Mud hole

[jc484]

Looking for some info on the mud hole how far from shark river inlet is it? How deep is it? What kinda fish are out there? Do you live bait trolling, anchor up and bottom fish? Is there big sharks out there?
I am mostly do spring and fall striper fishing and summer sea bass and fluke fishing, but after a trip 40 miles out in fla catching cobia Mahii and a sailfish I want to step up my game up north any info would be appreciated thanks fellas

[loosescrews]

I'm no mud hole expert but I know there are a lot of different fish out there and even more different ways to get em in your boat. You can hit the western edge 15 mi out of your inlet. Even if you don't catch anything it's just nice being out there and seeing the blue water in NJ. And yes big sharks so don't fall overboard. Good luck.

[dfish28]

There are some wrecks on the western side that are like 13 miles from the mouth that produce your common groundfish, the shark river reef is on the southwest corner with great structure at 15 miles, getting a good chart will help, put in all the numbers and bounce around. Sharks are there at points as well as albies,mahi,bonito,even the occasional small yft, had good ling there last season too. Depths to 240' are within reach by a little adjusment, some areas have many pots and markers so best to do a trip in the daylight to plan your safe route. Good luck- I'm in SRI as well- moving to Neptune municipal marina this year-

[snapperbluefish101]

Shark River reef is 15 miles out? I thought it was closer like 8-10 miles?

I Fished Shark River Reef for Cod on the Gambler and I was able to see land, I don't think that well but I saw land.

SNAPPERHEAD

[Capt. Lou]

Looking for some info on the mud hole how far from shark river inlet is it? How deep is it? What kinda fish are out there? Do you live bait trolling, anchor up and bottom fish? Is there big sharks out there?
I am mostly do spring and fall striper fishing and summer sea bass and fluke fishing, but after a trip 40 miles out in fla catching cobia Mahii and a sailfish I want to step up my game up north any info would be appreciated thanks fellas

just invest in a chart that covers this area, will answer all ur ?'s accurately!

[jc484]

thanks for all the info I have a 20ft boat with a 35 gallon fuel tank so 40 mile round trip is no problem.

[jc484]

What did they catch the Mahi and sharks on? was not aware that they came up this far north I take it that they are cough in the summer time with the warmer weather.

[Andreas Toy]

Hey JC sent u a pm

[Gerry Zagorski]

Sorry to say but if you have a 20 foot boat with a 35 gallon tank you are taking some chances fishing the Mud Hole.

Let's say you get 2 miles per gallon and to be on the safe side 30 of that is useable since most tanks you can't get every drop of fuel out of. That makes your total round trip 60 miles.. Now lets apply the 1/3 in reserve rule to this. The assumption in this rule is you should never count on good running conditions due to weather (a storm, winds etc) and for this reason, to be safe you have to assume that you might not be able to run up on plane which could cause your mileage to be cut in half. Thats means for safetly reasons your safe round trip margin is actually around 40 miles. 20 out and 20 back and no margin for trolling.

If you pick your days you might be OK but is it worth the risk? Not for me but I'm sure others have done it.

As far as the fishing out there, sharks in June and July drifting chum and dead baits. Follow this link and page down to sharks for some tips http://www.njfishing.com/Fish_Species.php Mahi and an occational school Bluefin August and September trolling.

[dfish28]

I have 85 with usable to 80 and would only do it on the bluest of bluebird days...

[hookset]

I have to agree with Gerry and Dfish! You may want to rethink your fuel! I have a 100 gal tank and still pick my days with perfect weather and conditions! Leave early and get going home before the south winds kick up! Not saying you can't do it by al means if you a network of boats out, maybe some extra fuel on board and a good tow plan go for it!

[Bass_Appeal]

i have 175 gallon tank , i went from brielle yacht club out to monsters ledge , from there went out to the glory hole and back to brielle , had a quarter tank left so the gauge said! but thats as far as i would go with my boat burning 1.37 gallon a mile ....with your boat as gerry said ! 35 gallon is not much at all ...on a rough day you can burn that up in 10-15 miles ...

