# Help from Ohio



## Buckeye (Jun 29, 2005)

Going to be going to Wildwood Crest July 11 - 15 with my wife and her family. I've never been there before, they went all the time when she was younger. Unfortunetly none of them fish!! I would like to try and do some fishing while I'm there. All my experience is inland freshwater: Largemouth, smallies, walleye, and cats. I'm trying to do some research ahead of time. I don't really have the money for a charter so I was thinking about trying to fish from shore. If anybody could offer some advice or point me in the direction on the net to get some good beginner info, I would really appriciate it! Tackle, bait, rigs, typical target species?!? Feel free to email me if you would like.


Thanks in advance!


----------



## david123 (Jun 24, 2004)

*tackle questions*

I know that some of the guys will cringe when I say this, but just take about a hundred bucks extra with you and go to the nearest Wall-Mart, K-mart or other discount department store there your first day in. If you're not gonna be using the salt water gear the rest of the year, you can pick up a usable rig , some big hooks, flounder rigs , etc at their sporting good store on scene. It won't be top quality gear to be sure, but you won't break the bank obtaining something usable. For travel, i'd recomend something about 8 feet that you can use for casting from shore and a lighter rod for bay fishing. The 10 or twelve surf rods are great for casting but are a pain in the *&^* to transport with family and luggage.. 

Also, there are a number of charter boats where you can get on in the morning or afternoon and for about 40 bucks you can have a half day of fishng with everything provided but your beverage and food. Some of the boats have snack bars on them too. Look for the weekly mags in the convenience stores and they will give you the previous week's reports. I think they come out on fridays. There are also ads for charters and tackle shops. 

For surf fishing most of the beaches, at least in the stone harbor area(Just north of Wildwood), you will have to confine yourself to the jettys, or fish the beaches before the lifeguards and bathers come on the scene, or after they leave in the evening. that's the best time to be there anyway. You will also need beach tags if the owner of your rental unit does not provide them. Anybody there can tell you where to get them. 

You can expect to catch a number of species from the beach. Smooth and Spiny Dogfish sharks, Flounder, Mackerel, Bluefish and if you're lucky a good striped bass or two. Clams are the hot bait for stripers right now.Wire leaders will be necessary if bluefish are around as they can bite through 50 lb leader in a heartbeat.

These three rigs will catch just about anything you will be fishing for. The leader lengths will be much shorter (24 inches or so)and the weights will be typically 2 to 4 oz pyramids for the surf and same weight in bank sinkers for the bays and inlets.

http://www.saltwatersportsman.com/saltwater/fishing/article/0,12746,734545,00.html

this page will get you to the NJ saltwater regs and it also describes crabbing techniques and also cooking them. Crabbing is a great way to spend some time with the kids, if you're taking them along. Never found a kid who didn't like to go crabbing


http://www.njfishandwildlife.com/blueclaw.htm

That's about all for now. I'm sure that some others will chime in with location specific info. I fish mostly north of wildwood, but have spent some summer time bvacations in Stone Harbof. 

Have a great trip and good fishing!

Dave


----------



## 1fishinmusician (Jun 8, 2005)

I agree with David on the surf rig thing, there's a K-Mart in Rio Grande which has plenty of inexpensive and usable salt water gear. An 8-11' med. action combo rod n reel should work fine. There is also a very good Bait n Tackle shop called Rodia's right down the road from K-Mart, both are on Rt. 47. They are nice folks and can give you great info and tips on the local surf fishin. As for the places, I'd suggest Higbees Beach or Sunset Beach, both are on the Del. bayside, nice places, easy access, free, good fishin, and any local BnT shop can give you directions to them. Good luck


----------



## Buckeye (Jun 29, 2005)

*Great!*

Lots of great info! Thanks! I can't wait to try fishing something new! If you think of anything else please let me know.


----------



## Buckeye (Jun 29, 2005)

*Quick Question*

With the rigs above in the surf, do you actively fish them into shore bouncing them along the bottom, use more of a slow retrieve, or just let them sit out on the bottom for a while?


