Stripers and Trout

At the Bird Refuge on this New Year Day(Forsythe)

2012-01-01T16:42:00.000-08:00

Below is a report summarizing the bird checklist you submitted. 
 
Here is the information you gave for this observation.
 
Record ID: S9462655
Location: Forsythe: Wildlife Dr.
Observation Date: 1 January
Total Birding Time: 2 hours 
Party Size: 2
Number of Species: 9
All Reported: true
Comments: first time seeing the eagle here
Here are the sightings you have submitted: 
 Species seen: Bald Eagle Number Seen: 1
 Species seen: Great Blue Heron Number Seen: 2
 Species seen: American Coot Number Seen: 20
 Species seen: American Black Duck Number Seen: 32
 Species seen: Snow Goose Number Seen: 101
 Species seen: Canada Goose Number Seen: 21
 Species seen: Northern Pintail Number Seen: 50
 Species seen: Red-tailed Hawk Number Seen: 4
 Species seen: Common Merganser Number Seen: 6

When I Cross That River

2011-12-27T06:58:00.000-08:00

When I Cross That River

1.
Many hills and many valleys, these old tired feet have trod,
And so often I have wondered, would they reach heaven's sod?
Oh, but I know the answer when I stepped in Jordan's stream,
And when I crossed that River, it was worth it all to me.

Chorus
And when I crossed that River, it was worth it all to me
All the beauties of heaven before my eyes I could see;
There stands Jesus and there's Mom and Dad
They've been waiting for me
When I crossed that River, it was worth it all to me.

2.
Now I've changed from rags to a robe of white
And my shoes, they're made of gold;
A glorious street the Lord is leading me
All is new; there's nothing old.

And when I crossed that River, it was worth it all to me
All the beauties of heaven before my eyes I could see;
There stands Jesus and there's Mom and Dad
They've been waiting for me
When I crossed that River, it was worth it all to me.

3.
We've just stopped before my mansion,
My name's inscribed above the door;
Just today it was completed,
And now I'll live here forever more.

And when I crossed that River, it was worth it all to me
All the beauties of heaven before my eyes I could see;
There stands Jesus and there's Mom and Dad
They've been waiting for me
When I crossed that River, it was worth it all to me.

-----------

In memory of my Mother: Josephine C. Switzer

Nov 20, 1921 - Dec 25, 2011

Joy To The World

2011-12-24T03:48:00.001-08:00

Joy to the World Lyrics
Christmas Carol Lyrics

Pause Music!

Joy to the World , the Lord is come!
Let earth receive her King;
Let every heart prepare Him room,
And Heaven and nature sing,
And Heaven and nature sing,
And Heaven, and Heaven, and nature sing.

Joy to the World, the Savior reigns!
Let men their songs employ;
While fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat, repeat, the sounding joy.

No more let sins and sorrows grow,
Nor thorns infest the ground;
He comes to make His blessings flow
Far as the curse is found,
Far as the curse is found,
Far as, far as, the curse is found.

He rules the world with truth and grace,
And makes the nations prove
The glories of His righteousness,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders, wonders, of His love.

Joyful Noise at Body and Soul Nov 4 8PM

2011-10-30T06:55:00.000-07:00

Fishing in the Fall

2011-09-19T10:40:00.000-07:00

So we are finally near the transition point from a fairly hot summer into the fall season.

With the first blasts of cooler air rolling down from the north, we get a taste of autumn as we say goodbye to 90+F degree days, shorter daylight hours, the beginning of migrations of various species, school starting up and just generally transition before the long, cold winter rushes upon us.

The backbays are in a transition time, with the warm temps, only smaller species can survive until the water cools and the larger predators, such as bluefish and striped bass, start setting up shop and blasting schools of bait along the sod banks or outflows.

The past few years we've seen the influx of southern baitfish such as spot
{
Spot
Leiostomus xanthurus
(A.K.A. - Spot, Norfolk spot)
Key Distinguishing Markings:

Spot have 12-15 dusky oblique bars on their upper side.
They have a distinct dusky to black spot just behind the top of the gill opening on their body.
Tail fin distinctly forked.
Body rather deep and compressed.
Mouth small and inferior.

Size:

Maximum length of spot is 14 inches.
Spot mature at ages two and three and lengths of seven to eight inches.
Their maximum life span is about five years, although fish over three years of age are uncommon.

Distribution:

Spot occur along the Atlantic coast in estuarine and coastal waters from the Gulf of Maine to Florida.
However, they are most abundant from Chesapeake Bay south to South Carolina.
They have been collected from the main stem and all tributaries of Chesapeake Bay.
Spot have one of the most extensive distributions of any marine-estuarine fishes in the Bay.

