Latest fishing news from the Beach Haven Charter Fishing Association from Jim Hutchinson Sr.
Recent blustery winds have made ocean fishing for striped bass off Long Beach Island an “iffy” proposition, but when conditions allow, some of the captains of the Beach Haven Charter Fishing Association have been finding limit catches on bass.
Captain Dave Wittenborn has had his “Benita J” out on some solid trips the past two weeks. Pano’s charter boated plenty of big stripers, but they had to weed through the big fish for one to take home for the dinner table. Oddly enough, they also caught a nice sized flounder which had to be quickly released. The burst of fall weather seemed to help Captain Dave’s next trip when some schoolie sized bass appeared.
The Miller charter was “an old-fashioned striped bass trip with hats, gloves, and winter jackets…the way it should be,” noted Captain Dave. There were birds all over the water, and the “Benita J” trolled and jigged light tackle getting a limit of both slots and bonus tag fish. He had special praise for two standout lady anglers on the trip.
Captain Brett Taylor of “Reel Reaction Sportfishing” ran a 3-hour late afternoon striped bass charter with J. Burke, his son Braiden, and Uncle Gary. The ocean was too rough for comfort, so they stayed inside and worked several areas. The fishermen did a great job connecting and boxing 4 striped bass up to 27.5 inches.
Additional information on the Beach Haven Charter Fishing Association can be found at www.BHCFA.org
Fall is advancing quickly toward winter in Beach Haven, NJ, but one would never know it by the recent warm temperatures and nice weather. Some captains of the Beach Haven Charter Fishing Association have been taking advantage of the conditions by running successful fishing trips.
There are several appealing fishing targets for anglers. Tuna appear daily, often just a few miles off the coast. The bulk of the striped bass migration is in full swing following the schools of bunker. The challenge is to weed through the large fish to find keepers in the 28–31-inch slot.
On the bottom fishing front the daily limit for black sea bass has increased to 15 fish while the tautog daily limit increases to 5-fish on November 16.
Captain Ray Lopez of the “Miss Liane” reports that he and Captain George are taking trip reservations for inshore bluefin tuna, stripers, and wreck fishing. Their past several trips have been “very productive.”
Captain Brett Taylor of “Reel Reaction Sportfishing” says his anglers of been enjoying the great fishing and weather. On one trip “in the shadows of Old Barney” he released over 55 short and keeper tautog while keeping their 5-man limit to 17 inches. He has also been doing well on bass in the inlet and nearby waters and also taking trips to nearby wrecks
Captain Dave Wittenborn has been finding nice bluefin tuna fishing aboard the “Benita J.” He reports finding an “amazing fishery only a few miles outside our inlet.” He will soon be targeting striped bass but hopes to get one or two more tuna trips in. A recent trip saw a bass measuring out at 51-inches, a new “Benita J” record.
Captain Jonathon Kelly reports an “awesome day” on the “Outcast” with a beautiful 66-inch bluefin very close to shore. His most recent trip saw 4 fish hooked up just as they started fishing with a 68-incher in the boat by 7am.
“The stripers are coming! The stripers are coming!” Not to be confused with the Revolutionary refrain of “The Redcoats are coming,” this is the statement of the captains of the Beach Haven Charter Fishing Association.
With cool nights dropping the water temperatures, and schools of bunker just to the north of Long Beach Island, the striped bass action off the coast should be hopping in no time.
There has been some striped bass action in the Beach Haven area during the past couple of weeks, but this has been mostly on native fish in the bay waters. While this is fun action using lighter tackle and artificial offerings, a high number of these fish are under the legal keeping size of 28-31 inches.
It is when the migrating schools of bigger fish start to arrive from the north that the real excitement explodes. These fish will follow the bait, so the captains have their fingers crossed that the bunker arrive soon and stay around for an extended period.
At this time of the year, various striped bass fishing tournaments take place. Anglers without a boat in the water who would like to participate in one can utilize a boat and captain from the Beach Haven Charter Fishing Association. The captains will supply the boat, gear, and expertise while the anglers supply the fish catching.
The first of these tournaments is coming up on Friday, October 25, when the 27th annual Sea Shell Club Striped Bass Derby takes place. The three-day event is one of the premier tournaments on the northeast coast with proceeds going to a worthy cause. Contact one of the BHCFA captains to check availability for the weekend.
Besides the upcoming striper action, Captain Brett Taylor of “Reel Reaction Sportfishing” reports he is still finding sea bass in the ocean as well as outstanding blackfish action around Barnegat Inlet.
Additional information on the captains and boats of the Beach Haven Charter Fishing Association can be found at www.BHCFA.org
The weather around Beach Haven has taken a turn for the better with sunny days and cool nights. The captains of the Beach Haven Charter Fishing Association are finding the fishing action consistent on several fronts.
Captain Jonathan Kelly of “LBI Sportfishing” recently returned from a productive canyon trip on his 29-foot Hydra Sport “The Out Cast.” His crew ended with several nice tuna while chunking as well as a load of mahi-mahi. Captain Jonathan says he has a few open dates available to get in on this great fishing.
