Mickey's Guide Service Fishing Reports

Fishing Reports…and News & Announcements from Captain Mickey

I’m not really sure where to begin. This email will run a bit longer than my average fishing report, but I need to clarify as much as I can, now, to prevent questions later.
Around 2014 I suspended my charter business to focus solely on my music. I needed a break from fishing at the time. But now I am back, and with a bigger boat, and some great options that will satisfy every trip you hope to accomplish.
People are fascinated by sharks, hell, I am too. I have always felt that shark fishing was a very overlooked part of fishing in our NJ coastal waters. Don’t fool yourselves, sharks are everywhere, and Jersey offers every species, from Sand Tigers with their curled nasty looking teeth, to great whites, and yes you read that correctly. We are not targeting any of these protected species, nor do we kill them. or harm them, ever. most of the time they never even leave the water. We snap a picture (boat side) and then remove the hook or cut the leader so the hook falls right out. So in moving on….
The Archangel is one of the greatest work boats ever manufactured. Donnie Jones, a fellow in N. Carolina makes the strongest driest hull on the market. I am keeping the Jones Brothers forever —-it is my personal boat and it just flat out catches fish—plus I have a deal with my mate Randy Matlack that if it ever changes hands it goes directly to him. My father in-law loves to fish and he and I picked out a 29′ Cobia center console with Twin Yamaha 150′s on the back, giving me a level of comfort and range that I previously hadn’t known. This boat accommodates more people and adds a some range with twin yamaha 150s on the back. It’s brand new and very comfortable and makes for a nice alternative with the kind of fishing we’ve been leaning towards. I like to catch the BIGGEST, BADDEST fish available to many at any time of the year, and as my angler Tim learned last night, nothing quite fights like a Jersey Shark. One second (the biggest one we landed) the fish was here, at the boat Portside, then after a scorching 20-second run he was a half mile away getting airborne, and repeat that scenario over and over for 20 minutes and summertime fishing in NJ no longer means dragging flounder off the bottom. You’re wearing the belt and doing toe to toe battle with a huge fish. We ran a shortish trip at 5 hrs and hooked up with ten sharks, of which we landed 4. The last shark was too big for a photograph so I just filmed over the port side.
So we are running shark trips in the summer—last night on our first charter of the summer, we were even enjoying the fireworks off the Jersey boardwalk from 15 miles offshore.
Just as importantly, and for those with a smaller budget, I am also running trips on the Delaware River, literally in my backyard. We are catching some very big totals, 50 to 100 fish a trip. These trips are cheaper, but shorter, and have a max of 2 people, although one is preferred.
To book a trip, my number is 215-693-4215. If you have fished with me before you know that I take it very seriously and work 100 percent. The rates have gone up significantly, as have the costs to running offshore. The fuel and the supplies, bait, gas, ice, tackle, etc costs us hundreds of dollars just to get the evening prepared, so all I ask is that you take it very seriously—you’re paying for it and therefore it’s your trip, just please show the boat and the whole affair some respect–these trips will be an occasion you’ll never forget–your arms will be aching after a successful outing. Contact me with as much info as you can provide and we’ll work towards getting you on the books.
-Captain Mickey Melchiondo (Neptune, NJ) 215-693-4215

I have been really slacking on this website. I get so pre-occupied with Facebook that I forget to post reports here. We are still fishing—constantly. If I didn’t fish I might die. So here is today’s report, there have been many fishing trips between the last update and now—we’re still running all of the time, I just post them to my phone for Facebook tho—I will do a better job keeping this site current tho.

I would have to rank this fall’s fishing as the best i can ever remember. we’ve been catching big striped bass from the surf and the boat–but these are huge fish, because we have bunker around—for the layman, bunker are big baits, weighing over a pound apiece. typically in the fall we see smaller bait like sand eels, or rainfish, and therefore smaller fish. the bigger the bait, generally the bigger the fish. this has been a monumental fall migration so far with big fish coming from the surf and the boats. the pictures tell the story. call now or email to book a trip for the spring, it is the ultimate x-mas gift!

