The captains of the Beach Haven Charter Fishing Association have suffered greatly from Hurricane Sandy much like many other residents of the New Jersey shore. Fortunately, at this point, it appears that some careful advance preparation for the storm helped their boats survive intact.
Most of the captains such as Captain Carl Sheppard feel they are ready to fish right now but getting anglers to Long Beach Island is practically impossible right at this time. His boat, the "Star Fish," suffered only some minor cosmetic damage.
Captain Lindsay Fuller reports his boat the "June Bug," is in the water and ready to go, but he has concerns about waiting for the large amount of debris in the bay waters to clear out.
Captain George Finck reports the "Sparetime" made it through the storm successfully, but he is still waiting himself to get back on Long Beach Island.
Other captains managed to pull their boats out of the water before the storm arrived. Captain John Lewis of "Insatiable Charters" plans to keep his boat on land now until spring.
Captain Fran Verdi reports the "Francesca Marie" is safely out of the water, and he hopes to fish again this fall. However, his home suffered significant damage from the storm, and that is where his attention is now focused. Captain Fran is still hopeful to do some striper fishing.
All of the captains of the BHCFA agree that Hurricane Sandy was just a temporary setback and that good fishing days are in store for all of them. Fishing captains are a hardy breed and possess the strength to persevere through adversity.
Additional information on the association can be found at www.BHCFA.com or by calling 877-524-2423.