A party boat wreck trip to
the offshore grounds is one of the hardier experiences in fishing.

Show up at the dock at midnight
in the middle of winter. Claim one
of the bunks below deck and nap several hours, while the boat steams away from land. The roar of engines and the slap of water against the hull.

The vessel motors down 60 miles offshore, and is anchored above a wreck.

You step outside of the cabin
in the cool, dark before dawn,
and swing your rod over
the side.

You let the line drop down a long moment, 200 feet to the bottom. But usually not much time passes before the first tap-tapping on thd rod, and you lift up, set the hook and reel in.

Most likely a sea bass, often a giant, a 3- or 4-pounder, larger than usually lives closer to shore. But could be a jumbo porgy--also bigger than inshore--or a ling, white hake or bluefish. Sometimes even a pollock or a cod.

Each fish takes minutes to reel to the top, and your arms grow tired unless you take short, steady pumps of the rod.

By the time the captain announces that it's time to pull the anchor in the early afternoon, you've hauled up quite a few. Enough for now.

Yep, that was an adventure.

Just when most other types of saltwater angling are coming to an end for the winter off New Jersey, offshore wreck fishing is starting to turn on. Fish like big sea bass are beginning to hover around the sunken ships in the blue water, and will remain during the coldest months.

Several party boats along the coast will specialize in these trips during the season. Here’s a rundown of the vessels.

Gambler
59 Inlet Drive
Point Pleasant Beach
1 a.m. to 7 p.m. on
Saturdays and Thursdays through January.
Trips might sail beyond January,
depending on weather and fishing.
Capt. Bob Bogan
732-295-7569
732-892-1746
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With the widest beam in its class and four 750-horsepower engines, the Gambler is an especially stable boat in rough seas, and has lots of deck space and plenty of speed for a fast trip offshore, Capt. Bob Bogan says. The Bogan name should need no introduction to Jersey anglers, and Bob is one of the family’s historical line of captains, tackle-shop owners and fishing-industry members. He's among the family's younger generation of captains but is already one of the state's veterans, boasting much of his lifetime on the water.

Jamaica
Bogan’s Basin
800 Ashley Avenue
Brielle
12:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. on
Wednesdays and Fridays through Sundays through March and all those days except Fridays in April.
Also Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Monday, January 21, and
President’s Day, Monday, February 18.
Capt. Howard Bogan
732-528-5014
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The Jamaica is certainly the most experienced vessel sailing on offshore trips from Jersey, with more than 30 years under its belt. The captain and crew have made a career of offshore fishing from the Garden State, and Capt. Howard Bogan has become the patriarch among captains of the Bogans, the most well-known fishing family in New Jersey. The crew says the 125-foot vessel is not only the most experienced, but is also the largest, fastest party boat in the state with the roomiest deck space in the offshore fleet.

Voyager
Docked at Fisherman’s Supply
69 Channel Drive
Point Pleasant Beach
11:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. on
Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays through March.
Capt. Jeff  Gutman
732-295-3019
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The Voyager is the newest member of this offshore fleet, and the current crew has been running the vessel several years, but the boat has already developed a large, well-known following, perhaps evidence of the professionalism and success of its trips. The boat runs an aggressive schedule of different types of offshore trips throughout the year, including tuna trips and also unique outings like tilefishing trips. The owner also owns Fisherman’s Supply, a tackle shop and supplier known among offshore anglers throughout the world, and the vessel is docked at the shop.