The Newsmagazine of Long Beach Island and Southern Ocean County

By Jay Mann | on September 15, 2022

MY, OH, MAHI: Paul Haertel hit the Barnegat Ridge, where he was greeted by a slew of mahi-mahi, famed for hiding beneath even the smallest pieces of surface flotsam. While out there, Paul and crew also bested five fluke, with the largest pushing 4.5 pounds. (Supplied Photo)

I won’t harp on this, but Sept. 10 was the peak of the hurricane season and there was virtually nothing cyclonic to peak upon, short of the wilting remnants of H. Earl.

Based on disturbances moving off Africa, there’s squat on the tropical cyclone horizon for this entire week. I promise that isn’t such a bad thing, although there is this odd human infatuation, bordering on a sickish love affair, with storms of great strength and magnitude. I suppose the train wreck attraction thing applies. Short of that quirk, here’s to a fall to remember for its cyclonic quietude.

NOW THAT’S THINKING: I want to issue my first ever “Now You’re Thinkin’ Award.” It goes out to the creative minds at Suzuki Boat Motors. Going far beyond the call of cleaner boating, the forward-thinking folks there are adding an ingenious microplastics gathering device to many of their motors. Along with a trophy, I give them a huge “A” for eco-effort, even though that would make it an eco-aeffort. Whatever, it’s a fight-back against the tiny pieces of decaying plastic that have permeated every ocean known to man. The plastics problem is so pervasive we are likely ingesting tiny pieces of the awful stuff as we eat seafood.

Regarding the deplasticizing effort, a headline at seafoodnews.com reads, “Suzuki Motor Begins Manufacturing Outboard Motors Collecting Microplastics.”

“They developed a microplastic recovery device that can be mounted on outboard motors. By installing this device on an outboard motor, it is possible to collect microplastics near the surface of the water simply by running the boat,” offers the article.

I know what the curmudgeon sector is thinking: Such small deplasticizing efforts won’t do squat to fix the vast oceanic microplastic problem. Well, ye of curmudgeonness, no time in history has seen small things lead to huge things so quickly.

Devising and perfecting a plastic removal method in smaller craft could surely lead to upsizing the concept for huge vessels, from oceanliners to cargo/container ships. Eventually, entire megaships can be built to do nothing but skim microplastics off ocean surfaces. Going the extra imagination mile, the suck-up process could even be advanced to filter out bad stuff deeper in the water column. And to think it all began with tiny boat motor plastic catchers.

By the by, I’m not naïve to the likelihood that Suzuki’s microplastic grabber is being designed in anticipation of ramped up resistance to internal combustion engines atop the water. By offering the impression that gas-driven motors can actually do some eco-good as they cruise about just might buy some time, though Tesla is already homing in on e-boats. It’s not a stretch hereabouts since electric motors are already required on most of NJ’s freshwater lakes and ponds.

HOLGATE HAPPENINGS: From now to year’s end, this column will host “Holgate Happenings,” related to tales from the far south end.

I know full-well that there is only a small surfcasting contingency that fishes that wildish stretch of shoreline. Nonetheless, many a herein reader seems to enjoy hearing about things thereabouts. Also, there is an enlarging segment of 4WD society that drives those beachfront sands just for the look-about fun of it. I can dig that, though hopefully not literally – as in needing to dig out stuck 4WDers. Where my previous beat-up Chevy truck saw me routinely pulling out sunken souls with a tow strap, I simply won’t be putting my new midsized Nissan Frontier pickup through such engine straining rigors. Oh, I’ll still get down and dirty with manual digging assistance, at least as much as my blown-out shoulders will allow. Simply, no power pulls forthcoming – thank-you for not asking.

This segment also goes out to the small army of Holgate beach hikers, some doing short sojourns and others going for the full 7-mile roundtrip Monty.