----------



## david123 (Jun 24, 2004)

*more info*

I usually have at least two rods. Sometimes three. The deal with three is i cast one in the suds, one long and keep a third rigged in sase i need to cast a lure or diamond jig to breaking fish. 

Also.....tide tables are available all over the shore and in the local papers also. Take the time to check out the beach at low tide. Mentally mark any tidal pools that you see on the beach, along with any small "valleys" in the sand. These spots, when covered with water when the tide comes up, can be fish magnets. The bait will concentrate in the depressions when they are there and the gamefish will set up in the "valleys" that lead out of the depressions as ambush points. 

As for the initial question of getting flounder from the beaches, you cast out as far as you can and hop the lure back on the bottom. One old timer told me that "you gotta hit 'em in the head with the sinker to wake 'em up!" You can get cruisng flounder on the stationary rigs too.

You're gonna have a helluva week experimenting with all your newfound info! I envy you...when i started in the surf, the fishing was not nearly as good as it is this year. 

Maybe you'll get lucky and get a 36 Lb Striper first time out like my buddy di last weel.....he outfished all of us "veterans".

Any quick questions, e-mail me at 
[email protected]


Dave


----------



## RuddeDogg (Mar 20, 2004)

*Set ups...*

I have to agree with david, if ya don't have the coin, go to K-mart.They have pretty good combos. As for the places to fish, if your better half is from Wildwood Crest, then she will known where the toll bridge is on Ocean Dr. She should also known where grassy sound bridge is as well as Moores Inlet. The jetties along there have been real hot. Blues, striper and tog.


----------



## Buckeye (Jun 29, 2005)

*GPS coordinates*

Would anyone happen to have GPS coordinates for any of the spots talked about here, just for easier reference? 

One more week, I can wait, hope the bite is still on when I get there. Thanks for everybody's help and advice.


----------



## 1fishinmusician (Jun 8, 2005)

I'm not that hi-tech yet  Both of the places I suggested are very easy to get to from Wildwood Crest. Higbees Beach, take Ocean Dr. out of the Crest over toll bri. to Rt. 109, go right and move to left lane and follow Rt. 109 signs to left (Don't get on the GS Pkwy.). Stay on 109 and follow signs to the ferry. Stay on 109 and don't take Rt. 9 north. The intersection of Rts. 109 & 9 is an odd one, you have to go to the right to go left on 109. Cabin City Motel will be at this intersection. Go to the next light (Seashore Rd.) and go left. Take Seashore Rd. over canal bridge and make the first right on the other side of the bridge (theres a sign there for Higbees Beach). At the canal bear to the left and the road becomes New England Rd., follow that to the very end and you'll be in the park, take the dirt road to the right back to the parking area (the beach and jetty are about 75 yds. up the trail). To get to Sunset Beach (The Concrete Ship, Cape May Point) take the same directions except go left off of New England Rd. on to Bayshore Rd. and go to the end of that and turn right on Sunset Blvd., take Sunset Blvd. to the end and you're there. I hope this helps ya  I spoke with some of my local fisherfriends and they said the bite was still good at both places. Bloodworms, bunker, clam strips, and shedder soaked squid strips seem to be workin the best for bait. Best of luck and let us know what ya get


----------



## Buckeye (Jun 29, 2005)

*Thanks for all the Help*

Thanks everyone for all the help and advice!! If you're out fishing next week and see a guy in a Ohio State Ball Cap that looks out of place and a little unsure of what he's doing, that would be me!!! LOL.

Thanks again, I'll report back in a week or so and hopefully have some pictures of some nice fish!


Kevin


PS As to the GPS info, I did get some coordinates of beaches, tackle shops, etc. Used USAPhotomaps you might all find interesting. It's a free program from http://jdmcox.com and uses USGS Sattellite images as well as *topo maps. * . Lots of fun to play areound with and easy to use. If you do have a GPS using to can transfer data from/to your GPS and overlay tracks/routes/waypoints on the sattellite/topo images.


----------

