Fisherman's Headquarters Fishing Report

After reading reports if you contact any captain for a charter, please mention that you read their report on the Fisherman's Headquarters Fishing Report. Thank you
NWS Northeast Radar Loop
Live LBI Surf Cam Located in Beach Haven NJ

Registration has begun for the 11th Annual Simply Bassing Spring Surf Tournament ($20 May 5 to June 24, 2012)!  Stop in the shop to sign up and and also also join our $10 Spring Striper Side Bet aka Striper Calcutta. The Largest bass weighed in at FHQ take the "cash pot"! For More Detail About The Fisherman's HQ 2012 Spring Striper Side Bet Click Here.
 Unofficial Standings:  ** =FHQ Calcutta
1) 31lb-01oz - John Parzych**
2) 24lb-06oz - Marty Supsie
3) 22lb-02oz - Blake Griffiths
4) 21lb-11oz - Steve Wolfschmidt
5) 15lb-04oz - Richard Sherman
6) 15lb-02oz - Marcella Friedman

May 15, 2012 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

11:50 AM

Mike Greene weighed in a 47-lb 1-oz bass for the OTW Striper Cup yesterday afternoon.

~ Capt. Mike Greene, Lucky Stripes Charters  LBI, NJ  718-644-6087

1:30 PM

Bill Molinaro gave us heads up that he caught a pair of Striped Bass this morning while fishing mid-island using bunker.

Received: May 15, 2012 1:07 PM   Subject: Big Stripers Trolling and Livelining

We had an awesome stretch of fishing Thursday through Sunday. Thursday, Friday, and Saturday we caught a quantity of 28 to 38 pound stripers trolling green or white Tony Maja bunker spoons. The best bite was in 58 to 62 feet of water from the Bathing Beach of Island Beach to the Seaside Piers.

On Sunday, I ran to the “spot” where I had such great success for three days in a row to do the same thing in the same place. I even got the guys to the dock early to avoid the crowd. Two hours of trolling... nothing. I heard the chatter on the radio about a snag and drop bite, but didn’t know exactly where, and besides, I was certain our rods were going to double over any minute. They didn’t. I finally found the bunker in tight to the beach. Made two drifts and had two fish hooked, taking drag, and then... Gone?! Ahhh, it’s going to be like that today? A few more drifts and it appeared that there were a few too many boats on this one pod, so we went off searching. Did some more trolling and not catching before hitting the dock. Not bad, three great days and one awful. The good news is that the snagging bite is on.

I will be running open boat trips every day starting this Thursday, May 17 with an afternoon 12:30 PM to 6:30 PM trip. Friday, May 18, 5:30 AM to 11:30 AM (already one signed on, room for two more) and 12:30 PM to 6:30 PM. Saturday, May 19, 12:30 PM to 6:30 PM and Sunday, May 20, 5:30 AM to 11:30 AM and 12:30 PM to 6:30 PM. $150 per person. Limited to three people. Call to book a spot. This is the only availability I have until Thursday, May 31.

Here are a few pictures:
  Jim Trainor with son Brady and friend.
  Bill Cohen, Billy Fellows, and Robert Jones.
Here's a video clip of Lenny Araneo catching a 35-pounder on a Tony Maja white bunker spoon: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2bALENOl-_E&feature=relmfu

~ Capt. Dave DeGennaro, Hi Flier Sportfishing  732.330.5674

May 14, 2012 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

6:00 PM

Captain Stew Hitchner on the Pez Machine had a family of four out on the water today. Stew reported, "It started off slow but the late morning bite developed. The group ended up with their limit of trophy stripers up to 43-lbs. We caught most of them live lining bunker. Had a couple on the troll."  ~ Capt. Stew Hitchner, Pez Machine Sportfishing 56' Core Sound, 609-287-5136

We had a customer stop back with bass to be weighed. He got it mid-island on clam. Another customer reported lots of small blues in the wash chasing small bait (spearing).

Received: May 14, 2012 5:17 PM Subject: Bass in Surf

I fished the mid-island surf this afternoon. Non stop action. Had 2 blues up to 8 lbs and a 35" bass on a bunker head. Guys were catching to the left and right of me as well. Great day!

May 13, 2012 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

6:30 PM

John Kleban and Paul Galasso caught some bass earlier today trolling north of the Inlet. They weighed in two bass; one 35-lbs and one 27.5-lbs.

1:45 PM

Store staffers Steve-O and Joni chunked bunker last night off of the surf. They were covered up in skates and doggies.

11:30 AM

Don Roberts caught this 23-lb 4-oz bass early morning, mid-island surf, bunker head. Don also mentioned that he released another fish (33") that went for a chunk.

Received: May 13, 2012 2:49 PM Subject: Nothing But Skates Last Night

Fished the beach in Harvey cedars from 9pm - 2am during the incoming tide last night. Only action was skates. Chunked bunker, clam and even a sand eel that washed up on the beach. ~ Matt S.

Received: May 13, 2012 2:02 PM Subject: Lighthouse Sportfishing Report

I was last out Saturday for an evening trip. On the hook we kept busy either cleaning the lines of snot grass or the hooks of skates. The snot grass is actually a form of algae and is an indicator species meaning the presence / abundance of it can be used as a gauge of water quality. Nutrient enrichment of the bay from run off is responsible for these algae blooms. Now back to the fishing report. Moving west we then worked poppers for some hard fighting 2-4 pound blues. For those that never tried this you do not know what you are missing. It is so much fun watching the water explode as a hungry bluefish attempts to eat your popper. This action will only get better over the next week. With school still in session I am presently running weekend and late afternoon / evening trips.

Screaming drags,

~ Capt. Alex, Lighthouse Sportfishing  Barnegat, NJ  609-548-2511

Received: May 13, 2012 10:41 AM Subject: Barnegat Bay Fishing Report

Hello All,

Strong southerly winds and an early showing of that ugly slime weed we see each spring conspired to make for some slow back bay fishing early in the week, but west winds took over late in the week flattening out the seas and it was game on again with large striped bass out front.

Winds blowing a steady 20-25 knots from the south dictated we stay in the bay for Tuesday's trip, and it seemed like an excellent opportunity to see if clam baits would produce a few fish from the inlet channels. Unfortunately, the aforementioned slime weed made it almost impossible to keep clean baits in the water and turned the day into a total blow out. I'm not sure what slime weed actually is, but it seems to show up each spring when we have cold ocean water meeting warm bay water and lasts until we have a pretty good northeast blow to flush it out. It's a bit early this year, but for the time being we'll have to carefully time our clam fishing to get the cleanest water we can. Bluefish and a few weakfish have finally appeared in the bay, so topwater action should be good for the next month or so.

The good news is that the spring run of large striped bass along the beach seems to be taking hold. It's not crazy fishing yet, but trolling the large #4 Maja spoons in deep water is starting to produce some quality fish. Jim Breslin and his buddies Jim and Jim (no, I'm not making that up) were out with me on Friday and landed fish ranging from 37 to 41 pounds, and George Selph was out again with me yesterday adding his 33 pounder to the mix. These fish are still pretty scattered and mostly out in deeper water, so wire line trolling is name of the game right now. But more of them are arriving each day, and as soon as they find the massive schools of bunker along the beach we'll be in for some epic fishing.

There are still a few open dates left for this spring, so give me a call if you're looking to get a trip in before the bass migrate out of our area.

Until next week.

~ Capt. Jack Shea, "Rambunctious", Barnegat Bay Fishing Charters 609.698.3632

Received: May 13, 2012 9:02 AM Subject: Reel Fantasea Fishing Charters - It is all about the troll!

This week patience and persistence on the troll is what put stripers to 50 1/2" @ 40+lbs on ice for anglers aboard the Reel Fantasea. With bunkers schools playing hide a seek for most of the week ,the snag and drop was not an option for us but luckily the big bass did respond well to Tony Maja #4 white and green bunker spoons. I would be the first to admit that trolling is my least favorite technique for anything that swims but there is no denying how well these spoons work and they have been the difference to the "have" and "have not". Trolling is even a hard sell for my most "hard core" crew but with my recently updated addition of Tony Maja trolling rods has made me and my anglers more receptive and committed to this technique as there is no doubt the Tony's rod and spoon combo's work like no other! Angler of the week goes to the bass master himself regular Jay Simmons with a massive beauty of 50-1/2 " 45-lb striped bass, that was over 4 foot feet long! It actually looked more like a 50-lber when we all first saw her.

The backbay/inlet also continues to offer up action with schoolie bass and loads of bluefish and if the snot grass ever dissipates I'm sure there is fluke to be had as well and with rumors of weakfish circulating can a Barnegat Bay Grand Slam opportunity be far away?

