Monster Ledge NJ

[Aaron210]

I am looking to make my first run out to Monster Ledge this summer. I was looking for some more information about the area and any tips for starting for Tuna and Mahi Mahi and Wahoo. I am also interested in running out my first time with a buddy boat if anyone is interested let me know. I am running a 23' Robalo center console 250 four stroke out of Shark River Inlet NJ.

[wyldbillnj]

I made that run few times from Sandy hook on my 32 CC. Not bad

[Down The Hatch]

Been there a couple of times in a center console 22 footer looking for sharks. Pick the right day, and it's a nice trip. Never did catch any there, but always had fun. Just pick the best day and enjoy

[Gerry Zagorski]

Monster will be a 21 run for you and with your size boat you’ll need to pick your days. Best to start early and come home before the afternoon winds pick up which could make for a nasty ride home. Bluefin Tuna are hit and miss and Mahi are fairly consistent once the water temps rise into the mid 70s . Your best bet for Mahi is going to be working and trolling the Lobster post and the last few seasons there have been more pots on the western side of the Mudhole and the monster is on the east. If you want to target Mahi, I’d head out to the Shark River Reef which is just inside western edge of the Mudhole and run the pots north of there.

Here’s a post specific to small boats and Mahi https://www.njfishing.com/forums/showthread.php?t=98114

[Capt Sal]

I made that run few times from Sandy hook on my 32 CC. Not bad

32" cc or a 23' no comparison.Pick you day and make sure you know what you are doing with electronics. Discretion is the better part of valor.

[wyldbillnj]

Agreed Sal. With a smaller boat like yours Aaron...you may want to team up with someone and make it a 2 boat deal. Work together as a team and you also have the safety of a buddy out there.

[Reel Class]

I have literally never seen a wahoo near the Monster Ledge and that's in several decades experience. Tunas, specifically bluefins, yes, and sharks, but not many wahoos haha.

The one key out there is having clean water - it's quite a bit INSHORE from the chicken and hudson so getting that super clean water in there is tough, but there are years where it does get inside to places like the ledge.

So in terms of pelagics I'd say your best shot at any would be schoolie bluefins, sharks, and mahi when the water warms around the pots.

[CaptMarc]

Aaron, how much fuel do you hold and what is your range?

[tunajoe]

I've been all over the dam ocean in a SEAWORTHY 23' - SeaCraft. All 23's are not the same. Do you have a kicker just in case you loose your main screw? Life raft? Good electronics? If everything is in place you can make a run much further than that. Traveled from Monster, to Glory to Chicken all in a 23'. Has to be a good day and the right type of 23'.
Caught plenty of tuna, many many sharks, mahi, out there. Be safe. Know you boat and know the seas!

[wyldbillnj]

We had a day out there...south winds kicked up some and a tanker came along offshore that cast a huge wake. Well, the combo of the 2 did not make for a safe situation so we called it a day and headed in before what looked like a 10 ft wave came at us.

Situations like that you have to be careful out there...no matter the size of the boat.

[Gerry Zagorski]

Some great advice and suggestions above...

VHF, Epirb are minimums and a life raft is strongly suggested and buddy up if you can.

As mentioned above, you also need to calculate your range and use the 1/3rd rule. This rule suggests that your furthest range should be a spot that you'll only burn 1/3rd of your tank to get to, the 2nd 3rd to return home and you'll have 1/3rd in reserve when you come back as a safety margin... The reason for the 1/3 in reserve is because if you're forced to run in seas your fuel consumption is going to go way down and when the tank is low, some of that fuel that's in your tank can't be used because of the way your tank and pick up tube is configured.

[wyldbillnj]

Some great advice and suggestions above...

VHF, Epirb are minimums and a life raft is strongly suggested and buddy up if you can.

As mentioned above, you also need to calculate your range and use the 1/3rd rule. This rule suggests that your furthest range should be a spot that you'll only burn 1/3rd of your tank to get to, the 2nd 3rd to return home and you'll have 1/3rd in reserve when you come back as a safety margin... The reason for the 1/3 in reserve is because if you're forced to run in seas your fuel consumption is going to go way down and when the tank is low, some of that fuel that's in your tank can't be used because of the way your tank and pick up tube is configured.
Im investing in the EPIRB this year myself.

[Capt. Debbie]

Another exotic is a FLOSCAN system. Dead nuts accurate fuel consumption monitor and accumulator.

It shows gallon per hour and counts consumption with an in line transducer and the monitor installed at the helm. I had one on my Grady. Twinned up and after you tweak it it was accurate to 1 gallon in 223 gallons of the tanks consumed.

I think an EPIRB on Monster Ledge is a bit of an overkill. Its an emergency device and should not be used for anything less than MAYDAY situations. That's not dead batteries or out of fuel situations!

And if you have multiple batteries intelligently use the Battery switch(es). If on "ALL" all of the time the switch is ignorantly misused and does absolutely nothing they are bussed together. All batteries will feed and will die at the same time.

Get good type I PFD's with strobes and whistles on each.

Have a "ditch kit" with quick exit duffle bag of gear ( like submersible handheld VHF, airhorns, whistles, signal mirrors, smoke, aerial Pyrotechnics, etc.). Water proof is good as it can be used as a float when zipped closed.

