Reel Reaction Charters – Fishing Report

We have been very busy on the water as I’m literally out almost everyday going for bay and inlet Fluke.  We will eventually start running Ocean Fluke trips once some of my choice snags start producing, more on this in a couple of weeks.  We were cancelled today due to the weather which will allow me to get some 100hr maintenance completed and some re-rigging.  The Fluking is getting better as we put a nice 8 pound doormat in the boat this past week!  Here is this week’s rundown:

I had return client Tom McGough of Harrisburg, PA, his wife Kristen, Andy McGough of Philadelphia, and James McGough of Altoona on a 4hr Bay/Inlet charter. Cool, Windy, and Fall-like for June. It was a very tough day as the wind was blowing NE close to 20 and we had wind against tide in most locations. We moved a lot to find biting fish, but the foursome only managed a little over 20 shorts with 1 nice keeper at 22 inches. Even the inlet/jetty was tough rough to work for Bluefish. Tough day on the water, but at least the rods bent!!

Early in the week, I had return client Ian Habich and his friend Christian Gruber on a 4hr Bay/Inlet trip. We worked the first hour and a half throwing soft plastics around the Barnegat Inlet. Both anglers got bit off by Bluefish, before finding hookups on short Striped Bass. The bass were promptly released after a quick pic. We fished the remaining trip looking for keeper Fluke, in which we found close to 20 shorts with 3 being 17 7/8! Another few weeks and they’ll be keepers! Tough day on the keeper front, but we’ll be back at it again!

I had new client and Village Harbor Fishing Club member Bill Dodd of Beach Haven West and his son-in-law Eric on a 4hr Bay/Inlet Fluke trip. We worked quite a few areas with the duo releasing 40 Fluke while keeping two nice 22 inches for the table. The pink S&S Bigeye bucktail did the trick for the keepers! Again, it has been a little sporadic for the keepers to bite and the temperature definitely makes a big difference. A great morning on the water!

I had return client Ellington “Duke” Smith of Delaware with his grandson Marcus and girlfriend Jasmine on a 4hr Bay/Inlet Fluke trip. We had very tough conditions as it was blowing a steady 15-20 knots, and I had to power drift in most locations. We moved around a lot today to find a few biting fish in each spot. The trio caught close to 15 Fluke and 4 nice keepers (28in, 22.5in, 22in, 18.5 inches). We missed another one boat-side when it shook the bucktail. The S&S Bigeye was the key again with the 8 pounder inhaling it! Jasmine caught her 1st ever Fluke bucktailing, so congrats!!

We are 7 days a week (morning/afternoon). If interested in booking a charter, book our site (www.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.

Capt. Brett Taylor ~ www.reelreactioncharters.com ~ Call or Text: 609-290-7709

 

Lighthouse Sportfishing Report 6/27

This year marks my 15th year as Barnegat Bay’s’ premier guide service. During my 15 years of guiding, I have been boarded by the United States Coast Guard (USCG) 3 times for safety checks. Two of the three times I have been boarded have been with the same charter, which is the Demareskis and it happened the other day. What are the odds of that? Kudos to the men and women serving in our USCG for everything they do! Off course, everything check out OK during the USCG safety check.

The Demareski’s have been coming out with me since 2007. During the first few years, Roger D came out with his three boys. Now he comes out with four. The youngest, Patrick 7 years old, was high hook today on fluke. The honking NW winds made conditions tough today and the bite was off but we caught a bunch of shorts and had lots of fun. The coolest thing we saw today was a gigantic sea robin chasing a 4-5” sundial to the surface in 10’ of water. The sundial lost that battle. We also caught a micro striper on a minnow. Some of the fluke are even eating their own kind (see picture). The inlet area is holding plenty of bass and blues but the dinner bell has been hard pin down. I have been finding small schools of the bunker just off the beach. And I mean just off the beach. They were on top of the bar just behind the breaking waves. Some of these bunker were only 10” long. Perfect sized baits for schoolie bass. I did snag and swim a few around the inlet. The blues loved them as did the small bass. With school out, I am available every day. Being a teacher and a Hooked on Fishing – Not on Drugs certified instructor I specialize in getting kids hooked on fishing.

Screaming drags,

Captain Alex 609-548-2511
Lighthouse Sportfishing

 

 

Hi Flier Inshore and Offshore

Just got back from Key West. Had my two boys, Nick, 19 and Max, 17 down there to catch their first permit. Found the best captain down there, Capt Jason Wells from Reel Easy Charters 305.906.2076. So impressed by this guy. Laid back, focused,….and persistent. The key to catching permit down there is to have crabs for bait. The whole island was sold out but he had a call out to a shop that was going to call us if any came in. We were already on the fishing grounds when the call came in and he had us reel in and motor back to get live crabs. Not too many guides would burn the fuel or put in the time to do this. It paid off as we caught four nice permit in the two hours after we returned to the grounds. We also had two big snook, a 17 and 18 pounder that Max and I took on live pinfish in the early morning out on a wreck in the Atlantic. I didn’t even know you could catch them there, I thought they were a backwater or near shoreline fish. We had some big mangrove snappers, yellowtails, barracuda, a black grouper, a bunch of Spanish mackerel and one good size king mackerel for the two days we spent with Capt Jason. Here’s Nick DeGennaro with his first permit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UW4UyLwExXk and Max DeGennaro with his: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kNrHwSdVOkY

