RS Pro Staff Spotlight: Ryan Oppenheimer of Jersey Coast Charters

1. How did you first get into the charter business?

I first got my captains license with the idea of continuing my learning about operating boats and safety on the water. From there I started running a couple trips my first few seasons as a way to supplement tuna fishing as a hobby and it really just took off from there. 

2. How long have you been running Jersey Coast Charters?

I started Jersey Coast Charters in 2017, the first season I started running a couple charters on my 25' CC. After the 2018 season I decided push further into the venture and decided to upgrade boats to the 30T Contender I now run--the 2019 season was my first "full time" season.

3. What made you decide to specialize in light-tackle tuna fishing?

That's a great question, I'm still not entirely sure of that answer beyond it being what I was enjoying doing at that time, as a natural progression in my tuna addiction. There seemed to be a lot of anglers that were interested in doing it at that time as well, so from a business aspect, with the boat I had, it seemed like a no brainer. I kind of learned with my initial charters and crews, and had a couple really good mentors and fellow captains that were starting to shift their strategies at the same time. We all kind of took it to the next level as it was becoming mainstream and looking back it's pretty awesome how far it's come so quickly for the fishing community as a whole especially in NY/NJ.

4. What are your main go-to line weights and leader lengths throughout the season?

Gear is constantly evolving and improving in the jig and pop segment, at a staggering pace. I say that because I'm going to give you an answer now but what I do this coming season might be totally different--it's important to not get stuck in "your way" and be open to constantly learning and improving. With that being said I currently split my tuna charter gear up into two categories;
1.) SUB "GIANT"/ YFT 
Mainline 60-80lb braid with floro/mono leaders in the 60-130lb range
2.) "GIANTS"
Mainline 100-150lb braid with floro/ mono leaders in the 130-270lb range.

5. What are some of the reasons you choose to run wind-on leaders for your tuna setups?

Contrary to my above advice of constant learning/ evolution, it's what I've become comfortable with, it works for me. I would say the main reasons are consistent, repeatable setups that I am confident in rigging and that I know work from my own experience. If there's one thing I'd like to stress in all of this is that you have to be confident in what you're doing/ how you're approaching it...the more you learn and the more people you meet the bigger the variety in approaches you'll probably see. You have to do what works for you and how you understand it.

Now for what you're probably really looking for...I like using hollow core and wind ons for my long rods because it seems to reduce wind knots and casting issues that arise from slightly in experienced anglers and is more forgiving in casting for even the most experienced anglers. The second biggest thing for me is being able to top off my reels with a splice into the hollow core if we loose any line throughout the season. Another main reason as you get into the heavier gear is the abrasion resistance--in my own real world experience I've found that hollow core can withstand a lot more boat contact with the hull of the boat/ other lines etc., without breaking. In a charter scenario where you're often looking to get multiple hook ups at once I want to stack the odds the best I can for everyone on board, regardless of cost. 

In the second part of the equation, with my jigging setups where I do use solid braid with wind ons--I've found it to be the absolute quickest way to keep my charter gear in the game. Again, costs aside, I want to stack the odds in my clients favor and when it comes to replacing a jigging leader I don't think anyone has a system that's quicker than how I do it (I'll get to that shortly)...if there is I'd LOVE to hear it! 

6. Do you only use wind-on leaders with hollow-core mainline, or do you use them with solid braid as well?

 

No. I use wind ons across the board currently--with hollow core AND solid braid. With the latter, I tie a simple double surgeons loop in the solid braid to connect my wind on with a cats paw. I've yet to find a quicker, more fool proof way than this. 

7. How do you typically rig your wind-ons when using solid braid?

To be clear I only use solid braid on my jigging setups and that's for all size tuna gear. As mentioned above I tie a double surgeons loop in my solid braid and connect the wind on to that via cats paw. Depending on the size (lb test) of the wind on it's typically between 10 and 20ft. 

