Although some recent chilly weather may not indicate it, we are well into spring and starting the 2026 southern Ocean County fishing season. The captains of the Beach Haven Charter Fishing Association have been waiting all winter for this and are pretty much ready to go.
Thus far, the spring striped bass bite has been stronger than in recent years. There is the typical early season action on smaller linesiders. The striper action on the beach has been good, and boats fishing close to shore in the ocean have also been reeling fish in.
The past month has been decent for blackfish, but that season ends on April 30. The black sea bass season will open on May 15 with predictions high for that action.
The big news is the start of the fluke season on Monday, May 4. The water is still on the cool side, but this is the time of the year when the big flatties come into the bay waters. Some good catches are guaranteed right away as long as the weather cooperates.
Some of the BHCFA boats are in the water and ready to go. Others are getting the finishing touches on the bottom paint and the last pieces of fishing gear stowed on board just prior to launching.
This is a good time to make reservations for fishing in any of the upcoming months. Most of the captains have a goodly number of open dates at this point, but many will soon be filled.