}

This year really hasn't seen many spot in New Jersey.

However, we have seen some small fish called the northern kingfish:

Still awaiting the bulk of bluefish and stripers to come in.

In the meantime, some offshore critters called blackfish have started to show up in the inshore / backback rocks, mussel and barnacle beds.

(reference for spot: http://www.dnr.state.md.us/fisheries/fishfacts/spot.asp)

At the Bird Refuge Today (Forsythe)

2011-08-07T18:06:00.001-07:00

Location: Forsythe: Wildlife Dr.
Observation Date: 7 August
Party Size: 2
Number of Species: 11
All Reported: true
Comments:
Here are the sightings you have submitted:
Species seen: Snowy Egret Number Seen: 6
Species seen: Great Egret Number Seen: 12
Species seen: Great Blue Heron Number Seen: 1
Species seen: Ruddy Duck Number Seen: 6
Species seen: Glossy Ibis Number Seen: 24
Species seen: Semipalmated Plover Number Seen: 14
Species seen: Least Sandpiper Number Seen: 15
Species seen: Osprey Number Seen: 8
Species seen: Black Skimmer Number Seen: 2
Species seen: Double-crested Cormorant Number Seen: 4
Species seen: Red-winged Blackbird Number Seen: 5

Joyful Noise Played to a (small) CROWD at Albert Hall

2011-06-21T12:25:00.001-07:00

A Small, but ENTHUSIASTIC, crowd! It was definitely an enjoyable experience with a few new band members.

Sometimes It's not About the Fish

2011-05-30T09:18:00.001-07:00

Instead of catching a striped bass, Frank N catches this big laughing gull at Island Beach State Park

No Stripers But A Beautiful Sunrise

2011-05-26T06:14:00.000-07:00

At Brigantine, near the wildlife refuge.

Joyful Noise at Albert Hall May 28

2011-05-21T05:04:00.000-07:00

Joyful Noise will be playing next Saturday night, May 28, at Albert Hall, in Waretown NJ, just 1.7 miles east of the Garden State Parkway at exit 69 / Waretown, right next to a school.

We will be playing promptly at 10 PM.

Albert Hall's full line up that night starts at 7:30 PM and there is an intermission at 9:30 PM... we play right after that!

Joyful Noise

2011-05-13T10:59:00.000-07:00

Rosario Panariello has put together a rag tag group originally called "T&M" and now named "Joyful Noise"

The group consists of
Rosario (the "T" of T&M) on Guitar and Vocals
Allyson on Vocals
Marty (the "M" of T&M) on Bass
Frank on Mandolin
Tommy on Fiddle and
myself on Banjo and Vocals

We are playing next at the Bluegrass & Oldtime Music Association Stage Show and Jam at Embury United Methodist Church in Little Silver New Jersey. We will start promptly at 1PM and play for about 45 minutes. The admission to the Sunday show and jam is $4.00 for BOTMA members and $5.00 for non-members.

The lineup this week is:

Joyful Noise
Sky Road
Michael Patrick & Friends
Custom Blend
Jammin' Workshop

----------

Our next appearance is scheduled for Saturday May 28 at 10PM at Albert Hall, Waretown NJ. Go to alberthall.org for more details.

Spring is in Full Bloom

2011-05-10T04:32:00.000-07:00

I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen: not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else.
C. S. Lewis

Been a while since posting last, but spring has sprung.

Remember, no matter how bad it looks on Friday... Sunday is coming!

A Saint Went Home

2011-04-01T05:07:00.000-07:00

My wife's dear Mom went home to be with our Lord Tuesday night.

It was an amazing 28 hrs since her last kidney finally stopped working and we knew the time was here.
Our daughters and her other grandchildren were able to come Monday night while she was still conscious to say goodbye.
We sang some of her favorite hymns, prayed with her, said goodbyes. She made it through the night but we knew the time
was near. Tuesday evening, Nannette with her brothers Rich and Al, and I at the foot of the bed
were together around her Mom. I was singing "Shall We Gather At The River" quietly while
they were taking turns holding her hands, and encouraging her to go home.

She breathed her last, and we watched as her spirit left, her hands folded, she closed her eyes and smiled!

It was amazing.

Please pray for Nannette's remaining family that God would do His work in their hearts! Her brother
Rich (along with girlfriend Theresa and his 7 y.o. son Richard) will be coming to church with us this Sunday.

Annetta (Singer) Battaglia was 89, born 6/20/1921 and went home 8:23pm Tuesday night, 3/29/2011.

Just wanted to encourage you with this!

