Musings From A Ride Up Barnegat Bay

It's funny what leads to some of our favorite moments on the water.

Last Friday, I had set aside some time to help my neighbor fix her computer that's been on the fritz since she returned to Long Beach Island from Florida. But, to quote Seinfeld, yada yada yada, the computer cleanup was put off to another date.

I used the time I had set aside to kill two birds with one stone: charge my boat's battery to full power (after its long winter's nap) with a lengthy run up Barnegat Bay, and fulfill the promise I made to all of you folks that I would check out the channels that lead to Barnegat Inlet and report the results.

The results are mainly positive (mind the pun on the battery charging joke). I made my way to Barnegat Inlet in Double Creek Channel then made my way back up Oyster Creek Channel.

Oyster Creek didn't pose any significant anomalies, but Double Creek is, well, acting very Double Creek-ish this season. Whether a result of Sandy or not, many of the buoy markers have been moved closer together - in some areas so close that two boats can barely fit through - and about two markers east of the channel's origin at the 42 buoy, the depth (at mid-high tide) was down to about 3.5 feet.

For locals, the channel should be a breeze - mainly because the majority of us know what we're getting ourselves into. But add myriad performance boats, vacationers and in-a-hurry weekend warriors to the mix, and things might get dicey quick this summer.

Once you hit High Bar Harbor, things are as they usually are. The channels out to the inlet proper are in good shape, and a quick scouting of the deep fishing holes near the base of the lighthouse with my depth sounder revealed that they are, indeed, still there.

Interestingly, I did not encounter any debris on my trip. As I pulled back into my marina, an AshBritt Inc. cleanup boat was tying up. The small barge, equipped with a crane, was empty. I asked the skipper how his day went. The boat-to-boat answer: "Slow." Good news as far as I'm concerned.

Bay temperatures ranged from 58 to 59 in the ICW, and 51 as I approached the inlet. The inlet was choppy and swelly, and a cool breeze whisked across the bow of the boat as I battled a few strong swells past the lighthouse, closer to Island Beach State Park. It felt exhilarating, and the color of the sky and the water combined with the salt air and the unique "look" of the inlet translated into a short, random, but memorable day on the bay.

On the fishing front: Blues are seemingly everywhere. Brielle Bait and Tackle is reporting blues swarming the Manasquan River from the Route 70 bridge eastward. As many readers of this column are aware, I used to dock my boat on the river and always had an awesome time busting blues at the mouth of the Point Pleasant Canal with poppers. Sunset has always been my favorite time. Use a 4 inch popper on a very quick retrieve and get ready for some fun.

Keep in mind that you must do this on the drift; it is illegal (and unsafe) to anchor at the mouth of the canal.

Blues were also the word on the Toms River, where the crew at Murphy's Hook House said they were being caught on both plugs and bunker. In the bay, the majority of them have been caught on the island side of the Route 37 bridge.

Clams and bunker were scoring stripers at Island Beach State Park, a report from The Dock Outfitters said.

"There was a good bite on the cocktail blues yesterday afternoon and last night in the back," Mario from the shop said in the report. "Cut bunker was what was working with guys getting 5 – 10 blues apiece."

Not much was heard locally on bass being taken on metals.

In LBI, tide runner weakfish were starting to appear in the bay, a report from Surf City Bait and Tackle said.

Brendan from the shop fished the beach and landed a 14.5-pound striper Wednesday night using bunker chunks. He also picked up a skate and a number of blues.

In the bay: "Bluefish everywhere hitting both metal and bait, bass hitting bucktails small swimmers and bait, and weakfish hitting both plugs and bait," Brendan posted.

For those of you who may have forgotten, keep in mind that fluke season begins one week from tomorrow! We'll have a full fluke guide in this column next week!