Trout fisherman looking for SW piers and advice

[speters33w]

OK- I've got to go to a mandatory company meeting in Galloway near Atlantic City in a couple weeks. I'll have a couple excess days there and I decided to do some pier fishing in those days. I haven't done that since I was a kid. I'm not really fond of Atlantic City, myself.

I purchased a temporary non resident licence and registered with the NJ Saltwater Registry.

I'm looking for good piers- I prefer quiet not full of people. I guess that's why I'm one of those guys you see on the highway coming out of the brambles with burrs stuck all over him because there's a small trout stream back there somewhere no-one goes to.

I'm OK with a 45 minute to an hour drive one way. I'm OK with a (reasonable) fee to fish.

I nosed around the forums and I am considering Grassy Sound in North Wildwood or Crabbe Road Pier in South Toms River - distance OK, but not great.

I saw the NJ Fishing Pier locations page here, but I'd prefer a recommend.

I fish exclusively with artificial lures. My tackle box is loaded with 1/16 and 1/8 oz spinners, many barbless for catch-and-release. ...Told you I fish for trout!

I'm not going to buy a bunch of gear for a two day trip. I'm using a 6'6 spinning rod with 10lb line. That's the largest gear I own and truthfully I've never used it before because it's unwieldy to haul through the brambles and a tip-shadow spooks brooks and browns. The largest lure I can use would be about 5/8 Oz. I'll make or buy a leader, maybe 20 or 30 lb test.

But I would like to buy a good lure or two a little larger than 1/8 oz. Some people on this forum recommended Spro Bucktails. I might use some spoons as well. Advice here?

[Hotrod]

   I'm hopping someone here can help you..

[ped579]

I would love to help but all my fishing is done up in Ocean County.  But, with that being said you are close to 7 Bridges Road (Tuckerton also known as Great Bay Boulevard) and there are a lot of places to fish there in some of the best cuts that hold fish like you wouldn't believe.  The problem is that you better make sure to have the BUG SPRAY handy.

Here is a little story about the road:
http://www.app.com/article/20061109/LIFE/61109005/It-s-road-nowhere-s-just-fine

Click the continue reading in the upper right corner if a commercial comes up...

Happy Catching

Paul

[speters33w]

This sounds PERFECT!

I read the article and I don't think I could ask for a better sounding place. I'm already used to the bugspray issue with the places I fish freshwater. Sometimes I even fish in a Mosquito hat It's dual purpose, I use it when I take care of my beehive. The normal "bee hats" are hard to use.

I decided I'll fish for Fluke if I'm lucky, Weakfish if I'm really lucky, anything legal that bites if my luck is OK or a Sunburn with a good time otherwise.

[gymrat987654321]

Good luck 

[speters33w]

Thanks, guys!

Got 800 Great Bay Blvd, Little Egg Harbor Township, NJ in my GPS now.

I decided on Flounder ....or Weakfish...(big dreams) because my freshwater rig looks like it's suited.

Gotta change the Mono line to braided - says everyone.

While I was researching found this very cool underwater video of fluke grabbing artificials.

Thought I'd share.

[ped579]

Good Luck speters33w,

If you are going to use light gear try going to light jig heads with small gulp curly tails.  It seems like the fluke are eating them like candy.  Weakies like that also.

Happy Catching

Paul

[speters33w]

Thanks, buddy!

Pretty much my thought- was going to rig much like the video above with 1/2 or 3/4 oz Spro-style bucktail to bounce along the bottom with a floater 3" or 4" Gulp twisty-tail or shad running above on a 3/0 hook.

I might scent lures as well.

Also have a couple 3/8 or 1/2 oz blood minnow "Reed Runners" I might try if the weeds are a problem, I'll stuff a chopped white twister tail on the end. These are actually a Pike or Musky lure. I bought them when I thought I'd be able to go after Pike but work happened. But it never hurts to try something new.

I have a 7/24/341 on call job, (I get one "guaranteed weekend off call" each month) which is one of the reasons I'm looking forward to this "Sorry, I'm in New Jersey at the meeting YOU GUYS sent me to" fishing trip.

"Small" is relative - I have 1/2" twisty tail grubs- sometimes I throw them on a Mepps Comet or hook them straight on another spinner.

Thanks again!

[ped579]

I know the feeling.  I was in Emergency Management plus an RERP Evaluator for FEMA as well.

[speters33w]

You picked the PERFECT place for me. I was only able to fish one night and one full day. Bugs were only bad in the wee hours of the morning. Caught nothing - didn't matter. Nice and quiet, Beautiful! I'll fish there again.





The Weakies were out at Pebble Beach, people were catching them with live Peanut Bunker. I didn't go out there.

Gotta plug Scott's Bait and Tackle in LEHT- I had stopped at BassPro in Harrisburg on the way to NJ, but they had nothing I wanted for this trip. I was just looking for just do-dads to make leaders and a couple bucktails. Scott's had EVERYTHING and the guy behind the counter knew the whole area very well.

[gymrat987654321]

Glad you had a good time. Fishing is always good, catching is a bonus.

[Bucktail]

  

Scott runs a great shop.  They're very helpful there.

Maybe you'll get down this way again sometime.  And hopefully you'll get on some fish.