Sandy Hook NJ Fishing Videos-Reel Fun Sportfishing

Capt. John's Video Library
A few videos to keep your interest peaked....Stripers and Fluke.

Please play one video at a time....FULL SCREEN MODE & SOUND!

With the Scott Edwards charter looking for Stripers amongst enormous pods of finning bunker in Raritan Bay.

Armed with clams, we anchored deep in Raritan Bay and started our clam slick. As the bunker swam past the boat, we threw a weighted treble hook and snagged a bunker and let it swim in free spool. Less than a minute later that bunker was inhaled by a 15 lb Bass that was boated and boxed. So far so good.

As the tide came to full and slack the action totally died and the bunker simply disappeared with it. It became obvious that with the time we had left, we couldn't wait out the change in tide, so our party decided to give fluking a try. Moved to a few of my favorite early season spots produced a few keeper Fluke but not the kind of numbers that we will see in the next 2 weeks yet. All in all, not a bust day, but not a banner day either for Raritan Bay. As you can see by my video, even small Stripers on light tackle can be a blast.....look at the bend in that rod. I was waiting for it to snap quite frankly.

This video is of Tom, John and Uncle Babe with fish we caught jigging and trolling for Striped Bass around the Sandy Hook.

What a great day of fishing it was. Plenty of action both jigging as well as trolling, as the jigging was red hot at the beginning of the bite, but trolling put most of the fish on our hooks.

We fished an area know as "between the channels" as we came upon a small fleet of boats working an area where bird action gave away the location of the Stripers.

Just about anything your threw at them worked...Ava 47's, but the sand eel lures by Run Off Lures worked the best in 4 ounce. After an armada of boats built up, all the bass scattered and it was time to troll the fish using the old style umbrella rigs which Marc was kind enough to let us use today which are wire line outfits utilizing red and green tails umbrella's with a white tube down the center. We enjoyed steady action almost all day as we returned 11 bass to fight another day while keeping our 3 man limit.

Had the Bud Luzzi party out this morning for some Striper fishing and decided to capture some of the action on the video you see here.

Although fishing was a slow pick this morning, as compared to yesterday's Striper beatdown by the Basso party, the boys still had a good time nontheless catching numerous dogfish, a few Fluke as well as 3 legal Stripers that ended up in the cooler with one weighing 20 lbs.

We also had 2 shorts Bass and lost a few fish at the boat.

Video on the left is our good friends and long time anglers of Reel Fun, Tom and John.

Tom and John were with us fishing for Striped Bass this morning in Raritan Bay, Sandy Hook, NJ area on a windy and bumpy boat especially in the morning with wind against tide producing the rockin' and rollin' you see here. But Stripers seem to enjoy this turbulant water and if you can handle it, you'll catch fish.

Tom and John limited (2 fish per man) on our trip and we were in the "release" mode after awhile so the fish can fight another day.

Here's a short video of our Striper trip today of Trish and John fighting some tough fighting bass while chunking with bunker.

Started the day off trolling in another area of the bay, but the bass would have nothing to do with my offerings, although there were other boats in the general vicinity who were trolling with some success.

The tide this morning was at flood stage when we arrived and was just beginning to move out, but quite slowly at the onset. Once the water got up a head of steam, the chunking bite was on. As you can tell by the video, Trish and John were somewhat new to the sport of Striper fishing and didn't quite know what to expect, so we had to lend a hand on some occasions with Trish's fish to get them to the cooler. Beautiful weather to go along with a great day on the water and an early sail back to the dock. Thanks Trish and John and we hope you had "Reel Fun".

Had the Saltwater Anglers of Bergen County out for a morning of Striper fishing today. Considering the water in most areas was still muddy and discolored (Yoo-Hoo beverage color along with floating logs, bags and other garbage) we didn't do too bad from what I heard from other people fishing today.

Started the day off clamming, but once a fleet built up to almost an armada and no fish, it was time for a different plan of attack. Moved to another area of the bay and trolled Stretch 25's and after a couple of passes it was fish on. Pulled up on the Stretch's and tried clamming in that same area and bingo.....fish on again. Almost caught a 4 man limit, but lost 3 nice fish at and near the boat which really hurts on a day like today when every fish counts with 4 keepers for the cooler.

Great day on the water with 2 very good fisherman and just very nice people to be with for the day. Tom and John are very fish knowledeable and up on all the latest technical developments in the fishing industry. They always come with their own equipment ready to go after the biggest fish of the day as I advise them, in advance, where we'll be fishing. Great fishermen and good people too.

Video on the left shows us heading out through the Shrewsbury River and then fishing in various places around the Ambrose. Too bad the vid doesn't show some of the nice keepers we caught, but that's a timing thing, but does show the 7 lb'er being brought up from the deep on a white bucktail with a Gulp Alive Squid attached to it. These fish were also hitting Gulp Alive Sandworms repeatedly to our delight. Thanks Tom and John for a fun day on the water.

Today's Striper charter with the Gene Lens party started slow as I decided to start the day clamming at the clam beds off the Sandy Hook beach. After an hour of "nothing" decided to make my move to a spot at Flynn's Knoll that is usually very good on outgoing water.

Once again, I wasn't disappointed with the move. We waited out the tide change and then BANG....fish on with clams. Amazing how these Stripers like just the right conditions when they decide to chow down. We limited out with some really nice healthy fish up to 34" and lost 2 more "beasts" right at boatside. Ouch!

Anyone wishing to fish for Striped Bass, now is the time. The bunker are in too, so the Bass are responding to bunker chunking, clamming as well as trolling Stretch 25's. One thing I did notice was the water temp's in the ocean has cooled down which could explain the slow fishing at the clam beds. Once we moved inside and with an outgoing tide the water temps jumped 4 degrees in less than an hour.

What a great day here at Reel Fun Sportfishing. Had 2 charters today for Striped Bass with a LIMIT catch on our morning trip and a near limit on our afternoon "Magic Hours" charter.

Many Thanks to the Laonady party from Philadelphia as they were out Striper fishing for their first time ever and after a little instruction started banging fish within minutes of setting the anchor at one of my steady producing areas.

We caught fish clamming from 28" to 32" with a good steady bite that lasted just about all of the outgoing tide. Water was cold too as well as a cold and overcast day at the shore. But the party toughed it out in somewhat adverse conditions and my "hats off" to the group.

arters Sandy Hook, NJ