[Capt. Lou]

i have 175 gallon tank , i went from brielle yacht club out to monsters ledge , from there went out to the glory hole and back to brielle , had a quarter tank left so the gauge said! but thats as far as i would go with my boat burning 1.37 gallon a mile ....with your boat as gerry said ! 35 gallon is not much at all ...on a rough day you can burn that up in 10-15 miles ...

Sounds like u may b burning a tad more fuel that trip asI remember was appgox 26 to first location & about 20 more to second ! Don't have a chart in front of me , so I could be off a little .
If u burned a gal per mile with no side runs u should burned about 90 gal, however UR boats as stated gets almost 1.5 gal per mile @ UR best cruise I assume . I have no way of knowing if u deviated off course or gas gauges not always correct , if that's the case then I stand corrected as if u were ttolling
I use to run the canyon regularly in the eighties w/ 25 CC with twin
150 Merc OB's & troll & run never using the 160 I carried !
This was from SR inlet , only compass & TD plotting no electronics except FF .

[Rob B]

pick a nice day and go, there are plenty of wrecks on edge of mud hole and shark river reef. we always catch a variety out there. If worried about fuel bring an extra 5-10 gallons but probably not necessary.

[jerseyhunter]

Hey do what you want, it's your life. Just leave your friends and loved ones at home. Why put them in jeopardy.

[Capt Derek Fisher Price 3]

They call it the hell hole for a reason. You can leave the dock in flat calm conditions, but when you hit the edge of the hole it can be blowing against the tide and can be evil.

[jc484]

Thanks for all the info over the summer I went from Belmar to sandy hook and bounced around put 27 miles on the boat for the day and burn 11 gallons of fuel I was planning on taking extra fuel on the trip if I take it

[Gerry Zagorski]

One big difference on that run is you are always close to land and therefore other boats if you get in trouble help is near by. Not the same when you are 20 miles out.

[dfish28]

Remember- if you only have one trip running up the beach,and possibly drifting many miles, is not the same as running out 15 miles due east- how's your safety gear(e-pirb,plb...etc) it's a lot different straight out, especially if you are the only boat( VHF with best antenna, and a Sat phone backup) always remember you can be alone and in trouble! BE READY! Don't take chances and try to buddy up, it's not that far, but you still can't swim it! Pick your days and learn your true fuel burn, get a flo-scan and be careful! Best of luck and tight lines!!

[Gerry Zagorski]

What D ^^^^ said.

Be smart be safe.

As Richard Pryor once said... "You don't get to be old being no fool"

[Reel Class]

western flank of the hole from SRI is about 10 miles, give or take one or two (never sailed from there to there) FYI

and a 20' with 35 gallons? Go when you have a perfect day - otherwise, stay inside!

[stevelikes2fish]

Shark River reef is 15 miles out? I thought it was closer like 8-10 miles? SNAPPERHEAD

SR Reef is 14.8 nautical miles(17 miles) from SR Inlet.

[shrimpman steve]

I have taken the 19 foot dirty shrimp which holds 70 gallons it was To a spot 18 miles from squan. Differece is I had contacted a party boat in advance and asked him to keep an eye out for me. He was nice enough to give me numbers where he would be and he told me to anchor right next to him. It was like having a big brother looking out for me. Had a great day catching monster blues and an albie

[Harpoon]

SR Reef is 14.8 nautical miles(17 miles) from SR Inlet.

I wonder if he meant Sea Girt Reef....

[Harpoon]

I have taken the 19 foot dirty shrimp which holds 70 gallons it was To a spot 18 miles from squan. Differece is I had contacted a party boat in advance and asked him to keep an eye out for me. He was nice enough to give me numbers where he would be and he told me to anchor right next to him. It was like having a big brother looking out for me. Had a great day catching monster blues and an albie

I was on the Party Boat that day when you were next to us....If memory serves right It was also the day that a double engine outboard started taking on water and Coasties had to come out to pump and drive him in. Anything can happen out there....no matter what size boat.

[tautog]

You can see the tall condo is Asbury Park from a lot of areas pretty far out. People think that means you are within 7 miles, but seven miles is the limit for flat land, not 250 foot tall buildings.