And Monster Ledge in the Mudhole is a relatively speaking mid range grounds and a day boater destination. Unless you're running crazy hours ( e.g. depart dock 11PM, arrive at grounds at 9pm, etc) you should have company within eyeshot. Invest in good high gain (6dB) antenna way off the water with good clean connections it'll be worth way more than most gadgetry.

That's a couple of suggestions. Know your boat's handling and when it gets hairy we slow it down ( survival + any progress( zig zagging over 12 foot swells)). IT may suck, but we are not pushing the limits of your boat's stability.

If you buddy up with another boat even with other guys going back to different marinas ( shark river vs. Manasquan or SI vs. Keyport)) or inlets it is a great insurance idea. Help is always minutes away even 40 miles offshore day or night.

Hope this helps a bit.


Some great advice and suggestions above...

VHF, Epirb are minimums and a life raft is strongly suggested and buddy up if you can.

As mentioned above, you also need to calculate your range and use the 1/3rd rule. This rule suggests that your furthest range should be a spot that you'll only burn 1/3rd of your tank to get to, the 2nd 3rd to return home and you'll have 1/3rd in reserve when you come back as a safety margin... The reason for the 1/3 in reserve is because if you're forced to run in seas your fuel consumption is going to go way down and when the tank is low, some of that fuel that's in your tank can't be used because of the way your tank and pick up tube is configured.

[bowhunter]

This isn't 1985 Your chances of catching Tuna at the monster ledge these days are about 1 in 20. Don't waste Your time,fuel and put Your self in danger for nothing. Also think of the people that would have to come to your rescue if something goes wrong.I would stick to inshore where that boat belongs.

[Capt. Debbie]

That's exaggerated. Your tuna shot is not 1 in 20. Realistically it's more like one in high 100's.

The Glory Hole or Chicken canyon are better shots. But its not a meat factory even in height of season for BFT. And don't forget you need a federal license to keep them too you know?




This isn't 1985 Your chances of catching Tuna at the monster ledge these days are about 1 in 20. Don't waste Your time,fuel and put Your self in danger for nothing. Also think of the people that would have to come to your rescue if something goes wrong.I would stick to inshore where that boat belongs.

[Capt Sal]

It isn't only you it will be the novice friends you take with you. They will panic if anything at all goes wrong. When you buy a boat for inshore family fishing you don't go off shore and stretch it to the limit.

[wyldbillnj]

It isn't only you it will be the novice friends you take with you. They will panic if anything at all goes wrong. When you buy a boat for inshore family fishing you don't go off shore and stretch it to the limit.

Agreed.

[tautog]

Haven't seen wahoo in that area for about 15 years. Bluefin are spotty at best there even when the reports are good. Was a good spot until the late 90s.

[Capt Sal]

This isn't 1985 Your chances of catching Tuna at the monster ledge these days are about 1 in 20. Don't waste Your time,fuel and put Your self in danger for nothing. Also think of the people that would have to come to your rescue if something goes wrong.I would stick to inshore where that boat belongs.

In 1985 we were going out in the afternoon and landing yellowfin and back in Shark River before dark. Don't know if you will ever see that again. i wish because i am getting up there in age and the Canyon trips kick my old ass lol

[Capt. Debbie]

Agreed.

It's a comfort zone. Stretch out your adventures and get a good at it. Then add some. Until you experience a full blown squall ( 50k winds, lightning, 100foot vis and sheets of rain) you're not ready.

A squall is usually ONLY 20-30 minutes. You need experience aka sea time or sea days to become better. Everyone does. And don't bite off more than you can chew too soon.

You are Moses out there- the passengers lives are depending on you. Tough guy is only half of it and will doom you unless you know what to do and adapt running the boat to what sea conditions you're looking at AND AROUND you. All b*lls and no "heavy weather" brains gets people hurt or worse.

Sooner or later you will experience it. Know what you want to do before hand facing 30 mph winds and 12 footers. Hint: your boat's fast moving times are over then. LOL

I teach the techniques. The theory of what you must do... Step 1 SURVIVAL... how? After that's worked out. STEP 2 how to make PROGRESS home. But it must be applied to what's around that boat your day. Like wave direction, wave height and most importantly wave angle(steep or round). And believe me! Sometimes going from 5 knots conditions to 7 or 8 knots is a godsent (cut return time almost in half)

Yes it will suck but DEAL WITH IT MOSES!!

There's an old saying... you know what the best and worst thing about STORM EXPERIENCE is?
The BEST THING is you know what to expect. The WORST THING is you know what to expect. Funny but true

When you're ready you will know. Collect experiences and don't count on weather forecasts to end every trip in sunshine and butterflies. Looking around at horizons is the most reliable forecast of change. Like bigger waves than before. A darker horizon. A chill in the air. Change in winds. Remember rising winds and building waves ALWAYS go together.

Now gradually ramp up experiences and learn GRASSHOPPER, :)


It isn't only you it will be the novice friends you take with you. They will panic if anything at all goes wrong. When you buy a boat for inshore family fishing you don't go off shore and stretch it to the limit.

[scanman5]

Spring Togging can be even more dangerous in my opinion. Way fewer boats, way colder water. If your boat goes down and you have no way to signal for help, or to stay dry (raft), or get dry (rescued), your outcome could be tragic within sight of land. Having at least an EPIRB and a handheld GPS/radio in a floating ditch bag should be a minimum, they are pretty cheap and can send your pinpoint location to search and rescue teams.

That being said, I would chum up some sharks at the ledge in June. Easy fishing and I have seen some very big makos and threshers in the area.