[Reel Class]

I have fished the Lavallette surf for most of my life (for as long as I can remember and hold a fishing pole) and last year it was dead purely because of the beach replenishment project. All that sand and dirty water unsettled water basically made the entire stretch from ocean beach down to seaside dead all season, right along the beach.

But this year, bluefish were back this spring feeding in the new cuts and along the new bars, under birds and destroying pencil poppers and we've seen many small bass around rooting for sand fleas and calico crabs this summer.

Fluking is very slow in the entire area, as even down in IBSP the fluking has been very slow to start despite a few fish being caught and weighed in the last few days.

The majority of the fluke we caught in Lavallette over the years were around the jetties and groins, and with them being covered now, that fishery will take longer to rebound.