By Rich Chrampanis
Neil Krauter has spent plenty of time fishing in the Two River area, from the Navesink and Shrewsbury rivers to the ocean. Now, the Rumson native has been selected to compete for the United States in the Pan-American Surf Fishing Championships in Costa Rica this September. Krauter is an International Game Fishing Association world record holder and the 2022 Massachusetts State Saltwater Derby Angler of the Year.
We picked Krauter’s brain to learn more about surf fishing and the excitement of getting to compete internationally this fall. (Answers have been lightly edited for style and space.)
The Two River Times: Where did you find your love for fishing and how did it turn to competing at a top level?
Neil Krauter: My love for fishing started with my grandfather, Dick Moraller, in the ’90s. He would bring me fishing at all the local lakes and ponds throughout Monmouth County before eventually graduating me to surf fishing around the age of 10. I spent the next 25 years surfcasting up and down the East Coast from Maine to Florida and did some international fishing exploration, but it wasn’t until 2017 when I really started to participate and learn about the East Coast tournament scene and caught the competitive bug.
The Nantucket Inshore Classic remains my favorite tournament to fish and is hosted by the Nantucket Anglers Club to benefit the local scholarship fund. It is a five-week-long event with tons of talent and good people whose company I greatly enjoy.
TRT: What is surf fishing like close to home in Rumson? How does it help you compete nationally and internationally?
Krauter: New Jersey has a fantastic surf fishing scene and community, from the tip of Sandy Hook all the way to Cape May, every beach can be productive. New Jersey has a ton of very dedicated surf fishermen and it seems every time I’m on the sand, I talk to someone new who shares my interest and love for the sport.
Time of year, conditions and target species will often dictate where I focus my efforts on a given day – in the spring, you will primarily find me in the bay and rivers; for fall, the focus shifts strictly to oceanfront. The Two Rivers specifically are a fantastic fishery, especially in the spring months when the striped bass and bluefish invade our backwaters, then followed by the fluke and occasional weakfish as well.
New Jersey waters will prep an international angler well as we deal with a lot of differing conditions, and I have found that surfcasting tactics for striped bass and bluefish translate well to a lot of other species around the world. In NJ, we deal with both cold and heat, heavy wind, high surf, clean clear water and cloudy silty water. It’s the wildly varied conditions that we can have and knowing how best to fish each one that prepares a tournament angler for the unknown.
TRT: What is a surf fishing competition like and the rules that are in place when you compete in Costa Rica?
Krauter: Tournament fishing is always exhilarating and, depending on the format of that given event, could be an individual challenge or a team sport, both requiring plenty of strategy. I love tournament fishing for a few reasons: One, I really enjoy the camaraderie and excitement with the other anglers on the beach; two, it’s a puzzle that requires solving in order to do well; three, every tournament’s rules differ in some way, creating both opportunity and obstacles; four, it’s as much of a competition versus myself than it is against anyone else. I set goals and I have benchmarks which I emphasize to improve upon my results; and five, teamwork and helping my team succeed.
The format, rules and scoring of the Pan-Am Championships are intriguing and fairly unique. It is a three-day event with one practice day and two very long days of fishing. The team’s goal is to be on the podium for the medal ceremony (gold, silver, bronze) in both team results and (on an) individual basis. There are numerous eligible species, such as tarpon, snook, jacks, cuberra snapper grouper, sharks, barracuda, etc., and each fish has a specific point valuation which is added to the length of the fish to give a score which continues to add up over the two days in the full field standings.
TRT: What kind of international field will you be going up against in Costa Rica?
Krauter: The USA Surf Fishing Team is poised to make an impact on the international stage with elite anglers from every coastline. Vying for medals against the world’s top competitors, the team features passionate land-based saltwater anglers from diverse backgrounds with a common goal: to be the best. Each country can have up to 14 anglers on a team and we are hoping for participation from at least 10 countries, including Mexico, Costa Rica, the United States, Panama, Brazil, Venezuela. The Costa Rica team, specifically, will have home water advantage and have some very skilled anglers.
TRT: What is the future of the sport, and what are the long-term and short-term goals?
Krauter: The future of the sport is bright and the short-term goal is bringing home team gold for the U.S.A. this September. Long-term U.S. Angling continues to invest in the future of American saltwater fishing to inspire the next generation of surf anglers and promote a sport that everyone and anyone can participate in. U.S. Angling is also at the forefront of helping the sportfishing community to obtain full Olympic recognition in the coming years.
A constant goal is that the Surf Fishing Team and U.S. Angling continue to seek fundraising. The USA Surf Fishing Team, proudly operates under the auspices of U.S. Angling – a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Unlike many other nations, the U.S. does not receive government funding for sports development. This means we rely solely on the generosity of corporations, foundations and individuals. Your donation will directly support our team’s entry fees and travel expenses, ensuring they have the resources needed to compete at the highest level and win medals for America.
TRT: What will it mean to you when you compete for the United States in international competition?
Krauter: It’s truly an honor and I am very proud to be able to represent the U.S.A. and the state of New Jersey. It means a great deal to help shepherd the future of sport on an international level and help the development of Team USA and U.S. Angling now and in the future. I am extremely thankful to U.S. Angling and our growing roster of sponsors, including Bass Pro Shops, Cabela’s and Fishbites.
For more information about U.S. Angling and how to donate, visit usangling.org/surf-fishing/ or follow @usanglingfish and @usasurffishingteam on social media.
The article originally appeared in the July 10 – 16, 2025 print edition of The Two River Times.
