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Barnegat Bay is one of New Jersey's most prolific bay
systems. Stretching from its northern most boundary
at the mouth of the Point Pleasant Canal south to the
waters of Manahawkin Bay, this thirty-five mile stretch
encompasses a seventy-five square mile expanse of a
lagoon type estuarine system.
Barnegat Bay is rich in maritime history dating
as far back as 1609 when Henry Hudson first described
it a "great lake of water". During the
revolutionary War early settlers would use the extensive
array of shoals, creeks, and channels to effectively
out maneuver the British soldiers as they pirated
and attacked their ships as they sailed along the
coast. The most topographically diverse part of Barnegat
Bay is found in its lower section located around
the inland waters that lie behind the Barnegat Inlet
and "Old Barney", the Barnegat Lighthouse.
Here you will find an extensive array of deep channels,
sedge banks, marshes, river and creek mouths, and
flats.
The close proximity of this entire area to the
tidal influences of Barnegat Inlet provides a steady
influx of bait and predators throughout the season.
This provides the fly fisher with opportunities to
target stripers, bluefish, weakfish, and fluke. On
occasion false albacore can also be had as they enter
the most easterly part of the Bay around the waters
of the Inlet. |
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NEAR THE SUNKEN ROCKS
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The best way to fish the lower bay is by a small boat
as access on foot is limited. There is good wading
access however located behind Island Beach State Park
at Areas 7, 15, and 21. Here you can park in designated
areas and walk along several well-marked paths to the
Bay. Wading into the Bay and fishing along the drop-offs
at the edges of the flats will be your best and most
productive locations to target. Being equipped with
a good pair of polarized sunglasses will be a definite
aid in identifying these fish holding structures.
At the eastern end of the lower Barnegat Bay you
will find Barnegat Inlet. This Inlet provides the
boat fly fisher with a prime opportunity to fish "world
class trophy waters". Known as one of the most
productive locations throughout our state one can
hook into stripers in the twenty to thirty pound
range, bluefish in the eight to fifteen pound range,
and tide running weakfish in the six to eleven pound
range throughout the course of the season. False
albacore will also enter the picture from September
through October that are in the six to twelve-pound
range.
In the Inlet the most productive location to fish
is on its north side along the area known as the
Sunken Rocks. This is the submerged portion of the
North Jetty that extends from its walk-able tip out
to what the locals call the Monument. As waves are
pushed over these rocks from the ocean into the Inlet
a lot of whitewater is created that disorients the
bait that are moving through this area. In between
high and low tide usually produces the best whitewater
conditions to fish this area.
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THE FRONT SIDE OF OLD BARNEY
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Casting a large deceiver, siliclone, or popper into
this area and working the edges of this whitewater
is an extremely effective technique. Drifting along
the side of the Sunken Jetty however will require excellent
boating skills as the strong currents can quickly suck
you in and put you in a rather precarious situation.
The fall is the most productive time along these
rocks as hordes of mullet and peanut bunker are pinned
along their edges by trophy fish. At this time of
year this is eleven-weight territory if you want
to land the majority of the brutes that you will
hook.
As you move to the back of the Inlet there are
two locations that are noted hotspots that will produce
fish. The first area is the channel located directly
behind "Old Barney". This channel has an
average depth of twenty feet and will normally require
the use of quick sinking lines to get your flies
down to the fish.
As the channel doglegs to the right behind the
Light you will come to Meyers Hole. This second location
is probably the best-known location in lower Barnegat
Bay. It is very productive because of its close proximity
to the flushing action of the Inlet that causes baits
to continually flow through this area. |
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Meyers Hole will run parallel to Long Beach Island
and is it confined by a series of bars and shoals and
by a spit of land known as the Dyke. It is an excellent
place to seek shelter when the wind is up.
Meyers Hole is best known as a weakfish hot spot
in the spring. Here you will find large tide running
weakfish taking up residence for a short time before
they continue their journey into the Bay to spawn.
At this time a favorite method for the fly fisher
is to anchor up and to create a chum slick with sand
and grass shrimp. Once the weakfish zone in on the
slick drifting a Popovics ultra shrimp back through
it is often deadly. You can also use small clousers
in rust or orange over white.
All of the sod banks that are located behind the
Dyke are also prime spots to check when in the Meyers
Hole vicinity. A sixteen-foot channel runs all along
the edge of these sod banks that will hold fish.
The Honey Hole as the locals know it is the most
productive spot along this channel.
Located across from the Dyke on the northeast side
of the lower Bay is a very productive area known
as the sedges. Here you will find a deep channel
that drops off from the sedge banks to 18-20 feet.
Good tidal flows are present in this area during
the changing tides and large stripers and weakfish
can be found along the bottom and along the drop-offs
in this area. |
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One of the most productive holes along the sedges is
directly across form the 40 Buoy and is known as Horsefoot.
This hole and any of the other holes that are located
along the numerous creek mouths that empty into this
area are the places to concentrate your efforts.
When fly fishing these areas you will need to use
450-650 grain sinking lines to get your flies down
into the strike zone. There are many different flies
that will work but you can always count on Bob Popovics
jiggy fleyes to put you into fish. The slender profile
of this fly nicely emulates the six-inch spearing
that are abundant throughout this area. A yellow
and white jiggy fleye or olive and white ultra hair
jiggy fleye are two of the top producers.
Weakfish are notorious for striking out at these
flies when they are retrieved up and along the edges
of the channel or the drop-offs. They use the sloping
topography to their advantage as they ambush and
pin baits along its sides.
Other areas in the lower Bay that are consistent
producers throughout the season are the chain of
buoys that mark the IntraCoastal Waterway. These
would be the BB, BI, and 42 Buoys. The BB Buoy marks
the entrance to the Forked River, the BI Buoy marks
the entrance to Oyster Creek Channel, and the 42
Buoy marks the Double Creek Channel. All three Buoys
are located in water that averages eight to ten feet
in depth. |
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As you move around in the lower Bay is it very important
to stay within the marked channels or you can quickly
end up running aground on one of the surrounding flats.
The channel will weave its way out to the inlet and
several dogleg turns are necessary to successfully
navigate through the area. Trying to run a straight
course across the Bay to the Inlet through the few
cuts that do exist is not recommended and is better
left to the locals. As low tide approaches the channel
is easily identifiable by the darker colored water
that lies between lighter shaded water on either side.
These flats however should not be completely overlooked.
The extensive array of flats can be very productive
particularly in the early part of the spring as they
warm quickly from the sun's rays. Here you will find
some of the first stripers and weakfish of a new
season. As May rolls around a good population of
bluefish will invade their warmer waters that will
aggressively strike out at any top water popper,
banger, or slider that you shoot at them.
To access the Lower Bay you can enter from any
of the western creeks or rivers such as the Forked
River, Oyster Creek, Double Creek, Cedar Creek, or
Silver Bay. The other option is to enter from the
oceanside through Barnegat Inlet. You can also take
exit 63 on the Garden State Parkway and head east
on route 72 over the Causeway into Ship Bottom. From
here make a left onto Long Beach Boulevard and follow
this road north to the end of the Island into the
town of Barnegat Light. There you will find a public
boat launch at the north end of town on 10 Street.
This will put you directly in the Bay near Meyers
Hole. In this area you will also find Barnegat Lighthouse
State Park if you would like to take a tour of "Old
Barney". |
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