Inlet fishing

[NJ219bands]

Returned to Inlet fishing the day after after Labor Day for the first time since June 30. Caught 10 bluefish, 3 fluke, 2 hickory shad, a 13” kingfish and a 22 lb cow nose ray with a plain hook Ava A-17 and teaser on the evening low tide in 4 days. Landed 100 fish in 23 NJ inlet fishing trips this year. Tagged 90 fish but none were recaptured yet. I am very disappointed. On Friday evening during a small craft advisory, a small craft caught my line while trolling too close to the jetty. I tried to reel in the young guys light spinning outfit rig with my heavy 9’ fiberglass Harnel rod and braided line by applying maximum pressure while pumping and reeling. When my line went slack while pulling back, I fell backwards into the rocks and got injured. Looks like I’m going to lose fishing time the rest of this year while trying to avoid incompetent boaters. NJ boating courses should teach boaters to stay away from shore fishermen.

[Skolmann]

Nice, which inlet were you fishing ?

[Brewlugger]

Sorry to hear about your injury. I look forward to your surf reports and I'm hoping you are up and running soon. Those Harnell rods are badass.

[Billfish715]

Tag returns........I heard from Jeff who said that they are still backed up with return data. Expect some returns when they get caught up. I have a few there that he hasn’t processed yet.

Shore fishermen vs. boaters has been and will continue to be a problem. As a kid while fishing in Florida’s Boynton Inlet, I hooked a rather large false albacore ( bonito in Florida). I hooked it at the end of the north jetty and as bad luck would have, it headed south pulling drag. As more bad luck would have, a boat was headed into that treacherous inlet. Everyone on the jetty was screaming at the captain to move away from the wall because of the fish.

He was rightly concerned about the rushing tide in that narrow inlet and didn’t adjust his course. He ran over my line and fish. After a short drag screaming run, with the line wrapped in his props, it was over. At least I held on to my rod and reel. I was pissed but looking back, it could not have been avoided.

As a boater, I’ve had to dodge sinkers being heaved from the inlet walls by witting or unwitting fishermen. It was if we were targeted for using their inlet. A word of caution to jetty fishermen.......a boat will always win the tug of war if your line crosses their hull. Reel in before the boat gets too close and don’t cast until it passes.

Jetties are unforgiving when you fall. There are too many horror stories about broken bones, near drownings, strandings and more. The fact that you walked away and are writing this post, you are a lucky man.........despite the injuries.