Wishing everyone fair winds and calm seas,

~ Capt. Steve Purul, Reel Fantasea Fishing Charters  609.290.1217

May 12, 2012 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

7:30 PM

Captain Tim Irons, George Gilbert, Chuck Snyder and Wes Jones, fishing on the "Smokin' Again" a little north of the Baltimore Canyon today. They caught 6 bluefin tuna, keeping one at 54 inches. Fish were caught on spreader bars and ballyhoo.

1:00 PM

The CTS Demo was great. The weather could not have been better. A number of anglers came out to check out CTS's line of rods.  The Vapor Trail Series has always been a stand out for it's exceptional casting distance and parabolic bend, The new S7 Series had a lot of interest. It is the go to bait rod for  either 3-8oz or 6-10oz. They will be in the shop soon.

Brian Rakowski from Harvey Cedars just weighed in this 32-lb 15-oz bass. He caught it this morning trolling a Mann's Stretch Deep Diver off of IBSP in 55 feet of water.

    CTS Rods are up the street from the shop now until noon! Come check them out. Cast one or all and see what you like!

8:00 AM

The bass were on the chew this morning!

John Parzych just weighed in this 31-lb 1-oz 44.75" bass. He took the lead in the Simply Bassing and FHQ Calcutta. John caught his bass about 5:30 this morning on a bunker head. He said it was his first cast.

Both Capt Stew aboard the Pez Machine and Capt Steve aboard the Reel Fantasea trolled up fish this morning. Stew mentioned that they are all quality fish, "4 fish over 46 inches!"

Steve (store staff) and I headed out this early morning. I got one and Steve got two bass up to 18-lbs on the boga. The bite was on right at false light and then died once the sun poked out. - FishHead.Greg

May 11, 2012 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

     Surfcaster's Journal Magazine Issue 13 May 2012 - Check it out!

8:55 PM - CTS Rod Casting Demo in the Morning!!! Come up the street from the shop and cast any and/or all of the rods in CTS's line. Details listed below

Wayne and Jacob Hopkins were out on the water today. They trolled north of the Inlet off of IBSP. Wayne said, "The fleet seemed to form off the bathing beach but we found the most marks about a mile before that. The fish were in the 50-60 foot of water. It started late morning after the slack tide. We had all of the action on the Green Maja Bunker Spoon. You have to be careful and make sure you don't go over the 3 mile line. We were fishing close."

3:30 PM - Just Received a fresh load of PRIMO BUNKER!

Rudy Egberts was on the water today and had success trolling off of IBSP in 60' of water. Rudy weighed in two bass; one 33-lber and one 35-lber. He got them trolling with Blue Water Candy!

1:30 PM

Eddy (store staff) chunked bunker last night after work. He caught one bass about 12-lbs and a horn dog. His buddy also caught a bass about 17lbs.

A boat angler stopped by the shop this afternoon and reported a slow pick in the boat. He said that he picked up a couple bass trolling spoons off of IBSP out in deeper water, just inside and along the 3 mile line. Keep an eye on your GPS and be aware of your location. A little while back a number of boats got wacked for possessing bass out past 3 miles. Please keep it in mind that you can not catch bass inside three miles and take them outside (say go wreck fishing) and you can not catch striped bass outside three miles and bring them into port.

10:00 AM

CTS Demo tomorrow Saturday May 12th at the 9th Street beach in Ship Bottom. Right up the street from the shop. The weather looks great with west winds and sun in the forecast.

Skip Marvin gave us heads up, "I caught two bass from the surf last night."

Yesterday was a good day trolling out front. The C-Witch caught 6 bass up to 41-lbs, Maja Bunker Spoons. It's on and only getting better.

"If any of you are out fishing today, look to the skies at 1:30 or so. The USAF Thunderbirds will be practicing for the Airshow this weekend at McGuire AFB. They will also be flying Saturday and Sunday at 3pm. There will also be a F-18 and F-4U heritage flight at 3:45 today." ~ Ryan Guerrette

May 10, 2012 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Received: May 10, 2012 6:45 PM Subject: Big Stripers on Spoons!

We got into an awesome bite of big stripers on the troll today in 60 feet of water off of Island Beach State Park from the Bathing Beach to a few miles south of the Seaside Piers. My friend, Lenny Araneo of Barnegat, who has taught me more than a thing or two about fishing Barnegat Bay, joined me for a morning shot at trolling bass. We had four fish, 25, 33, 35, and 38 pounds all weighed on the Boga Grip. All on white or green #4 Tony Maja bunker spoons. Here's a few pics: Lenny holding a beauty and here is a dock shot. I have room tomorrow, Friday, on the 1 PM to 7PM trip, Saturday there is room for two on the same slot in the afternoon, and Sunday (Mothers Day), room for one in the morning 6AM to Noon sharp! No afternoon trip.....You know the deal! Give a call to reserve one of these spots, the fish are here.  Here's the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OjDx9xn6lRY

~ Capt. Dave DeGennaro, Hi Flier Sportfishing  732.330.5674

Received: May 10, 2012 6:45 PM Subject: Bass In Surf!

Hey Guys - Fished with Moose and my buddy Joe this morning and caught this 34" 14 pound bass. Mid-island surf, first two hours of the incoming, caught sharks too. Moose still has the skunk on him! He's due. ~ Stevie G.

12:45 PM

A customer who wanted to remain anonymous gave us this report, "Picked up those fresh bunker when I stopped by the shop last night. Chunked the beach hard. 8 smooth dogs and 4 bass up to 41 inches. There was a pounding surf and hard rain. It was not pretty but there were fish. A friend of mine also caught a pair of bass.

We also got word from a surf angler this morning, "Skates so far."

Eddy (store staff) fished last night. He caught three bluefish.

9:40 AM

We received a fresh load of primo bunker late in the day yesterday! We expect another delivery later today.

May 9, 2012 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2:00 PM

Joni (store staff) chunked the beach for a couple hours last night. He released two bass on in the high teens and one in the low twenties. The only other thing we heard off of the front beach was from a customer who fisedh this monring in the rain and got nil. He did mentioned another angler near by him caught a keeper size bass.

7:00 AM

We got word that there were a lot of big fish caught in the boat on Monday. We had a couple weigh-ins and the anglers raved about the killer day. We didn't realize it was a full on big bass day. Yes it is old news now but the point is the big trophy spring bass are here. Simply Bassing is on! Get out and fish.

Steve-O fished the bayside last night in search of some weakies. He caught and released a herring and a bluefish.

Received: May 8, 2012 7:54 PM Subject: BHCFA Weekly Report

The opening of the 2012 summer flounder season in Beach Haven was not the resounding success that the captains of the Beach Haven Charter Fishing Association had hoped for. There were some stories of some keeper fluke in various areas of Great Bay, but not many were to be found in the ocean waters. Most experts place the blame for the slow start to the season on cold water. The “Miss Beach Haven” fished Saturday on opening day and found little to write home about. First Mate Sal Rosa reported that the water temperatures were just 54-degrees, a bit too cold to get a good fluke bite going. Sal says the boat will not be sailing on Mother’s Day weekend but will be sailing for black sea bass on May 19th. There have been reports of some huge schools of bunker just off the beaches of Long Beach Island, some of which have large bass feeding on the edges. Although the bite has not been red hot, 40-pound linesiders have been caught.

Additional information on the association can be found at www.BHCFA.com   ~ Jim Hutchinson Sr.

May 8, 2012 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1:00 PM - Beautiful Day but a Little Breezy

Rob Vallone released a nice sized sand tiger this morning. He was bunker chunking off of the beach looking for striped ones and got this spotted toothy critter. Any anglers wading the sand bars especially at night should be cautious.

Eddy (store staff) has been putting his time in late night style on the bay. He caught and released three weakfish last night. This one was his biggest. Ed mentioned that he caught them all on a Stillwater's version of the Rattle-Trap.

7:00 AM - Got a fresh load of bunker yesterday

Joni (store staff) headed out last night and caught. Here is a picture he sent.

CTS DEMO THIS SATURDAY - MAY 12th 8 AM - 12 NOON!!! Due to weather we were forced to cancel the previously scheduled CTS Rods Casting Demo Day. We have rescheduled it for May 12th. Be sure to check out their Vapor Trail Series as well as their new line of S7 rods. We look forward to seeing everyone. LOCATION: Right Up the Street from the shop - 9th Street Beach, Ship Bottom

Received: May 8, 2012 11:38 AM Subject: Hi Flier

  The truth hurts, but here it is. I fished Thursday and Friday for stripers and caught none. Thursday I didn’t hear of any fish, but Friday I heard a few guys on the radio with one or two heavyweight bass. On each of those trips, we finished up in the bay with solid action on 2 to 6 pound bluefish. Casting surface lures and trolling with light spinning tackle. Saturday I had a bay trip so we stuck with the reliable bluefish action. Sunday, I cancelled because of the predicted sea condition, and from what I heard, the striper bite was back on. Yesterday, (Monday), I had more than a few phone calls telling me about the epic troll bite on 30 to 50 pound fish on bunker spoons. Lots of boats catching lots of big stripers! That’s as specific as I can get, because it’s not my report. I can’t share location and depth unless I was there. How lame is my fishing report for the weekend that I’m giving second hand striper reports? As a rule, I usually only report what we catch, but I didn’t catch, but it wouldn’t make good business sense to keep the recent bite a secret. So that’s my excuse. The forecast for the end of the week is for a mix of northwest, north, and mild northeast winds. The best script for seas and bass fishing that you could ever write. Starting Thursday, May 10, which is forecasted to be NW winds, we will sail two open boat trips 5:30 AM to 11:30 AM and 12:30 PM to 6:30 PM. Friday and Saturday, May 11 and 12, I have the afternoon trips available 12:30 PM to 6:30 PM, so those will be open boat trips, as well. Sunday is Mother’s Day, I am already booked in the AM and I dare not book the afternoon. All trips are $150 per person, 3 person max, call for reservations, don’t email me, I will probably be on the water. See you on board. We can go make some first hand reports.

