Weakfish and striped bass are showing up along the coast in flurries from Raritan Bay to Barnegat Bay.
Porgies are showing up along the local piers in big numbers, and plenty of slammer blues are still patrolling the coastline in pursuit of peanut bunkers. Bluefish have been fattening up before they head out for the winter. On the new fishing pier in Keyport, anglers were slamming blues up to 16 pounds on metals and plugs.
Aboard the Capt. Dave from Atlantic Highlands, first mate and fishing guide Brett Chamberlain had the gang from Roche Diagnostics. This party did it up right, with plenty of good food and refreshments for the day. Hearing of a weakfish bite in the Reach Channel, they decided to give it a try. Upon arrival at the fishing grounds, there was already a large fleet of boats in the channel. There were so many boats, it looked like the scene from the movie “Jaws.” Shortly after, the U.S. Coast Guard sent a cutter out to clear the channel so that commercial traffic would not be impeded. In the interest of safety, they left the area and tried for action elsewhere. The result, though, was a slow pick of fish.
Another repeat customer was the Shariff Elfar family from Franklin Lakes. Capt. Kevin took this group to the weakfish grounds, but alas, the result was the same as the morning’s trip, with a slow pick exacerbated by another heavy fleet of boats to contend with.
The first trip of the week started off slow for Capt. Steve Purul from Reel Fantasea Charters out of Barnegat Light, due to a stiff northeast wind, but as the wind laid down, the bite was on fire for the rest of the week with blues, bonitos, false albacore, and even a few short stripers. N.J. Superior Court Judge Nicholas J. Stoumtos Jr. with friend Tom were out to start the week, but although the guys had a few blues, it was anything but stellar action.
The very next morning, Steve Vavrick was out for some nonstop action with nice blues that hit just about everything thrown at them in the inlet. Steve had a blast catching blues on top-water poppers, and with the clean water the northeast wind had blown in, the visual strikes were a scene from ESPN. That evening, Capt. Steve was back at the inlet with another party for more of the same nonstop action, with blues and a few short stripers. Steve Ezzel was out for round two of trips this week, and also the old Reel Fantasea’s last trip of her career, since the new 26-foot Cape Fisherman was delivered and is being prepped. Steve had more nonstop action with a mix of blues, bonitos and false albacore, missing an Atlantic Coast Grand Slam by a striper or weakfish.
Steve was on board last week and scored a Barnegat Bay Grand Slam striper, fluke, blue, and weakfish. Capt. Steve still has dates available for this fall; the bait is stacked up behind the inlet, and the temps are cooling down.
October is almost here and the days are getting shorter – and so is the list of available dates for some of the best action found anywhere. Give Capt. Steve a call and take a day off. You won’t regret it. Reel Fantasea Charters can be reached at (609) 290-1217.
Updates and tournaments:
Hi-Mar Striper Club’s annual Fall 40- Hour Striped Bass Tournament.
The Hi-Mar club conducts one of the premier striped bass tournaments in North Jersey. This year’s 40-hour event will run from 8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 19, to noon Sunday, Oct. 21, at Atlantic Highlands Municipal Harbor. To find out more information about this event, just contact the tournament director, Bob Kamienski, at (732) 495-9210 or www.Hi-Mar.com. One of the goals of the Hi-Mar Striped Bass Tournament is to raise funds so that the club can help various local charities. For instance, Hi-Mar supports the Monmouth/Ocean County Big Brothers Big Sisters, Hooked on Fishing Not on Drugs, Clark H.S. Fishing Club, and Point Pleasant Fire Explorers, by providing a mid-summer fluke trip for local youngsters aboard local charter boats.
New Jersey world record fluke?
Monica Oswald, the Neptune nurse who was savaged in online discussion groups after she caught the largest summer flounder ever brought in with a rod and reel, has been denied a place in the record books. The International Game Fish Association said recently that Oswald broke IGFA rules in August when she briefly rested her pole on the rail of her boat while wrestling with a 24.3-pound fluke off the coast of Monmouth County. The rules clearly state you cannot use the rails to win the battle. This has raised even more controversy with anglers nationwide. Monica did pass the lie detector test. The ruling cost Monica sixfigure endorsements. This raises many questions and doubts with anglers worldwide. For more information on the rules and other world records, log on to www.IGFA.org. To hear what the fishing community has to say and to get a heartbeat on the New Jersey fishing community, log on to www.NJSaltwaterfisherman.com. What’s your opinion? E-mail me at [email protected].

