October 1, 1999 - Second time on the Beach

This was my second time out here on this park. I have to say that I really like driving to the beach much better than walking with all of the gear! Or benefactor for this trip was Mr. Juan Yeregui of Marlton, NJ! Juan is one of the Robotics Supervisors at our office. He owns a Chevy Suburban (older model dunno what year) that is Diesel and 4WD. We met at Juan's house and then promptly loaded our gear and headed out. It was around an hour and a half drive to Barnegat Bay and with a short stop at the Bait and Tackle Shop (I'll have to get pictures to post) for some clams and spot we were off to the park!

Once we got to the end of the road inside of the park we deflated the tires some and locked the wheels then onto the beach! I was surprised at the number of RV's on the beach as I did not know those things are 4wd capable! We went all the way down to the inlet by the jetty and cast there. I have to try to get some felt bottomed shoes made for next year so I can jetty fish much safer.  My last trip to the Barnegat Light jettly left me with a nice sovenir on my shins. I guess I learned not to step on the black, wet, shiny rocks!

We pulled to a stop near the inlet and had a quick look around. The sun was just starting to set and it was a beautiful sight (Pictures below). We got unpacked and got our lines wet was soon as we could. Juan got the first fish (the Sea Robin below) and then Mike Huphreys got a Skate. Unfortunately I didn't assemble my reel correctly and as a result the anti reverse lock was not working so I had to hold onto the rod all the time. This kind of limited my ability to take a lot of photos.

The score for this trip was:

Name Type Number
Juan Sea Robin 1
Michael H Skate 2
Juan Toag 1
Michael H Sand Shark 1
Michael E Sand Shark 1

This was my first larger than 12" haul out of the ocean. I must say that bringing fish in out of the surf is different. I've experienced it when the fish rush the boat and the line all of the sudden goes slack but in the surf that is greatly magnified. All in all this helped to set the Saltwater Bug deeper in my mouth. Now I am starting to shop for better gear than my little starter kit. That will be a slow process and I hope to find some good deals as I go along.

Now for the Photos!

Look at the colors! Did the camera move? Maybe I moved!?
The guys and the gear! The first Fish!