Fishing with Dad

Ernie Giglio at Giglio’s Bait and Tackle in Sea Bright said there are still plenty of fluke in the surf, but again, not a lot of keepers. “Guys are catching 20 to 30 to just one keeper,” he said. He weighed in two fluke for Mike Pinto, Bound Brook, of 2.7 and 2.5 pounds. The false albacore should be showing soon and Giglio’s will be holding a seminar on catching them this Saturday morning. Those interested should meet in the Sea Bright Municipal Lot at 7:30 a.m. Veteran angler Chuck Kababick, Long Branch, will be the speaker. Barbara Foley the Oceanic Marina in Rumson said the unbelievable crabbing continues. Rob Obermeyer, Staten Island, and his two sons, got over two bushels, an estimated 350 crabs, in four hours. They got all of them just scooping. Bob Staub from Long Branch Bait and Tackle weighed in a 4 1/4-pound fluke for George Moran he caught in the Long Branch surf. He also received a report of some keeper bass up to 30 inches caught in the early mornning surf on plugs. There’s lots of bait in the wash, including sand eels, and the snappers are showing up there as well. And the extraordinary crabbing continues. John Christensenn of Scott’s Bait and Tackle in Bradley Beach weighed in a 5.6-pound fluke for Eric Green of Sea Bright. He hooked it from a a boat with Gulp! mullet as bait.

John Oswald

Jack Monteiro at Surf Side Bait and Tackle, Long Branch, reports that the snappers have arrived at the beach so grab some some snapper zappers and spend some quality time with the kids. He said there is lots of small bait in the area and kingfish are being caught in the surf before the swimmers arrive. There are still some resident stripers around hitting early in the morning or late at night. Porgies are showing up as well as keeper blackfish and larger fluke are making their way into the surf. Steve White, Long Branch, got a 4-pound fluke from a boat and Jack himself got a 2.12 pounder from his boat. Ernie Giglio and Giglio’s Bait and Tackle in Sea Bright said he’s busy with snappers and crabs in the Navesink and Shrewsbury Rivers. There are also plenty of the fluke in the surf. He also had one report of an albacore being landed, but other than that one, it’s been quiet on the albie front. He’s also hoping some croakers show up.


Scotts’s Bait and Tackle in Bradley Beach reported kingfish are now hitting sandworms and bloodworms in the surf. The shop also weighed in a 6.6-pound fluke for Rich Bianchi Jr. he landed from a boat on a Spro bucktail and a 2.8-pound fluke for Harold Byrnes of Bradley Beach. Bob Staub at Long Branch Bait and Tackle said they weighed in a 7.2-pound fluke for Marty Schwartz, Monmouth Beach. He also reported the crabbing is getting better with bigger crabs being caught and mullet is now showing up in the Shrewsbury.
John Oswald