Article: Bass fishing improving as porgies start to show

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Bass fishing improving as porgies start to show

Posted by the Asbury Park Press on 09/22/07
BY JOHN GEISER
CORRESPONDENT

It was like old times on the Paramount out of Bogan's Basin, Brielle, on Thursday.

Capt. Dennis Bogan, who was among the top skippers at the Shore before he moved south to demonstrate his prowess on big game fish, was back at the wheel of the Paramount.

Not surprisingly, he came in with what Tony Bogan described as the best catch of sea bass seen this season.

A number of anglers on the 100-foot Paramount had over 20 sea bass, and a nice bunch of porgies was added to the harvest.

Vince Wisnewski, South Hampton, won the pool with a 4-pound sea bass, and Mark Lovell, East Brunswick, had 23 sea bass and eight porgies. John Glasgow, Manchester, had four porgies and 18 sea bass.

"With porgies starting to make a showing and the sea bass fishing improving, we are looking forward to some nice mixed catches of sea bass and porgies on our daily trips sailing every day (except Wednesday) from 6:30 a.m. until 3:30 p.m," Tony Bogan said.

"The deepwater special targeting red hake (ling) will continue on every Wednesday as long as the ling continue to bite," he added.

The Paramount has been docking with a few blackfish, ling, bass and porgies.

Capt. Joe Bogan, owner of the Jamaica II from Bogan's Basin, is providing plenty of action for his customers who were shut out of the fluke season Sept. 10 by regulation.

"Good September fishing this week, both on Mud Hole wrecks and local reefs," he said. "Monday's Mud Hole trip produced good catches of big ling for most anglers and Tuesday's and Wednesday's sea bass fishing inshore was good."

Pete LaCour, Spring Lake Heights, had 41 ling to 6 pounds; and Bob Costanza, Point Pleasant, had 37 ling to 4 pounds. Ken Marvulli, Brick, fished Wednesday afternoon, and had 24 sea bass and six porgies while Jeff Wytko of Old Bridge had 18 sea bass to 4 pounds.

Capt. Bud McArthur, Splinter, Brick, fished the Mud Buoy grounds for bluefish with a party headed by Bob Bennett, Brick, and it included Bill Bennett, Springfield; and Bob Bennett Jr. and Joe Chmielewski, both from Verona.

They caught the blues on both jigs and bait, and released far more than the 15 they took home. The fish ranged from 8 to 12 pounds in weight.

Capt. Howard Bogan Jr., Jamaica, Brielle, said tuna fishing was good Wednesday in the Hudson Canyon, and a number of anglers had two or more tuna in the 60- to 80-pound class.

"The first fish was hooked and lost at 11:30 p.m.," he said. "At 12:30 a.m. we had a flurry of five tuna and two yellowfins were landed. It was quiet again until 3:30 a.m. when the real bite started.

"The action was wild at times with as many as six tuna on at a time," he added. "Sixty- to 80-pound yellowfin tuna were caught on both bait and jigs until 6:30 a.m. when the bite finally slowed down. Toward daybreak, we also had some longfin tuna up to 55 pounds mixed in."

Jim Broyles, Brick, was high hook with three yellowfin tuna to 70 pounds and two longfins. Kevin Feaster, Downingtown, Pa., had three yellowfins and a longfin.

Russ Richard, Flemington, had three yellowfins; Bob Baldwin, Glenmount, N.Y., had his limit of yellowfins to 70 pounds; Keith Gaffney, Breezy Point, N.Y., had two yellowfins up to 80 pounds; and Peter Jaeckle, Hunterdon County, had his limit of yellowfins.

Bogan said his Tuesday canyon trips will now be limited to 27 passengers and the fare will be $310. Wednesday trips will be limited to 25 anglers with a $330 fare; and all other 22-hour trips will be limited to 32 anglers with a fare of $290.

The Jamaica will sail to the canyon for tuna every day through October into November. The boat leaves the dock at 5 p.m.

Capt. Bob Bogan Jr., Gambler, Point Pleasant Beach, said he has had only one slow canyon fishing trip thus far, and he has had three outstanding trips with lots of yellowfin and longfin tuna and the Wednesday trip topped with a pair of swordfish — 150 and 200 pounds.

"The yellowfins have been big," he said. "A lot in the 80-pound class. Roger Leech, Hazlet, had two 80-pound yellowfins and a 40-pound longfin."