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Fishing away from
home for new species in new waters always works best if you start with a
guided day. I note this as a very experienced fishing writer with well
over a thousand fishing articles and books on life bait, fishing
records, regional guides and fishing humor.
 Carl Price, who
manages media relations for the Atlantic City Convention and Visitors
Authority suggested a fresh water day to go with the light tackle
saltwater Topwater fishing, pass casting, beach fishing -- the world
record striped bass came from an Atlantic City beach jetty -- and
offshore head boat and charter bill fishing. Given he'd just suggested
the White House for hoagies -- Frank Sinatra used to send his jet from
Hollywood for these -- I knew Carl's information was reliable. Besides,
he wanted to go fishing too.
So we set out
relatively early for the Egg Harbor area and the river. On the way it
became obvious that the recent rains had left the river high and
somewhere between root beer and cocoa colored. Fortunately David
Henderson, a local guide who fishes daily and keeps on top of the action
far better than those who only guide weekends, had things in hand. He
offered "trophy bass fishing on a private lake with bass to 8
pounds" and, it must be added, photo proof of this. We opted for an
alterative, "A spot 30-minutes down the no wake areas where you'd
get a mixed bag of fish."
Bass anglers may
suspect brain damage, but I love fishing for new species in new spots
with new techniques, and ultra light two and three inch plastic on
1/16-ounce lead heads promised variety as David has, among other things,
even taken striped bass on these rigs.
The half-hour ride
from Atlantic City quickly showed that recent rains had turned the river
the color of root beer. So, rather than fish the "usual spots"
we chugged a half hour up through what may be the longest "no
wake" zone in North America. A wild collection of moored craft from
massive yachts and a buoy tender down to canoes fronted the eclectic mix
of shore shacks to "if you have to ask, you can't afford it"
mansions.
At
least a dozen species of diving, wading and woods birds kept the
binoculars busy until we
At least a dozen
species of diving, wading and woods birds kept the binoculars busy until
we headed off into a backwater under a bridge with headroom so low rods
had to come out of racks. The football field-size aquatic saucer ran
down to ten feet or so deep with an interesting assortment of rock and
sand bottom and an amazing assortment of aquatic weeds.
Spot casting to the
edges of cover or, for that matter, blind casting back towards the
channel, produced a nice mix of yellow and white perch, a basket of
catfish and "temporary custody" of a couple of larger fish
that nicely filled four hours or so. Nothing special in size, but given
absolutely nobody we checked on our way back to the dock had any fish, a
nice day.
So
for a look at an interesting, easily overlooked area -- or that
alternative option on bass to eight pounds on private water -- Dave
seems a decent investment. Such is particularly the case for family or
other freshwater anglers who'd like an introduction to New Jersey Fresh.
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