~ Capt. Dave DeGennaro, Hi Flier Sportfishing  732.330.5674

Received: May 7, 2012 7:52 PM Subject: Lighthouse Sportfishing Report

Fluke season opened this past weekend and most I talked to had a tough time around the bay. Incoming water was too cold while outgoing had loads of snot grass. The bay is holding schoolie bass on the flats and in the channels and blues have shown up. With the cool weather we have had most days the blues are not chewing as well as they should but there is I see no problem getting a few to bend the rods. We have started to see some of the larger post spawn breeding bass (20 – 40 pounds) show up off the beach to feed on bunker. Whether or not you want to fish the bay or ocean right now there are plenty of opportunities.

Nature note: Friday parts of NJ got to witness a truly amazing sight as millions of butterflies (mostly red admirals) migrated north after be born a short time ago in the southern part of the US. Red admirals go through cycles with the peak numbers occurring every 10 years. They last peaked in 2001 and should have peaked again last year. But then again, mother nature does not keep time.

Screaming drags,

~ Capt. Alex, Lighthouse Sportfishing  Barnegat, NJ  609-548-2511

May 7, 2012 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1:30 PM

Rich Belli of the Village Harbour Fishing Club just weighed in a 38.30-lb bass. He caught it trolling north of the Inlet off of the Bather's Beach.

12:45 PM

Mike Greene just weighed in a 51.5" 43.65-lb bass. He caught it earlier today north of the Inlet, off of IBSP.  He reported catching a number of other fish and also mentioned that there was a lot of small bait present.

9:20 AM

So far this morning it has been really nice. No fog and no wind. There was a big rush of anglers this morning getting bait and heading out. We'll post in we hear anything.

Received: May 6, 2012 9:17 PM Subject: Reel Fantasea Fishing Charters - Slow Week of Striper Fishing Ended on an Up Swing

This week the striped bass bite seemed to be suffering from a "super moon" hangover as we encountered acres and acres of bunker that seemed to swim happily along with no signs of attack from stripers. Although the backbay did continue to offer action with bluefish ranging in size from 2-9lbs on light spinning tackle . But by weeks end we started seeing the stripers shaking off any ill effects with fish ranging from 25- 32lbs on both live lined bunker and trolling Tony Maja spoons. Anglers of the week goes to new comers Tom Zeigler and Dave Potts landing there biggest stripers ever! . Actually Dave's 32lber was his first striper ever! Nice job guys! Strangely, the full moon can be boon or bust and what I had expected to be a favorable moon phase turned out to be a total shutdown for most of the week. This season continues to be anything but typical and so it goes..................schools in! Live and always continue to learn!

Wishing everyone fair winds and calm seas,

~ Capt. Steve Purul, Reel Fantasea Fishing Charters  609.290.1217

May 6, 2012 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2:30 PM

Sabrina and Robert Wilson with their daughters Virginia and Taylor stopped by the shop to share a report. They are catching blowfish on the bayside on clam.

Steve-O (store staff) checked in a nice striper this morning, 21-lbs 11-oz, 39.5" by 20.5". He caught it last night on bunker off of the beach in Harvey Cedars. It is the first Simply Bassing fish that we know of.

Century Demo went off great. We had a lot of guys show up to check out the whole line of rods. There will be a number of happy anglers with their new rods. Thanks to Ryan White of Century and Hatteras Jack as well as Mike Kulick of Century and KM Custom Rods.

7:50 AM

Century Rod Casting Demo is going down up the street from the shop. We will be setting up shortly and kicking back up there till noon. If you want to try out any of Century's rods stop by.

Received: May 6, 2012 10:22 AM Subject: Bluefish Sunday May 6th

Todd Elsasser caught this 35" bluefish off of the Harvey Cedars surf about 10am today on a bunker chunk.

Received: May 6, 2012 10:58 PM Subject: Barnegat Bay Fishing Report

Hello All,

Well striper fishing didn't exactly explode this week, but the good news is that fish have started to reappear after completing their annual spawning rituals and they seem to be the big ones we've been waiting for. Looks like the run of trophy sized fish that we look forward to each spring may be about to get started.

On Monday, Pennsylvanian's Greg McGuigan and John Becker had bass in the low 30 pound class before conditions brought us back in early. Trolling white #4 Maja spoons produced the fish after we switched over from chasing bunker schools. Thursday I had the chance to get out by myself for a couple of hours, releasing a fat 47" fish and dropping another similar sized fish within sight of the net. Both of those fish were found on the outskirts of a massive school of bunker that seemed to stretch non-stop from the North Jetty of IBSP all the way up to Seaside, well over ten miles! Just an unbelievable amount of bunker around right now, so the dinner table is set and we've just got to wait for our striped guests to show up in numbers.

I didn't get much chance to check out the back bay action this week, but typically this is the time of year when clams start producing decent numbers of fish in back. With fluke season opening yesterday, we've now got some decent options for those days that the weather isn't conducive to chasing stripers along the beachfront. Still have a couple of open dates later this month for anyone interested.

Until next week.

~ Capt. Jack Shea, "Rambunctious", Barnegat Bay Fishing Charters 609.698.3632

May 5, 2012 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

FYI: Beach Buggy 4x4 Access - Long Beach Township, Beach Haven and Harvey Cedars beaches close May 15th. Ship Bottom's beaches close May 19th.

4:45 PM - Century Surf Demo is Tomorrow Morning Up the Street from the Shop!

We haven't heard much today. Nothing first round flukers. We heard a couple surf anglers report very slow action off of the beach earlier today. Hopefully the incoming tide this afternoon will be a different story.

One customer stopped by the shop earlier in the day and reported a very slow morning in the boat. He did manage to troll up one nice fish.

6:00 AM -  Fluke season opens today!

Simply Bassing is on!!! Sign up to get in on the LBI Spring Surf Tournament.

The recent easterly winds have put bass and a couple bluefish on the beach. Look for this to continue with today's easterly flow.

Striper fishing in the boat recently has been inconsistent. One day it's great, the next day it's beat. Some have reported getting into amazing striper feeds on the bunker pods. Look around and you'll find 'em.

May 4, 2012 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

6:45 PM - Cooler is stacked with Primo Bunks - Just Received Another Load That's  # 3

The fresh bunker is flying out the door. Our current stock is strong but it's anyone's guess what we will have tomorrow. We will try our best to keep it stacked high.

We are fully stocked up for the fluke season. Tons of Gulp and bucktails as well as all of the bait: live minnows, frozen squid and beautiful spearing.

Just a reminder, the Century Rods Casting Demo this Sunday (May 6th 9am) up the street from the shop. Come out and cast one or all of Century's rods.

10:50 AM - Cooler is stacked with Primo Bunks - Just Received Another Load

Tomorrow is the day many have waited for! Opening day of fluke season. The fluke are here in good numbers. We have shared over the past couple of weeks a variety of fluke reports. Some jigging, some swimming plugs and even anglers chunking bunker. It should be a good start to a nice long season. [FLUKE: 5 fish @ 17.5" May 5th - Sept. 28th]

Tomorrow is also the start of the spring striper surf tournament Simply Bassing. Make sure when you sign up to buy in to our Striper Side-Bet. It's an extra $10 but well worth it. 100% pay out. Read this for more details.

Mike Toscani and Zach Foster stopped by the shop yesterday late in the day. The picked up a big bag of bunker and went out on the chunk. Mike sent us this picture and also called this morning to follow up with a report. "We headed up to the beach and caught multiple bass up to 37". All on bunker heads on the north end surf." It sounds like it was rocking and rolling.

May 3, 2012 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

3:00 PM - Cooler is stacked with Primo Bunks - Just Received Another Load

We have had a lot of emails asking when the beaches close for beach buggies so here it is...
Long Beach Township, Beach Haven and Harvey Cedars's beaches close May 15th. Ship Bottom's beaches close May 19th.

So far today we have not heard much off of the beach. If it is like the last couple days there should be some action from now until dark.