Shall we gather at the river,
where bright angel feet have trod,
with its crystal tide forever
flowing by the throne of God?
Refrain:
Yes, we'll gather at the river,
the beautiful, the beautiful river;
gather with the saints at the river
that flows by the throne of God.

On the margin of the river,
washing up its silver spray,
we will walk and worship ever,
all the happy golden day.
(Refrain)

Ere we reach the shining river,
lay we every burden down;
grace our spirits will deliver,
and provide a robe and crown.
(Refrain)

Soon we'll reach the shining river,
soon our pilgrimage will cease;
soon our happy hearts will quiver
with the melody of peace.

Rev 22:1
Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb (NIV)

ANNETTA MARIE (SINGER) BATTAGLIA
| Visit Guest Book

BATTAGLIA, ANNETTA MARIE (NEE SINGER) 89 - of Ventnor, died at home on March 29, 2011 with her children by her bedside. Born June 20, 1921 in Reading, PA, Annetta graduated from Reading High School in 1939 and worked as a beautician before entering St. Luke's Hospital School of Nursing where she met her husband, Dr. Albert J. Battaglia. Dr. and Annetta Battaglia lived in Woodbury prior to moving to Ventnor City in 1954. Annetta was predeceased by her parents, Earl and Sarah Singer and her husband. She is survived by her children Albie (Ann) of Ventnor, Nannette Switzer (Robert) of Smithville and Richard of Ventnor. She is also lovingly remembered by her seven grandchildren Albert III (AJ) Battaglia of Ventnor, James Battaglia of Ventnor, Saralyn Switzer of Shrewsbury, Allayna Switzer of Neptune City, Jamin Switzer of New Mexico, Emileah Switzer of Shrewsbury, Richard Battaglia of Smithville and her great grandson James Battaglia Jr. of Ventnor. Annetta was an avid sports fan who enjoyed following all the Philadelphia teams as well as watching her children and grandchildren participate in and coach a variety of sports. Burial will be private at the discretion of the family. In lieu of flowers the family suggests donations to the AtlanticCare Home Care Foundation, Bldg. 500, Ste. 501, 2500 English Creek Ave., Egg Harbor Township, NJ 08234. Arrangements by the George H. Wimberg Funeral Home.

Airline Travel for Trout or Stripers

2011-03-04T09:05:00.000-08:00

Seems unlikely I will be voluntarily traveling by plane to reach any fishing destination.

A recent business trip to Denver has traumatized me !!

Some older airline slogans speak of different days (good and, by the look of some ads, bad) :

NW: Look up to the best...Northwest!

USAir(ways): Everything we do, USAir (USAir) Begins with you!

Delta: You'll love the way we fly. We love to fly and it shows.

Continental: One airline can make a difference.

In all the World there's one airline that has more flights every day than any other. USAir. United: Fly the friendly skies of United.

Good People Make Our Airline Great (North Central)

We're Building Your Airline (Republic)
Nobody Serves our Republic Like Republic (Republic)
We Make You Feel Like Flying (Republic)

Top Banana in the West (Hughes Airwest)

More than a Touch of Class (Tower Air)

Take Me Along (United)

Being the Best isn't Everything, It's the Only Thing (TWA)

Love That Spirit (Southwest)
The Company Plane is on call- Be There (Southwest)

We Offer Our Heartland (Ozark)

AA: Doing what we do best.
Transworld Airlines (USA) TW: Up, up and away.
European Regions Airlines (Spain)EA: We have to earn our wings every day.
PI: Piedmont flies where America happens.
Delta Air Lines (USA)DL: Delta is ready when you are.
Continental Airlines (USA)CO: We really move our tail for you.
PA: Pan Am makes the going great.

"Our Smiles Aren't Just Painted On"

AirCal-

"We Make Flying Easy"

Western Airlines with Jim Backus being the spokesman-
He also said it first in the movie,"It's A Mad,Mad, Mad World."

"It's The Only Way To Fly"

Continental-
"We Really Move Our Tails"

1. Air France - "Faire du ciel le plus bel endroit de la terre" (Making the sky the most beautiful place on earth)

2. Delta - We love to fly, and it shows.

3. Continental - Work hard. Fly right.

4. Jet Blue - A) We like you, too. B) Your name is not 17A. C) Stop flying. Start Jetting.

5. Virgin Atlantic - More experience than our name suggests.

and lastly...

Spring Is Coming

2011-02-25T08:34:00.001-08:00

Here's a road runner in Albaquerque, NM.

I'm told they are an aggressive bird, which will attack small animals.

Back here in New Jersey, we went to the Forsythe Wildlife Refuge in Oceanville, NJ (down Great Creek Rd. off of Rt. 9) and had an amazing Sunday afternoon.

