Fishing Friday: An Introduction

Not to sound conceited, but ... well ... most Brick Township anglers already know me. For several years, I've served as editor and publisher of a local fishing publication, and for several years, my fishing column ran in every issue of the Brick Township Communicator. I've also written on fishing and boating topics for The Press of Atlantic City and Micromedia Publications.

Now, as editor of Brick Patch, I'm all-too-happy to share my love of fishing with locals (and visitors) here in Brick Township and several of our neighboring communities that will also, in time, be enjoying their own Patch sites.

For those of you who've never heard, seen or spoken my name previously, rest assured that I'm a lifelong boater and angler, having grown up here travelling Ocean County's waterways since I was too young to reach the bottom of Barnegat Bay in search of clams. Of course, I was perfectly happy to float around in a life jacket behind Island Beach State Park while my father and his friend dredged up those delicious shellfish we'd all feast on later that night. Years later, at age 15, I saved up over the summer and purchased my first boat – a 14-foot Starcraft – from a family in Ship Bottom that had decided to move on to something bigger and better. One of my first boat rides on board "Lil' Jaws," as she was called, was launching with our family friend (and Brick Township native) Al Harris into the Point Pleasant Canal and, once safely in Barnegat Bay, speeding around Gunner's Ditch and under the Mantoloking Bridge. We turned back to the dock somewhere just before the Route 37 bridge. You can only get so far with a six-gallon fuel tank, after all.

I've now moved on to a bigger boat (a 19-foot May-Craft) but I still prefer to keep to the bay. Can't give away any hot spots, but it's safe to say they're all somewhere between Brick and Little Egg Harbor.

As I've been unceremoniously kicked out of my marina as of Monday, Nov. 15 (we all know that's way too early to close for the season!), I've now turned my attention primarily to surf fishing, but there are plenty of opportunities for the boat-bound angler to hook up.

We'll start out with a fishery everyone can enjoy. The aforementioned Point Pleasant Canal is an excellent blackfish spot. Here, I can give away a couple secrets because, well, they aren't too secret. For those in a boat, drifting the area near the State Police Marine Division barracks is usually a safe bet. There are some holes which hold fish even in the middle of the canal proper, so one doesn't have to hug the rocks and risk bouncing off the bulkhead to catch a fish.

Additionally, the river end of the canal also works, but try just north of the Route 88 bridge for the best fishing. Shore-based anglers can also get in on the action by heading to Veterans Memorial Drive in Pt. Pleasant Borough and sauntering down to the canal and tossing green crabs or clam strips over the side of the canal wall. The best part? As of Nov. 16, the limit on blackfish has risen to six fish, though the minimum size limit remains posted at 14-inches.

For those in search of stripers, it's hit or miss on local beaches. Mantoloking and Brick Beach have both been the site of on- and-off action, with bunker being the bait of choice for those who have hooked up. Another potential striper strategy is fishing the Manasquan Inlet. Head down with natural bait or artificial lures and "cast 'til you catch." My personal favorite artificial lures include Storm shads (the 4-inch pearl colored models work best) but Tsunamis, Fin-S fish and light metal jigs all work wonders. Watch for those sharp-toothed blues on the metals, though!

As I can't give away all the secrets at once, be sure to check back next (and every) Friday for the next edition of this column. Feel free to e-mail me with any of your fishing questions, and keep in mind that we love photos here at Patch. Don't be afraid to show off your catch of the day!