Conference wahoo::fishing

    	Hi Rich. Sorry we couldn't hook up yesterday. I work from 7-3:30
    so if you tried to phone me yesterday after 3:30 I had already left.
    Aside from that I'm alive and well and living in N.H.. I got remarried
    and have a 9 month old baby girl now. I've pretty much switched
    over from saltwater to freshwater (Bass) fishing. Lots of good lakes
    up here and Bass fishing is popular up here as you can tell by the
    notes file. I was down in N.J. for the 4th of July and did some
    fishing while I was there. I went with 2 brother-in-laws and 2 nephews.
    I went to rent a boat at Frank's (Atlantic Highlands) but one of
    my brother-in-laws didn't want to go in on a boat. He thought $47
    was to expensive. This was at 8:30 am and he still had 2 boats left.
    At about 8:45 he changed his mind but by then the last 2 boats were
    gone so we rented a boat down in Rumson and went to the Navesink
    river bridge for blue claw crabs. Only one problem with that. The
    fluke wouldn't leave us alone, not that I really minded. Everybody
    on the boat got fluke and I got a 1 1/2 lb bluefish and 2 big blueclaw
    crabs. We wound up with 14 fluke, (all about 1lb) in 3 hrs. We were
    using the usual killy and squid strip. We would have caught more
    but my nephews were getting restless so we went in.
    	I got 3 calls on my boat yesterday. I didn't expect such quick
    response. I called my wife and told her I'd be working on the boat
    when I got home. I had about 8 hrs of little cosmetic stuff I wanted
    to do to it before anyone looked at it but someone came down yesterday
    and looked at it. He's supposed to get back to me today so I might
    have it sold already. Its to bad we kind of fell out of touch down
    there because I used to fish Sandy Hook Bay every nice weekend that
    my boat was running. I took it out of Manasquan a couple of times
    but that inlet is treacherous even on a calm day. The first time
    out I had a 8-10 foot swell that turned into a breaker some how
    as soon as I got on top of it. It broke so fast that it literaly
    left me about 6 feet in the air. I gave it some gas to get over
    the one in back of it and then turned around and watched it do the
    same thing. I've never seen a wake turn to a breaker so quick before.
    I did all of this right in front of a 40-44 foot Coast Guard cutter.
    I could here some of the guys on the cutter laughing at me. I had
    the last laugh however cause both there engine died as soon as they
    cleared the channel. I was almost tempted to ask them if they wanted
    a tow in but I didn't want to push my luck. I got some dirty looks
    when I laughed back at them as they started drifting away. They
    finally got 1 of their engines running and limped back in. Glad
    I didn't need help from them.
    	Well enough for now. Gimme a call later if you get a
    chance...........RAYJ

I'm heading up to the beach this weekend and I'm considering bringing along my
big spinning rod.  (I'll have to hide it from the wife though  8^), I think
she's somehow got the idea that I won't be doing ANY fishing this weekend...)
I've never really done any saltwater fishing...  I have a heavy duty spinning 
setup that I think will suffice.  Now, all I need to know is...

line - I have some 25lb test, should I use this or stick with 10lb test?

lure/bait - My tackle box is full of bass'n gear... what should I use? my cat?
(note: I don't want to dish out alot of cash)

spot - I'll be staying in Salsbury, MA - right near the NH border, any good
spots near there? (on shore/bridge/whatever)

fish??? what am I gonna catch??? BASKING SHARKS???????????? 8^)

licenses? there's not salt water licenses, are there???????

Don Mac, but you can call me Quint

    No Don, there's no license for salt water, but you may get FINED
    if you throw your CAT out there!  :^)
    
    I used by Penn spinned, Ugly Stick with 10 lb and sea worms two
    weekends ago off the jetty at West Dennis beach and had a lot of
    fun.  Got a few small blues, and some other unknowns.  So you don't
    need one of those HUGE high buck outfits for an enjoyable afternoon.
    Just remember to wash and oil everything when you get home.
    
    --Chris

    You should be able catch plenty of flounder with sea worms.
    Flounder can be caught on any freshwater gear using a little extra
    heavy line (10 to 12 should be fine).  They also pack a wallop of fight
    on freshwater gear.  Fun time!
    Mike_L

    I was just on the beach a Plum Island last night. There was only
    one other guy fishing near me (at the South Beach 4WD access area)
    and between the two of us I got two good strikes and he had nothing.
    I failed to set the hook on the first strike, on the second I got
    into something big that managed to eventually snap my 20 lb test
    line. I'm going for heavier line.
    