Eddy and Steve-O chunked bunker last night. They had a couple blues. Steve-o released a beautiful fluke that went for a big bunker chunk.

10:00 AM

Robby Vallone had a pair of nice sized blues yesterday on bunker.

Frankie “D” picked up some fresh bunker yesterday about 4pm. He caught this 35.5 “ bass off the surf mid-island about 7:15pm. He reported, "My only real bite except for skates on clam."

May 2, 2012 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

10:30 AM

A nice load of fresh bunker just arrived!

9:00 AM

Eddy (store staff) headed out after work and chunked bunker. He sent a text about 10:30pm, "got a nice bass, over 20lbs."

Century Rods Casting Demo this Sunday (May 6th 9am) up the street from the shop. Come out and cast one or all of Century's rods. Find the one you like the best.

Received: May 2, 2012 10:17 AM Subject: BHCFA Weekly Report

Although the spring tautog season has ended, the captains of the Beach Haven Charter Fishing Association are psyched over the summer flounder season opening on May 5. With a respectable showing of striped bass and some feisty bluefish, May looks like a good month for fishing around Beach Haven.

Captain Fran Verdi of the “Drop Off” reports he had several blackfish trips recently with good fishing, but he is very optimistic about the back bay fishing for fluke. He is hoping the drop in the minimum size to 17.5 inches will result in more fish for his anglers to take home. For those parties looking for larger fish, he plans to run up and down the beaches looking for trophy striped bass. For information on the 25' "Drop Off" contact Capt. Fran Verdi, (609) 868-8970, or Email: fpvmdv@comcast.net

The “Miss Beach Haven” with Captain Frank Camarda finished up the tautog season last weekend with two trips. First mate Sal Rosa reports the action was good, but the minimum size increase to 15-inches meant quite a few fish released that would have been kept last year. Sal said the pool on Saturday was split between John Cheeseman and birthday boy, Bill. Sunday’s pool winner was unidentified, but the fish was a nice 7-pounder. The “Miss Beach Haven” will now be sailing for fluke but will stop for bird play to try for stripers or bluefish feeding under the birds. For information on the 80' "Miss Beach Haven" contact Capt. Frank Camarda, phone: (609) 978-9951, email: contact Capt. Frank Camarda via email: MissBeachHaven@aol.com

Additional information on the association can be found at www.BHCFA.com   ~ Jim Hutchinson Sr.

May 1, 2012 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

6:00 PM

A customer who wanted to remain anonymous gave us a report just minutes ago. He caught a bass up on the north end of the island (surf) at the top of the tide on bunker. He mentioned that there were a couple other fish up there too.

12:50 PM

Steve Rupinski of Manahawkin weighed in this 43.5" 32.9-lb bass earlier today for the On The Water Striper Cup. May 1st is here and it's on!!!

Received: May 1, 2012 12:11 PM Subject: Trophy Stripers

Right on schedule, the big stripers are here. 20 to 40 pound fish off of Island Beach State Park. Most of the fish are being taken while trolling bunker spoons, though, there are now enough bunker on the scene to snag and liveline. I fished way north over the weekend to put my guys into the last of the school size bass migration. We broke Barnegat Inlet at 6AM, made the left, and 40 miles later we were at the Shrewsbury Rocks catching bass and blues under birds. While I was on world tour, our local boats had a good bite on the big stripers right in our own backyard. I did try and troll some readings on my long jaunt north, but perhaps I didn't give it enough of a try. In hindsight I would have kept the spoons out and stayed with the readings closer to home.

We will be sailing twice a day for these fish. Word travels fast and we are already booked this Thursday, Friday, and Saturday mornings, May 3, 4, and 5. We will run six hour afternoon open boat trips on Thursday and Friday. Thursday from 11:30 AM to 5:30 PM and Friday from 1PM to 7PM. Also Sunday I will run open 6AM to Noon. Trips are limited to 3 people. $150 per person. Call to reserve.

~ Capt. Dave DeGennaro, Hi Flier Sportfishing  732.330.5674

7:35 AM

Frank Muinos of the Village Harbour Fishing Club fished the Little Egg Reef yesterday aboard the Triple B. He stopped by the shop to check in a 3.6-lb Blackfish last night. He reported that the bite was hot all day.

Received: Apr 30, 2012 6:32 PM Subject: April 30 Fishing

Hey there,  Fished the Scotland Grounds today. I had Thirty Ling (personal best) and my very first two Winter Flounder. My first saltwater limit. Six short Blackfish. A very good day. Had a lot of fun. ~ Jim T., Bridgewater, NJ

April 30, 2012 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

4:45 PM

Bill from Shamong stopped into the shop and asked how things were going earlier today. We gave him heads up that an angler just sent us a picture of a bass from the beach not far from the shop. Bill ended up heading up to the beach with calm and got a bass too. He said that he only fished for about an hour. 13.25-lb bass on clam, incoming tide, Ship Bottom surf.

2:30 PM

An unknown angler stopped in the shop a short while ago to get bait. He just sent us this picture: 32" bass off of the mid-island surf on clam.

Steve-O (store staff) bunker chunked this bass last night on the sod banks.

Gene Szymkowiak stopped in the shop for some greenies yesterday. Since we were out he opted for fresh clam and he reported that it worked out. He said, "I took my mom and dad to the Lighthouse and had good action. 7 tog in 2hours. 6 shorts one 17" Also had a bunch of skates on bunker."

11:45 AM

It's the last day of the month and I'm sure we will all look back on April 2012 as an amazing month full of epic early season bass fishing. The month kicked off with bass blitzes the first week and the action continued for weeks. Now at the end, there have been much bigger fish and finally (since the blow) the bunker have podded up and the bass are on them. It looks like we are in for a month of mayhem in May. - Fishhead.Greg

Received: Apr 30, 2012 6:43 AM Subject: Reel Fantasea Fishing Charters - Striper, Blues and Blackfish!

With only one exception things "Reely" started to improve as the first waves of migrating trophy and schoolie striped bass and blues started to join our resident population from the bays to the ocean as vast schools of bunker are now in place to set the stage for our trophy striper run!

The week started poorly for first timer Delaware resident Doug Murray looking to engage some blues and bass on the bays shallow flats. Seemingly finding the fish with a severe case of lock jaw. We methodically worked from one location to the next looking for signs of life only to get a scant few swirls on the artificial presentation.

The next day new comer John Macavoy joined by friend Steve found a slow start with striped bass on the bays shallows so it was up to the inlet to play with some more cooperative blackfish. After getting their fill of the blackfish it was back to the shallows to find schools of striped bass swirling under birds. The guys managed some nice top water surface action with stripers on light spinning tackle before heading to the barn.

Small craft warning lead to cancellations for both a.m. and p.m. trips on Friday. I found myself unable to stay shore bound for long and could not resist the urge to see what action could be had in the stiff 20-30 NW winds. Although the bays water was blown into a brownish turbidity the bass did not seem to mind at all as I managed to play catch and release with several stripers in just over an hour of fishing.

Up Next was Chris and Jay Simmons joined by Chris's sons K.C. and Jack scoring a mix of stripers, blues and blackfish . Chris started the day scoring a nice keeper striper on the flats right out of the gate from there the action cooled down so up to the inlet we went again to find the blackfish more cooperative. As the guys continued to be entertained by the blackfish bite I noticed multiple huge school of bunker just outside the inlet, changing gears we started to snag and drop to see if there was "anyone home". Within minutes Chris came tight on a bass but ended just as quickly as the hook point doubled back into the bait preventing a solid hook up. Finishing up in the backbay the guys managed a few more blues on the flats with multiple fish tailgating our hooked fish right to the boat in the bays crystal clear waters before ending the day!     Take a look at some of Captain Steve's pictures from his most recent trips.

With huge amounts of baitfish in the way of vast bunker schools , it looks very likely that things are ready to explode wide open this week!

Wishing everyone fair winds and calm seas,

~ Capt. Steve Purul, Reel Fantasea Fishing Charters  609.290.1217

April 29, 2012 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

4:45 PM

Rudy Egberts just weighed in this 42.75-lb (46" by 27") bass. He caught it off of IBSP today on the troll.

2:15 PM

Rudy Egberts had some success in the boat this weekend, three bass up to 32-lbs. Another customer reported good sized blues mixed in with the bunker and bass.

Vinny Rossi just caught a released a nice size fluke this afternoon on the sod banks. He just sent us the picture.

Ben Derites trolled yesterday and marked fish but no luck. When he switched over to wreck fishing he started picking away at the tog. He had them up to 20.25" and also caught and released a lot of sea bass. FYI: Sea Bass Opens May 19th (25 fish @ 12.5").

12:30 PM

Finally we get a break from the week of wind. What a beautiful day today is and yesterday was. Just a reminder... Tog season closes tomorrow, Monday April 30th. Sorry the green crabs flew out the door yesterday and this morning. We are sold out until Tog reopens (July 27th 1 fish @ 15").

