Joe Castelli — The Fisherman Behind Asalt Fishing

50 years on the water. 15 years behind the tackle shop counter. Every Asalt Fishing rig designed from first hand experience.

A Lifetime on the Water

Joe Castelli didn’t learn saltwater fishing from a YouTube video or a fishing forum. He learned it the way it’s supposed to be learned — on the water, over decades, chasing striped bass, blackfish, bluefish, fluke, porgy, and everything else the Northeast coast has to offer.

For more than 50 years, Joe has been fishing the bays, inlets, beaches, and offshore grounds of the Northeast. He knows these waters the way most people know their own neighborhood — the tides, the structure, the seasonal patterns, the spots that produce when nothing else does.

That depth of experience is what separates Asalt Fishing from every other tackle brand you’ll find online.

Experience

• 15+ years fishing Northeast waters
• Experience in:
  • surf fishing
  • boat fishing
  • wreck fishing
  • offshore fishing
• Tested rigs across:
  • NJ
  • Long Island
  • Montauk

Expertise

Joe designs and tests fishing rigs and rods used by:

• recreational anglers
• charter fishermen
• tackle shops across the Northeast

Focus areas:

• bait rigs
• hook performance
• bottom fishing systems

The Tackle Shop Year's

For over 15 years, Joe owned and operated multiple tackle shops serving Northeast saltwater anglers. Behind that counter, he saw everything — beginners who didn’t know where to start, seasoned pros looking for an edge, and everyone in between.

He answered thousands of questions about rigs, hooks, leaders, bait, and technique. He watched what worked and what didn’t. He saw which products held up and which ones failed at the worst possible moment.
Those years taught him something that no amount of fishing alone could: what anglers actually need, not what looks good on a shelf.

Running the Charters

Joe also managed fishing charter operations, putting clients on fish day after day regardless of conditions. Charter fishing is the ultimate test of fishing knowledge — when customers are counting on you, there’s no room for guesswork. You have to know where the fish are, what they’re eating, and how to rig for them. Every single trip.

That accountability sharpened everything Joe knew about Northeast saltwater fishing into something precise and reliable.

Designing the Asalt Fishing Lineup

When Joe created Asalt Fishing, he had one standard: every product had to perform the way he needed it to perform after 50 years on the water.

He personally designed the rigs, leaders, and tackle that make up the Asalt Fishing lineup. Every hook choice, every leader length, every swivel and snap was chosen based on decades of firsthand experience — not a supplier catalog.

The Blackfish Slider Rig, the Bluefish Wire Leader Rigs, the Fluke Rigs, the Hi-Lo setups — Joe built each one the way he would want it built if he were buying it for himself. Hand tied and designed to catch fish.

That’s what “designed by fishermen for fishermen” actually means at Asalt Fishing. It means one specific fisherman with 50 years of experience made every decision about every product you’re buying.

Why It Matters to You

When you buy a rig from Asalt Fishing, you’re not buying something designed by a marketing team or sourced from an overseas catalog. You’re buying tackle designed by someone who has spent more time fishing the Northeast coast than most anglers have been alive.

When you read a fishing tip on this blog, it’s coming from someone who has caught striped bass during the spring migration, worked the fall blitz from the beach, pulled blackfish off structure in January, and filleted more fluke than he can count.

That experience is built into every product, every recommendation, and every piece of advice Asalt Fishing puts out.

Questions? Ask Joe.
Have a question about rigging, technique, or which Asalt product is right for your next trip? Reach out at Joe@asaltfishing.com — Joe reads every email.

All content on this site is based on real-world fishing experience and product testing

Authority

• Founder of Asalt Fishing
• Distributed in:
  • NJ
  • Long Island
  • Montauk
• Known for rigs that:
  • outsell competitors
  • perform in real conditions