Fin Chaser Sportfishing – Highlands
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Fin Chaser Sportfishing – Highlands

Excellent
4.8 / 5
(26 reviews)
Shrewsbury Avenue 52
Highlands NJ, United States

Fin Chaser Sportfishing is the benchmark for quality in New Jersey. Operating for 20 consecutive seasons and topping the board at tournaments across the Northeast, these guys have the experience, the skills, and the can-do attitude to get you on that fish of a lifetime.

Launching out of Highlands, NJ, you will be perfectly placed to enjoy awesome angling both inshore and offshore. Inshore trips last four to six hours, and focus on fishing the bays, inlets, and nearshore wrecks for Striped Bass, Bluefish, Flounder, Tautog, and more.

Head offshore, and it’s an entirely different ball game. You will be rocketing out to the best fishing spots around to target Mako and Thresher Sharks, White Marlin, Bluefin and Yellowfin Tuna, Mahi Mahi, and various other deep-sea superstars.

Capt. Frank Wagenhoffer isn’t the kind of man to stop fishing when the bite is hot. If Tuna are making the topwaters boil out at the Hudson Canyon, he will happily stay out longer to get you on a record-breaker. The same goes for burning gas. Other captains might throttle back at the 60-mile mark, but Capt. Frank will go half as far again if that’s where the bite is best.

From the moment you step aboard Capt. Frank’s 36’ Contender Fisharound, you will know he means business. All-Raymarine electronics sweep the deep while outriggers and downriggers spread your lines far and wide to maximize your catch. All this while your captain and mate prep every kind of tackle under the sun.

The Fin Chaser Sportfishing team are fly fishing specialists who stock the best equipment on the market to give you the best experience. And it’s not just fly gear. Trolling, jigging, popping, spinning, drifting, live baiting – you name it, they’ve got it on board.

This is a chance to fish with the best in the business in the most famous waters around. This is the chance for the perfect fishing trip. So jump aboard and get ready to scratch off half your bucket list!

  • Fishing License
  • Live Bait
  • You Keep Catch
  • Catch cleaning & filleting
  • Drinks
  • Toilet
  • Child Friendly
  • Air Conditioning
  • Ice Box
  • Rods, reels & tackle
  • Food (Snacks)

Select date to see available trips and rates:

  • Private trip
    6 Hour Trip - Inshore (PM)
    FREE Cancellation 7 days notice
    6 Hour Trip, starts at 1:00 PM
    Seasonal trip Apr 15 - May 15 (Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri)
    $1,000
    Spend the morning targeting Striped Bass, Bluefish, Scup, Weakfish, Flounder, Fluke, and other inshore favorites around New York Harbor and Raritan Bay.
  • Private trip
    6 Hour Trip - Inshore (AM)
    FREE Cancellation 7 days notice
    6 Hour Trip, starts at 6:00 AM
    Seasonal trip Apr 15 - May 15 (Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri)
    $1,050
    Spend the whole morning on the water, exploring the Raritan Bay and New York Harbor for Striped Bass, Flounder, Weakfish, Bluefish, and much, much more.
There are 2 people looking at this charter.

About the Captain

Frank Wagenhoffer
Highlands, New Jersey, United States
Angler's Choice
44 Fishing Reports
69 Customer reviews
Response time within an hour
Member since March 2018
Captain Frank has been fishing Raritan Bay from the age of 10. He has been a charter boat captain for the last 19 years and has fished from Cape Cod, MA to Virginia Beach, VA on the ASA and FLW Striper Tournament trails. He is still an active tournament fisherman, most recently winning the 2017 & 2018 LBI Cup Grand Championship Award back to back and winning 7 out of 9 tournaments entered in 2018. This is a testament to his passion, skill, and ability, which he puts to work on every trip he runs. Captan Frank publishes his weekly report in The Fisherman Magazine Highlands, NJ section. In the off season Captain Frank gives seminars and “How To” work shops on fishing strategies and techniques at industry Fishing/Trade and Boat shows.

About this listing

Targeted species

Bass (Striped) Striped Bass
Bluefish Bluefish
Dolphin (Mahi Mahi) Dolphin (Mahi Mahi)
Flounder Flounder

Boat specs

Contender (Performance fishing) originally built in 2005, and restored in 2018. Powered by 3 250HP Yamaha engines, with a maximum cruising speed of 35 knots.

Length
36 ft
Capacity
6 persons

Types of fishing

Inshore Fishing
Raritan Bay, NY Harbor, Coast Line
Nearshore Fishing
Mud Hole, Glory Hole, Chicken Canyon & Wrecks
Offshore Fishing
Canyons: Hudson-Spencer

Fishing techniques

Light Tackle
Heavy Tackle
Bottom Fishing
Trolling
Spinning
Jigging
Popping
Fly Fishing
Drift Fishing
Deep Sea Fishing

Amenities

Toilet
Air Conditioning
GPS
Fishfinder
Bed
Live Bait Well

Trip includes

Rods, reels & tackle
Live Bait
Can be caught in advance or caught on the trip
Lures
Catch cleaning & filleting
Snacks
Chips, cookies, pretzels. Donuts and bagels on AMs
Drinks
Water, sodas
First Mate
Works for tips 20% is customery
Fishing License
Fly Fishing Equipment

Cancellation policy

Free cancellation up to 7 days prior to trip

Customers can cancel or modify their booking up to 7 days before the trip date free of charge. If the trip is canceled or modified later, or in the event of a no-show, 100% of the deposit will be charged.