[ruger1v]

20 foot with 35 gallons. Ugh. Could be real bad. Up to u but scary for sure. If u do, piick a nice day and one where u will see other boats. Hate to be reading about u in the paper. Good luck.

[Reel Class]

Jon the Shark River Reef is ~15 miles from SRI and from Squan - Sea Girt is ~5 from SRI.

Whatever the case, if you pick the right day, and your motor is in good shape, you got a full tank of gas, and have all of your safety stuff up to snuff you can probably do it. We have plenty of days in the summer where we have purely slick calm conditions - you just have to AVOID those days where the southerlies kick in -- even we get our heads handed to us out there on days like that...

windguru.com

still one of the best wind predictors out there - even they're not 100% right all the time lol

[shrimpman steve]

I was on the Party Boat that day when you were next to us....If memory serves right It was also the day that a double engine outboard started taking on water and Coasties had to come out to pump and drive him in. Anything can happen out there....no matter what size boat.

That was the day:)
That boat almost sunk right next to me:eek:
Very s scary but a very fun day of fishing.

[Capt Sal]

First go out with to the mud hole with an experienced capt. Radar,gps and chart plotter are a must. Being inexperienced and bringing less experienced people with you is not a good idea. People panic very quickly when the slightest thing goes wrong. When the weather is good it is no big deal so pick your day.

[Gerry Zagorski]

First go out with to the mud hole with an experienced capt. Radar,gps and chart plotter are a must. Being inexperienced and bringing less experienced people with you is not a good idea. People panic very quickly when the slightest thing goes wrong. When the weather is good it is no big deal so pick your day.

Funny story along these lines.... Decided to take the boat down from Sandy Hook to Barnegat for a long weekend. The wife and a friend and his wife wanted to take the ride down with me on the boat. A nice sunny day when we stated out but it got a little nasty when we got down around Deal. Nothing bad but it got breezy out of the south, had a small storm come through and we'd stuff the bow, get the curtains wet and took some spray over the top every so often....

Not being boaters you would have thought from their reaction we were in the perfect storm.... My wife (and you'd have to know her to fully appreciate this) tends to over react a bit from time to time. :) She's been out with me several times but never when the ocean was rough.. She starts screaming "We are all going to die !!" The other couples eyes got wide and their faces turned white with fear and they too were now screaming and scared to death.

After about 10 minutes of this I couldn't take it any more.... I slowed the boat down and had to sober them up... "Listen" I said sternly as I could.. "You guys have to get a hold of yourselves ... We are fine, the boat is not going to sink but I have to concentrate here and you are not helping matters. Sit down, shut up on and hold on".

They did and we were fine. We never were in any danger but if I had not had the time in and the confidence that went along with it, I too may have panicked and when you panic, you tend to do stupid things.

As the old saying goes.... "It's not the ship, it's the Captain".

I'd rather be out in a 20 foot boat with a good seasoned and confident Captain, then on a 30 foot boat with someone who does not have the experience or confidence.

[SeaLevel]

I'm not sure if this has been mentioned yet, I didn't read every response to this thread. Sharks can be caught way closer to the beach than you think. I work deck on a party boat and we had three threshers in one day spool flukers in the Ambrose. I know guys that keep a shark outfit on the boat and frequent catch them on inshore grounds While fluking. I've seen Threshers at the mouth of Manasquan inlet during the fall bass run. Point being you can gear up with some chum and the necessary big game equipment and set up shop someplace closer to home. Familiarize yourself with the offshore protocol, and still have a chance to hook into a monster thresher. Some guys actually float out a bait on a big game rod while fluking or ling fishing in the summer and it works.

On a separate note I'm pretty sure the oil wreck is less than 10 miles from Shark river. It's a great "offshore" spot but still close to home. It's given up plenty of sharks over the years.

[Gerry Zagorski]

Yep more then a few Threshers caught way inshore. They come to feed on the Bunker.

