The rallying cry for the captains of the Beach Haven Charter Fishing Association at this Thanksgiving time is "Get out and catch the bass while you can."
The bite has really turned on for striped bass in the waters closest to Little Egg Inlet after weeks of the best action miles to the north. These stripers are hungry and often found around bunker schools. When they are not there, they are being trolled up with both bunker spoons and Stretches.
Captain John Lewis on the "Insatiable" has missed some fishing time recently due to some boat deliveries, but he made up for it last weekend. His party managed to catch a total of 20 bass in the 40-inch range. They boxed 7 linesiders ranging from slot-size to a 45-inch beauty.
Captain Gary Dugan of the "Irish Jig" reports another "great weekend" as he limited out both Saturday and Sunday with a total of 8 fish while finishing fourth in the Italian American Club Tournament in Tuckerton. He expressed his delight in finding the bite so close to the inlet and had a special shout out to junior mate Zachary Michot for doing a great job.
Not every trip goes the way you want when Mother Nature gets involved. Captain Lindsay Fuller had the Don Ingram party out recently on the "June Bug" for a half-day bass trip. Initially they faced 20 mph winds with gusts to 25 and seas 4-6 feet high. Despite the conditions, the anglers worked hard but could not locate any fish. Unfortunately they could not extend their trip later into the day as that afternoon the winds cut back and the bite picked up. By the time they returned to the dock, they began to hear of many boats starting to catch multiple fish.
Additional information on the captains and boats of the Beach Haven Charter Fishing Association can be found at www.BHCFA.net