We saw thousands of Snow Geese, over 50 White Swans, Numerous Pin tail ducks, an American Coot, and saw our first owl up close and personal: a short eared owl!

Happy Valentine's Day

2011-02-14T13:17:00.000-08:00

2 Cor 5:21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

A Timely Prayer

2011-01-26T19:13:00.000-08:00

Lord keep me in your groove of grace.
The chosen path for me.
Your will i daily will embrace.
Until eternity.

Winter Fish Recipe's

2011-01-18T10:22:00.000-08:00

Rockfish Marsala

take a Striped Bass fillet and cut it into 2-3 inch pieces
coat them in flour seasoned with salt, pepper, some fish rub.
heat a couple of tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet and cook the chunks for about three minutes on each side.
add a half a cup of cooking wine and cooked for a minute on high.
Lastly I add a half cup of hot water and with 2 table spoons of butter and let it simmer for few minutes.
Then pour it all over pasta and Quinoa.

Winter 2010

2010-12-27T14:33:00.000-08:00

Well, winter has set in hard, with a very cold December and a blizzard the day after Christmas!

Tautog

2010-11-08T07:02:00.000-08:00

Tis the season, that is, the fall tautog season:

Tautog is a member of the wrasse family. It lives near the bottom in any
kind of structure. They like rocks, wrecks, boulders, mussel and oyster
beds, bridge pilings, dock pilings, riprap, cement slabs, and fast running
current. We catch them in the United States from Massachusetts to South
Carolina. Up north, anglers call them “blackfish.” Tautog range in color
from dark green to black with larger male tautog having a white chin and a
protruding forehead.

Tautog are very slow growing. Though tautog have been caught up to 22
pounds, the average fish of 2 to 4 pounds are 6 to 10 years old! The male
tautog grow faster and live longer than the female. They can live up to 35
years! Females can be sexually mature at 12-inches and produce 30,000 eggs.
Many good tautog anglers like to release the females and only keep males.

Female tautog tend to be a duller more blotchy brown color while males are
more gray or black. During spawning season in the spring, females can
obviously be full of eggs. Adult males often have a white chin and have a
single small white spot on their mid-side.

Tautog are daytime feeders. Their feeding peaks at dawn and dusk, so the
early riser certainly “does” get the worm! Combine this with a good tide,
two hours either side of slack low or slack high tide, and one can get their
limit in a hurry! At night they rest. It is very unusual to catch a tautog
at night. Occasionally someone will accidentally snag one. Fishing dawn and
dusk will also give the angler the advantage of “less crowded” fishing
conditions.

Tautog are hard fighters and lots of fun to catch. Even if you are releasing
your tautog, the “grouper-like” pull of the tautog is awesome! Since the
fish are right down in the rocks or bottom debris, one needs a rod with some
“backbone” and a reel spooled with at least 20-pound test. If you’re fishing
with light tackle and 10-pound test, you may have fun catching the smaller
ones, but you are unlikely to actually get a “keeper” up unless you are
fishing with some kind of Spectra “thin diameter line.” I like to spool my
reel with Power-Pro 50# test line and tie in a monofilament leader out of
40-pound test with a uni-knot to tie two lines together. If you just don’t
know how to do that, use a barrel swivel.

A simple rig is to tie a loop with an overhand surgeon’s knot at the very
end of your line and slip in a one to five ounce flat, inline, or bank
sinker. Go up a couple inches and tie another overhand surgeon’s knot a
couple inches long and slip in a single loose hook. A short shank Octopus
hook in the #2/0 range is popular in our area. Most anglers like to use
black.

There are plenty rigs out there already tied up as well, but the rig is so
simple to make you will save yourself a few bucks making them yourself.

Flip your rig out into the water. Not too far…. Not too close…. This is
where trial and error and a little frustration comes in. Feel the sinker
fall in a hole, reel in all slack, and then wait. If you keep moving your
sinker here and there you’ll get hung in a snag. If the tide takes it too
quickly, you threw out too far. If you get hung up in structure right off
the bat, you threw in too close. Once you’re in a good spot, keep it still!

Once you feel a bite, let the fish tap it once or twice, lower the rod tip
down, and then raise it up and set the hook! Get it up quick or it will get
hung in a snag.

“I can feel the fish on, but the sinker is stuck in a rock or
something!!!!!”

That’s where one can use the rubber band trick. Loop a heavy-duty rubber band in
the sinker loop and attach the sinker to the rubber band. If you get a nice
fish on, and the sinker gets caught in the rocks, you can break the rubber
band and get the fish! (Some anglers also tie the sinker on with lighter
monofilament, something like 8 or 10 pound test that will break easily.) Of course, with the price of sinkers nowadays, this can get expensive. Anyone still have old spark plugs around :) ?