Next weekend we have a lot going on! The spring striper surf only tournament, Simply Bassing kicks off Saturday, May 5th. Also, Summer Flounder aka Fluke season opens Saturday(5 fish @ 17.5").

Beach: So far today we have had a lot of anglers in and out. A couple bass have been taken off of the beach this morning that we know of. No direct reports from the tight-lined anglers but from angler fishing nearby who saw.

Boat: We have not received stellar reports but we did have a customer stop in today who reported some bass on the bunker pods. He said that there were some pods up around Casino Pier that produced from him. We expect this fishery to explode any day. We also have heard that anglers fishing the boat inshore are picking bass on the troll. The jig can be good too but you have to get on top of them.

Bay: The bay has a solid blowfish bite, with kingfish and weakfish mixed in. The bass are still cruising the channels, flats, sod banks and late night shadows. The bluefish bite seems to have picked up some. Chris Bender got into some on Friday night chunking bunker. He also caught one bass. Chris just mentioned that he was fishing the bay. Hope to see more bluefish mayhem soon.

Received: Apr 29, 2012 10:51 AM Subject: Barnegat Bay Fishing Report

Hello All,

OK, so maybe we got a little spoiled with the off-the-charts striper fishing we had in early April this year. I was tempted to say that fishing in this area was slow again this week, but the reality of the situation is that fishing is actually quite a bit better than it should be for late April and will only improve from here.

The winds early in the week kept everyone pretty close to the dock, and striper fishing out front late in the week seemed to be a continuation of the "slowdown" we saw last week. But there were some positive signs. Massive schools of adult bunker seem to be all over the beachfront right now, and it's only a matter of time until the schools of ravenous post-spawn stripers find them. The bite has already started north of here and a few larger bass were landed by boats trolling bunker spoons yesterday, so it may be getting close. Back bay action is also starting to pick up, with early morning top water action for bass and blues as well as fishing with fresh clams starting to produce along the channels when the tides are right. And while tomorrow is the final day until July, the blackfish bite has been as good as it gets all month long. So considering that it's still April, fishing right now is pretty good and that's a good sign for the coming weeks.

Will this be the week that fishing explodes around here again? Hard to say but I hope so, and if it does this will be a May to remember.

Until next week.

~ Capt. Jack Shea, "Rambunctious", Barnegat Bay Fishing Charters 609.698.3632

April 28, 2012 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Any one looking for a top of the line plug bag (that will not break the bank) should take a look at the whole line of MAK Angler Surfcasting Bags. We have it all from MAK: single tube, two tube, three tube, four tube as well as all of their pouches and accessories. Stop in the shop to check out the MAK Angler Surfcasting Line of products.

Reminders:
  -  Simply Bassing kicks off next weekend. We have already had a ton of sign ups in our FHQ Striper Side-Bet. It only takes one fish to win the cash. Don't miss out!
  -  Century Rods Demo Day - Sunday May 6th  9am-1pm:  Cast one or all of Century's (High Performance yet Affordable) Fishing Rods up the street from the shop, 9th Street Beach Ship Bottom.

Received: Apr 28, 2012 7:34 AM Subject: Surf Report

Fished the surf last night for the first two hours of the incoming tide. Had both clam and bunker out. Did not get a nibble. Very slow night. ~ Stevie G.

April 27, 2012 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Received: Apr 27, 2012 8:57 PM Subject: Reel Fantasea Fishing Charters - Last minute cancellation for this Sunday = Open or Private

Hey Folks,
 Last minute cancellation for this Sunday- weather forecast is for sunny skies and a high of mid sixties. Recently we have been catching striped bass on top waters poppers and plugs on light spinning tackle. Sunday is available for either private or open boat. Call only 609-290-1217 to reserve.

~ Capt. Steve Purul, Reel Fantasea Fishing Charters  609.290.1217

5:00 PM - Fresh Load of Bunker Just Arrived!

A local angler stopped in the shop to re-up with bait this afternoon. He said that the blowfish were destroying his clam this morning off of the mid-island surf. He also reported that another angler set up beside him and landed a bass shortly after.

Only a couple days left to get your tog on! Get in it while it lasts.

1:30 PM

Jay Simmons reported blowfish in the bay, "As many as you can catch. They are thick, with kingfish mixed in too."

April 26, 2012 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Rick Wieland of Ship Bottom got covered up in skates this morning off of the beach! He reported catching 15 skates but he weeded through them and was awarded one 31" bass.

Received: Apr 24, 2012 10:37AM Subject: Hi Flier

The Hi Flier is finally in the water and ready to start fishing. It hurt to miss the early striper action, but the work needed to be done. Now, we’re in the water and ready for the next eight months of fishing.

Northwest winds are forecasted for Friday through the weekend, so we will run an open boat striper hunt on Friday, April 27, 6AM to 2PM. We will break the inlet at sunup, make a left, and start looking for signs of life. Drifting and jigging is always the proffered technique but I will be packing the trolling gear in case that is what it takes to catch some fish. Of course, we will be armed with snaggers and on the lookout for bunker pods that will start producing big fish any minute. The cost of the eight hour trip is $200 per man and I will sail with just one. Three anglers max.

Saturday we are booked. Sunday, April 29 I am going to target the bluefish in Barnegat Bay. These 2 to 5 pound fish are a lot of fun on 10 pound spinning gear. They are very receptive to poppers and surface lures which makes the hits very exciting. Sometimes we troll with light spinning tackle and plugs to find them, but most of the time we are casting surface lures. This trip will run 5:30 AM to 10:30 AM. Cost is $135 per person.

We will be running open boat and charter any day of the week from here in. Looking forward to it. Hope to see you on board.

~ Capt. Dave DeGennaro, Hi Flier Sportfishing  732.330.5674

April 25, 2012 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

4:30 PM - Fresh Bunker & Live Surf Clams Are Here!

We don't have much to report today there than two reports of weed. We got word the the Inlet was full of seaweed this morning and also an angler fishing the front beach reported the same. Look around to find some clean water.

6:00 AM

Finally some calm winds! It's dead clam right now but forecasted to be westerly, swinging south west in the afternoon. We are looking forward to a fresh bait delivery possibly later today. Until then we have good sized live bay clams aka chowders as well as IQF bunker for the surf bait guys.

April 24, 2012 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

8:40 PM

We might get a small delivery of fresh bunker and possibly some live surf clams mid day tomorrow.

Zach Foster stopped in the shop earlier in the day to pick up some greenies on his way up the rocks. While here he reported catching some tog over the weekend on Saturday. He said his biggest was 18 inches.

We received a report from a customer who was fishing the Inlet rock this afternoon with lures in search of bass or blues, "Nothing at the Inlet but snot. Every cast you had some no matter what."

Received: Apr 24, 2012 4:11 PM Subject: Weekly BHCFA Report

The captains of the Beach Haven Charter Fishing Association have been facing some un-springlike weather over the past few days along with a slowdown in the striped bass bite in the ocean.

Seemingly spoiled by the spate of unseasonably warm days, some strong winds and lower temperatures have made it seem like April again. One result of this has been a distinct slowdown of the hot action on the big schools of stripers just offshore the beaches of Long Beach Island. The logical explanation is that the recent fish mass has moved north, and another will be along in a week or so to replace it.

There continues to be a bite on schoolie bass in the bay waters along with some black drum and bluefish. Captain Fran Verdi of the “Dropoff” reports he has been using up some clam chum looking for these fish. Captain Fran says he is looking forward to May 5, which will be official start of the 2012 summer flounder season. Early spring is when the larger fluke are caught in the backbay waters. There have been scattered reports of some big fluke being caught over the past few weeks by anglers jigging for stripers.

Additional information on the association can be found at www.BHCFA.com

9:30 AM

Get it in while it lasts. The tog season is almost over. It's open till the end of the month (April) but then closed for all of May and June, reopening July 27th - August 31 at one fish.

April 23, 2012 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Received: Apr 22, 2012 8:43 PM Subject: Reel Fantasea Fishing Report - Slow Striped Bass Week, Good Blackfish Bite!

This week the striper catches started off slow but as the week progressed it came to a screeching halt as the resident wintering schools continued their migration into Northern waters. What has prompted this departure is any bodies guess but it certainly was not lack of forage or water temps as both are ideal and abundant.

The Trainer clan started the week with brother's Jim and John along with Jim's son Brady scouring along the beaches in search of some striper activity. After a bit of searching around and finding readings that appeared to be a "lock and load" school of bass it was time to get the guys fishing. The first couple of casts came up empty but surely it was only a matter of time or "recipe" to get the rods bending or so I thought. As we continued to work over the area with no result it was now time to put the trolling rods into action but as we continued to throw the tackle box at them and still no response we retreated to the bay to find a modest top water action going 5 for 7 on stripers and keeping 2 at 30" before ending the day.

