As the final weeks of the summer approach, the ocean water temperatures are at their highest of the year. This means that the assortment of fish finding their ways to the lines of the captains of the Beach Haven Charter Fishing Association becomes more varied.
Recent catches in the waters off Long Beach Island have included triggerfish on the bottom, and mahi, cobia, and Spanish mackerel up in the water column. There have also been some reports of a resurgence of croakers around. Meanwhile, the artificial reefs continue to give up good numbers of fluke.
Speaking of the reefs, Captain John Lewis of the “Insatiable” announced that the New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife sank a scallop boat on the Garden State North Reef Site on Friday, August 11. This deployment was sponsored by the Sportfishing Fund and the Junior Mate’s Reef Project of the Beach Haven Charter Fishing Association.
This deployment follows others that add to the marine habitat to provide the marine ecosystem with food and shelter for all marine organisms. This in turn will develop enhanced fishing opportunities for recreational anglers.
Captain Brett Taylor and “Reel Reaction Sportfishing” had a double charter this week and boxed a nice mahi-mahi in the morning while fishing ocean structure. That group also reeled in10 keeper fluke to 24-inches along with three sea bass. His afternoon group fished in the bay with poor tidal conditions yet still picked some 62 fluke with three keepers and a blowfish. Steady action!
Captain Gary Dugan of the “Irish Jig” had a group of hard-working anglers out recently on some ocean structure out of Little Egg Inlet. The group had steady action and managed to bring home some nice fluke, black sea bass and a big triggerfish. The trigger weighed in at 4-pounds.