Mud hole

[Gerry Zagorski]

Originally Posted by Capt Sal Cathy Sea Charters

First go out with to the mud hole with an experienced capt. Radar,gps and chart plotter are a must. Being inexperienced and bringing less experienced people with you is not a good idea. People panic very quickly when the slightest thing goes wrong. When the weather is good it is no big deal so pick your day.

Funny story along these lines.... Decided to take the boat down from Sandy Hook to Barnegat for a long weekend. The wife and a friend and his wife wanted to take the ride down with me on the boat. A nice sunny day when we stated out but it got a little nasty when we got down around Deal. Nothing bad but it got breezy out of the south, had a small storm come through and we'd stuff the bow, get the curtains wet and took some spray over the top every so often....

Not being boaters you would have thought from their reaction we were in the perfect storm.... My wife (and you'd have to know her to fully appreciate this) tends to over react a bit from time to time. She's been out with me several times but never when the ocean was rough.. She starts screaming "We are all going to die !!" The other couples eyes got wide and their faces turned white with fear and they too were now screaming and scared to death.

After about 10 minutes of this I couldn't take it any more.... I slowed the boat down and had to sober them up... "Listen" I said sternly as I could.. "You guys have to get a hold of yourselves ... We are fine, the boat is not going to sink but I have to concentrate here and you are not helping matters. Sit down, shut up on and hold on".

They did and we were fine. We never were in any danger but if I had not had the time in and the confidence that went along with it, I too may have panicked and when you panic, you tend to do stupid things.

As the old saying goes.... "It's not the ship, it's the Captain".

I'd rather be out in a 20 foot boat with a good seasoned and confident Captain, then on a 30 foot boat with someone who does not have the experience or confidence.

[SeaLevel]

I'm not sure if this has been mentioned yet, I didn't read every response to this thread. Sharks can be caught way closer to the beach than you think. I work deck on a party boat and we had three threshers in one day spool flukers in the Ambrose. I know guys that keep a shark outfit on the boat and frequent catch them on inshore grounds While fluking. I've seen Threshers at the mouth of Manasquan inlet during the fall bass run. Point being you can gear up with some chum and the necessary big game equipment and set up shop someplace closer to home. Familiarize yourself with the offshore protocol, and still have a chance to hook into a monster thresher. Some guys actually float out a bait on a big game rod while fluking or ling fishing in the summer and it works.

On a separate note I'm pretty sure the oil wreck is less than 10 miles from Shark river. It's a great "offshore" spot but still close to home. It's given up plenty of sharks over the years.

[Gerry Zagorski]

Yep more then a few Threshers caught way inshore. They come to feed on the Bunker.

[bulletbob]

Here's my take on it.. Why bother??.. Really.. If you want to go fishing in the Mud Hole, for whatever, there are always six packs, open boats on weekdays, etc.. IMHO, its actually cheaper.. Think about it, 30 or more gallons of fuel, ramp fee if you trailer, tons of bait and chum.... If I had a 20 footer[I DO have an 18], I would keep it within 5-10 miles, as there is a LOT of excellent real estate inshore thats loaded with fish, including big stuff if you know where to look.

Want to get into blue water at times??.. I can relate, but I don't think you would be saving a nickel taking your own rig out.. In all likelyhood, you would spend more than if you went with a pro and a few other like minded fishermen..
I used to lament limited range, but no more.. As others have said, there are lots of sharks in close.. actually, if you want to catch sharks, there are tons of them in Great Bay most years, and they aren't hard to catch.... Why not utilize whats close to home and cheap?.. I also know for a fact there are plenty of sharks in Raritan Bay.. Pretty good size ones too, and several different species.
Reason very few know about it is twofold..
1-Very few people fish with a big bloody chum slick at night in the bay.

2- The few guys that do catch sharks in Raritan Bay at night don't want to broadcast it..

However, the sharks are there, and its REAL close to home.. Much safer to shark fish in your 20 footer at night in the bays, than out in the MH during the day, ... a lot cheaper as well!...


Leave the Mud hole to guys that are really geared up for it..Just my $.02..

Here's an interesting blog to support my claim of good shallow water/back bay sharking right in the bay,,,



Brown sharks of Great Bay N.J.
Aug 27, 2001
Review by lowtrtrip
Rated a Very Helpful Review

Pros:Great fighters on light tackle
Cons:Sharp teeth
The Bottom Line: Fun to catch.

The southern portion of the bay and the bottom shallows of Grassy Channel offer some rather unusual light tackle action for a back bay. During low tide in calm conditions brown sharks, otherwise known as sandbar sharks, can be viewed sunning themselves in the shallows. These fish can push the scales at 100 pounds or more, and can reach five feet or more in length.

The brown shark is a member of a group of fish known as cartilaginous fishes. This group lacks a swim bladder and maintains constant motion just to stay buoyant. The constant movement also keeps oxygenated water flowing pass the gills. At rest the animal will simply just ‘glide’ through he water.

Fishing for shark is quite simple in the bay. Best time of day is in the evening just after sunset.

For the boater, anchoring up and chumming heavily with bunker chum will consistently produce. Usually four ounces of weight on a very sturdy spinning outfit will suffice. Mackerel or bunker pieces place on a 9/0 hook at the end of a 20 inch steel leader will keep bite offs from ruining the fun.

Shore bound anglers can get in on the fun from the end of Great Bay Boulevard. A good surf outfit with the same terminal gear will snag a few after dark. Use about five ounces of weight and cast as far as you can from shore.

The best time of year to fish for brownies is the month of June.

[jerseyhunter]

While set lining for cod in the 80's it started getting rough, while head back to port the steering went out. Fortunately we had a tiller in the stern, couldn't see 20' past the bow sprit due to snow sleet and on coming waves and wind. I tended the tiller covered in our catch to stay warm even though I was dressed for it. The Capt'n who was very experienced worked the throttle and pointed which way for me to steer. Took us 6+ extra hours to get back to the dock. It was very bad out there and thought id been in worse. The next day I found out the Capt'n. My Dad tried to call in a mayday to get airlifted but Both radios were out, he didn't let me know so I wouldn't worry. Him and I been in some tight spots but only survived due to his life long history in the merchant marines and at sea. So no matter what you think you know or how good you think your equipment is, it all depends on the experience of the Capt'n and the sea worthiness of your vessel. Hope you never have to learn the hard way.

Ps. The only time I was scared was While tuna fishing in the mudhole on a smaller 30'er, I was much younger and steering and while we hooked up and the old man was reeling it in we got hit broadside by a wave which sent me sailing clear across to the bunks. He was running upright on the freeboard to get to the wheel, by the time he got there the boat righted itself and I don't know if he was telling me the truth but said it wouldn't capsize due to the weight of the engine and center of gravity. I think he was trying to get my confidence back. We landed the tune and obviously made it back to slip no 5 Belmar Basin. Man wht memories. Too bad Kelly's changed it was a great place for burgers.