Next up was the Ryan Coleman party with much of the same results along the beaches - lots of bait , no bass! From there we went with plan "B" finding a very cooperative blackfish bite with fish from ranging 3-7lbs. The guys ended the day coming up empty on the top water striper action.

The week ended with the Eric Neilson party staying within the confines of the bay/inlet where the guys experienced another decent blackfish bite but finding just how crafty these fish can be. For most of the day the guys continued to feed rather than catch these tricky gamesters finding out just how entertaining but maddening they can be!

And so the stage is set to welcome the next school of migrating trophy stripers as water temperatures are perfect and bait is abundant in our area and with bluefish historically [ by my own logs] available by April 23rd in Barnegat bay I am looking forward to this weeks action and adventures!

Wishing everyone fair winds and calm seas,

~ Capt. Steve Purul, Reel Fantasea Fishing Charters  609.290.1217

April 222, 2012 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

4:00 PM

Scott Simpson of Hainesport stopped by the shop last night, picked up bait and headed out. He stopped back this afternoon to say hi and give us a report. "Started fishing around 8pm. About an hour in released a 29' bass and then another bass (35") about an hour after that one. Lots of big skates out there too. They will keep you busy." Scott shared that both fish on bunker mid-island.

12:00 PM

Local grom Tommy McLaughlin stopped in the shop to share his stoke, "Caught a bass last night on the bayside." Tommy kept his location quiet.

11:30 AM

Lotta bummed out surfcaster were stoked to test cast the whole line of rods from CTS today. As reported a couple days ago, we were forced to cancel due to the rain. We are in the process of rescheduling. Century Rods and Fisherman's Headquarters will be having a demo day on May 6th 9am-1pm.

Don't have much to report on the fishing front so here is the low down on the weather (if you haven't check into it already). Gale Warning is in effect this afternoon through late tonight. A cold front moved through this morning, which extends down the entire East Coast. A low pressure system is developing to our south will quickly ride up late today and into Monday as it takes an exit track to the north.

Currently we have 2-3' surf up the street with a NE wind. The wind is forecasted to swing more easterly and kick up hard tonight. Monday morning we will see a jacked up surf into 6' possibly 8' plus range. The surf fades Tuesday (to around 3' +) and into midweek. Another low pressure should pass just south of us Wednesday/Thursday and then high pressure is forecasted to build and take control of the end of the week and weekend.

REMINDER: Simply Bassin', the LBI Spring Striper Surf Tournament, kicks off May 5th!

Received: Apr 22, 2012 10:37 AM Subject: Barnegat Bay Fishing Report

Hello All,

Just a brief update this week since there doesn't seem to be a lot going on at the moment. The epic bass bite we've been enjoying around these parts for the past few weeks seemed to slow down mid week, and had completely ground to a halt by Friday. Whether the fish were just taking a bit of a breather or whether they've moved out of the area remains to be seen. There's still a tremendous amount of bait along the beachfront and reports from up north are still pretty strong, so we'll just have to wait and see what things are like after this series of storms blows through over the next couple of days. I have to keep reminding myself that it's still only April, and that most other years we'd have a few weeks to go before things even get started.

Until next week.

~ Capt. Jack Shea, "Rambunctious", Barnegat Bay Fishing Charters 609.698.3632

April 21, 2012 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

3:30 PM

We spoke to one customer just a little bit ago who just got off the boat. He wanted to remain anonymous because he was cutting out of work. He said that he caught some bass (teen size fish) today north of the Inlet on big Krocodile Spoons.

Jessica Maser and her friend Sarah Stone stopped by the shop last night and headed out fishing. Jessica got back to us this afternoon with a short report, "Got my birthday bass last night on the bayside on bunker. We also caught a dogfish."

2:15 PM

Tony Griebel weighed in a 11.6 lb drum about 1pm today. He was fishing mid-island, not far from the shop with clam. He also had a keeper bass. Tony reported lots of skates.

Nick Quinn of Ocean Acers was up on the rock today with greenies. He caught a bunch of short tog and one keeper. He said that there are a lot of people up there catching, a couple had there limit.

12:15 PM

We had a group of anglers stop in the shop a little bit ago who reported very slow surf action.  They had a couple skates as well as lots of small hits. Must be those blowfish stealing baits. Scale down the hook size if you have the same issues.

We also heard that the bite out on the boat was very slow. It seems like a bass here and a bass there on the troll is about it unless you stubble across a pod of bait and an active feed.

10:00 AM

Right now our bait that was delivered yesterday is running low. The weather this morning and still right now is absolutely phenomenal. We will have a fresh load of bunker and clams here before noontime. Anyone looking to fish the North East blow on Sunday should get bait today because it will be all we have until mid next week.

April 20, 2012 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

9:00 PM

Despite the beautiful conditions today, clean white water and dropping pressure with the approaching front, not much was going on. We heard back from lots of anglers both in the boat and from the beach that said it was a very very slow day. We heard a couple reports of blowfish and skates from the beach on clam. Other than that it was just the toggers reporting action on green crabs up in BL. The new moon is tonight/tomorrow (April 21st) so maybe this is the lull before our spring run really kicks into high gear.

Simply Bassing Spring Bass Tournament Starts May 5th. Also be sure to sign up for out FHQ Striper Side-Bet.

7:00 PM

We received a bunker delivery earlier today. The captain reported, "Other than hundreds of horn dogs (spiny dogs) was a dead sea out there."  The angler who fished the boat had little action.

FYI: We received a nice load of Jersey Jay slab metal spoons just like the old Krocodiles that were discontinued. These lures have been producing lately.  Get some before they are gone.

Tomorrow Saturday April 21, 2012 is the 5th Annual Spring Perch Derby hosted by the Red Man Lodge # 61 of Tuckerton. All proceeds are donated to charity.

11:00 AM

The CTS Rods Demo was scheduled for this Sunday April 22nd on the 9th Street Beach in Ship Bottom (up the street from the shop). Due to weather (rain forcasted) we have called it off are in the process of rescheduling.

FYI: We have now in stock both factory built ready to fish CTS Vapor Trail 11' Rods as well as Century Sling Shot Rods (9'6", 10'6", 11'). Stop in and check these elite surf rods.  Right now we have a Century Rod Demo scheduled for May 6th.

Tog fishing is hot up in Barnegat Light! Yesterday afternoon Capt. Adam Sherer fished the Inlet Rocks in the boat. He caught a dozen tog, with two fish being over 8-lbs. We have had a ton of customers loading up with green crabs again today. We'll post a land based tog report if we get any feedback.

The surf was up yesterday as expected with the long period easterly groundswell. The swell continues through out the day today slowly fading out during the weekend.

April 19, 2012 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

6:00 AM

South Philly Fred hit up the Rocks yesterday. He get his line tight with a small bass on a green Super Strike Darter.

Right as we were closing up yesterday Sean of Forked River stopped in to share, "I caught two bass this afternoon off of the surf on bunker. One 30 incher and one 31incher. The water was beautiful. Nice and clear with good white water. Not a person in sight."

After we closed up the shop last night, a couple of us headed over to the Gateway to watch the Flyer/Penguins and Ranger/Senators games. While there we spoke to one regular customer who had fishy fingers. He just had gotten off the beach and reported on keeper sized bass on bunker mid-island before dark. While there we also spoke to another local angler who reported still getting into the perch, "I read your report. Yes, the perch bite is not what it was but my son and I did well today right down from Josh's house. We both caught a few. Each of us had nice ones over 1-lb."

April 18, 2012 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

4:30 PM

It looks like some of the bigger spring time fish are moving in. Eric Pignataro of Barnegat just weighed this 46.7-lb monster bass. He caught it on a big rubber shad fishing outside Barnegat Light today. He said they got into 'em good today catching over two dozen fish and this monster.

The perch fishing has slowed significantly. It seem the bigger fish moved out but maybe it's just temporary. Josh (store staff) said that most of the anglers fishing his street are all catching small ones and the quantity is way down from last week and the week before.

Steve-O (store staff) says, "TOG FISHING IS ROCK SOLID! Get up the BL with greenies. There are plenty of keepers and anglers are catching their limit."

Received: Apr 18, 2012 2:10 PM Subject: Bass in the Bay

Stopped by the store earlier and got my new reel for my surf pole, the Penn Battle 6000. Could not be happier! The reel is smooth and drag is super smooth. Penn has done it again with this reel. Anyone looking for a new spinning reel should pick one up. Fished the south end of the island, bayside and caught two bass. 31" and 34" clam and bunker chunk. Tide was going out and water was clear. My buddy caught an 18 pound bass mid-island, bayside. Been nailing the fish bayside the past three days. Get out there and fish! - Stevie G.

