Our Story
Miss Chris Fishing is a family-owned and operated fishing and cruising business. Captain Jeff Stewart and his wife Leeann purchased Miss Chris and Cape May Fisherman in 2015. At that time they only had the small, wooden Lady Chris which could only fit about 40 anglers. They then upgraded again to the all-new, modern, aluminum 80 foot Miss Chris which fishes today.
Miss Chris Fishing was founded in 1973 by Frank Speigel and his wife “Chris.” Captain Fred, Captain Butch, and Captain Mike Scanlan were the core crew of the Miss Chris through the 80s into the 2000s. Since the start, the captains and crews of the Miss Chris and Lady Chris have strived to provide the highest quality and most professional fishing trips to both experienced and novice anglers, while keeping it fun and friendly
The Miss Chris is 22 feet wide and 80 feet long with wide side decks, an upper sun deck, air conditioning, and a lovely heating system, along with men’s and ladies restrooms, and a snack bar serving sodas, waters, snacks, beer, and wine (when available).
The Miss Chris is reliably stable. The vessel was repowered in 2019 with twin John Deere Tier III EPA Clean Diesel Technology with 1300 horsepower which allows the boat to cruise comfortably at 16-18 knots. This in turn makes four-hour trips a breeze, and longer offshore excursions obtainable.
Captain Mike has been at the helm for 35 years and knows his way around Cape May, New Jersey, and its plentiful fishing grounds. He has extensive knowledge of all local fish species, but he specializes in fluke. Mate Jim Hyndeman has been on the water for 20+ years and has the experience to keep the boat and crew running smoothly and to catch some special fish. Mate Christian has been aboard for a few years while also serving his country as a reserve Marine. Captain Bob Francis of the Gallant Lady, and formerly of the Royal Flush, brings order to chaos on the water with a strict regiment of fishing instruction, rig tying, and boat cleaning! Captain John Tighe is another seasoned veteran of fishing in Cape May, New Jersey. His expertise in wrecks and offshore fishing knowledge of the area along with his abilities as a commercial captain further bolster our amazing crew. Captain Joe McNamee also joins the crew for nights and additional trips in 2021.
Sustainability is our goal so we can continue to catch fish today and tomorrow. We work hand in hand with NOAA, Greater Atlantic Region Fisheries, the Mid-Atlantic Fisheries Management Council, the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, the State of New Jersey Divison of Fish and Game Marine Fisheries Council to ensure recreational anglers have a voice and are heard in matters of summer flounder, black sea bass, tautog, weakfish, striped bass, cod, mackerel, and a host of other species. We also support our local whale watching company, Cape May Whale Watcher and Spirit of Cape May with dolphin watching and daily whale watching reports.
The Miss Chris and Lady Chris fishing boats are posting weekly Cape May fishing reports to the website as well as to the Cape May County Herald, Cape May Star and Wave, the Shoppe, and many other local publications and websites.
We look forward to welcoming you on one of our trips. If you require any further information or just have a question you can’t find the answer to, reach out to our friendly team today and we’ll be happy to help!