BHCFA Report

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

The nights are cool, but the days are still pleasantly warm on Long Beach Island. This means fall is arriving at the New Jersey shore, and the captains of the Beach Haven Charter Fishing Association are ready to take advantage of the famed fall fishing in the Beach Haven area.

Despite the drop in air temperatures, the ocean water temperatures are at their annual peak right now. This means there is an amazing mixture of fish species around including the summer fish such as fluke and bluefish, along with the impending arrival of striped bass and slammer bluefish.

This is also the time of the year when offshore fishing is at its peak with good reports of tuna and mahi arriving daily. When weather conditions allow, boats making trips to the offshore waters are finding their targets. Even closer to shore there have been reports of these game fish along with bonito and albacore. The warm water also brings a mix of southernly fish species to the area including cobia, red drum, sheepshead, and others.

Captain Brett Taylor of Reel Reaction Sportfishing is back at his fulltime teaching job, but he is still finding time to take anglers fishing in the late afternoon and on weekends. He reports ocean trips have been producing good action with a few keepers each trip. He has also been catching various other species including mahi, ling, black sea bass, and big porgies. Once fluke season ends on September 25, he plans to start evening trips for striped bass.

Captain Max Goldman of the “Starfish” has announced he is available to take anglers out fishing in the local fishing tournaments including the Beach Haven Marlin and Tuna Club’s LBI Cup Open Tournament. The fall months see various area fishing tournaments in the area, primarily for striped bass. In addition to Captain Max, other BHCFA captains are also available to get anglers in on the competition.

Additional information on the captains and boats of the Beach Haven Charter Fishing Association can be found at www.BHCFA.org 

Labor Day may have come and gone, but the summer fishing action for the boats of the Beach Haven Charter fishing Association has not slowed down. The throngs of summer visitors to Long Beach Island have left, but not the fish. The water is the warmest of the year right now, bringing a variety of fish for anglers.

Captain Dave Wittenborn had a fun time with his 82-year-old dad on Labor Day fishing close to shore. They had to pick through a multitude of shorts but were able to put a nice catch together. Captain Dave termed it a “really special day” for the two to spend the day together.

Captain Brett Taylor of “Reel Reaction Sportfishing” has returned to   his fulltime job as a teacher and is now running weekday afternoon trips along with weekend trips. He will do this until the fluke season ends and the start his night striped bass trips. He ended the summer trips with return angler Tim Murphy and fellow workers from Subaru Park on a 5-hour ocean charter. They worked a bunch of spots picking through shorts to muster four keeper fluke to 24 inches.

Captain Ray Lopez reports the “Miss Liane” has been catching a variety of fish including tuna, tilefish, ling, sea bass, fluke, and others. He is fishing both offshore for gamefish and running inshore charters for bottom fishing.

In addition to his fishing trips on the “Irish Jig,” Captain Gary Dugan has run a couple of tiki cruises. One trip was a special one for three local teachers who won a trip that Captain Gary donated to the local PTO. He termed them “dedicated teachers) and said they were great to have on board.

Additional information on the captains and boats of the Beach Haven Charter Fishing Association can be found at www.BHCFA.org 

The Beach Haven Charter Fishing Association was formed over 20 years ago by a group of veteran fishing captains to develop recreational fishing in the Beach Haven area.

The group has expanded and made an impressive impact on area fishing. Among their efforts are the successful Junior Mates Program and enrichments to the artificial reefs in Long Beach Island area waters.

Recent additions to the fishing captains in the BHCFA include several boats that specialize in cruises and recreational activities that do not include fishing. These additions have made the Association stronger and more impactful.

The “Black Pearl Pirate Ship” is under the guidance of veteran Captain Frank Camarda offering an interactive family adventure where children dress up like buccaneers and direct water cannons at invaders. Food and drink, including a bar, are available. Captain Frank also offers sunset cruises.

Captain Rob Romanowski is the captain of the “Queen City Cycle Boat which is Long Beach Island’s first and only pedal boat. The 35-foot longboat holds 24 passengers including 12 pedal stations to propel the craft via a paddle wheel. There is an outboard motor when the passengers tire. The boat features a sound system and party lights and is available for private parties.

Captain Tom Masterson directs LBI Boat Tours on the “Fishful Thinking” featuring a twin outboard engine craft to explore the area waterways on 2 hour personalized interactive boat tours. Among the trips are Great Bay waters and the Forsythe Wildlife Preserve along with Long Beach Island. Captain Tom offers private parties including sunset cruises and “Dock and Dine” trips to area waterfront restaurants.

Captain Steve Palmer who operates the “Miss Beach Haven” also offers trips on the “SBB Tiki Bar Boat. The craft with a thatched roof has a bar along with a superior sound system and lights for a party atmosphere. Captain Steve offers trips for up to 6 passengers where they explore the south end of Long Beach Island and observe some of the area’s best scenery.

Additional information on the Beach Haven Charter Fishing Association can be found at www.BHCFA.org

Even though Hurricane Ernesto stirred ocean waters up with winds and waves last weekend, the Captains of the Beach Haven Charter Fishing Association breathed a sigh of relief as the storm passed well offshore. 

Once things settled down, the fishing picked up where it left off before Ernesto passed by. Inshore structure is producing fluke, black sea bass, blackfish, and multiple other species. The calmer bay waters are harboring large amounts of panfish including croaker, spot, kingfish, small fluke, and now blowfish. When weather conditions permit, the offshore waters are giving up good catches of tuna, mahi, and tilefish.

Speaking of tuna and offshore fishing, two of the BHCFA captains performed well in the recent White Marlin Tournament sponsored by the Beach Haven Marlin and Tuna Club. Captain Dave Wittenborn and crew of the “Benita J” weighed in the third largest tuna at 48.2-pounds. Their two fish landed then in 14^th place in the tournament for most points.

Captain Jimmy Zavacky of the “Reel Determined” ended up in 13^th place with three tuna weighed in, topped by a 47.8-pounder. The crews of both boats earned nice sums of prize money for their catches.

On Friday, August 23, the BHCFA held its annual Junior Mates Fishing Tournament. The annual event is the opportunity for the Junior Mates to spend a day of fishing and celebrating their summer’s work. This year for the first time, all participants fished on the same boat. Captain Steve Palmer donated use of the “Miss Beach Haven” for the event.

After fishing and boat cleanup, the mates proceeded to the Beach Haven Marlin and Tuna Club for the weigh-ins and awarding of prizes. Taking top honors was Connor with a 4.65-pound fluke. Other standouts were Connell, Branson, and Aiden with keeper fluke and black sea bass.