Observations and Rememberances

I have been fishing the jersey shore for 40+ years and cannot say fishing
has not been good to me, wrong day, wrong time, should have been here
yesterday- last week two hours ago etc. the saddest part, I've been there at
exactly the right time BUT wrong bait-lure. Fished mostly at Sandy Hook, go
in a few parking lots scuttle down to the beach With high expectations and
would fish almost 2 days (weekend) most of the time standing and casting too
proud to ask for help tried to watch what others were doing. It took 2
seasons to figure out what good a sand spike was (sad) Then one day a
fisherman came along and said why don't you fish the north beach ( I heard
this before but...) So took the kids and Mom who "use" to go with me. and
tried to find that beach, got as far as a security gate and was told, for
security reasons I could only travel up the beach in a shuttle bus designed
for this purpose. However the thought of trying to lug fishing poles,
chairs, bait, kids and a cooler just soured the whole picture. I stopped
going for a number of years and concentrated on Canada, Ahh but that's
another news group and a different story for another time. The years passed
and still no luck pursuing the fish of my dreams (striped bass) they grew
huge back in the day 50 lbs was not to uncommon and successes stories and
photos were posted in local bait stores. Then came the decline of the
species (along with others) they finally figured it out to be PCP used by
the farmers for crops but polluted water, baitfish, birds damn near wiped
out striped bass and eagles to name a few. Don't know what happened to the
mackerel, over fishing or what but there was a fish I could catch! alas
there not even fished for anymore. If I recall correctly they use to signal
the opening of season for party boats, (didn't have too much luck there
either except for the mackerel) It wasn't always a failed trip a blue fish
here and there a shark one night sea robbins etc. Then just a few years ago
my son took me to a place at Atlantic Highlands I had been there years
before even rented an old wooden rowboat from Franks wow was that really 45
years ago? The place he showed me was a no trespassing area then but now!!!!
there was access to a nice fishing area and guess what? I started catching
fish, blues, fluke an occasional weakfish and once even a striper (he got
away after a long fight) but fluke fishing Oh my gosh one day I must have
caught 40 or more (only a couple were legal) but I found a piece of
paradise. My kids are all grown now, but I could take my grandkids here to
fish. No sooner thinking this than I took a couple of them down there a
month or so ago and found a newly installed fence from waters edge to waters
edge and a posted sign. God why did someone do this? Why would someone do
this!!. This was a popular place and a local bait store made good business
supplying the fisherman. If anyone reads this post maybe someone can email
me and explain what happened and why, I sincerely hope it wasn't a quote
(sportsman's group) a few greedy *******s who want it all to themselves, I
have seen this over and over again at good fishing holes. Now while the
fishing hasn't been what I would have liked, I have memories worth more
than gold. Watching the kids play in the sand making castles examining all
types of sea creatures (they still go back to explore) playing in the water
the excitement of the trip the million questions even today the sights and
sounds, catching an eagle flying overhead and one day I seen a sight that
may never be seen again, My son yelled, I looked up, was it a spaceship
oh my gosh it was an SST (Super Sonic Transport) it was huge it took my
breath away right over my head it seemed to soar I can still remember
yelling Holy S...... and in the same view an eagle wow a day to remember. Oh
and the north beach which now is accessable is becoming inaccessible to me
(weight and age) that long hike to the beach to finally get there sweating
heart pounding only to discover I need to go back to use the bathroom. But I
still love to fish love the outdoors and Mother Nature you never know what
she's going to show you next.