The bait?

For tautog, you got to use some sort of crustacean or clam or you won’t
catch them!
The two baits you can buy from tackle stores are green crabs and mole crabs
(sand crabs). Small ones can be used whole. Larger one are
broken in half. Pull off the shell, and cut them with a sharp pair of
scissors. Some people use the legs, while other cut them off. Shove the hook
in a leg socket.

Sand crabs, those little crabs you dig on the beach are easy to use. Just
hook them thru the apron and out the outer shell with the hook protruding an
eighth of an inch. Or just hook them through the tail end.

You can turn over rocks and find marsh crabs, or run up and down a marsh and
grab fiddler crabs. You can smack open clams. You can buy live blue crabs in
the market.

The places?

Deepwater near structure is a key. Deep water jetties, bridge pilings, docks, and anyplace where mussel beds are found, can hold tog.

If you have a boat, you can cast at the rocks around any Jetty. There
are some awesome catches of tautog there. Offshore, on any of the
artificial reef sites where there is structure, there are tautog!

Tautog are really good to eat, but not the easiest to clean. They have no
scales but have a tough hide. Chill the fish first as it makes them easier
to clean. The meat stays whiter too if you clean a fish after it’s expired.
Fillet and then skin the fillet. It is a very white, firm piece of meat.

Because of illegal marketing of undersized live tautog, officials
regularly check your tautog to make sure they are of the legal size limit.
It is important to measure them correctly. Lay the fish on top of the ruler. Do not try to
measure a fish by laying the ruler on top of the fish. It can be off by ½ an
inch. And that’s all it takes to get a ticket!

Good fishing….

Today is my birthday

2010-10-27T07:38:00.001-07:00

Bah Humbug!

At any rate, I actually caught a trout over the weekend, a recently stocked rainbow.... pretty fish nonetheless:

The End of Summer

2010-09-27T04:08:00.001-07:00

celebrated at.... Rita's wahoo!

More and More SPOT

2010-09-21T07:04:00.000-07:00

That's about all I've caught over the past month. SPOT (aka lafayette), which is a small member of the drum family.

I've been told that these fish are very good eating. However, the spot I've caught are all six inches in length or shorter and, being very thin, would not make much of a meal. In the south they apparently grow to over a foot in length.

Kingfish are still around, and I actually caught my first small king the other week.
I'm going to try targeting them a bit more, since a local tackle shop has an informal contest which includes these fish.. and to date no one has entered one :D

Spot

2010-08-23T12:57:00.000-07:00

Been a while since I could get on and actually post something here.

Although this blog is titled "Stripers and Trout", it's been a summer of anything but... mostly undersized fluke (flounder) with a few other fish mixed in.

One fish in particular showed up in numbers early last Friday morning along the Ventnor surf: The SPOT or LAFAYETTE

The spot (Leiostomus xanthrus) is similar to a croaker but with a spot just behind the gills. They’re also called lafayette or flat croaker and are good bait for bottom fish. Found usually over sandy or muddy bottoms in coastal waters to about 60 m depth. Occurs in nursery and feeding grounds in river estuaries during summer and fall. Juveniles often stay in the estuarine waters throughout the year. Feeds mainly on worms, small crustaceans and organic detritus.

I should note that this fish is an excellent baitfish for the 3 top predators hanging around our areas this time of year: the striped bass, the flounder (aka "fluke" to the north) and the weakfish!

Living Water

2010-07-15T14:30:00.000-07:00

Next stage of this ongoing Garden Fountain project...

Come To The Fountain

2010-07-08T07:29:00.000-07:00

We are building a garden fountain. First stage picture below.

Our fountain will contain some living things, plants which draw from the water, and fish, who live in the water.

We need living water in our lives to live for Christ. We draw our strength from Him, and in him we live and move and have our being.

Today, you are called to come to the source of living water... there is a fountain where we can find healing from sin...

In the future, all will look upon the one who paid the price for our sin, and weep. Some with joy, some with sorrow. Which will you be?

Zech 12
10 "And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit [a] of grace and supplication. They will look on [b] me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son. 11 On that day the weeping in Jerusalem will be great, like the weeping of Hadad Rimmon in the plain of Megiddo. 12 The land will mourn, each clan by itself, with their wives by themselves: the clan of the house of David and their wives, the clan of the house of Nathan and their wives, 13 the clan of the house of Levi and their wives, the clan of Shimei and their wives, 14 and all the rest of the clans and their wives.
Zech 13
1 "On that day a fountain will be opened to the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to cleanse them from sin and impurity

Independence to gain Dependence

2010-07-06T11:11:00.000-07:00

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights,[71] that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security."

