Memorial Day may signal the unofficial start of summer for most of us but the calendar tells us that this Friday is the longest day of the year and the official start to the season. School is out for the year and the waters will definitely show an increase in activity. Some inordinate amounts of rain could make conditions a little challenging but it looks like we are going to get a reprieve in the near future so saddle up and get out there. Fresh water should be high and fast and the salt line has moved a bit but all in all, the window of opportunity is opening and we at OTW are here to help you take advantage of the situation.

In Brick Township, the Jersey Hooker team rules supreme! They are back from the storm and stronger than ever. I spoke with Captain Rich Wilkowski this weekend other than the problems with the excess water we have been receiving, the fishing has been exceptional. Sea bass on most of the wrecks, but the Sea Girt has been really good. Striper action has been hit or miss. One day they are there the next gone. Fluking seems to be best right now Oceanside as the rivers have been somewhat cloudy with the influx of fresh water. Captain Rich told me that the most popular baits there have been spearing, squid and Gulp Baits. They are carrying killies but with the rivers slow, the other baits have been better producers. The shark bite inshore has been very good according to Captain Rich. A flat of mackerel, a couple buckets of chum and let the action begin. Blue sharks have been thick along with some makos and the occasional thresher shark. Rich has been running some nice bait special for sharkers so before you load up, give the shop a call to see what this week’s special .

The Big Mohawk is on the fluke again this season. Seems like they picked up right where they left off last year, catching often and catching big! Captain Chris Hueth has a knack for finding the honey holes and putting his fares on the fish. The Cap informs me that the bait of choice lately has been Berkley Gulp in the Glow Mullet, Pink Shine or New Penney. Spearing and squid have also worked. For light tackle fluking on a class one ship, The Big Mohawk sails each morning (weather permitting) at 7am and returns a 3 pm each day from its Belmar mooring.

If you are looking for a 6 man or less charter in the Belmar area, there is a new boat on the scene that you must check out. Parker Pete’s Charter Fishing Service is a 35-foot Custom Donelle with a fishing cockpit that you could play volley ball on! I fished the boat some years ago with the prior owner and can attest that it is one hell of a fishing boat. Captain Pete Sykes certainly has an eye for quality. When I spoke to him this week, he told me that the striper bite tuned down a notch with the latest round of storms but the sea bass and fluke is definitely picking up. He expects the upcoming weekend to be the turning point if the weather holds up. Powered with 350 horses, state of the art electronics and all the other bells and whistles you could think of, the Captain told me they are open to all different types of angling pursuits. If you get a chance, check them out.

Welcome to OTW Miss Belmar Fleet in lovely Belmar NJ. This 120-foot fishing machine is currently fishing for striper and blues. She breaks port each morning at 7:30 am returning at 2:30 PM. They also do some night trips for blues, call ahead for schedule. Lately, the blue fish action has been pretty much nonstop and the striper catch has been hit or miss mostly coinciding with the rough weather we have been experiencing. Captain Alan Shinn (Princess) spares no effort to put you on the fish and gets you there in style and comfort.

For some, it’s just another tackle shop. To me and many other “feet in the sand” anglers, it’s surfcasters’ heaven. Of course I’m speaking of Giglio’s Bait and Tackle in Sea Girt. I spoke with Ernie at the store this week and he told me that the striper bite has slowed a bit but the fluke and blowfish in the area are up this week. The bass anglers have had some nice landings using sandworms instead of clam this week. That what Bob Watson of union was using when he tagged a 16-pound striper on Wednesday in the river. There have been several nice black drum caught in the area including a 57-pounder by Ann Vaccaro in the river. Ann was using clam as bait. Ernie also told me that weakfish have finally made an appearance and most anglers are using Bubble Gum colored Finesse baits on a lead head in the quest for the snaggle-toothed sea trout. There have been some nice blues on the beach as well. Ernie also informed me that Giglio’s is now a Century Rod Dealer and will be having a demo soon for these heavy throwers. Give the shop a call for dates.

Switching to fresh water for a bit, I gave a shout out to Mark at Meltzer’s Sporting Goods in Garfield. He called the current fishing conditions for bass “no brainer” fishing. All you need is a Senko Worm set up or favorite spinner bait and you should be catching. Mark told me the local hot spot has been Pompton Lake. The walleye bite seems to have shut down in most fishing holes but Mark told me that the night bite for hybrid stripers at Lake Hopatcong has been going strong. Live herring or any lure that makes noise will get you some action. Mark suggested the Heddon Wounded Spook for some real fun. He also asked me to remind you guys and gals that they have a sale going on at the store, 20% off all rods priced at over $69.99. Not bad.

At the top of the state in Keyport, I checked in with Joe of Joey’s Bait and Tackle to get a northern perspective. He told me the fluking has been great so far. Rose T just weighed in a 22 inch 6 pound flatfish right before I called. Rose caught her fluke off the Keyport bulkhead. Squid, spearing and sand worms have been the go-to baits. Killies are still in short supply as they are all over the state. Crabbing has also picked up in the area. Mike J. picked up a fifteen pound black drum while fishing with clams on the Keyport Flats. There are blues all over the area according to Joe. So much so he has put together a starter kit for all you novice blue fish anglers out there. $29.99 will get your kids a rod reel and a variety of hand tied rigs for chasing back bay eating machines. Great way to get the kids Hooked on Fishing.

