were tough, even in the wind breaks. Fluking was slow with only a few shorts and a fat blue of 10 pounds or more. With summer winding down you have to ask yourself “have I fished enough this summer?’ If the answer is no, I still have a few dates open 😉

Screaming drags, Capt. Alex 609-548-2511

Anglers aboard the Reel Fantasea continue to enjoy fast out of the gate action minutes away from throwing the lines off the dock,  mixing it up between a host of usual suspects with a heavy dose of drag burning denizens  such as big double digit slammer blues, and fluke and even welcomed stripers rounding out the catches for August for our instructed anglers.

609-290-1217

Some say strike while the iron is hot. Well, looks like the Debbie M’s iron is hot. Thursday I had Tom Foote along with four kids Thursday for some fluke fishing. It started off slow and I had to make few moves to find the bite. Before the fluke turned on they did get to battle a southern sting ray that was about the size of a Civic’s hood. Boat side knowing it would never fit into my net I tried. After seeing the tail on this beast and remembering Steve Irwin I put enough tension on the line to break it free. No way did I want to be near its business end if it meant business. Once on the fluke, the kids had steady action landing over twenty shorts and some small blues and sea bass. With the kids slowing down it was time for Tom to fish. Well even though he got one fish it was a quality flatty coming in at 7.9 pounds. It was until Friday’s trip with friends from Oregon, Kurt and Alison Albrecht, and Brian Farmer from Florida. All three are seasoned fishermen and fisherwoman. In the last few years, Allison has really dialed in the saltwater fishing off Oregon’s rocky coast. Over the years Brian has fished with countless times when back in NJ. Around the jetty, we did not find the blues cooperating even after seeing them surfing cresting waves. They are still here but since the ocean got into the mid-70s have not been feeding all day long. We did manage some blues and a schoolie bass for Alison. Switching over to fluke we went big looking to target keeper. Brian and I each got a fish a little over 20’” but it was Alison fish that had the hot iron striking. Using a ultralight St Croix, the best rods on Earth, spooled with 6-pound mono the doubled over rod and screaming drag was all we needed to know the fish of a lifetime was on. Alison fought it like a pro, letting the fish take drag when it wanted to and pumping the rod and reeling keeping the pressure constant all the time. During the fight, the fish went under the boat against the current and managed to tangle two other lines. Brian worked on freeing the lines calmly while I just wanted them cut so we did not lose the fish. Tired from the fight the beast came to the surface sideways. Lucky I am all practiced up with my getting skill’s 😉 Alison’s fish pulled the scale down at Bobbie’s Boats to 10.1 pounds. A true doormat and the second one for Lighthouse Sportfishing in the last eight days. Also, don’t let it overshadow Tom’s 7.9 pounder which is also a quality fluke. Oh, and Alison got a Barnegat Bay slam. Was supposed to run an off the beach shark trip today but canceled based on the forecast.

Have some dates open for the next two weeks. Remember all trips are customized. Still some time for fluke and if are looking for a big fish I am dialed in right now. No positive word on weakfish in the bay. Spikes should be congregating off the beaches by now. Hoping the ridge open up this week. I will let you know and if it does will offer those trips as well.

Screaming drags, Capt. Alex 609-548-2511

The beaches of Long Beach Island have a lot to offer. Beautiful soft white sand, clean soothing warm saltwater, relaxing sound of the waves on shore and FISHING!!! We all know the LBI surf has some of New Jersey’s (and the eastern seaboard’s) best surf fishing. Come down to the shore and enjoy the best before summer ends.

The Beach Boyz, Austin Pounds and friends are making the most out of the summertime surf fishing on Long Beach Island. “Limit of fluke by day and sharks all night.” Austin said, “No boat needed! Just put your feet in the sand.” Recently the Boyz caught their fluke limit with fish up to 24″ and by far their best night of the year with big sand tiger sharks! “Epic night! Six sharks, two giants. One taped out at 90″ and the largest one stretched 97″.”

Antonio Vitelli also reported releasing a large sand tiger a couple nights ago.

