Summer is nearing its final stretches in the Long Beach Island neighborhood, but the captains of the Beach Haven Charter fishing Association know that some of the best fishing of the year is near at hand.
The fish that made summer fishing interesting are still around, the water has warmed which means that many fish considered to be tropical species are around, and fall fishing is right around the corner.
The bulk of the fluke population has made its annual migration into the ocean which has these fish congregating around the inshore artificial reefs and structure. The bay waters still have some fluke along with decent numbers of croaker, small weakfish, and other panfish. Bluefish have been racing around the inlets, especially in the early hours of the day.
Other fish around are tuna and mahi-mahi, often closer to shore than one might thing. In addition, fish such as cobia, drumfish, triggerfish, and various sharks are around.
Captain Max Goldman of the “Starfish” laid out his plans as in September he will concentrate on fluke and sea bass, September and October for tuna chunking along with sea bass, then November for stripers and tautog.
Captain Brett Taylor of “Reel Reaction Sportfishing” has been working the Barnegat Light area in the bay, ocean, and inlet. He has seen extraordinary action on undersized fluke but must work hard for keepers. One of his trips released over one hundred short fish but managed to put six keepers in the box along with one sea bass and a mahi.
Captain Jonathan Kelly has been fishing the “Bodacious” out of Barnegat Light for offshore fish and one of his anglers managed a magnificent mahi-mahi that measured out at 55-inches.
The “Miss Beach Haven,” the only headboat at the southern end of Long Beach Island, has been experiencing some great morning fishing trips. They report that the anglers on board may be strangers when they leave the dock but are friends when the boat returns.
Additional information on the captains and boats of the Beach Haven Charter Fishing Association and how to book a trip can be found at www.BHCFA.org