If you have a television you know that there are more sharks on our swim beaches than in recorded history at the moment. with that in mind………..
It is with great pleasure to announce the Brownie Troop/Archangel/Mickey’s Guide Service 3^rd annual Surf Sharking night. On July 25^th we will be fishing for large toothy sharks from the beaches of Seaside Park (Island Beach State Park, NJ). Summertime beach visitors are not just limited to tourists, sunbathers, and swimmers—we also are visited by gigantic predatory Sharks that come within a dozen yards of our swim beaches. This includes Brown Sharks, Sand Tigers, Dusky Sharks, Thresher Sharks, Bull Sharks, the list goes on. All the sharks pose for a quick photo and are released to swim another day, it is strictly catch and release, this fishery.There have been nights where we have landed over 30 Sharks from the surf, or regular spinning rods and reels. We know how to rig the tackle necessary to land such monsters and it is loads of funs (although it tends to scare the hell out tourists on a late night beach walk. When they see what roams the swim beaches they think twice about going in the next day). We have done this many times before and it is a fun, and full service experience with lots of beer, and catered food cooked in front of you in a fire pit. We have been written up in many national fishing magazines for our exploits Sharking from the Jersey shore. This is something you have to experience at least once in your lifetime. We are also printing t-shirts to commemorate the event, which will be held in tribute to the late Ken “Bigfish” Jelnicki, one of NJ’s pioneers of surf sharking, and inventor of the “surf rocket”, see video below. Admission to the event will be held to 25 people as we want everyone to at least have a fair shot at catching a shark—you will be pre-assigned a rod and reel and if a shark happens to choose your bait you can have bragging rights. Hopefully everyone gets a chance at a big fish. Large cow-nosed Sting Rays and Bat Rays are also in the mix at this time of year, we’re talking Sting Rays over 100 lbs, a battle in itself. A meeting time and location will be pre-assigned secretively as we don’t want moochers and gate crashers at the event. Surf Sharking is one of the few kinds of fishing where it is “the more the merrier”, as the more baits we have in the water, the more scent to attract the sharks to our area. We heavily chum throughout the incoming full moon tide, when the sharks come in on the spawn.  It is the party to end all parties and people that have experienced it never forget it. Hotels and Motel rooms are hard to come by that time of year so you’re going to want to book in advance. The event will be limited to 25 people and tickets are $300—-the food we have prepared on the beach is absolutely fantastic and we will have t-shirts for everyone that pays to come. It is a deal and a chance at memories you’ll never forget! Please contact vealmarsala@gmail.com to reserve your spot or call me at 215-693-4215. These will go very fast! Lastly, the Dean Ween Group will be performing on August 1^st at the Stone Pony in Asbury Park, just a dozen miles south of where we’ll be fishing—it’s not just a fishing trip, it’s an event! Make a road trip out of it. Check out some pics and videos of previous Shark outings.

For many years I ran a fishing website and an online fishing show called “The Brownie Troop Fishing Show.” The show contained some of my most memorable fishing experiences ever. For a long time my friend Nick was a big part of it. we are about to have our own fishing show on TV, but I’m saving that announcement for a special time. We also had merchandise available thru the site, stickers, shirts, banners, tape measures, etc. Here is a pic of the surplus I still have leftover. i am gonna sell it off soon. for now enjoy a great trip down memory lane….

Capt. Mickey

Young Patrick gets it done—fantastic fishing right now—couldn’t be any better!

After 9 days without a fishable river (high water, mud stained, sticks, logs, branches, whole trees in there) we finally got a reprieve tonight and started catching fish the second we set our lines out. very solid action throughout the day. my good friend and amazing drummer—sim cain with one of his many Shad landed tonight.

Well, if last night was any accurate indication we’re gonna have another strong run of American Shad this year. I only fished for an hour and landed 4 shad in quick order, starting off the year with a doubleheader of two fish on at the same time, both of which I landed by myself, since I was alone testing the waters. I have limited availability this month (April) and all trips are $350, maximum of two passengers, and they’re from 3pm to 7:45 pm or until it’s too dark to fish. Attached is an article I wrote for the local newspaper about the unique nature of Shad Fishing, and how lucky we are to have the healthiest shad fishery in America right here in my hometown of New Hope, PA. Everything you need to know about what to expect can be found in there. Email me to schedule a trip! All trips depart from the boat launch in Lambertville, NJ—minutes from my house. If you’re travelling in from out of town I can help you find quality lodging in our area.

Thanks to everyone who fished with us the year. It’s just too damn cold to fish anymore. But I’ll leave you with this, your moment of zen.

didn’t have the great day i was hoping for ( I zigged when i should have zagged), and it was cold as all get out, but we did catch a lot of Bluefish and this one nice Bass. guys drove down from ontario, canada to catch fish and freeze their butts off. they were like “this isn’t all that cold”. i still can’t feel my fingertips 12 hrs. later.