With a mild winter behind them, and spring like conditions already here, the captains of the Beach Haven Charter Fishing Association have been working and planning for the 2012 fishing season.
Two more captains have joined the ranks of the BHCFA to bring the total number of boats in the fleet to 14. TJ Schwarzwalder, who captains the "Legal Limits," and Jimmy Zavacky of "Reel Determined" are both experienced skilled captains.
Captain Bob Gerkens reports he will be bringing his boat "Hot Tuna" back to Beach Haven very shortly from Morehead City, NC, where it spent the winter. He reports that he was able to get in on the January run of Bluefin tuna.
Captain Fran Verdi reports he is pleased with the new summer flounder regulations and feels the arrangement of the seasons will provide fishing options for most of the year. He has "The Drop Off" close to splash time and after hearing of a few stripers already being caught, he is anxious to get in on the action. Captain Fran is already planning for the upcoming fishing tournaments and is accepting charters for these competitions.
Captain George Finck of the boat "Spare Time" is looking forward to an early striped bass season and is already anticipating the opening of black sea bass season on May 19 for some good reef and wreck action.
The party boat "Miss Beach Haven" is planning to start running trips in April with tentative fishing dates of Good Friday and Easter Saturday. Captain Frank Camarda says he will be posting his sailing schedule in a week or so. Meanwhile he is spending his time sprucing the boat up for the season.
Captain John Lewis of the "Insatiable" reports he is wrapping up the winter with some wahoo fishing in Puerto Rico. He plans to be sailing out of the Beach Haven yacht Club this season and is looking forward to an early start for striped bass, Bluefin tuna, and mako fishing.
Captain John Koegler says he has been energized by the spring-like weather to get the "Pop's Pride" in tip-top shape for the season. From engine work to new windows to some new electronics he has the boat looking and functioning like new.
Captain Dave Wittenborn has also taken advantage of the nice weather to do some cosmetic work to the "Compass Rose." Along with a full work up on the engines and adjustment to the fish finder, Captain Dave is ready for some early striped bass fishing this spring. He opines the fish seem to be a bit fatter in the spring than the fall.
Captain Carl Sheppard reports he plans to have the "Star Fish" in service in early April for stripers and anything else that bites then. He has the boat ready and will be getting its annual safety inspection by the Coast Guard on March 23.
Captain Lindsay Fuller has the "June Bug" at its winter home in Wanchese, NC, getting her annual winter maintenance completed. He reports the fishing off the Outer Banks at Oregon Inlet has been nothing short of fantastic this winter with a wide variety of fish from a few big stripers to billfish, and various types of tuna. Captain Lindsay plans to run some parties there to take advantage of this hot fishing until May when he brings the "June Bug" to Beach Haven for the season.
Additional information on the boats and captains of the Beach Haven Charter Fishing Association can be found at www.fishbeachhaven.com
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