[bulletbob]

Here's my take on it.. Why bother??.. Really.. If you want to go fishing in the Mud Hole, for whatever, there are always six packs, open boats on weekdays, etc.. IMHO, its actually cheaper.. Think about it, 30 or more gallons of fuel, ramp fee if you trailer, tons of bait and chum.... If I had a 20 footer[I DO have an 18], I would keep it within 5-10 miles, as there is a LOT of excellent real estate inshore thats loaded with fish, including big stuff if you know where to look.

Want to get into blue water at times??.. I can relate, but I don't think you would be saving a nickel taking your own rig out.. In all likelyhood, you would spend more than if you went with a pro and a few other like minded fishermen..
I used to lament limited range, but no more.. As others have said, there are lots of sharks in close.. actually, if you want to catch sharks, there are tons of them in Great Bay most years, and they aren't hard to catch.... Why not utilize whats close to home and cheap?.. I also know for a fact there are plenty of sharks in Raritan Bay.. Pretty good size ones too, and several different species.
Reason very few know about it is twofold..
1-Very few people fish with a big bloody chum slick at night in the bay.

2- The few guys that do catch sharks in Raritan Bay at night don't want to broadcast it..

However, the sharks are there, and its REAL close to home.. Much safer to shark fish in your 20 footer at night in the bays, than out in the MH during the day, ... a lot cheaper as well!...


Leave the Mud hole to guys that are really geared up for it..Just my $.02..

Here's an interesting blog to support my claim of good shallow water/back bay sharking right in the bay,,,



Brown sharks of Great Bay N.J.
Aug 27, 2001
Review by lowtrtrip
Rated a Very Helpful Review

Pros:Great fighters on light tackle
Cons:Sharp teeth
The Bottom Line: Fun to catch.

The southern portion of the bay and the bottom shallows of Grassy Channel offer some rather unusual light tackle action for a back bay. During low tide in calm conditions brown sharks, otherwise known as sandbar sharks, can be viewed sunning themselves in the shallows. These fish can push the scales at 100 pounds or more, and can reach five feet or more in length.

The brown shark is a member of a group of fish known as cartilaginous fishes. This group lacks a swim bladder and maintains constant motion just to stay buoyant. The constant movement also keeps oxygenated water flowing pass the gills. At rest the animal will simply just ‘glide’ through he water.

Fishing for shark is quite simple in the bay. Best time of day is in the evening just after sunset.

For the boater, anchoring up and chumming heavily with bunker chum will consistently produce. Usually four ounces of weight on a very sturdy spinning outfit will suffice. Mackerel or bunker pieces place on a 9/0 hook at the end of a 20 inch steel leader will keep bite offs from ruining the fun.

Shore bound anglers can get in on the fun from the end of Great Bay Boulevard. A good surf outfit with the same terminal gear will snag a few after dark. Use about five ounces of weight and cast as far as you can from shore.

The best time of year to fish for brownies is the month of June.

[jerseyhunter]

While set lining for cod in the 80's it started getting rough, while head back to port the steering went out. Fortunately we had a tiller in the stern, couldn't see 20' past the bow sprit due to snow sleet and on coming waves and wind. I tended the tiller covered in our catch to stay warm even though I was dressed for it. The Capt'n who was very experienced worked the throttle and pointed which way for me to steer. Took us 6+ extra hours to get back to the dock. It was very bad out there and thought id been in worse. The next day I found out the Capt'n. My Dad tried to call in a mayday to get airlifted but Both radios were out, he didn't let me know so I wouldn't worry. Him and I been in some tight spots but only survived due to his life long history in the merchant marines and at sea. So no matter what you think you know or how good you think your equipment is, it all depends on the experience of the Capt'n and the sea worthiness of your vessel. Hope you never have to learn the hard way.

Ps. The only time I was scared was While tuna fishing in the mudhole on a smaller 30'er, I was much younger and steering and while we hooked up and the old man was reeling it in we got hit broadside by a wave which sent me sailing clear across to the bunks. He was running upright on the freeboard to get to the wheel, by the time he got there the boat righted itself and I don't know if he was telling me the truth but said it wouldn't capsize due to the weight of the engine and center of gravity. I think he was trying to get my confidence back. We landed the tune and obviously made it back to slip no 5 Belmar Basin. Man wht memories. Too bad Kelly's changed it was a great place for burgers.