Unusual Saltwater Catches

[Billfish715]

I posted a request for confirmation of a few bonito having been caught recently at Sandy Hook. It got me wondering about other unusual catches of exotic or "lost" fish along the NJ coast. How many are caught and never reported? Maybe you caught a sturgeon or like Capt. Fred Coles did years ago just off the beach in Sea Bright, a tarpon.

Please let us know about your unusual catches from this year no matter how strange they are. Maybe it was a winter flounder in the bay in mid August. Maybe it was a pollack on an umbrella rig or a houndfish on a feather. The types of fish and methods used to catch them are endless. Please feel free to share your experiences with us.

Any instances of banded rudder fish catches should be posted on another thread.

[Skolmann]

My son caught a 5-6” sennet while snapper fishing in Keyport 15 years ago.

[MudCat08]

I've caught a couple of odd visitors among snapper schools in early Fall. Yellowtail Scad and baby Jack crevalle included.

[AndyS]

NJ state record cobia- 87 lbs.

NJ state record sailfish- 43 lbs.

NJ state record spotted sea trout- 11 lbs.

NJ state record king mackerel- 54 lbs.

*** Retired Categories ***

Barracuda- 27 lbs.

Tarpon- 53 lbs.

[Billfish715]

My son caught a 5-6” sennet while snapper fishing in Keyport 15 years ago.

Do you mean like this one?

[tjd24]

Jack Crevalle on a Kastmaster while fishing for snappers in NY Harbor a few years ago.

Striped Burrfish off Sea Bright seawall while fluke fishing.

Lizard fish off Hoffman's Dock Pt Pleasant while snapper fishing many years ago.

Bonito today off Norton Point while jigging 3-5 lb blues.

[Skolmann]

Do you mean like this one?

Can’t recall the exact coloration/makings but it looks like and is related to the barracuda.

[june181901]

80% of a sturgeon washed up on the northern part of Sea Bright beach Saturday.

[makosnax]

Caught a look down in my cast net years ago in South Amboy

[Pauls1976]

I personally caught a Barracuda and multiple Blackfin tuna a few years ago, a buddy of mine caught a Sailfish, another caught a Tripletail and always seem to know of a few houndfish caught each year. I have seen various fingerlings of grouper and jacks caught in seine and cast nets in the backwaters. With the right conditions and bait migrations, it is easy to understand the “strange” catches, right place, right time and anything is possible.

[Billfish715]

I (and I hope we all) like reading about everyone's exotic and strange catches. N.J certainly has its share of stories, many of which are never shared. Blackfin Tuna, Tripletails, Cobia, Barracuda, Sailfish, Tarpon and more are certainly not common to our state. The juvenile fish that show up are also quite impressive. Who would think there were sea horses in the Manasquan River!? We find a few each year when we pull our seine.

The stories about catching sturgeon on umbrella rigs in the bay, or trolling marlin on Manasquan Ridge are examples of why we keep fishing even on those slow days. You never know what might be swimming off our coast. Don't be embarrassed to mention your unlikely catches. Catching and releasing a 150# class sand tiger shark off Bay Head on a fluke rig with 20# leader, ranks up there on my unusual list.

When you see a "googin" trolling around with spreader bars and rigged baits in 60 feet of water off Spring Lake or Seaside or Long Branch, hold back your smirks and sarcasm. You might be very surprised when you get back to the dock or listen to 68.

Keep the stories coming.

[Needlefish]

Many years ago from the beach at the tip of Sandy Hook caught a 1" long flatfish (flounder, fluke, or sun dial). It was stuck in the snap on my snap swivel.

[Billfish715]

[QUOTE=Billfish715;532880]

You never know what might be swimming off our coast. Don't be embarrassed to mention your unlikely catches. Catching and releasing a 150# class sand tiger shark off Bay Head on a fluke rig with 20# leader, ranks up there on my unusual list.

Sand Tiger at the Axel Carlson.

[Blind Squirrel]

I posted a request for confirmation of a few bonito having been caught recently at Sandy Hook. It got me wondering about other unusual catches of exotic or "lost" fish along the NJ coast. How many are caught and never reported? Maybe you caught a sturgeon or like Capt. Fred Coles did years ago just off the beach in Sea Bright, a tarpon.

Please let us know about your unusual catches from this year no matter how strange they are. Maybe it was a winter flounder in the bay in mid August. Maybe it was a pollack on an umbrella rig or a houndfish on a feather. The types of fish and methods used to catch them are endless. Please feel free to share your experiences with us.

Any instances of banded rudder fish catches should be posted on another thread.
I caught a jack crevalle and a male dorado on different days back in the '90s on the Gambler. Another guy caught the female (larger) dorado right after I got her mate. All were on jigs as I recall. The inshore water was unusually warm.

[Skolmann]

Caught a #3 lobster (and only had 1 claw) while fluke fishing in front of Earle Ammo pier years ago.

[Billfish715]

Caught a #3 lobster (and only had 1 claw) while fluke fishing in front of Earle Ammo pier years ago.
That is unusual both for the fact that you caught a lobster but also because of where you caught it. I remember reading Bob Duffy's list of pool winners in the Star Ledger. It always surprised me to see that an occasional lobster would win the money sometimes. For those of you who don't know the name of Bob Duffy, he wrote the saltwater column before Al Ristori.

