By John Spinelli
Although back-to-school events and fall foliage tours are right around the corner, fishermen in the Two River area should not be discouraged. There are still plenty of summer days ahead, according to reports from local captains who are continuing to catch warm water fish.
So let’s enjoy the sun and heat of late August – there’s no need to rush into the autumn striper run; it will be here before you know it!
As of Thursday, Aug. 24, the water temperature was averaging 73 degrees. On the ocean, many fishermen have reported seeing fluke, bluefish, tuna and various types of tropical fish.
Atlantic Highlands’ Sea Tiger Capt. Hal Hagaman shared notes about some of his trips during August.
“Overall it’s been a little tough, with fish staying closer to the bay and off the Hook. Mostly shorts but we’ve gotten some keepers, also sea bass,” he said.
“The largest this summer was a 10-pound fluke, and for bait we’ve been using mostly frozen spearing.”
Hagaman also mentioned common sightings of dolphins and whales off the tip of Sandy Hook.
Casting a line from Sandy Hook’s beach, Middletown local fisherman Michael Tzot said surf fishing has been positive, noting he mostly goes earlier in the morning.
“I’ve been catching a lot of blues off the beach. I have caught bluefish ranging from 15 to 23 inches. I use a bunker cocktail as bait,” he said.
On the river, Red Bank Marina owner Steve Remely said “crabbing has been excellent,” according to his customers who rent out his small crabbing vessels.
“Near the Swimming River entrance on the Navesink recently has been perfect. Not as much wind, current, and the three bridges (Coopers Bridge, NJ Transit and Senator Joseph M. Kyrillos Bridge) help a lot as habitats,” Remely said. “There’s also been a lot of jellyfish in the river which is a good sign of warmer water.”
“Folks have been catching six- to seven-inch blue claw crabs; for fishing – plenty of bunker and snappers.”
Middletown’s Capt. Steve Spinelli (this reporter’s uncle), who charters his boat the Skylarker in Belmar, said fishing has been really good off the coast of Sea Bright and Monmouth Beach.
“This past Monday (Aug. 21), before noon we caught plenty of triggerfish, sea bass, porgies and fluke right off Sea Bright from clams. Going back to the marina, we trolled and caught a bonito.”
Myself, unfortunately I’ve been a little busy with work, so I haven’t been fishing as much as I’d like. A few weeks ago, though, I caught a 10-inch fluke off the Bayshore Waterfront Pier in Port Monmouth. I usually fish when it’s a rising tide in the evening after work. My recommendation? Bayshore beaches are the spot to be, especially with the warm temperatures we have now.
Late summer is also a good time for competitive and casual surfers; Sept. 8-10 brings the Belmar Pro tournament to our shores.
“This week should be about 2-to-6-feet waves. Last Sunday, there were a lot of surfers on the north end of Sea Bright, but we’ll see later in the week,” said Melissa D’Anna, owner of Lucky Dog Surf Company in Sea Bright.
As for the sailors, according to the weather forecast, Thursday morning will be a good time to hit the masts from 7 a.m. to noon; the winds will be 11 to 12 miles per hour. Thursday afternoon to the weekend, speeds will slow down and average 8 to 9 miles per hour. Sunset this week will be at 7:35 p.m.
This article originally appeared in the August 31 – September 6, 2023 print edition of The Two River Times.