    I've heard that the best areas along Plum Island are near the first
    three parking areas just after you enter. The water is deeper there.
    Unfortunately (or fortunately) the terns are nesting now so that area
    is closed. Since you will be nearby you might want to try the Plum
    Island beaches.

    I've seen alot of fishing being done at the Merrimack River inlet but
    I've never fished this area. I have heard that you'll want to wait to
    fish around high tide since almost nothing happens any other time. 
    Anyone out there with more information on this area? Since I'm a novice
    myself some other experience would be helpful.
    
    Nick

    re:148.5
    	I used to fish the Plum Island jetty alot years ago. I've spoken
    to people that have been down there fishing the river and was told
    that the fishing has been spotty. I went down there two weekends
    ago and got the "you should have been here this mourning" line.
    One thing i definetly would do is bring some sand/blood worms down
    with me. When the blues start running they eat everything and anything
    that moves. It seems that they push the pollack up the river. What
    I would do is rig up with about a 2 oz. weight and about a 5-60
    hook. (sp ? #5 or #6 hook) Then put 1/4 to 1/2 of a worm on, cast,
    and let sink to the bottom. Slowly retrieve the worm on the bottom
    and if pollack are around, hold on. You can do this with fresh water
    tackle on say 15 lb. test and about 1 oz. of weight (if current
    isn't to bad) but you may pick up a large blue so watch out. At
    this time of year there will be enough people on the jetty so that
    you will know when the blues come in and you can switch over to
    a plug or whatever. With this I will put in a plug for my favorite
    bluefish lure, the Tony Accetta Pet Spoon. I bought one a long time
    ago for the purpose of using it as a gaff. The hook and lure was
    in the extra large class. I and 4 other friends spent about 2-3
    hours casting 9-10" plugs/rebels with no luck. I tied on the pet
    spoon and got a 15 lb'r on the first cast, got hits on the second
    cast, and about a 20-25 lb'r on the third cast. The only problem
    is
    that I was fishing with our gaff. One of my friends went to pick
    up the fish by the 45 lb. steel leader and it unraveled. I lost
    the lure and the fish. The whole time (before and after) my friends
    were casting plugs, rebels, large castmasters and hopkins with no
    luck. The pet spoon cost about $3.50 at the tackle shop at Plum
    Island.
    
    Going_after_the_big_ones_saturday
    
    RAYJ
    
    P.S. Pollack makes some of the best fish chowder I've ever tasted.

    
    	Plum Island is excellant this time of year for Stripe Bass
    	and Bluefish. There are quite a few good fishing areas. The
    	sand bar just up river from the south Jetty is a good place
    	for bass or blues. The best time to fish is generally around
    	low tide (2 hours before to 2 hours after). Seaworms work good
    	for bass. An atom swimmer plug or a Krockadile lure works
    	for blues. Get right out on the sandbar. Be carefull the current
    	can be bad there on the outgoing tide.
    
    	The tip of the south jetty is also a hot spot if you have
    	the nerve to go out there. The best time here is high tide
    	and first part of the outgoing. To get out there you have
    	to go out before high. Plus you can't get back off until
    	after high. A few rocks are missing and water fills in the
    	gaps. I'd stick with plugs or work live eels for either
    	bass or blues. Hook the eels through the lips and fish
    	them like a plug and reel very slowly. If you get a strike
    	let the fish run line out for the (slow) count of ten, then setup.
    
    	The south part of the Island is also excellant. The last
    	parking lot before the lower gate. Walk out to the beach.
    	The name of the place is Emerison Rocks. Use popping plugs
    	from the rocks at low tide for either bass or blues.
    	Seaworms are good for bass at high tide. Fish the high 
    	right inshore from the rocks. The northern part
    	just above the rocks generally has a sandbar and
    	breakers, this is good at high also. Cut mackeral is
    	good for blues on the high tide. This lower end
    	of the island is a National Wildlife Refuge and is
    	very scenic.
    
    	Ten pound is pretty light. In my opinion 15 to 20 is
    	a.o.k. Heavier line above 20 doesn't cast as well.
    	Just remember to set your drag on the reel and
    	don't point your rod at the fish (keep it up).

    	Surfland on PLum Island has a good selection of tackle
    	and also sales bait (eels, worms, clams, etc.). Take
    	a plastic bucket (and a rag) if you'll be buying eels.
    	One inch of water in the bottom is all the water you
    	need. Else they will check out from lack of oxygen.
    	(They can breath air also). Good luck.
        
    	= JV
                                              

    I've been fishing in N.J. since I was 15 years old.(many moons)and
    I think saltwater fishing license is a lot of bunk an bull. BUT
    as anything else, the govt will get into my wallet on way or another.