10:30 AM

We have a nice area of low pressure spinning out in the central Atlantic. Expect the easterly groundswell traces to showing late today. Tomorrow (Thursday) the swell should be pushing 3-4 feet. We might possibly get plus size surf at certain beaches on the right tides. The swell sticks around on Friday, strongest in the early day and fades throughout the weekend. Because of this easterly flow, the surf water temp should warm and maybe we'll get a bluefish bite. Anglers hitting the beach expect the groundswell and prepare by bringing some extra lead.

Received: Apr 18, 2012 1:58 PM  Subject: BHCFA Weekly Report

Some of the captains and boats of the Beach Haven Charter Fishing Association have already made some successful trips while the rest of the boats are right on the verge of splashdown.

Captain Jimmy Zavacky of the “Reel Determined” recently left the dock at 4 in the afternoon for a run up the beaches of Long Beach Island. Once he found the birds working he had non-stop jigging action until 7:30. He and his crew limited out while catching some 72 bass over 30-inches.

Captain Frank Camarda took the party boat “Miss Beach Haven” out for a bottom fishing trip and worked hard for fish for his anglers. Some anglers managed to limit out with George from Manahawkin winning the pool with a 5-pound blackfish. Waretown Ray took top honors another day with a 4-pounder. Dogfish were a nuisance at times.

Captain Fran Verdi on the “Drop Off” reports he has been fishing for a couple of weeks now. He made a striper trip to the Mullica River catching both bass and a 29-inch black drum fish. Captain Fran has also done some wreck fishing in the ocean and found both blackfish and cod. His plans include clamming for bass in the bay and running the beach. Once the fluke season starts, he will be running trips for them.

Captain Carl Sheppard reports he has the “Star Fish” in the water and ready for action. This year the boat is licensed to carry up to 19 passengers. Captain Carl is looking forward to getting on some blackfish and striped bass action.

Captain Lindsay Fuller has been making some trips to the Outer Bank of North Carolina where the “June Bug” spends its winters for updates and some winter fishing. Captain Lindsay reports the “June Bug” is ready for action and will be returning to New Jersey at some point in May. Strong winds have hampered the fishing in North Carolina this spring, but Captain Lindsay is always looking for anglers to get in on that blue water fishing.

April 17, 2012 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

3:30 PM

Rick Wieland (the rocking guitarist from the local Depot Dogs) of Ship Bottom stopped in the shop today. "Got a bass on the beach this morning about 9am. There were also a lot of nice sized blowfish in the surf and on the beach. The birds up there were eating blowfish on the sand and there were a number of dead carcasses. I couldn't keep a clam bait in the water with out it getting stolen so they are thick." Rick said, "June 29th Check out the Depot Dogs at the Dutchman's!!!" Rick caught the bass mid-island on bunker.

10:30 AM - Primo Fresh Bunker & Live Surf Clams!

Another nice day with a north westerly breeze. The surf is very small with just a little wind swell bump. So far today we have not had any reports but have had a lot of customers get bait on their way out. If we hear anything, we'll post.

Received: Apr 17, 2012 8:55 AM  Subject: Delaware River Study Article Posted

The NJDEP Division of Fish and Wildlife monitors populations of juvenile fish found in the Delaware River's estuary to estimate their abundance and evaluate the success of the their populations. These assessments provide a means to predict population trends and future harvest potential of monitored species. An article about the 2011 Delaware River Seine Survey, and background on the primary species studied, has been posted on the division's website. For more information about the survey and the fish species it looks at click over to: http://www.njfishandwildlife.com/artdelstudy12.htm  ~ NJ Marine Fishing, NJ DEP Division of Fish and Wildlife

April 166, 2012 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

8:00 PM

What a beautiful day it was. A nice sea breeze kept the Island cool but it was a summer like hot on the mainland. Looks like tomorrow will be another beauty!

From what we heard the boat fishing today was slow.

Robbie Vallone stopped in the shop and picked up some fresh clams in the late afternoon. As he was leaving, we asked him to let us know how does. He called us us right as we were closing and sharred this report, " Got my first spring striper off of the surf on on the North End! Two short bass, both 25" on clam."

Received: Monday, April 16, 2012 5:24 PM  Subject: Fishing Barnegat Light, Bayside

Great day to be fishing! The weather was right and the bass were there. We fished the backside of the bay in Barnegat Light and had a couple of 30" bass on Storm Shads. Tide was going out and water was clear. Fished two hours, 2 bass and one other hook up. ~ Steve G.

2:00 PM

Fresh Clams & Live Bloods Are Here!

10:00 AM - Live Surf Clams are expected to be delivered by 12-1pm today.

Here is a YouTube link from Tanner Gray, Great Local Fishing Caught on Camera. All of the fish were caught jigging with diamond jigs out of Barnegat Inlet.

Lots of anglers/customer are asking about the surf bite. As always we ask customers who are heading out to give us feedback so we can share the most up to date information. Please help!

From what one customer said this morning it sounds like there was were a couple keeper sized bass caught off of the Ship Bottom surf on clam as well as another drum. The customer who provided us with the report was fishing bunker and didn't have any luck; however, he was in the right spot to see some other anglers catching on clam.

Received: Monday, April 16, 2012 11:37 AM  Subject: Atlantic Sturgeon Research in Delaware Bay

The NJDEP Division of Fish and Wildlife has deployed 7 acoustic receivers in Delaware Bay to track migration patterns of Atlantic sturgeon. With the recent endangered species listing of Atlantic sturgeon, effective April 6, 2012, research on this species has gained significance. The receivers are generally set in water depths less than 20 feet. Those fishing in inshore waters may encounter the white buoys marked "NJDEP Research" which should be avoided.

For more information on the research and buoy location, visit http://www.njfishandwildlife.com/news/2012/sturgeon_research.htm on the division's website.

Received: Monday, April 16, 2012 6:38 AM  Subject: Reel Fantasea Fishing Charters - Another solid week of bass fishing!

The shear mass of striped bass in our home waters is flat out amazing and can not be compared to anything in recent spring time history to the best of my knowledge! No, you can't get them to feed voraciously all day long but if you adjust your tactics to where and when, you can keep the rods bending and the fish coming over the gunnel at a steady pace! Both trolling and jigging served us well depending on certain circumstances of the day, gannets were probably the best indicator of which tactic to employ. For the most part when hard diving gannets were encountered it was jigging time, conversely when scattered striped bass were marked deep on the recorder with no bird activity to point the way it was time to go up on the troll to put fish in the boat.

The Joe Princiotti crew were out to find an interesting bird play just a few hundred yards from the inlet. Scanning around found what appeared to be bait only. From there we proceeded to tour the Atlantic looking for signs of life only to come back where we were early to find the bass ready for their evening feast! Trolling put the first few bass in the boat but as we continued fishing into the evening we were fortunate enough to witness an awesome spectacle of bass in a full on bunker blitz! After securing their limit the guys continued to play catch and release with nice upper teen to lower twenty pound size fish until trips end!

The Ed Neiss party from Pa. started the later part of the week finding the bass spread out all over . A quick decision was made to go up on the troll which quickly put a nice 30" bass in the box. From there everyone wanted to try their hand at jigging so the trolling rods were quickly stowed away and the spinners were quickly employed but found that the fast moving sparsely packed schools and finicky bass to be a bit challenging. Back up on the troll the group continued to pick away before ending the day going 5 for 7 with stripers to upper teens.

Fridays evening Open Boat had all regulars including Jay Simmons, Dave Cammarata , Dave Cammarata jr. Shawn Hawthorne and Kevin Rust rounding out the crew. Minutes after leaving the dock we made our way out the inlet to find hard diving gannets just a few hundred yards Northward. A quick sonar assessment of the area found scattered reading of bass with loads of bunker so back up on the troll we went quickly putting a bass in the cooler. The guys continued put fish into the cooler via trolling tactic with fish from 12-22lbs before trips end.

Sunday I had a rare chance to get out and fish with my lil' bro Ryan [ he's actually bigger than me ] . Our first stop found a school of stripers waiting for us under the boat as I pulled the throttles back to start the morning. My first cast of the day hit pay dirt as I only took a couple of cranks on the reel handle before I came tight to a nice bass. A quick look around found a massive bird play working over busting bass and bait. It was game on after that with us doubled up with bass at all times until we ended the morning weary armed.

Wishing everyone fair winds and calm seas,,

 ~ Capt. Steve Purul, Reel Fantasea Fishing Charters  609.290.1217

April 15, 2012 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2:45 PM

Jesse Buss, Mike Burke, Chelsea Leister, Jeff Watson, Yesica Rangeloft stopped but the shop about 2:30pm to give us a report. "It was an insane morning. BIRDS, BIRDS, BIRDS and bass chasing bait! We caught them jigging as well as some on top water lures. It was awesome!" From what the groups said they were fishing near the replenishment activity/gear. Here is a picture of the group.

10:20 AM

Just got a call from Capt. Steve, "It's going bonkers couple miles from the BL Inlet. Get out here!"

Received: Sunday, April 15, 2012 8:31 AM  Subject: Barnegat Bay Fishing Report

Hello All,

Who would believe that it's only April? Warm sunny days, beautiful evenings, and the striper fishing is completely off the charts!

