From the suds...

[ped579]

Hi All,

Well I went out today to Ortley Beach to see what the conditions were.  Snotty would be the way I would describe it by the time I left.  I parked in the 3rd ave lot and walked to the walkway over the dunes talked to a couple of great guys and watched as a lot of vehicle traffic was moving up and down the beach.

The wind was SSE at about 4 - 10 with gusts to 15.  Slight chop with the wave action also coming out of the SSE.  No birds to speak of most were on the beach.

Looking way up the beach I spotted 1 blue caught with the foot fleet right behind.  That was it.  I had a nice conversation with a young gentleman and I wish him the best in his endeavors in seeking a spot in the next NJSP class.

By the time I decided to leave the beach was deserted.  I guess that old adage you should of been here yesterday holds true.

Thanks for the conversation i enjoyed it and hope to meet you there again.

Happy Catching

Paul

[rugman]

sounds like are day at the hook 

[mboy]

Better then workin' TRUST ME!

[ped579]

I hear ya...

[rugman]

Better then workin' TRUST ME!

[IrishAyes]

Nothing like fresh salt air to brighten the day.   

[Luna Sea 5]

Nothing like fresh salt air to brighten the day.   

[ped579]

Well I'm going to give it another try later this morning.  The barometer is dropping so its time to hit the beach before the rain comes in.  To bad it sounds like there is a warm front pushing this one.

what we need is a good ol early season Alberta Clipper.  It probably will come in right around Halloween.  We'll see.

Happy Catching

Paul

[Pops Soul]

Way it's going it going to be Stripers for
 X mas

[ped579]

I hope not.

I was on the beach again this morning and just got back.  I figured I'd work the incoming high tide.  Got to the beach (Ortley) and looked there might of been 5 to 8 guys fishing.  No one was catching anything. 

The wind was from the south again at about 3 - 5  as was the wave action.  Water was warm but clear.  I worked a few holes no one home tried the first groin again no one home.

The wind started to pick up around 12:30 from 4 - 8 with gusts at around 11 mph.

I called it quits around 1:30 or so grabbed the camera and took some pictures I will post them here later.  Got to do a couple of honey do's first.  Gotta keep mama happy.

I used mostly top water plugs and one new swimming lure that I have to work on, not casting properly.  It has a metal lip I might have to make that more streamline and add weight to the back end.  I think I anm going to take a series of pictures and post them as I go along.

Happy Catching

Paul

[wb]

Still sounds like a good day...

[ped579]

Well, third day in a row.  I will be leaving to try again one of these days I will hit it just right.  so for now the sign on he door reads...

GONE FISHING

[IrishAyes]

Good luck.   

[ped579]

Well I got about 30 mis worth of fishing in before the sky opened up but it felt like I was a kid again.  Walking on the beach with a fishing pole in hand soaking wet from the rain.

BOY THAT FELT GOOD.

Happy Catching

Paul

[ped579]

Hi All,

Well today broke the drought for me.  I was fishing Ortley Beach and Lavallett Beach and caught two nice fluke, keepers by the way but home to King Neptune they went. 

It was right at the change of the tide late this morning.  I fact all the groins in Lavallette were high and dry by a good 15 - 20 feet or more.  Stood at the edge of the first sand bar and started casting plugs nothing tried many colors and sizes plus slow retrieve and fast retrieve but nothing.  The birds were working way off shore and to far to cast to so I changed to metal.  AVA 47's 27's than I put on the smallest one in the bag a 1oz' er, BINGO first hit on a slow retrieve with small bounces.  I let that one go and the third cast again 'BAM', another fluke good size keeper but back it went again.

I decided to walk up the beach again and met two brothers Fabian and his brother George.  Both newcomers to surf fishing.  George caught two Monk Fish the first one I did not see him catch but the second one I did.  I noticed he was apprehensive on picking it up so I walked over to lend a hand.  The first one bit him so this one he did nor want to touch in any way shape or form.  I used the gripper and the needle nose pliers to de-hook the fish.  We let him go and watched him burrow into the sand right at the waters edge.  Tide was coming in so I felt it was OK to let him be.

Good going guys.

Held a small workshop for a half an hour and I hope it helped guys.

Happy Catching

Paul

[IrishAyes]

Nice report Paul.  Were they monk fish or stargazers?  I didn't think monk fish would be in that close.  Both ugly looking fish. 

[ped579]

Hi Joe,

On looking them up they were Stargazers.  So Guys my mistake but they look fairly similar. They can be very dangerous with venomous spines and a shocking mechanism behind their eyes.

Here is a picture of both.

Thanks Joe for making me look up the difference.

Happy Catching

Paul

[IrishAyes]

Yeah Paul, easy to confuse and both are nasty.  One of my guys caught a wolf fish a couple years ago.  We cleaned it and put the carcass/head out for the seagulls.  They wouldn't even go near it.   

[Pops Soul]

Hey Joe what is a wolf fish, is that the long silver one that has a head like a Barracuda and a tail that goes down to a ribbon, 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 ft long?

[IrishAyes]

Skip, look up in Paul's last post, he has pics of both monk fish and stargazer. 
I think you may be referring to a ribbonfish.  If I remember right we both had them caught on our boats about four years ago.