Mid-Summer Fishing

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Hello, fellow fisherpeople! After the intense heat and humidity over the weekend I thought it would be a good time to offer some options on beating the heat by getting out on the water. For our boat owners the answer is simple, jump on your boat and go, but what if you don’t have a boat? The party boat fleet in Atlantic Highlands takes individuals fishing every day with half-day (8 a.m.-12:30 p.m. and 1:30-6 p.m.) and 3/4 day (7:30 am.-2:30 p.m) trips available. Charter boats take groups from 2-90 people for both fishing and cruising excursions but these runs must be reserved ahead of time. If you’d like to treat your kids to some fun you could rent a skiff or pontoon boat from Oceanic Marina in Rumson for some river fishing/crabbing/cruising. I have to throw in a reminder to bring along plenty of cold water and drinks. It is very easy to get dehydrated on a summer day.
The Jersey Coast Anglers Association is hosting a statewide fluke tournament on August 1 boasting 9 weigh stations spread out between Jersey City and Cape May with Gateway Marina in Highlands our local spot to check your fish in. Prizes will be given out for the winners at each port and there will be a special $25,000 bonus for the biggest fluke caught over 12 pounds with the awards ceremony being held at the Holiday Inn, Rt. 72, Manahawkin on Wednesday, August 12. Participate in this one if you can, JCAA is an organization that keeps us informed and fights for our rights as recreational fisherpeople and they deserve our support. See jcaa.org for more information.
Large stripers are still eating live and fresh bunker baits on morning and nighttime tides. Capt. Mike on Jersey Key reported catching 20 very nice fish on Monday before the heat got here. Longfin, bigeye, and yellowfin tuna are patrolling the clear water canyons far offshore with some mahi-mahi spicing up the catches, and I’ve also heard of mahi being found closer in along with bluefin tuna, primarily in the Chicken Canyon area. Most of the big mako sharks have left our shores because they prefer cooler water but the thresher sharks find the warm temperature to their liking so rig yourself accordingly. Fluking remains average, with good drifting conditions some nice fish are being found although the short sub-legal flatties dominate the action.
Well, I finally got to see whales! On our Sunday evening MiJo II trip we were treated by the sight of a humpback calf accompanied by 1 or 2 adults (they never all surfaced at the same time so I can’t be sure how many) very close to the tip of Sandy Hook. Our customers truly enjoyed our short visit with these beautiful mammals. The bad part is I had to continually maneuver the boat so I was not able to get a clear picture for you guys. I just got another report of mammals, a pod of porpoises playing off of Monmouth Beach Monday, and it sounds like they are well within visual range of the beach.
We are in the middle of our summer season and I expect more fishy visitors from the tropical seas to show up before the water begins to chill in the fall. If any of our readers spot unusual sea life locally, please let me know? Thanks! See you here next week, till then, Hook Em Up!
– By Capt. Robbie Barradale