24” 3.25 lb Ava flatfish

[NJ219bands]

Went fishing 🎣 on the Manasquan Inlet north jetty this evening on a warm, sunny day with a light east wind and outgoing tide. Fishermen were in my inlet spot so I started fishing 🎣 on the ocean side half way to the dolos. Surfers 🏄*♂️ were nearby so I moved further out on the jetty past them. Birds were working breaking fish 🐠 and bait. Guy who came out and started fishing 🎣 to my right caught and kept a bonito on a small metal. Inlet fishermen caught undersized sea bass with bait. I caught, tagged and released a 24” 3.25 lbs smooth nosed skate with a plain hook Ava A-17. Hooked a very big fish 🐟 that made a long run to my right and past the two fishermen to my right. Miraculously the two fishermen to my right didn’t catch my line. I was able to reel the fish 🐠 back to straight out but it made a second run to my right and the guy to my right reeled in then stopped fishing, but the second fisherman caught my line with his lure. He was able to get his lure off my line but the fish 🐟 swam into a snag near the dolos. I went past the two fishermen then my line broke. The big one got away with my rig. It was probably a ray. By the time I rerigged, surfers were in my spot so I fished in the inlet. Missed a fluke. Fell twice. Then went home. Tagged 29 fish 🐟 on the jetty this year. 3 were recaptured.

[AndyS]

Fish at night.