Memories of our changing times

[Fin Reaper]

Thanks for sharing Henry!
An absolute pleasure reading this thread

[Billfish715]

Speaking of bluefish tubes......don't forget Vic Galgano and his line of Spider products.

[bunker dunker]

diamond jigs,when I first started bluefishing in the late 60's the only jigs were the Bridgeport and they were to expensive to use for blues.the captains would by the all lead jigs and we would have to scratch them up before every trip to get them to shine.

[Pennsy Guy]

Spring mackerel was always a blast...A spreader fluke bar using two store bought hook/leader....Hi-lo rig with metal stand-offs...Bill Upperman's bucktails...being talked into buying spinning gear instead of Penn conventionals...one rod a boat rod, the other a surf rod, both were split bamboo; surf reel was a "Beachcomber" made by the Lionel train Corp...that was in the very early 50's...Before that, Dad's rod was a "broom stick" with a Penn something...also had a 3 piece metal rod, very light and painted green...Also used a hand line from the back bay shore..remember it was wound on a red wood frame...fond memories...many thanks.

[Capt. Debbie]

Yeah the coat hanger ones. LOved them. Idiot proof. I proved that. LOL

Originally Posted by Taxman

spreaders for flounder

[cukes]

My first spinning reel was an AIREX made by lionel. First Penn reel was direct with no drag at all. Hate to tell you what the line was but with all this so-called antiquated stuff, all we did was catch fish. These are the same fish today albeit not as plentiful, I am old school and I do not use any of this fancy stuff that everyone says we can't fish without and I still catch the same fish. Made a lot of my own tube lures painted on the inside different colors and bent long shank hooks inside and they wobbled like crazy.

[flyersnfluke]

What a pleasure it's been reading through these posts. Most of early days of saltwater fishing was with my dad off of the party boats out of shoals dock on staten island, and then on the sea pigeon in perth amboy. I was around 11 when we started going out, I was a menace to all. My dad wasn't quite the fisherman yet, most of his outings were off the beach or spent crabbing, but our first day out on the miss moore he bagged the pool with a 7-8 pounder on a freshwater pole and an old zebco reel. Right off the docks or off the sandbar near shoals we would catch tons of spot (we called them lafayette's back then), we'd also get them off the storm sewers down near south/midland beach, as well as a few pilot fish. I honestly didn't have many fond memories with my dad, except when it came to fishing, and when he became sick in his older years, I'd take him on the boats, where he took my place as the menace.

Also as a kid and into my early teenage years my friends and I would walk down richmond terrace (about 5 blocks south-sw of the bayonne bridge) with a killi-pot, bread, fresh water poles and long shanked snapper hooks. We'd get a pot full of killies (stuffed full, never happens anymore) and cast our lines out into a cove (van pelt ave) where there were a bunch of old derelict barges, we would catch eel after eel, big muthers too, and it would make our day. I remember going back there once with my nephews, I was now in my mid-20's(I'm pushing 50 now) and the killies were still plentiful, but there wasn't an eel to be had, somewhere between the age of 14/15 and my early 20's all the eels were gone, I had hoped for my nephews to experience the same fun I had as a kid. My nephews are now in their late 30's and they're still my fishing partners...and sometimes my drinking partners after a day on the boats, and it's about the only time I get to see them when they come to stay with me and my wife in middletown, if it wasn't for fishing I don't know if I'd ever see them. Fishing and family seem to go hand in hand.
cheers to all

[dales529]

Lets not forget the "Gulp" of the 70's and 80's. PORK RINDS! I am sure its still used effectively today but back then it was like fish Hot Sauce (We put that S__T on everything). Either trolling nylons and spoons or bucktailing, the Pork Rinds in the jar were tipped on the lure and candy for Blues, Fluke and Weakfish.
They came with a hole in the top for the hook, a split tail and lasted all day.
I know many that used them offshore as well for Tuna and Makos

As many have stated the boat was never without a roll of surgical tubing in assorted colors for the tiger tails and banana Jigs (when it was cool to have a banana on the boat).

Spent many a day off Bay Head nailing big weaks slooow trolling.

[Pennsy Guy]

Damn--thanks Cukes & Dale; forgot about the pork rinds and that smaller spinner was an AIREX. I remember using a leather strip about 2" long with a hole in each end-one end went through the pre-tied leader & main line knot tied through the folded end-no weight, that was it and it worked, was good for weakies in back of Ventnor...

[NJ219bands]

In 1970 I used a double tandem bucktail teaser rig with smelt baits from the super market during the early part of the fluke season, then switched to a double tandem whole squid rig for the late season doormats and won the pool on party boats 26 times. After that, the Point Pleasant fluke boats started carrying smelts for bait. I also caught a 12.5 lb fluke on a platinum blonde fly on the Manasquan Inlet north jetty during that era.