Which kind of person are you?

2010-06-29T09:57:00.000-07:00

There are only 10 kinds of people, those who understand binary, and those who don't.

Are You Ready?

2010-05-28T04:20:00.000-07:00

Rev 16:1 "Then I heard a loud voice from the temple, saying to the seven angels, 'Go and pour out on the earth the seven bowls of the wrath of God.'"

Yesterday, officials finally acknowledged what was becoming painfully obvious for a few weeks, that the oil spill in the gulf has surpassed the Exxon Valdez as the worst oil spill in our nation's history.

This is a man made disaster with huge implications, at this time mostly the economic impact on the gulf region, but more importantly will set in motion a series of changes in our energy policy, and is another burden that our nation's "leaders" must face.

I put "leaders" in quotes, because it seems too many people in prominent positions have not stepped up to lead, but rather have been riding a gravy train of power, influence and peddling favors, rather than having any notion of the responsibilities that go along with positions of power.

From the beginning of our nation, our leaders have recognized that their power came not from some inborn greatness they possessed, not because of their indomitable will, nor superior intellect. But rather because God had placed them there "for such a time as this".

A time is coming when each of us will have to face the fact that God has placed us here "for such a time as this".

And God has not left us without witness. His word, the Bible, spells out clearly the need each of us have to be reconciled with God. The reality that all have sinned and fallen short of the Glory of God. It is not the Democrats fault, not the Muslim's fault, not the Communist's fault, that we do not live according to God's word, but rather that we ourselves are sinful, and our sin nature has separated us from God. As such, while we were yet sinners, God Himself provided a way of escape from our trap, by coming down to earth, living a perfect life, dying for our sins on a Cross, and demonstrating His power over sin and death by rising from the dead.

One day the entire world's population will be held accountable and this is outlined in the last book of the Bible, the Book of the Revelation of John the Apostle of things yet to come.

Many years ago, no one could imagine that many of the events of the Bible were literal, actual events. Nor how they could possibly come about. And even as Science opens up the the wonders of the universe, at the same time trying to undermine our faith in the One True God, Yahweh, and His only begotten Son, Jesus, we have understood the awesome power contained in the universe, and in the world in which we live.

This oil spill is a man-made disaster, but imagine, if you will, the fact that the balance of the sea can be tilted by *ONE* oil well gone bad. What would happen if the depths of the ocean's all cracked open? If at one time time, God's wrath was poured out on the earth, as it is, in fact, predicted?

Revelation 16:3 "The second angel poured out his bowl into the sea, and it became blood like that of a dead man; and every living thing in the sea died."

Are you ready?

Get ready:

From the first letter (epistle) of John the Apostle, chapter 1:

1 John 1

That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. We write this to make our[a] joy complete.

This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all[b] sin.

If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives."

New Moon Striper

2010-04-16T10:35:00.000-07:00

31 inches, about 13 pounds.

New Moon Ramblings

2010-04-15T06:19:00.000-07:00

Today, I brought my freshwater gear with me, ready to do battle with a Large Mouth bass, or perhaps a trout after work. Brought boots and some hip waders, and thought about shooting to one of several places for some evening fun. Here in the Pine Barrens, there are a lot of ponds and streams along the way to and from work. Not too many places for trout, but pickerel (all over), large mouth bass, and various panfish aplenty.

Things shape up nicely at work and I'm able to pull out of there just before 4PM, but I decide to head to a spot where herring should be running. Let's just say there's a church and a lake not far away. "Should be" is the operative word. Even though local fishermen are very tight lipped about their spots for herring, it is generally conceded by all that the runs up NJ rivers in recent years have been dismal. So much so that NJ Fish and Wildlife has lowered the daily per angler limit to 10, down from 35 (which was down from "unlimited" not too many years ago)!

So stop at one place and a fellow has a legal dip net, with a friend nearby. I start jigging some gold hooks and nothing is doing. We chat a bit on how it's going, the fellow showed me his home made dip net... sort of a converted crab trap with a gold flutter spoon in it, on a huge bamboo pole. But anyhow, I bid my farewells and moved on to the "lake". I was using a bobber with 3 gold hooks (well half of a store bought sabiki rig... and I pulled the feather off one of the hooks to give variety).

Nothing doing on herring, so put on a nice jointed pluf and start dredging this area for other customers.

Lo and behold I pick up a couple of crappie, one decent sized. These were firsts for me, I never caught a crappie before so I would have been happy with the day right there.

But there's more.

I note this would be a nice fly fishing spot, as there was some hatch going on and there were sporadic rises to whatever these bugs were. Would have been fun.

