The rallying cry for the captains of the Beach Haven Charter Fishing Association at Thanksgiving time is “Get out and get the bass while you can.

 

The bite has really turned on for striped bass in waters close to Little Egg Inlet. After weeks of hearing about the strong bite to the north, the bass have arrived off Beach Haven, and they are hungry. The bass are often found around bunker schools, and when they are not there, they can be 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 most in the 40" range. They boxed 7 bass 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 and placing fourth in the Italian American Club Tournament in Tuckerton. He expressed his delight at finding the bite so close to the inlet. He 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. 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 abated 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.