Listing policies

Pickup not included
Transfer to/from departure site is not included in trip rates.
Child Friendly
All ages welcome, vests provided with prior notice
You Keep Catch
Catch and Release Allowed

Payment

Book with 10% deposit, pay rest to captain

When the captain confirms your trip, FishingBooker charges your credit card a 10% deposit to guarantee your reservation.

The remaining balance is to be paid directly to the charter operator on or prior to your trip date in one of the following payment methods:

Cash
Visa
Mastercard
American Express
PayPal
When paying the remaining balance with a credit card, an additional 3% charge will apply.

Highlands Fishing Calendar

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Customer reviews

Rating Summary
Excellent
4.8 / 5
out of 5 stars from 26 reviews
See details
Boat
Excellent
4.8 / 5
Crew
Excellent
4.8 / 5
Experience
Excellent
4.8 / 5
Photos & videos by reviewers (29)
Half Day PM with Captain Mike
Half Day PM with Captain Mike
Half Day PM with Captain Mike
+26
Angler Rating
25
0
0
0
1
Anglers Claimed
Good experience
94%
Friendly captain
100%
Recommend this charter
96%
Appropriate for children
94%
Satisfied with the boat
100%
Catch intended fish
88%
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Featured  
Showing:
5 of 26 reviews
William H.
Fountainville, PA
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Experience:
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Boat
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Crew
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Overall

Afternoon Striped Bass Charter on Fin Chaser

VERIFIED   6 Hour Trip - Inshore (PM) on November 18, 2021
What a day ! First off, Captain Frank and his mate Tim are the most competent team I have ever fished with. Also the most courteous....
William H. recommends Fin Chaser Sportfishing – Highlands
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William H. recommends Fin Chaser Sportfishing – Highlands
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Dan D.
Hawthorne, NJ
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Experience:
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Boat
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Crew
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Overall

Another Great Trip

VERIFIED   6 Hour Trip - Inshore (AM) on November 13, 2021
This is the second year in a row we used Fin Chasers and we caught a ton of fish on both trips. Captain Frank knows what he...
Dan D. recommends Fin Chaser Sportfishing – Highlands
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Dan D. recommends Fin Chaser Sportfishing – Highlands
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James H.
Abingdon, Maryland
Excellent
4.7 / 5
Experience:
Very good
4.0 / 5
Boat
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Crew
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Overall

Half Day PM with Captain Mike

VERIFIED   6 Hour Trip - Inshore (PM) on November 9, 2021
Great day on the water. Captain Mike and First Mate Tim made sure we caught some fish. He kept looking until he found them....
James H. recommends Fin Chaser Sportfishing – Highlands
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James H. recommends Fin Chaser Sportfishing – Highlands
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Aaron F.
Old Bridge, New Jersey
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Experience:
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Boat
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Crew
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Overall

Half Day with Capt. Frank

VERIFIED   4 Hour Trip - Inshore (PM) on May 26, 2019
I took my family of four (me, my wife and two college age kids) with Capt. Frank and 1st Mate Jason for a pm charter on a warm...
Aaron F. recommends Fin Chaser Sportfishing – Highlands
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  Frank Wagenhoffer Captain replied
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Jimmy L.
Hardwick Township, NJ
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Experience:
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Boat
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Crew
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Overall

Half day trip with captain frank

VERIFIED   6 Hour Trip - Inshore (AM) on May 23, 2021
Had a great experience with captain Frank. His mate and him were great! They found us the fish we needed and make sure we...
Jimmy L. recommends Fin Chaser Sportfishing – Highlands
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You found this review helpful
  Frank Wagenhoffer Captain replied
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FAQs about Fin Chaser Sportfishing – Highlands

Fin Chaser Sportfishing – Highlands offers the following trips to customers:
  • $1,000 per group - 6 Hour Trip - Inshore (PM) (6 hours)
  • $1,050 per group - 6 Hour Trip - Inshore (AM) (6 hours)
When you book a trip with Fin Chaser Sportfishing – Highlands, you can expect the following amenities onboard:
  • Toilet
  • Air Conditioning
  • GPS
  • Fishfinder
  • Bed
  • Live Bait Well
  • Kitchen
  • Refrigerator
  • Outriggers
  • Ice Box
  • Radar
  • Life Jackets Adult and child sizes available
Trips booked with Fin Chaser Sportfishing – Highlands include:
  • Rods, reels & tackle
  • Live Bait (Can be caught in advance or caught on the trip)
  • Lures
  • Catch cleaning & filleting
  • Snacks (Chips, cookies, pretzels. Donuts and bagels on AMs)
  • Drinks (Water, sodas)
  • First Mate (Works for tips 20% is customery )
  • Fishing License
  • Fly Fishing Equipment
Fin Chaser Sportfishing – Highlands offers the following types of fishing:
  • Inshore Fishing (Raritan Bay, NY Harbor, Coast Line)
  • Nearshore Fishing (Mud Hole, Glory Hole, Chicken Canyon & Wrecks)
  • Offshore Fishing (Canyons: Hudson-Spencer)
Fin Chaser Sportfishing – Highlands offers the following fishing techniques:
  • Light Tackle
  • Heavy Tackle
  • Bottom Fishing
  • Trolling
  • Spinning
  • Jigging
  • Popping
  • Fly Fishing
  • Drift Fishing
  • Deep Sea Fishing
Top targeted fish species with Fin Chaser Sportfishing – Highlands include:
  • Bass (Striped)
  • Bluefish
  • Dolphin (Mahi Mahi)
  • Flounder
  • Little Tunny (False Albacore)
  • Marlin (White)
  • Seabass (Black)
  • Shark (Mako)
  • Shark (Thresher)
  • Tautog
  • Tuna (Bluefin)
  • Tuna (Yellowfin)