Several days of poor weather have put a damper on the Beach Haven fishing scene. As the weather begins to break, the captains of the Beach Haven Charter Fishing Association are looking forward to the upcoming weekend with optimism.
One captain, however, managed to brave the ocean conditions on Monday on a shark trip and said it was "magical." Captain John Koegler on the boat "Pop's Pride" headed out before sunset to see what he could find as the full moon ignited the bay waters.
With a west wind behind him, he had a smooth trip out as he traveled offshore toward the 20 fathom line. There were some thunderstorms around, but he used his radar to help avoid them.
He began the day trolling hoping to pick up some bluefish for shark bait or a bluefin tuna for dinner, but found no takers. At 7 am. Captain John started a shark slick which extended downwind out of sight.
The first shark hit some two and a half hours later, a tough blue shark about 8-feet long. He snapped the line and shortly thereafter, a tougher shark was hooked up. After some skillful angling, the shark came to the surface only 90 feet from the stern. It was a big mako.
After a long fight, the shark was brought to the boat and gaffed. With the boat having reached its limit, and the weather turning bad, Captain John decided to head for the dock.
The decision was a sound one as northeast winds at over 30 mph hit just as they were halfway through the inlet. The last few miles were stormy ones, but "Pop's Pride" made it safely to the dock. The trip up the bay was much different than the trip several hours earlier on the way out.
The big mako measured out to be 81-inches and weighed in at 139-pounds.
Additional information on the Beach Haven Charter Fishing Association can be found at www.fishbeachhaven.com or by calling 1-877-524-2423