I'd better quit now before I mention Henry Schaffer or others that many youngsters on this board don't know or remember........but I digress.

[Gfedor]

A huge turtle, that pulled my 22ft boat around the bay for 10 min,

A eel that was the biggest I ever saw , at least 6 ft , 4 inch girth.

Some alien looking fish, had a pit bull looking head with these freaking nasty teeth.

[bulletbob]

A huge turtle, that pulled my 22ft boat around the bay for 10 min,

A eel that was the biggest I ever saw , at least 6 ft , 4 inch girth.

Some alien looking fish, had a pit bull looking head with these freaking nasty teeth.


One of these perhaps??.https://www.google.com/search?q=northern+stargazer+pics&tbm=isch&source=univ&client=firefox-b-1-d&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiwk5fhqoXjAhUmnOAKHae-ByMQsAR6BAgAEAE&biw=1600&bih=748

[Rocky]

I caught this several years back. I did not know what it was and I never seen anything that ugly before in my life until I did that Winter tog trip with a bunch of guys from this site. :eek:

https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/65289996_10215027123297742_3353107145812869120_n.j pg?_nc_cat=105&_nc_oc=AQn36R3wFgQBnK_4FjoSQx7YnN3EXUez0kJ3yqLaH0c sBTpofpoOAZmw3Qgu5MSwQOs30-M9CtwnNusCe7mJXyGX&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=c0d322f0bb826d69f91ee205fb13c5e5&oe=5DC58D1C

[bulletbob]

All kinds of stuff.. Sea horse, Various little tropical visitors, pinfish stuff like that.. stargazer-Hidious bastard... Sennet, GIANT Triggerfish in raritan bay.. When the small salt water panfish invade the bays and rivers in mid summer, you never know what you might catch... NJ is a unique state.. It is the "buffer zone" between tropical/Semi tropical fisheries, and the more northerly species.. We get both here.. At one time both Atlantic Halibut and Sheepshead were both quite common in NJ waters.. That should say something about the very unique fishery in NJ salt waters.. Its a melting pot of northern and southern species...... bob

[bulletbob]

I caught this several years back. I did not know what it was and I never seen anything that ugly before in my life until I did that Winter tog trip with a bunch of guys from this site. :eek:

https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/65289996_10215027123297742_3353107145812869120_n.j pg?_nc_cat=105&_nc_oc=AQn36R3wFgQBnK_4FjoSQx7YnN3EXUez0kJ3yqLaH0c sBTpofpoOAZmw3Qgu5MSwQOs30-M9CtwnNusCe7mJXyGX&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=c0d322f0bb826d69f91ee205fb13c5e5&oe=5DC58D1C

Looks like a half digested monkfish.. bob

[Capt Joe]

Yeouch, looks like a Chernobyl Monk😱😀:eek:

[Skolmann]

At one time both Atlantic Halibut and Sheepshead were both quite common in NJ waters.

There’s been a significant but tight lipped sheepshead bite (fish to the mid teens) in New Jersey from Barnegat Inlet south the past few years. In addition, more and more red drum (redfish) are being caught in NJ each year.

[Gerry Zagorski]

Looks like a half digested monkfish.. bob

Looks like my mother in law after her weekly hair appointment :D

[Gfedor]

One of these perhaps??.https://www.google.com/search?q=northern+stargazer+pics&tbm=isch&source=univ&client=firefox-b-1-d&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiwk5fhqoXjAhUmnOAKHae-ByMQsAR6BAgAEAE&biw=1600&bih=748

Yep , looks like star gazer is it

[Rocky]

There’s been a significant but tight lipped sheepshead bite (fish to the mid teens) in New Jersey from Barnegat Inlet south the past few years

Last Saturday.

https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/65239162_10215029500237164_4764976643921936384_n.j pg?_nc_cat=108&_nc_oc=AQl0SHJEcm9oHWIwqLLxlcldntCSQ_m51CdU4HqaGFS 3dPT1FykvEt7lQI39qNDqIrGSZ35gS5IKPVP774uHJOnu&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=cf63f4b59911433513e182a0597b525a&oe=5D868E7D

[bulletbob]

There’s been a significant but tight lipped sheepshead bite (fish to the mid teens) in New Jersey from Barnegat Inlet south the past few years. In addition, more and more red drum (redfish) are being caught in NJ each year.

Yes, I have been reading about that past few years.. The point I was trying to make I suppose was the fact that in NJ, there are tropical species caught regularly in the same waters as fish that are strictly northern cold water species,,, cod, Pollock, Various Hakes, etc.. Different times of year of course, and different depths and areas. Matter of fact name another state, where you can catch a Lake trout,,Pike, Walleye, Channel or Flathead cat, Muskie ,Hybrid Striper, and then drive an hour and go catch Cod or Pollack,or one of the many tropical species we have discussed.. many NJ guys have NO idea how good you have it...bob

[MudCat08]

I've caught roughly 54 species of both FW and SW fish in NJ and have to say that the variety of options here is very vast. It's not just bass, trout and stripers, blues, fluke out there.

No match for Florida's variety, but still damn great!