Fishing

May 7th 2013

Some of the boats of the Beach Haven Charter Fishing Association found large numbers of very hungry bluefish in the bay waters. The black drumfish action also increased while the winds seemed to slow the striped bass bit At times, anglers had difficulty getting through the hungry bluefish to get to the stripers.

Captain Carl Sheppard has had the “Star Fish” been out fishing a couple times in the back bay waters using clam chasing striped bass. His most recent trip in strong winds resulted in four nice bluefish in addition to a couple of good runoffs, one of which seemed to be a large bass.

Captain Fran Verdi took Brian Leary and his father out over the weekend on the “Francesca Marie” and they found plenty of bluefish along with drum. Mr. Leary Sr. caught his first drum ever, a nice 25-pounder. Captain Fran will be fishing for bass, drum and bluefish for the next week or so until the summer flounder and black sea bass seasons open.

Captain George Finck of Sparetime Charters reports he is running a little behind due to getting his house back together from Hurricane Sandy. All his attention is on his boat now which should be up and running in a week or so.

Additional information on the Beach Haven Charter Fishing Association can be found at www.fishbeachhaven.com

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May 2nd 2013

Some captains of the Beach Haven Charter Fishing Association are putting their boats in the water while some have already been putting fish in the coolers for some satisfied anglers.

Now that warm weather appears to be around for good, the fishing in the Beach Haven area has begun to turn on. The striped bass population is increasing practically on a daily basis. The throwback sized fish still outnumber the keepers, but many anglers are returning to dock with their share of fishing dinners. These fish are off the beach, in the inlet, and scattered around the bay waters.

Once the water temperatures got above 50-degrees, ravenous bluefish appeared. The first blues to arrive ranged from 3-8 pounds, and now some smaller ones are making their presence known. Drumfish have been gobbling up clams intended for stripers, especially in the Great Bay and Grassy Channel areas. Finally, there have been some tiderunner weakfish caught, mainly at night on artificial lures.

Captain Fran Verdi of the “Francesca Marie” has been fishing for 4 weeks. He slammed the blackfish on the inshore wrecks until the season ended and now is concentrating on striped bass, blues, and drumfish.

Captain John Lewis on the “Insatiable” is just about ready to go in the water. He reports he has been watching a warm water eddy that is slowly making its way toward the coast. He is hoping for some early season hot tuna fishing just like the past few years.

Captain Carl Sheppard reports the “Star Fish” is in the water and ready for another season. He has had the boat inspected and conducted safety drills for the captain and crew to meet the Coast Guard’s exacting standards.

Captain Lindsay Fuller reports the “June Bug” is still at her winter quarters in North Carolina and will be getting a late start of the fishing season. A delay by mechanics in working on the boat’s electronics has put things behind schedule. Once everything is perfect, Captain Lindsay will be heading back to Beach Haven for his share of the action.

Complete information on the boats and captains of the Beach Haven Charter Fishing Association can be found at www.fishbeachhaven.com