Back to NJ fishing now. I have inshore charters booked for this Fri, Sat, and Sun, June 29, 30, and July 1. We will target the blues and short stripers in the inlet, fluke in the bay, and I picked up some live shedder crabs to see what I could get going in the back bay. Hoping to find some weakfish or kingfish.
Monday, July 2 and Wednesday, July 4 we are available for Open Boat or charter. If the weather is perfect we will be looking to run offshore to the tuna grounds on either or both days. Could be Yellowfin or Bluefin….or both!  Looking for light and variable winds and no threat of storms. That’s the only forecast I go on. We have a Garmin Sirius/XM satellite weather station on board to monitor any storm activity as well. $300 person if we run to the 50 to 60 mile grounds, $350 person if we run all the way to the canyons. The shorter run is usually a 4AM to 4PM trip and the longer run would be 2AM to 4PM. Something you should know, and I repeat this a lot as I don’t want anyone to be disappointed, if you want a better chance at sailing for tuna, you should book a bigger boat that will sail in sea conditions that we will not. Three to four foot seas is not much of a sea in those bigger sportfishermen, but I am looking for flat calm or 1 to 2’s at most to go that distance in a 25 ft boat. Mind you, it’s a very capable World Cat catamaran with brand new motors, a six man survival raft, and an EPIRB (Search and Rescue Beacon), but those are just for peace of mind, not anything we ever want to use. If you’re good with that, C’mon, C’mon!
If it looks like the weather is not good for offshore we will target inshore fishing, maybe Barnegat Ridge or inlet/bay fishing. we will be fishing for something.
Pics:
Nick DeGennaro with Capt Jason Wells and his Permit
Max DeGennaro with his 17 lb Snook
Dave DeGennaro with his 18 lb Snook
Capt. Dave DeGennaro
Hi Flier Sportfishing
732.330.5674 cell
hiflier.com

Reel Fantasea Fishing Charters – Light Tackle Action Remains Hot!!

Anglers aboard the Reel Fantasea continue to score Barnegat Bay Slams mixing it up between all three species – Stripers, blues and fluke on light spinning tackle to maximize their angling fun!

Stripers ranging just under 28″ to as small as mid to upper teens [ inches] have be bending the rods and straining our light tackle drags to the delight of our light tackle enthusiasts.
Bluefish have also been readily available on most tidal stages ranging in size from 2lbs – 10lbs under heavy bird plays. They  have provided exceptional light tackle fun and opportunity for those seeking more drag scorching quarry.
Fluke are also available for those seeking these delicious and delicate gamesters  but seeking cleaner water during certain tidal stages have been the best way to score consistently to avoid peak sea weed and algae flow.
I have  Friday afternoon/evening 5pm-8pm , Saturday and Sunday morning 5am – 10am available for anyone looking to get out on the action!!
Wishing everyone fair winds and calm seas,
Captain Steve Purul
Reel Fantasea Fishing Charters
609-290-1217

Last Minute Opening – Tuesday June 26

I had a last minute cancellation for tomorrow, Tuesday June 26th.  I’m willing to run open boat ($125 per person – need 3) or charter.  The rest of the week is booked solid.  All tackle, bait, ice, Gulp, fish-cleaning is included.  We would be targeting Fluke and have decent tides – I’m willing to go 5am to 9am or 6am to 10am.  If interested give me a text or call, 609-290-7709.

Capt. Brett Taylor – Reel Reaction Sportfishing – www.reelreactioncharters.com

Old Barney Charters Report

The last few trips have seen many species aboard The Bonnie Anne.  Last weekend we were on sea bass with Brian and Jim McGee and their father Jim Sr. on their annual Father’s Day trip.  The group was on the sea bass and left with bags of fillets filled with sea bass and ling.  Our first stop had throw back after throw back. It was our 3rd stop that was holding nice hump heads for the group.  Father’s Day I was out with “The” Bonnie Anne and our 3 boys, ages 8, 6, and 2. We hit sea bass for an hour and the kids put 8 in the box and then we played with cocktail blues using metals at the inlet. Perfect Father’s Day.  Sea bass opens again on July 1st.

This weekend I had Janet and Rich Krakowski out with sons Rich and Alex.  This was their first time ever bucktailing for fluke and Janet’s first time ever fishing.  We hit channel edges on the outgoing at the north end.  The group put 3 keepers in the box at 18”, 19”, and 20.5”.  The fish didn’t seem to prefer a certain color and all Gulp! colors produced. The group finished with over 20 fish, a couple 3ft. houndfish and a sundial.

School is out and we are fishing weekdays now!  We use top quality rods, reels, and tackle, provide all bait, and ice. Just show up and have a great time catching fish!  Call or email to book.

Captain Kevin Schmidt
267-918-1746
www.oldbarneycharters.com
oldbarneycharters@aol.com

Reel Fantasea Fishing Charters – Multiple Barnegat Bay Slams !!

