Shark Bait Fishing Ocean City NJ: What to Know Before Your First Charter

If nobody in your group has fished from a boat before, you do not need a tackle box or a license. You need a booked slot, sunscreen, and the dock address. Shark Bait is a private family charter on the back bays. Your group gets the boat. The crew brings the rest.

What it is

Shark Bait is a private fishing charter out of 228 Bay Ave, same marina as Aqua Park and Beachy Tiki. Trips run 2 or 4 hours. Capacity is 6. All ages. A USCG-certified captain runs the boat. You fish the back bays for flounder, striped bass, bluefish, weakfish, and whatever else is moving that day.

Rods, bait, and ice are on the boat. If you catch a keeper, the crew will clean and filet it so you can take it home. The captain's license covers the guests, so you do not need your own fishing license.

Who it's for

Families with kids who have never cast a line. Couples. A small group of friends. The crew will show you how to cast, they go at the pace of the youngest kid, and they stay on the fish even when the tide is weird.

If you want a shared party boat with 20 strangers, this is not that. It is your boat, up to 6 people.

2 hours or 4 hours

As listed on sharkbaitfishingocnj.com/fishing-charter right now: a 2-hour private charter is $440. A 4-hour private charter is $880. That is for the boat, not per person. Confirm those numbers when you book.

If you have little kids or you are testing the waters, 2 hours is plenty. If you want more time on the water and a better shot at keepers, book 4.

What to bring

• Sunscreen already on, sunglasses, a hat
• A light layer. The bay can get windy even in August
• Snacks and drinks. The boat has ice for the fish, not a snack bar
• Closed-toe shoes you do not mind getting wet
• A cooler if you want to take fillets home
• Motion-sickness stuff if anyone in the group needs it. The back bays are usually calmer than the ocean, but it still moves

Skip the rods and the bait. They are already on the boat. Phones stay in a pocket or a dry bag. Nobody wants to watch one go over the rail.

Dock, hours, and how to book

Check in at 228 Bay Ave, Ocean City (Boathouse Marina). Same dock as Aqua Park and Beachy Tiki. The Yard is the one that is not here: that is 741 West Ave.

Shark Bait runs 7 days a week in season, with early start times when they are on the calendar. Hours are seasonal, so check the day's slots when you book. Late August still books. Do not assume walk-up.

Book on sharkbaitfishingocnj.com, or through FareHarbor at totallytubularwatersports. Questions: 609-398-9000.

If the kids still have energy after you dock, Aqua Park is on the same marina. Beachy Tiki is the cruise if you want a ride without a rod. The Yard is the playground a few blocks inland.

Pick 2 hours or 4, lock the slot, and show up at 228 Bay Ave. The crew will handle the rest.