For heavier stuff (130-270lb wind ons) I like shorter leaders (10-15ft) which means less wraps on the spool that retain memory and spring off the spool like a slinky when you open the bail. That being said, to me It's important your leader be at least be the length of the fish you're targeting to avoid easy break offs in a tail wrap scenario and also to have some extra advantage when you get the end game and the fish is circling underneath the boat--floro or mono is going to be a lot more forgiving if an angler lets the leader hit the hull in those final moments of the fight vs braid which almost instantly will break under tension.

With the lighter YFT setups etc you can go longer with a lighter 60-100lb

8. When connecting your wind-ons, do you prefer a cat’s-paw connection or a straight loop-to-loop — and why?

Always a cats paw. I think this and creating your end loops are probably one of the most misunderstood/ common reasons people get scared of this system. All a cats paw is is a "loop to loop" that's done correctly where both sides of the loop come together to distribute the pressure on the union. If you don't pay attention to this simple detail in making sure it's a correct cats paw you could be creating a weak spot where there's more pressure on one side of the connection vs the other (either your mainline or wind on side depending on how you threaded it). Think of it as interlocking all your fingers while holding hands vs just holding on by one finger on each side, if that makes sense. 

9. What are some of the biggest or most memorable fish you’ve put on deck using RS wind-on leaders? 

Using RS wind ons we've caught multiple big bluefin 80-90" on spinning gear with no issues whatsoever. What's more impressive in my opinion is some of the large angry bluefin (70"+ inches) we've landed on light gear in deep water (my "sub giant" stuff) where we were only using 60-100lb leaders. For me, that's the proof that my system, in conjunction with the quality materials used in the RS Wind-ons, is second to none. In my opinion, punching above the recommended weight and pushing gear as far as it can go is part of what makes jig and pop fishing so much fun. Let's be honest, losing fish isn't fun, and catching huge fish is awesome, right? But if you're not out there as a commercial guy what's the point in using gear that makes it all way to easy? No, I'm not saying everyone go out and start chasing giants on bass gear, please respect the size fish you're after and absolutely use big heavy gear where it's necessary for either your crew or your goals but, let's enjoy the fight! Isn't that what it's all about? Anyone can catch a giant out of the rod holder or a chair with a 80-130 class conventional rods and reels, and I mean anyone. Sorry, not sorry. 

 

10. What are your thoughts on fluorocarbon vs. mono for topwater presentations? Do you think it makes a noticeable difference?

 
In short, I don't think mono vs floro matters in most scenarios while throwing a top water plugs/ lures. How the fish see might matter a little more the further you go from the actual surface in my opinion. This is something you have to work out yourselves, with your own experiences,  and confidence. In my experience when using poppers, line visibility doesn't matter--for example my yellowfin popper setups are 130lb leader and my standard big bluefin setups with poppers are 270lb, both are the heaviest stuff I use in those two classes of gear. As you move into sinking plugs, stick baits, soft plastics, jigs, I believe line weights and presentation become more of more importance. I might go down to 80lb floro or even lighter for yellowfin sinking baits and soft plastics or 130-180lb for giants with sub surface lures. Everyday is different though and there's other trade offs/ influences for using one vs the other (casting distance, stretch for "shock absorption" etc) that can be debated till the cows come home. You have to come up with your own system and be confident in it most importantly.

11. What’s the best fishing-related advice you’ve ever received?

Oh man.... probably "Be prepared for the fish you want to catch, not the fish you think you'll catch." as well as "Go where the fish are, not where you want them to be." I honestly have no idea who's words those were originally but out of all the mostly dumb/cliche fishing sayings, those are a couple that have actually rang true to me over the years the more and more I do it. Maybe add in "You don't know if ya don't go"...

12. What is one piece of advice you would give to someone who wants to get into Jig and Pop fishing?

If you don't have your own boat, definitely get out with a good captain and crew and catch a few fish with their gear before you buy your own. This can save you a ton of money in the long run gaining knowledge in one or two tips that might otherwise take you years to sort though.