Sorry for missing last weeks update but I was enjoying my Father’s Day with family and friends and couldn’t pull my self away. I certainly hope all the dads enjoyed their day as well!

Stripers, Blues and Fluke have been our main targets this week with the closing of seabass season for now. With that being said our anglers have scored all three species [ Barnegat Bay Slam!!] consistently on trips with some of our anglers scoring multiple slams individually !!
Blues have been running into the drag scoring 9-12lbs ranges with most ranging about 3 – 5lbs while our fluke have been scored to 25″ and weighing up to almost 6lbs. Stripers are of the catch and release variety but are fantastically entertaining on light spinning tackle.
Presently I only have next Sunday July 1st available for folks looking for some salty light tackle fun!
Remember to join us on Facebook and Instagram for pictures, videos and latest updates and like us!
Wishing everyone fair winds and calm seas,
Captain Steve Purul
Reel Fantasea Fishing Charters
609-290-1217

Reel Reaction Charters – Fishing Report

With lesser tidal current, the backbay Fluke fishing is definitely start to improve, but we still have to contend with slime grass and close to 20 degree temperature swings.  The key has been to finding cleaner water and you can really do some damage when the wind is close to calm.  We have been averaging 20 to over 35 fish per trip and the keepers are varying 1 to 5 depending on the winds.  With the end of the school year and finals, I got a little behind on my reports (too many to list here), so check them out on our website (www.reelreactioncharters.com), click on reports.  I’m out of school and I’m running charters 7 days a week through September 1st.

We are 7 days a week (morning/afternoon). If interested in booking a charter, book our site (www.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.

Capt. Brett Taylor ~ www.reelreactioncharters.com ~ Call or Text: 609-290-7709

LBI Fishing Report Update – June 22, 2018

Summer is officially here! That means inshore fluke fishing and offshore shark/tuna. Both of these are firing on all cylinders!!!

Fluke fishing in the bay has been good. surf anglers are also cranking out a catch. The ocean is picking up too but shorts, sea robins and dog fish dominate. We expect the inshore reef sites and wrecks as well as open bottom areas to pick up. Usually July and August are very good out there.

The surf fishing continues with a mix of different species. Even though most surf anglers have switched over to fluke and kingfish, the occasional striped bass and bluefish catch prove they are still hanging around.

Bill Montes fished the mid-island surf today and caught a nice size striped bass on our FishHeads salted clam.

Those looking for a good pull are looking towards sharks. Both sandbar and sand tiger sharks are present.

The inlet is producing fluke, striped bass and triggerfish.

Those looking to get out and enjoy the water and all that Long Beach Island has to offer should get out on Barnegat Bay. Go crabbing! Or if you are into other shellfish… head to the state’s website and purchase a shellfish license. Get out and go clamming! We’ve got all the essential crabbing and clamming supplies.

Speaking of shellfish and the bay… I had a blast last weekend clamming with the family. We had a great haul. Between four of us, in two hours we got almost 300 hard clams in a good assortment of sizes.

On Wednesday got a request to help out the Chamber with an oyster farming media project featuring Forty North Oysters. Went out to the “farm” and learned a lot about these tasty bivalves. The group was the first to sample the exclusive Parker’s Pearls for Beach Haven’s Parker Garage. For those that watched our live Instagram feed… I hope you enjoyed. There was a lot shared and I learned a ton about the amazing value oysters potentially offer to our waters. An adult oyster filters about a gallon of water per hour!

BHCFA Fishing Report

Beach Haven Charter Fishing Association Fishing Report

by Jim Hutchinson Sr.

Black sea bass season is temporarily on hold, but fluke fishing action continues to remain steady for the boats of the Beach Haven Charter Fishing Association. A few bluefish are around the inlets, and offshore reports are very good for both yellowfin and bluefin tuna. Sharks are also making their presence known offshore.

Captain Ray Lopez and mate Liane Lopez on the “Miss Liane” reported some great family type fishing for black sea bass on inshore structure. The Occhipinti family celebrated Father’s Day in great style with “drop and reel” action.

Captain Carl Sheppard reports he too has been running family trips of up to 12 anglers on mostly half-day trips. His groups have been averaging 25 fish per trip. He has been blaming cool water for the slow action but anticipates increased action as the water has starting warming. On one recent inshore trip Captain Carl had bluefin tuna breaking water around the boat, but he was unable to coax any to his lines.

Captain Brett Taylor of Reel Reaction Sportfishing reports a definite improvement in his fishing trips over the past few days. As the water temperatures have warmed, the slime grass on the bottom is leaving, making fluke drifting much easier. Weather conditions made fishing touch recently for Ian Habich and his wife Tracey. Using bucktails, they managed to put 3 keeper fluke in the box up to 5.5 pounds along with a catch and release short striper. The finished the day with 3-6 pound bluefish caught in the inlet. Other trips resulted in 20 short fluke along with one keeper and another with five keepers to 22-inches. The bluefish in the inlet have been completing his trips.

This is a good time to book an offshore tuna trip. The weather is decent and the fish are there. For information on tuna fishing and the boats of the BHCFA go to the website at www.bhcfa.net.