This is a time of year when we're generally anchored up in one of the channels, sitting in a cold damp boat, picking away at a few winter flounder while we're waiting for the first influx of bluefish to start showing up in the back bay. Instead, we're a mile or two from the inlet under sunny 70 degree skies and getting arm numbing action on 20 to 30 pound striped bass. This has to be a dream!

I had Bensalem's George Selph out yesterday on his first trip of the new season, and the bass certainly cooperated with several dozen linesiders ranging from 15 to almost 30 pounds brought to the boat before leaving the fish biting and heading back in. The early morning action was primarily on the troll, with white #4 Tony Maja bunker spoons getting the majority of hits off of Island Beach State Park. But heading south after a couple of hours to look for more consistent action, we came across a vast school of actively feeding bass that absolutely inhaled the soft plastic lures we worked across the surface. The heavy boat traffic that arrived on the scene finally put an end to the party, but not before we had landed enough big bass on light tackle that our arms were tired and sore when we finally headed for home around noon.

This kind of early season fishing is unprecedented around these parts, so only time will tell how long it will last. But the water temperatures are just about ideal, and there is so much bait around that this could go on for a couple of months if we're lucky. Let's hope we're lucky. Here is a pair of pictures, take a look.

Until next week.

~ Capt. Jack Shea, "Rambunctious", Barnegat Bay Fishing Charters 609.698.3632

Received: Saturday, April 14, 2012 9:08 AM  Subject: Caught A Drum Saturday Afternoon

Hey guys, Thanks for your help in the store today (Saturday). You fixed my reel and also re-lined it with 20 lb test . I went right down to the beach with some clams and bloodworms and hooked into a 17 lb 32 " drum on the clams. It was caught on the incoming tide around 2 pm in Ship Bottom. Here is a picture. Take Care. ~ Mike Zakutansky    Yeahh Buddy! That's the first direct report we have received of drum off of the front beach.

April 14, 2012 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

9:30 AM

INLET: The tog bite at Barnegat Light is still consistent. A lot of anglers getting green crabs and heading up there this morning!  A number have reported success on their last outing (some yesterday and one angler the day before). to it turns out

BAY: We heard that there were some bass in the shallows but then got a report this morning of a skunking up on the flats.  They should be there! Water temp is right and the bay water clarity is crystal clear.  The drum are still around on the south end bay. Not much to speak of on the winter flounder front; BUT, we have heard more a reports of fluke by anglers jigging bucktails and metal targeting bass.

April 13, 2012 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

9:45 PM

(See Earlier Reports) So it turns out... After Jeff dropped me off at the dock (for work) he got lunch and headed back out. His second session started right were we left them. Jeff reported, "We trolled up a handful of bass right out in front of the Inlet and then started working south. Long story short, it turned on about 5:30-6pm right around the beach replenishment activity. Birds and bass BLOWING UP!  Some triple hook ups were had. At one point the bass were pushing bait up on the beach. We were sitting in 17' of water nailing them. Not a sole on the beach fishing."  There are a lot of fish in the area and the bite can be phenomenal at time. Don't we all wish we were on the evening bite there!? -FishHead.Greg

8:30 PM

As expected we received a delivery of fresh bunker. Actually two of them, one unexpected. While here we spoke with the gill netter and he reported a handful of small bluefish as well as a handful of small weakfish in his day's catch.  He also gave us both bunker and some butterfish.

As far as the Inlet goes... We spoke with two anglers who fished the rocks today. "Two keeper tog!" One angler reported success with live green crab. Another angler said he bucktailed hard but no luck.

3:00 PM - We expect a delivery of fresh bunker some time today!

Gorgeous day on the water!  I headed out late morning (had to wait for the gas dock to open) with Capt Jeff Warford and his uncle and cousin. We got into a good bird play right after we broke the inlet. Caught 'em up jigging bucktails. Birds and fish dispersed and we went on the troll. Got back into 'em (consistent pick) on spoons on wire and deep divers on braid. Here's a one of Luke's bass that was stacked with a belly full of bunker. After today's catch, it looks to me like there are bigger fish showing up. -FishHead.Greg

6:30 AM

It looks like we have a beautiful weekend upon us! Lots of sun and highs in the low 70's on Saturday and possibly hitting 80 on Sunday! Our Spring Run is in full swing. Just read the reports below (if you haven't already). It's go time!

April 12, 2012 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

5:30 PM

About 5pm we got the call from Capt. Jeff Warford. He is out in his new World Cat with his uncle and cousin. They headed out about 1pm and got on the troll. After searching for a little bit they picked up three bass. He mentioned that the bite is really just now opening up. He said, "There aren't many birds but we are marking them and catching on the jig. Gotta Go!"

9:45 AM

Yesterday afternoon/evening Joni (store staff) hopped aboard the Pez Machine with Captain Stew Hitchner for an a sea trial. Stew just brought the Pez back up from its winter down in North Carolina and performed some routine maintenance.  Luckily they brought some rods! "We ran out front and put some fuel through them (new filters) just to make sure there were no leaks." Captain Stew reported. "There were birds everywhere so we decided to try our luck. Pick a dozen bass in a couple hours of fishing. Keeping 3 for the table. The boat is back and the stripers are here!" Anyone looking to fish bass or tuna this season give Captain Stew a call.

~ Capt. Stew Hitchner, Pez Machine Sportfishing 56' Core Sound, 609-287-5136

Received: Thursday, April 12, 2012 8:14:57 AM  Subject: Reel Fantasea Fishing Charters - Awesome action continues!

Wow, Somebody pinch me! The striped bass action continues to be on fire with all bass well over the 28" minimum size! New comer Ken Reed was out yesterday [ Wednesday] to experience some more outstanding striped bass fishing. Again we find ourselves fortunate enough to have another large bio- mass of stripers parked within a few miles of our home waters of Barnegat Light and again boats from up and down the coast are traveling 20-30 miles to get in on the action! Remember anglers aboard the Reel Fantasea have been tight to fish within minutes of leaving the dock!

With scattered bird activity Ken started his day with going up on the troll banging out 4 nice keeper stripers in under a 1/2 hour which enabled us to locate a very large school of bass all to ourselves. From there we scaled down to spinning tackle and it was game on with bass after bass until arm weary! If you are looking to get out for some outstanding striped bass action wait no longer! It is go time!!

Check out a couple pictures from yesterday's trip aboard the Reel Fantasea!

Wishing everyone fair winds and calm seas,

~ Capt. Steve Purul, Reel Fantasea Fishing Charters  609.290.1217

April 11, 2012 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

5:05 PM

Robby Vallone is near the Bathers Beach jigging bucktails right now. Gannets are on 'em again!

3:00 PM

We got a report from a boat angler who fished this morning. He said that there were tons of bird but the bass weren't biting, "The birds were moving fast. It was hard to keep up with them."

10:30 AM

Registration has begun for the 11th Annual Simply Bassing Spring Surf Tournament ($20 May 5 to June 24, 2012)!  Stop in the shop to sign up and and also also join our $10 Spring Striper Side Bet aka Striper Calcutta. The Largest bass weighed in at FHQ take the "cash pot"! For More Detail About The Fisherman's HQ 2012 Spring Striper Side Bet Click Here.

We a customer report catching some weakfish. He had cell phone picture proof. It looks like some tiderunners have shown up. Let's hope this materializes in the coming days/weeks!

There has also been some nice sized bluefish caught. Check out one of Brian Burkhart's bluefish he caught mid-island on the bayside a couple days ago.

Perch fishing in the BHW Lagoons is still very strong.  There was a family in the shop who raved about the bite over the weekend. They mentioned that the Fisher's Choice "Mini" Shrimp (which we set them up with) was the hot bait.

Received: April 11, 2012 11:43 Subject: Two New Saltwater Record Fish Certified

The NJDEP Division of Fish and Wildlife has officially certified, and is pleased to announce, the catch of two new state record marine fish.

Robert Macejka of Point Pleasant Beach, New Jersey reeled in the new state record Hickory Shad on November 20, 2011. The fish weighed in at 2 pounds 13 ounces eclipsing the previous state record by 13 ounces. Robert was fishing from the surf at Mantoloking and using a St. Croix Triumph rod and Penn reel when he landed his catch.

The other state record was reeled in by Raul de la Prida of Elizabeth, New Jersey on February 10, 2012. His 3 pound ½ ounce Cunner was caught fishing from the Norma K III off Point Pleasant and measured 16 inches in length with a girth of 13 inches. Raul was using an Ugly Stick rod and Penn boat reel with clam as bait. The previous state record weighed in at 2 pounds 9 ounces.

Congratulations to our newest state record holders!  For more information about the State Record Fish Program visit http://www.njfishandwildlife.com/recfish.htm

 

Wanna Read More? Take a look at the Report Archive.