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Hooking Up Anglers Since 2011.
Saturday certainly didn’t start well for Pete Casagrande of Wall, as part of his crew on American Mustang in Mako Mania was late in arriving. However, when Billy and Zach Fritts got there 45 minutes late, Billy said it didn’t matter because they were going to catch a 280-pound mako and win the tournament. Sure enough, when they weighed in...
Saturday certainly didn’t start well for Pete Casagrande of Wall, as part of his crew on American Mustang in Mako Mania was late in arriving. However, when Billy and Zach Fritts got there 45 minutes late, Billy said it didn’t matter because they were going to catch a 280-pound mako and win the tournament. Sure enough, when they weighed in at Clarks Landing in Point Pleasant that afternoon, their mako weighed exactly 280 pounds — and it wasn’t challenged right through the end of the contest Sunday evening.
Pete Ferraro fought the mako that ate a bluefish fillet in Chicken Canyon, and John Casagrande was also part of the crew that secured the 88-inch mako that was worth $31,773 plus the Calcutta — and also won the Jersey Coast Shark Anglers Mako Fever Tournament that was run at the same time. Casagrande said that made up for the previous weekend’s second-place finish in the winner-take-all Brett T. Bailey Mako Tournament. A beautiful mako trophy was added to their haul at Tuesday night’s awards dinner in Forte Restaurant, Point Pleasant.
Rick Popovitch took second on Tashtego with an 84-inch, 247.5-pound mako that brought the crew $15,887. Mushin was third with an 82-inch, 219-pounder worth $7,943 to Alan Lee of Hamilton, and Todd Collins of Bayville took fourth and $3,972 on Fish This with a 78-inch, 178-pound mako.
Cole Svenson of Union Beach had a 75-inch, 176-pounder on Cheap Shot for fifth and $2,383 — while Lou Charolanza of Madison entered a 175.5-pounder worth $1,589 on Hard To Catch for sixth. Just out of the money were Danny Sacca on Mongoose, and Bob Crocitto aboard Bunker Box with 172-pounders.
Capt. Pete Grimbilas of the sponsoring Greater Point Pleasant Charter Boat Association said 238 boats were entered in the 26th Mako Mania, and about 1,200 anglers fished as 22 makos exceeding the 66-inch minimum length to the fork of the tail (about 115 to 120 pounds) were weighed in, while other qualifiers may not have been brought to the scales after entrants knew what the sixth-place weight was after the first day.
Capt. Arthur Stokes of Fintastic from Clarks hosted wheelchair anglers from the Hot Wheels organization on Saturday, and they caught a 138-pound mako as well as blue sharks.
Mako Mania proceeds go to Reef Rescue for the fight to get pots off the reefs, and will be used once again for reef building when that goal is accomplished. Some money also goes to a scholarship for a college student pursuing any marine-related subject, and for a fishing trip aboard Miss Michelle II for challenged people.
The Reef Rescue effort has been moving forward as 21 new co-sponsors have been added to A1152, the bill that would eliminate pots from the reefs built for public use with sportfishing funds. That brings the total to 51 Assembly members as Reef Rescue hopes to sign up a majority and convince Speaker Sheila Oliver to post it for a vote. The companion Senate bill has already passed. Check my blog at nj.com/shore/blogs/fishing for more information as well as updated fishing reports.
TOP CATCHES
Congratulations to Paul Haertel. Very few anglers ever achieve the goal of catching a 50-pound striped bass, but he has now accomplished that feat from both shore and boat. That veteran jetty pro caught a 50 5/8-pound bass from the south jetty of Barnegat Inlet in 2007, and on June 22 added a 52 1/4-pounder from his boat while fishing in heavy rain.
Capt. Ed Bunting said fluking was excellent again Thursday on his Sea Horse from Atlantic Highlands. With the northwest wind and outgoing tide together, he drifted the Reach from the Navy Pier to Sandy Hook for 61 to 65 legal fluke plus so many shorts that one angler caught 100. Moe Eaton of Keansburg won the pool with a 6.8-pound fluke.
That quality of fluking wasn’t available yesterday in Navesink River as I joined Jerry Dailey of Cedar Grove and Mike Rossi from Rockaway with Capt. Gletcher Chayes on Riverman from Bahrs in Highlands. We had a steady pick of shorts in good drifting conditions, but only one 18 1/2-inch keeper in the Navesink before Rossi added a 20-incher at the mouth of the Shrewsbury. With light tackle, even the shorts were good sport in those shallow waters.
Capt. Bobby Bogan said fluking from his Gambler out of Point Pleasant improved greatly Thursday after a couple of slow days. Some fluke over 4 pounds were located in 50- to 60-foot depths. Anthony Lescio of Brick boated an 8 3/8-pounder in the morning, and Don Zock from Seaside caught six up to almost 5 pounds in the afternoon by using fillet from a bluefish he caught.
Capt. John Kolias of Reel Fun from Sea Bright had Chris George and his sons Trevor and Zachary from Pompton Lakes out Wednesday morning to catch over 40 fluke, including nine keepers. Spro jigs topped with Gulp outproduced the usually effective squid and Peruvian smelly combinations.
John Tiano’s Marlintini from Crystal Point in Point Pleasant weighed in a 528-pound thresher caught last Friday by the crew of Warren Orlando, Bill Hipolit, and Rich Holland from Middlesex plus Zach Tiano (14) of Wall. It hit a bluefish fillet, and was fought for 1 1/2 hours.
Tom Pagliaroli reports a run of weakfish up to 7 pounds has developed at the mouth of the Mullica River.
Some bigeye tuna were finally caught by canyon anglers Sunday in the Lindenkohl, but when Frank Criscola fished there Monday with his skipper, Paul Dalek and mate George Steller on the new Crisdel, a 62-foot Titan, they only trolled a couple of 40-pound yellowfins plus a few shorts early – and there were no signs of the bigeyes. There wasn’t another hit until 11 a.m., when Criscola released a white marlin.
Capt. Russ Binns has scheduled Coast Boating School safe boating courses leading to the required N.J. boating license as follows:
July 11-12 — Flemington Elks Club; July 13-14 — Cedar Grove Elks Club; July 13-14 — Toms River Fire Co. No. 2. All are from 7 to 10:30 p.m.
In addition, there will be July 18 and 19 sessions from 6:30 to 10 p.m. at West Marine on Rt. 17 in Lodi. The $65 cost includes a $10 gift card at West Marine. Call (732) 279-0562 for information and reservations at all sites.
This Fishing Report was submitted on 7/1/2011 6:07:54 AM by Seamus and last updated on 7/1/2011 6:07:54 AM.
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