The captains and boats of the Beach Haven Charter Fishing Association have been working the past few months getting their boats ready and sharpening their skills at seminars and fishing trips to the south. Now they are ready to start fishing for real.
Captain Adam Nowalsky had the "Karen Ann II" out with a group of anglers recently fishing a few of his favorite wreck spots. With the ocean surface temperature measuring a chilly 42.3-degrees on the fishing grounds, Captain Adam still managed to find some nice blackfish and codfish for his party.
The total catch for the day was about 36 fish with a keeper ratio around 50%. The four man group limited out on blackfish to 5-pounds along with some nice codfish. "Cigar Bob" was top man with Mark, Dave, and Dennis also contributing mightily to the final tally.
Sal Rosa, mate on the "Miss Beach Haven," reports Captain Frank Camarda plans to make his first blackfish trip on April 16. Sal says the boat looks better than new, and Captain Frank plans to get some blackfish fillets before the seasons closes. Sal adds that he plans to provide anglers with free hot dogs on the first weekend of sailing.
Captain Fran Verdi on the "Dropoff" reports he is running some open boat trips in April in addition to his charters. He is planning two types of trips, striper fishing in the Mullica River and blackfish trips to the reefs and wrecks. He has already experienced some action on the stripers in the area of Graveling Point at the mouth of the Mullica. Last Saturday was a slow day for Captain Fran on the bass, but all that changed on Sunday. Fishing in the bay, his party boated 11 stripers with 4 counted as keepers between 29-33 inches. The water temperature was around 50-degrees, and clams produced the fish.
Captain Lindsay Fuller reports the "June Bug" has completed its winter maintenance in Manteo, North Carolina and is back in the water at Oregon Inlet for another month. He says the boat looks and runs great. The bluefin tuna bite there has been "nothing short of stupendous" reports Captain Lindsay, and he recently noted the first big eye tuna of the year to go with the steady yellowfin bite.
Additional information on the association can be found at www.BHCFA.com or by calling 877-524-2423.