Anyhow, as I'm fishing I look at series of rapids coming into this spot and I see telltale signs of fish pushing up. Lots of them. Then I notice splashes in the shallows on the other side of the spillway I'm fishing. Lots of them. Gadzooks, those are herring!

So, I go over to the other side and without going into details I managed a couple of herring in 10 minutes or so... no doubt could have gotten more. But I had no livewell and I'm thinking 'what am I going to do with these'?

Well there is only one right answer... so I head home, call my wife and say 'honey, wanna hit the beach?' 'now?' 'yeah, I've got bait!' 'ok'. Note this will be her first time on Brigantine with me, and first time driving the beach in our Jeep together. I had only been out with this rig one other time (with our friend Tom) scouting around a few weeks ago around St. Patrick's day.

So she makes a take out dinner for us (salmon.. yum !! ) and I get home and pull out my rag tag surf gear for the first time this season. I'll go into that fiasco later, but suffice it to say, I was able to rig up one rod with a fishfinder and good hook to throw a head out, and another rod for chunking. All set.

We head down to Brigantine because I had been there, it was high tide, and I knew what to expect beach wise. I didn't want to mess with airing down on the short time schedule to hit the tide and time. Proved to be a good choice.

Went to the south jetty and there were a few guys there... likely wrapping up tog fishing (did I mention high tide and all that... and tog go to sleep at night... this was just around 7:45... sun had basically set but we still had good light)

Found a nice spot along the jetty (I was going to fish the cove on the inlet side of the jetty, not the pocket/ocean side), and pulled lights into it. Got my final rigging together and tossed a herring head out, set the rod in the rocks and then got the chunking rig ready. Tossed a chunk out and got in the car to eat, while watching.
My wife was saying how I never catch fish (I corrected her, that I don't bring home many fish for various reasons which I went over with her) and the chunk was in about 10 minutes when DOINK... I see the rod bend then release. I said ' that was no crab '.

So run out to check the bait, and for that rod I couldn't find a spot in the rocks to set it, so had it in a rod holder in the sand adjacent to the jetty. Pulled the rod out of the spike, walked up on the rocks and reeled in to check the bait. All ok. Cast out, walk the rod back to the sand spike and as I'm putting it in I feel something hitting (this had a 7/0 octopus circle on it). I pick the rod back up... walk back on the rocks, giving line and then reel tight and lift... fish on! Was a 29" slender striper. Maybe 8-9 lbs.

Got another chunk out, and the rod was out maybe 5 minutes when down it goes... fish on! A nicer fish, this one turned out to be about 31", maybe 13-14lbs. Nicer all around then the first.

I will say I have some nice fillets in the freezer right now.

There a whole story of getting the second fish in up the rocks, but suffice it to say I now see the usefulness of a jetty gaff (in short, I had to crawl down the rocks on my stomach to grab the fish, so I wouldn't fall and break something, for even though it was on 13-14lbs, I had pulled it into a "nook" in the rocks, then when I went to lift the leader, the fish came off and was in the nook... I crawled down and grabbed it in its gills then crawled back up).

Anyhow, turned into a fun, long, day.

Tax Time

2010-04-06T14:01:00.000-07:00

tax time is coming.... be aware :D :D

Summer is coming

2010-04-06T10:12:00.000-07:00

from summer of 2008, the "old" yankee stadium, 1st box, 1st base side:

Spring Fishing

2010-04-05T06:47:00.000-07:00

Headed out for tautog on Saturday, however a southeast flow kept the air and water temps down in the 40s.

No fish, but a nice shakeout on a new boat.

Here's an old plug, from surfcast days of yore.

a pikie... a striper classic

More On Ham Muffins

2010-03-21T18:58:00.000-07:00

below is one way to do it... we added Pesto, Ricotta and Mozzarella...

You will need:

* One slice of ham per serving (Any type of cured ham works well; try Black Forest ham if you don’t like the sweeter varieties. Ask your server at the deli to slice the ham thick enough that it won’t easily tear, but not so thick that it won’t drape in a muffin cup.)
* One large egg per serving
* Salt and pepper, to taste
* Ingredients for any of the suggested variations below

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Lightly grease the individual cups of a muffin tin.
2. Drape each slice of ham inside a muffin cup to create a cup-like shape. The oblong shape of the ham slices will create a slightly lopsided appearance. If you wish to achieve a more uniform effect, trim each slice of ham into a circle before placing in the muffin tin.
3. Crack one egg into each ham cup, and season with salt and pepper. Bake for 14 minutes if you prefer slightly soft egg yolks, and 17 minutes for firm egg yolks. Allow to rest for several minutes before removing from the pan. Enjoy!