If you already have your own boat, attend the local fishing shows in your area such as the Saltwater Fishing Expo held in Edison NJ every March and sit in on the seminars/ meet captains and crews, and ask questions! Or, if you're maybe not the in-person type, feel free to shoot me a message through Instagram or FB and I'd be happy to help as much as I can!  I know other captains and crews in my circle feel the same way--we are happy to spread the stoke in this part of the game!  None of us are perfect at it, it's not rocket science, but there's definitely a lot to it, we all started somewhere though so don't get overwhelmed and don't be embarrassed to ask questions.

13. A lot of people don’t realize what captains go through just to run a single trip — let alone back-to-back days. Can you walk me through a full day, from the alarm going off to when your head hits the pillow?

 

"Nothing worth doing is easy" immediately came to mind here. If most people actually knew what my life was like they would ask why I still do it and not the usual things I hear like "must be nice" or "do what you love and you'll never work a day in your life"...yeah, that bullshit. Anyway here's what my day looks like running a midshore tuna charter when I tell the crew to be at the boat at 3AM, not to mention the days and hours of prep leading up to it...

11:30PM wake up--I live an hour and a half from my boat and hate to be in a rush.

12AM leave my house (truck was already packed the day before), stop for ICE.

1:30AM arrive at the boat and unload tackle, gear, and Ice. Double check all systems are working and my boat and gear is organized just how I like it before any clients arrive. I like to have ample quiet time in the morning to have my coffee and make sure everything's on point before the first guys arrive as well as spend some time in the porta potty flushing the system :). This will probably (hopefully) change but I also like to arrive at least a half hour before my mate even, just to have my own time make sure everything's right. I have slight OCD and ADD I think so focusing in quiet helps...once people start showing up I'm getting amped and the music gets going...

2AM mate arrives, we talk through our game plan, combine intel from the day before, look at SAT shots together, talk about who the crew is for the day and what we can do to make their day the best possible day with the conditions/ fishing we are faced with, double check our gear and give the boat one more hose down to make sure we're set to get all the angler's gear loaded when they arrive. 

3AM anglers arrive and load their gear/ food and drinks. If we have new guys on board I ensure everyone is clear on safety gear, precautions and procedure should anything go wrong while we are on the water.

3:30 AM we're pushing off and heading out!

As the season get later into the summer we start netting peanut bunker on our way out. We account for that  by adding an hour into our morning program to make sure we accomplish that. We also use Bait Boyz LLC to have the boat pre loaded with flats of bait as well as Ice during that time of year. 

When running back to back trips while fishing is good I stay local to the boat in between trips which helps immensely as one could imagine. Despite that, know that if we give you a time to be at the boat, we are likely there hours before you, and prefer to have that time to ourselves :). Respect when the captain asks you to be at the dock and don't be that guy that shows up an hour early...just wait in the car if so :)

14. How can customers book a trip with Jersey Coast?

Call or text me at 908-310-3278 or shoot me a message through Facebook or Instagram! @jerseycoastcharters

We have an open boat text list that customers can request to be added to if they don't have the guys to book a full boat charter! This is not a "group message" text. You'll not be bugged by guys asking a ton of questions on a group text. You get a text directly from myself and if you're not available/ interested you don't even need to reply. Spots are first come first serve on those trips though and they usually fill fast! 

15. Anything you’d like to say in closing? Any sponsors, people, or supporters you’d like to thank?

I'd like to thank all the anglers that have fished with me over the years, especially those that gave me a shot before I had any type of track record to warrant it! Without those fishy dudes who recognized my passion and drive from a distance I absolutely wouldn't have made it this far. Let's keep it rolling in 2026 and beyond! As long as I'm doing this you're going to get my commitment to work as hard as any other captain out there to make sure you enjoy your day with me and my crew.