Beach Trip, New Jersey shore, July 15th

I Have been in Manasquan NJ visiting friends this week. My best friend Carl Danish use to have a bait shop at the inlet called The Fisherman's Cove. it was the only building on the west side of third ave at the water and this was also his home.
It was so peaceful and quiet there that when I came to visit him for a few days, I never wanted to leave, and often did not! as Carl would say "stay another day whats your hurry?, STAY!" So like a good dog I would.

Back in 95 the State got control of this 90 acre piece of Heaven and turned it into a public use area for everyone. So as much as we miss the cove, at least its NOT CONDOS! Carl still lives in town and has a private slip he keeps a 13ft Boston whaler in. I keep my Johnson 25hp motor on it so I can run around in it chase Stripers all I want and not worry that I'm going to maybe have to fix his motor if something were to break. its my motor so I can beat it all I want,and nobody's worried about it. You know how borrowing things can be?, Murphy's law is STRICTLY ENFORCED!! The boat on the other hand is a TANK! So long as I keep it off the Jetties It will be fine!

From the slip its no more than a 5 min ride to the Manasquan Inlet. Unless its blowin!, I "Go outside" all the time. When you grow up "Down the Shore" as I did, you went out in the ocean with small boats as much as the Weather and your Parents would allow. Its like when people down here ask me about fishing in the Mountains, "Don,t you worry about Bears" I tell them NO! just like here you don,t worry about Sharks RIGHT?
then they gain Perspective. I can put this boat right in close to the beach and cast my 9wt all day.

Funny how The Who's Quadrophenia still makes the hairs on my arms stand up here at the beach! But at home in Jim Thorpe its not got the same affect.

I use a 350 grain sinking line and a saltwater leader and flies made with clear epoxy over them. these look like spearing, and lately I have been catching a lot of fluke off them bottom on them, but Clousers or any large Streamers will work. Just let the line sink to the bottom and slowly drag it across. ITS FUN!!

These fish are mostly "Shorts" but I release the keepers anyway. If you fish from the beach you can do just as well. However!, you MUST HAVE A STRIPPING BASKET!! otherwise the Waves take line back and forth up and down the sand at your feet, making it VERY hard to cast. Also I find it will ruin the line after some time.

These Fluke should be here for the rest of the Summer, so if you can, get to the beach and Fish, DO IT!! Its so HOT and the water is BEAUTIFUL!! Remember! SUMMER IS LIKE A FISTFUL OF SAND!