The BHCFA has a new charter boat captained by a veteran captain. Captain Frank Camarda is now running the “Island Hopper.” This craft has a maximum capacity of 6 passengers and is offering back bay, and inshore bottom fishing trips. Captain Frank brings many years of fishing experience with this new boat. He can be reached at 609-713-8123.
Captain Brett Taylor recently took a “Funday Sunday” trip with his dad and son Luke on a quick black sea bass expedition. After an early start, they finished at 9:15 with their limit topped by Captain Brett’s dad, Mike, who took honors with a 19-inch fish. Captain Brett is now looking forward to hot striped bass action.
Additional information on the Beach Haven Charter Fishing Association can be found at www.BHCFA.org
The captains of the Beach Haven Charter Fishing Association are smiling now that the long stretch of bad weather is behind them, and they are anxious to share the current beautiful weather conditions with anglers.
The black sea bass season in New Jersey waters has reopened with a daily bag limit of 10 fish per angler. Already there are reports of limit catches of big fish. These catches are made while bottom fishing area artificial reefs and other types of structure.
In addition to the hungry sea bass there are also good numbers of blackfish, porgy, and other species. It is also not unusual to see feisty bluefish on the end of a line meant for a sea bass.
With the good weather, the Captains are actively fishing and booking open dates. Captains Ray and George of the” Miss Liane” are excited for good offshore weather. They will be doing jigging, chunking, and trolling trips for Tuna, Tile, Mahi, and Swordfish.
Captain Max Goldman says the “Starfish” is ready to go to get in on the red-hot reef and wreck fishing and is booking family trips.
Captain Brett Taylor of “Reel Reaction Sportfishing” ran a pair of sea bass charters, and both ended with limits of sea bass, along with porgies, bluefish, and triggerfish while releasing chub mackerel, bluefish, and fluke.
Captain John Lewis has moved into his boat delivery mode as he has put the “Insatiable” into winter storage. The recent weather has put his deliveries behind schedule, making him busy for the upcoming weeks.
Additional information on the captains and boats of the Beach Haven Charter Fishing Association can be found at www.BHCFA.org
Has anyone seen the sun? Thanks to the weather, the 2024 summer flounder season ended on a poor note not only for the captains of the Beach Haven Charter Fishing Association but all of New Jersey.
Long Beach Island has been besieged by strong northeast winds and extreme high tides for what seems like forever. The ocean has been so churned up with high swells that it is not only uncomfortable to venture out into the ocean but also on the dangerous side.
Just as it seemed like that things might start to calm down a little, Hurricane Helene is now giving us a dose of her fury. on the horizon. Fortunately, the storm went inland well away from Beach Haven, but there is no doubt that it will produce winds, tides, and tough ocean conditions for the next several days.
Currently, the only real option to catch some fish is in the bay. There are good numbers of panfish around such as croakers, spots, and blowfish. Light tackle action to be sure!
On the positive side, when things start to calm down, it will be October, and we can start to look for the first arriving striped bass. Another interesting target will be available on October 1, black sea bass. The New Jersey season for these bottom fish opens again on October 1 with a daily limit of 10 fish for the month. Then as of November 1, the daily limit expands to 15 fish for the remainder of the year.
Most of the captains of the BHCFA still have some open dates for the fall. It is not too late to get in on some of the fall fishing.
Additional information on the captains and boats of the Beach Haven Charter Fishing Association can be found at www.BHCFA.org
The captains of the Beach Haven Charter Fishing Association are not happy with the current weather conditions. The official end of the 2024 summer flounder season takes place on Wednesday, September 25, but it appears the final few days of the season may well be a shutout.
At this point in the fluke fishing season, most of the bigger fish, including doormats, have made their way out of the bays and into the ocean. When conditions allow, the fishing for these fish in September can be quite good around the local artificial reefs and structure.
In some recent years, hurricanes coming up the coast have created nasty conditions, including large ocean swells, to put a damper on the end of the season fishing. This year, an extended northeast storm has caused wave heights to exceed 6-feet. This means savvy captains have made the decision to “pull the plug” and wait until conditions improve. Unfortunately, with the fluke season ending this week, anglers may have to wait for May of 2025 for their next flatfish action.
The nasty weather should not affect the offshore tuna and mahi-mahi fishing once conditions calm down to allow safe passage to offshore waters. This action was going strong before the “nor’easter” arrived, and odds are the action will continue.
A quick look ahead shows the impending arrival of migrating stripe bass and the action these fish bring. As Captain Jonathan Kelly of “LBI Sportfishing” says, “It’s almost that time of year when the best fishery in our area kicks into high gear! The striped bass fishing over the past few years has been nothing short of incredible, and I anticipate this season will be just as thrilling”
The best striper fishing takes place in November and even into January. Anglers who wish to enjoy this fishing should reserve their choice dates early before the reservations fill up.
Additional information on the Beach Haven Charter Fishing Association can be found at www.BHCFA.org
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