Lest I forget, “Happenings” is also targeting the pervasive birding public, of which I’m a fringe member. I thoroughly enjoy the amazing variety of winged creatures lighting in Holgate. My problem is I haven’t got the equipment to capture photos like the many pros that flock to the south end, a few of whom occasionally need a kindly lift back to the parking lot. Since I’ve yet to overfill my new truck with passenger seat stuff, I should have birder room to spare. My Nissan truck, with rod racks in the back, is bright red so you can’t miss me.

HOLGATE ROOTS: Be it driven or hiked, the Island’s wagging southerly tail end has quite the wilderness appeal, thus it’s technically labeled the Holgate Beach Wilderness Area, part of the Edwin B. Forsythe Refuge complex.

The wilds of Holgate were kept, uh, unbehumaned through the profound efforts of NJ senator and U.S. Congressman Edwin Bell Forsythe. He was egged on by a dedicated Audubon Society group, which took the protection of the area under its wings.

As an historic aside, I once saw elaborately laid out plans for saturation development of the now wilderness area. Houses were to extend from the current parking area clear down to Little Egg Inlet.

Forsythe was a champion of wilderness and wildlife. He fished and hunted, thus his efforts to doubly assure the preserving of the Holgate area, above and beyond the ongoing conservation endeavors by bird people. He had a special attachment to Holgate, which he avowed must be preserved for the sake of fellow fishermen, especially anglers of a mobile fishing persuasion.

To triply assure the well-being of the area, Forsythe used his D.C. clout to have the Holgate wilds designated a “Wilderness Area.” That federal distinction assured the strictest of preservation measures would come into play.

As time and odd circumstances would have it, the “Wilderness Area” distinction fostered some problems for US Fish and Wildlife Service, which had to apply stricter public usage constraints, among them a banning of motorized vehicles in Holgate. This flew in the face of the senator’s original fishermen-friendly intent.

Forsythe passed away in 1984, the same year the Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge was named in honor of his role in saving wilderness area along the Jersey Shore.

The initial talk of banning buggies from Holgate led to some nasty exchanges between Island anglers and Forsythe Refuge management. A particularly prickly point arose over the in-state belief that New Jersey technically owned the beaches adjacent to the Holgate wilderness area. This was based on a state constitution segment known as the Public Trust Doctrine. It states, “Under the Public Trust Doctrine and the rulings of cases that have enunciated it, the public has the right to use tidal waterways and their shores for activities including fishing, swimming, boating, walking and sunbathing.” Buggying in areas adjacent to a Wilderness Area was a shade of gray matter.

After a goodly squabble period, of which I unwittingly found myself front and center, concessions were made at both the state and federal levels. The feds held firm to a Holgate summer closure to all human activity for the bird-nesting period, roughly April 1 to Sept. 1. The state fully backed same, having begun the summer bird protection closure prior to the federal effort. Another part of the compromise allowed fishermen and hikers to access the beachline during non-nesting time, though public access was only allowed on beach areas. The vegetated uplands were – and remain – off limits.

A few years back, an amicable move by the refuge saw the opening of a discreet, low impact crossover point across its property to bayside mudflats. The walk-across is known as the Clam Digger Trail, about 5,000 feet from the parking area. It came about when Holgate aficionados sought a place to reach bayside clamming grounds. The Clam Trail also acts as a nature walk.

I bring up all this background to emphasize the need for the public, especially buggyists, to follow the straight and narrow when it comes to properly using the beachline adjacent to the Wilderness Area. Strict heed must be paid to signage demarking Wilderness Area land. A ton went into achieving beach use allowances; trespassing or misusing the beach area risks the user privileges for everyone. That is why many of us apply a form of community policing to discourage abuses, which do pop up, especially when it comes to dogs impinging on the refuge.

WHALES WILL BE WHALES: I read an interesting news snippet harkening back to August 1956. It was passed on by local historian Steve Dodson. The headline reads, “Whale Raises Fishing Boat Out Of Water/ Phenomena Occurs as Capt. Henry Schoenberg Returns from Offshore Trip.”

Such a cetacean v. seafarers aligns well with the current series of whales v. vessels incidents from around the world.