While fluke and shark dominate the surf all summer other species like kingfish, bluefish and striped bass are here. Grey Coleston said his last trip out on the surf produced a couple kingfish.” Bluefish are still in the suds too with an occasional striped bass.

We posted a report about the flare up of striped bass activity on the recent full moon and a reader Louise Warren DeMichele sent in this confirmation, “They are out there! We caught this one off the Ship Bottom surf.” Others that set out to target bass on lures produced fishing the Inlet rocks at night on the incoming tide.

Fish in the bay are having a field day (and night) with all of the bait that’s around. Both peanut bunker and spearing are thick in the Island’s backwaters. The other night anchored up sharking massive piles of bait pushed past with the tide. Achers of bait lit up with breaking fish in the moon light is an awesome sight to see but probably the most frustrating thing when the boat is outfitted with all compact lever drag reels on short medium class stand up rods. Not a lure on the boat and even if we found one in the bilge nothing to cast it more than 10′. Never again!!!

Fluke Fishing:

While some are still hammering out really nice fish in the bay and Inlet, now is a great time to fish the reefs and wrecks.

Captain Mark of Laura Sportfishing reports good fluke fishing especially late week and into the weekend. “Gulp baits are the ticket! The bigger the better. The 5 and 6″ minnow and grubs are what they want.” We suggest fishing them on Spro Bucktails (some bucktails fail to have the proper balance, flash on head and hair but most importantly the proper hook and bait keeper ) with a stinger Gamakatsu assist hook. You’ll put an end to missing short strikes

“I’ve been on the water everyday and right now I’m totally dialed in. Certain areas have been fished hard and picked. If you know where to look there is an abundance of some really nice ones at that. In the past week the boat had 40 keepers. We are mowing through Gulp but you got to give them what they want! Fish the reefs and wrecks and you’ll score!”

James Sonday and Katie Marshall reported a great day on the water recently. They caught fluke up to 25″ managing seven keepers.

Pat DiPasquale fished with Howard Clark and they got on the meat! They pounded out their limit.

Fish Head’s alumni Rob Reale got a nice 26″ fluke recently. As you can see in the photo his dad Rocco was pumped!

Captain Lou aboard the Miss Barnegat Light reports fishing continues with waves of action. “We’ve had some high points but also some lows.  Lots of action with short fluke, sea bass and mackerel with a handful of keeper fluke each trip. The fluke that are keepers are all nice fish in the 3-5 pound range. Sometimes the kids show the adults how it’s done! Here’s one youth angler showing off two nice fluke.

Amongst fish, one guy caught a nice quality rod and reel setup off the bottom. It must have just went overboard because it was in great condition. You never know what you are going to catch! Jump aboard for some fun bottom fishing or join us on a sunset cruise!

Offshore Fishing Report:

The offshore report as of late has been up and down. One day the bite goes off then the next… “You should of been here yesterday.” On the midshore bluefin grounds anglers have been pounding Lemkes and the waters around the Edward Cole. Recently the light tackle chunk at Lemkes has produced fish. The ones catching are scaling down to 30/40# flourocarbon leader. The Cole, a spot which produced very well for many seems to have dried up but that may change. Let’s hope it turns back on. Recently we got a solid report of fish at the Star and the Fingers. There anglers caught on the jig and troll. It is anyone’s guess how long they will stick around. Maybe they’ll push up the line and hang on the west side of the Chicken. They could be already making a nice heading for boats out of Barnegat Light. One report of fish at the Little Italy so that area is worth a look.

Out at the edge reports back from a couple boats had a skunk theme both on the troll and chunk. One captain reported, “We smashed them on the moon. Fishing was bonkers!” Sometimes coming off a moon fishing can slow up and that’s what seems to be happening now. The Hudson reports slowed. A couple large 60-80# yellowbirds were taken out of the Toms. There’s boats catching just not a ton. You gotta persevere and take the good with the bad. Keep on keeping on. This season has been great and there’s a lot more season ahead of us!

Colette Tallent stopped in and geared up for an offshore trip with the kids. The kids first trip offshore was an awesome experience. This smile explains it all!