The Ocean Explorer in Belmar is reporting excellent fluke fishing with fish up to 6 pounds winning the daily fishing pool. The OE is 100” Party boat leaving out of Belmar daily at 7:30 each and every day with the exception of Christmas. Captain Bobby Quinn is an expert at finding keepers and most day you you can expect a full schedule of fluke, sea bass and the occasional blue or striper.

If you are looking for a charter boat in the Belmar area that can accommodate up to 22 passengers but don’t want to charter a party boat, consider the Skylarker out of Belmar. Captain Steve Spinelli will put you on the fish. When I spoke to him this week he told me that they have been killing the sea bass and ling with the occasional cod thrown in for good measure. Sea bass up to 5 pounds are not uncommon this season. They are also still chasing striper as determined by the charter with good success ratio. Over the weekend, tone charter had four fish in excess of the 25 pound mark. The Skylarker is charter only and can accommodate up to 25 but usually limits to 20 anglers for a more comfortable excursion.

Moving back to the top of the state , I spoke with Mark at The Bait Shop in Bradley Beach. With water temperatures in the area hovering in the mid-sixties and the huge amounts of rain they have been receiving, the fishing has been a bit on the slow side but anglers putting in their time are being rewarded. Fluking has been best at the mouth of the river. Squid spearing and bluefish strips have been attracting fluke up to six pounds. Killies are still in short supply. Cocktail Blues are all over the place and can be caught with a Hopkins or similar metal. The occasional weakfish has been caught in the surf by angler tossing a Bucktail tipped with a Berkley Gulp.

With the start of summer becoming official, big fish start to loom on the horizon. And when I think about big fish, I always turn to Dave Arbietman and his shop, the Reel Seat in Brielle. Always one of the top stores when looking to outfit for shark or any of the pelagics, Dave interrupted his daily routine of tying offshore rigs to give me a rundown on the activity. Right now, there have been strong reports on mako and thresher sharks. The main problem has been getting you bait past the blue sharks. One boat reported 40 separate hook ups with blue sharks on a recent inshore trip. A lot of fun but not much to show for it. He also told me that there has been some blue fin tuna activity noted in the Chicken Canyon, mostly in the 40-60 pound range but weather has somewhat kept the big boys in port. Fluking has been typical of early season action in the area with plenty of shorts to keeper. The best fishery right now according to Dave is the deep water sea bass. In 80+ feet, nice fish are being caught along with good quantities of ling. Throw in the occasional cod fish and now you are talking some serious bottom fishing. Dave asked me to mention that they recently became dealers for Canyon Gear and GP Offshore. So I have.

Shifting back to the salt free fishing, I contacted Tom P at the Sportsmen’s Center in Bordentown. For fresh water, Tom is the man! And you can tell when he is in the store as all the other salepeople are walking around with cotton stuffed in their ears. That’s how much he loves to talk fishing. Tom confirmed other reports I have been hearing that the bass bite has turned on full speed. As has the pickerel. His recommendation of using any frog shaped lure should not be ignored. Match the hatch. Pemberton and Crystal Lakes were two of his favorites this week. If you are looking for crappies, give Titusville a shot. Shiners or even worms will get you a whole mess of fish according to Tommy. For Small mouth, look to either Union lake or Lake Lenape in Atlantic County. Tom recommended that anglers hug the weedy areas for best results . He also told me he has been getting some terrific results and feed back by anglers using the BioEdge fish attractants in fresh and salt water. I have picked some up and plan to confirm his results on my own equipment.

Finishing up this week’s report, I know some of you are making vacation plans so I thought I would give you a list of charter boats in the area that you should consider if you are looking for a charter. All are quality boats with sterling reputations. Each has its own specialties and fortes but I can honestly say they are all quality rides. Below is the “Best of Belmar”.

• Ol’ Salty II 62’ Custom — up to 40 passengers. Also does dive trips. (732) 681-6650
• Last One! 35’ Custom Sea Hawk – up to six passengers. Inshore and wreck fishing. (732) 556-7156
• Katie H Sports Fishing 46’ custom Hatteras. Up to six passengers. Inshore and offshore. (908) 600-6413
• XTC Sports Fishing 44’ Henriques . Up to six passengers. Inshore and offshore. (732) 616-3763

Best Bets for the Weekend

It is looking like the weekend should give us some relief from the torrential periods of rain that has plagued us for the last ten days. The hottest bite is in the wreck fishing, no doubt about it. The fluke seem to be in transition, moving from back to front and back again. From most of the reports I have been receiving, it would appear that the fish are scattered so you will need to work for your dinner. A few here, a few there. Shark hunters should have no problem finding some action even if it is only of the blue variety. On the fresh water side, the definite go to bite is the bass. Pick your lake and have at it. Back to the salt and in the central part of the state, the blow fish bite has been nothing short of electric. Striped Bass have been on and off. Your best chances revolve around finding the bunker. I would stake out the inlets around tide changes for the best shot at a slob bass. Small bluefish can be found in most back waters but for the bigger yellow eyed devils, head north. All in all, the true start of summer gives you a multitude of options. Whichever you choose, please stay safe out there. You only get so many days in the game, spend them wisely. See you on the incoming.