The spring blackfish season closes on May 1, and a couple of the captains of the Beach Haven Charter Fishing Association have been catching as many of these tasty wreck dwellers as possible.
Captain Adam Nowalsky on the "Karen Ann II" had a party out last weekend that was willing to brave the 33-degree temperatures that faced them at the dock. Initially the winds were howling as they cleared the inlet, but the seas calmed down, and the resulting 40-degree temperatures made fishing conditions tolerable. The ocean surface temperature was 47-degrees.
Captain Adam said he was pleased with the catch, especially considering the conditions. The total catch for the 5-man crew was over 60 blackfish with a keeper ratio of about 50%. They also managed to pick up a few keeper codfish including a nice sized one by Dennis. Jack won fisherman of the day honors with his number of keeper blackfish in double digits.
Captain Fran Camarda on the head boat "Miss Beach Haven" made its first trip of the spring last weekend with 15 anglers aboard. Mate Sal Rosa reports their total catch was about 20 fish mostly blackfish with 4 keeper codfish mixed in.
Additional information on the association can be found at www.BHCFA.com or by calling 877-524-2423.