The article depicted the whale event, which took place about 14 miles offshore, as a “one in a thousand” freak occurrence. Those odds seem modest by today’s standards, when “one in a million” is the norm. But, keep in mind, those times were marked by a quiz show highlighting a modern pocket-change “$64,000 Question” as an inconceivably massive winning amount.

As to the Schoenberg saga, it was most likely a humpback whale that gave his 42-foot Henrietta III a piggyback ride. The vessel was returning from an offshore fishing trip with a goodly take of “blues and bonito” to show. I don’t know if the “blues” were bluefish or bluefin tuna. Based on his vessel’s length and the average size of the species, the marine mammal was easily 60 feet in length.

Captain Hank, described as “one of the Beach Haven Yacht Club’s most capable captains,” had his uplifting event corroborated by others. “Several fishermen on several other boats in the vicinity of the Henrietta witnessed the freak occurrence and attested to its truth,” offered the article. “Suddenly, she rose about a foot out of the water. Neither Capt. Schoenberg, nor any of his passengers realized what had happened.” The 15-ton vessel was lifted about ten feet out of water.

After the incident, the whale lay prone, “apparently stunned by the 42 foot, 15 ton load he had just had on his back.”

RUNDOWN: As the summer loses its tan, we’re still far from fall fishing times. In fact, the heavy surf of Hurricane Earl put a little too much oomph in the ocean, though some roughness is a traditional part of fall fishing, more so when baitfish begin running. Heavy autumnal surf stirs up the schools of moving-out young-of-year mullet and bunker, leaving them vulnerable to sneak attacks within the turbidity. It’s a time when plugs can garner snap reaction grabs by intensely excited bass, blues and even weakies. But we’re not quite there yet, thinking in fall plugging terms. In fact, thinking small, as in fluke and kingfish, is necessary for the next couple/few weeks.

A minor young-of-year note: Y-O-Y fish are those born during the current year, whatever that “current year” might be. Somewhat oddly, scientists list them as “0” years old, which means many will technically never truly be born should they fall to predators. As to adapting this to humans … “Oh, how adorable. How old is your baby?” “Uh, 0.”

Blowfishing is backing off, as colder bay water has them exiting, stage south.

Mullet are thick in bayside shallows, mainly near the inlets. When in the bay, feeding on bottom gunk, they’re called mud mullet. There are small reconnoitering pods making test runs out Barnegat Inlet and along the LBI beachfront, getting battered and disoriented by the wave action. The schools testing the waters beyond Barnegat Inlet are profoundly grateful for the respite offered upon reaching Little Egg Inlet, a few swearing they’re never going back out there again.

A couple real nice weakfish have come to bayside boat fishermen. While one keeper (at least 13 inches) is the limit, these are about the comeliest gamefish we have going. I often dub them “sparklers.” I often catch them right about off “The Dike” in High Bar Harbor. They go for sassy shad-shaped plastics in white or pink. They are merely so-so in the edibility front, breading and deep frying working best.

Bluefish are being their typical come-and-go selves, though Barnegat Inlet has them coming more than going. I tried plugging for them in Holgate and came up empty-handed, thus my fish drier remains unused. It shall be filled, I vow.

I’m told the mahi fishing has been exceptional this summer, right up to nowabouts. You don’t have to go all that far out to troll them up. One of my favorite fish to cook, mahi have an exceptionally high histamine presence, which means they must be quickly cleaned and eaten – or frozen. Stored in the fridge, they won’t last more than 48 hours without taking a turn toward the mildly odorous. Always rinse well before using – even fresh filets. Also, wash down cutting boards used to trim them.

Worth a mention, a hefty five-foot brown shark was taken by hook-and-line off a bulkhead in Beach Haven. It was foul-hooked through its dorsal fin, before being landed and noisily admired by all within eyeshot. It was duly released. See www.facebook.com/jim.gilroy.589/videos/367530328913359.  jaymann@thesandpaper.net

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