Fishing The New Jersey Coast

Jim Freda's book is entitled "Fishing the New Jersey Coast" and is being published by Burford Publishing Company, Springfield, NJ. It will be hitting the bookstores and tackle shops this month.

The book's introduction sums up nicely why this book is a must read for those who like to travel to fish new locations but need to remain in the Garden State. Here's the introduction from "Fishing the New Jersey Coast" and a preview of what you can expect.

Introduction

When one thinks of New Jersey, the Garden State, images of densely populated cites, suburban sprawl, and miles of parkway and turnpike come to mind. However, our State is much more than just a mega metropolis of concrete infrastructure and traffic jams. One can find quaint historical towns and villages, endless farmlands, leaf laden country sides, a maze of untouched rivers and streams, and long miles of pristine beaches and wetlands. New Jersey has something to offer for everyone and to every sport or recreational activity, if you just know where to look.

Fishing the New Jersey Coast is a book that is written with the "where to look" in mind. Where to look for some of the best and most exciting fishing that can be found along the 128 miles of coastline that New Jersey has to offer. This book will explore over 100 of the top producing locations or hot spots for an angler to hit the suds, cast into a back bay's peaceful and tranquil sunset, wade the tidal flats, or work the inshore waters with a small boat. Whether you are a surfcaster, flyrodder, bait fisher, or boater a myriad of saltwater fishing possibilities are readily available here in the Garden State.

The fish that I have chosen to discuss in the text are the main target of the majority of New Jersey anglers. These are the striped bass, bluefish, weakfish, fluke, winter flounder, and false albacore. They are not, however, the only fish that can be caught from our inshore waters, beaches, or back bays. There are many other fish species that inhabit our waters that can be targeted.

The locations that I selected are time proven producers of these selected species and are some of the favorites of local guides, charter captains, and the resident local experts. The text explores each location pointing out what species it is best known for, the season or time of year it is most productive, the tactics and tips that will produce fish, and any special considerations that you should be aware of.

The text also expands upon the most popular methods for taking these different species of fish. These will include bait fishing techniques, plugging or jigging with artificials, fly fishing, and inshore trolling or drifting.

As you read the text keep in mind that due to the powerful forces of Mother Nature that what we may see one day on the beach can be gone the next. This dynamic characteristic of beaches is responsible for constantly reshaping sandbars, cuts, rips, beach heights, and widths. Your favorite honey hole where you hammered fish one day may be completely void of any fish the next. The locations discussed in this text are inevitably at the hands of Mother Nature and for that matter may have already had their features and topography changed.

On the other hand man-made changes are also reshaping our beaches here in the Garden State. The current beach restoration projects that are being conducted by the Army Corp of Engineers are replenishing beaches with sand to provide for coastal protection. There are many places along our coastline where homes and businesses meet the water's edge. Devastation to these areas by powerful storms or hurricanes would jeopardize lives and the well being of may individuals. It would also have far reaching economical impacts to the tourism industry in this state. This is not to say that the project is without debate. Many environmental groups and recreational fishermen have voiced strong concerns over loss of habitat and prime fishing locations.

While doing research for "Fishing the New Jersey Coast", I had the extreme pleasure of meeting, discussing, and fishing the exact locations with the resident charter captains, local guides, and experts. These people helped amass the information presented in this text. Great value is gained from the fishing tactics and techniques that have deep roots and have withstood the test of time.

When it comes to these methods and applications keep in mind however, that the best information you are gong to acquire about a specific location will come not only from the information presented in this book, but also from your own experiences. These of course, are going to be earned through trial and error and the observations that you make. The real key to your success will be to combine what you have learned from the "shoulders of the giants" with your own experiences. Through this process you will become a better angler because you will know where all the pieces of the puzzle fit. You will have acquired knowledge with understanding."

"I would personally like to thank my readers in advance for purchasing my book. It was a great enjoyment to both research and write. I hope you will be able to use the strategies, tactics, and directions discussed in the book to be more successful on the water while traveling to some new locations in our Garden state.

Jim Freda is a saltwater fly fishing guide and co-owner of the Shore Catch Guide Service located in Manasquan, NJ. He can be contacted at (732) 528-1861 or www.shorecatch.com. Autographed copies of Jim's book can be obtained by sending a check or money order for $16.95 plus $2.50 S/H, payable to: Jim Freda, 85 Cowart Ave. Manasquan, NJ 08736