Variations (add before baking):

1. Sauté sliced mushrooms and chopped shallots in butter for 2-3 minutes. Spoon a little of the mushroom and shallot mixture into the bottom of each ham cup before adding the egg.
2. Trim the top 3-4 inches from the top of a stalk of thin and tender asparagus. Place two or three of the short pieces upright into each egg. (If the pieces are any longer, the tops may become singed during baking.)
3. Place a cherry tomato on top of each egg.
4. Sprinkle a pinch of shredded cheese over the egg – parmesan, gruyere, or good old American cheddar all work well.
5. Add additional herbs and seasoning – chopped chives, scallions, tarragon, cilantro, or a blend of your choice.

Read more at Suite101: Ham and Egg Cups: A wonderful new way to cook two favorite breakfast ingredients http://breakfast-recipes.suite101.com/article.cfm/ham_and_egg_cups#ixzz0irn2QiIH

Happy Spring

2010-03-21T18:56:00.000-07:00

... with Ham Muffins... yum :)

Ski Bums

2010-03-01T17:46:00.000-08:00

Ema and Sar at Windham NY:

The Snowacane

2010-02-24T13:24:00.000-08:00

no, it's not like Novacain, but related to a Hurricane!!

It doesn't look like we'll get too too much, though the forecast range for the coast is 4-9" !!

However, the deadly force winds may do as much damage as the snow.. and no one knows how big (or for that matter how small) this really will be, after all.

KYW's Karin Phillips spoke to AccuWeather meteorologist Elliot Abrams about this latest storm, which will include both snow and high winds and has been given the descriptive name of a "Snowacane."
Abrams says it's good to give a potentially dangerous storm a memorable descriptive name, because then people will pay attention. And he says this is indeed an unusual storm:
"The thing about this is that there's this pocket of cold air in the upper atmosphere over the Great Lakes, moving southeastward, and then there's this storm that's coming up from the southwest and is going out to the ocean east of Maryland. And when the two come together, the storm won't be able to continue northeast and it will stall."
Which is bad because that gives the strong winds accompanying it a chance to do some real damage, especially along the Jersey sore. Abrams says the last time we saw a storm like this was in 1962, which did a lot of damage at the shore.

The Third Blizzard

2010-02-24T13:23:00.000-08:00

ok, I think I have some pictures later... but I'm just posting this because we *had* a 3rd blizzard last week.

ok?

The Second Blizzard

2010-02-07T20:04:00.001-08:00

22" of snow fell over a 20 hour period, heavy drifting, gusts to 50mph.

The first time on record, 2 such blizzards hit south jersey in one season (believe that!!?!)

BUT, a beautiful time to push skiies across a trail:

A Good Bye

2010-01-28T08:03:00.001-08:00

We had to say good bye to a beloved friend, companion, and "good dog", Espresso; our female black and tan Dachshund.

Born: Jan 5, 1997
Died: Jan 27, 2010

Espresso had developed a significant breast tumor 2 years ago, and over the course of time several other tumors along her back and breast area developed. Finally an agressively growing tumor came along, grew fast, broke through the skin causing severe bleeding.

We had to say good bye.

Here are some photos of Espresso and some of her friends:

Here she is when about a year old... she used to wait, with a treat on her nose, until a hand signal was given, then flip the treat in the air and grab it.

Flyfishing on the down-low

2010-01-04T11:14:00.000-08:00

ok, it's the beginning of what looks to be a long, cold winter.

we've already had 2 feet of snow (though there is only a dusting on the ground as I write this)

we've already had days of 0 degree wind chills, with 50 mph wind blasts

we're past Christmas and New Years Day but a long, cold, way from the inshore water temps reaching 50F.

But, still, my mind contemplates catching smaller species of fish, by fly rod:

SW Panfish: These include Spotted Seatrout, Weakfish, Sand Seatrout, Silver Seatrout, Red Drum, Black Drum, Atlantic Croaker, Spot, Northern Kingfish. For you spinning tackle guys we recommend still fishing because the bait these fish consume will be walking, crawling or scurrying away on the bottom. You've guessed it; this is a short, slow retrieve. The fly has to get to the bottom or at least near the bottom. An ideal situation is to sight cast the fish and let the fly sink. Yes. "Let it sink." For Spotted Seatrout the best approach is to cast to a white hole (a spot bare of sea grass) and bring the fly to the edge and let it drop. Move the fly the tiniest bit (3-inch strip) and let it settle back down. Repeat this and let me know how big that trout weighed. The best flies for Spotted Seatrout include the White Snookzit, Kelly spoonfly (salmon color), Silver Dupre Spoonfly, Salty Bugger and any shrimp or pigfish imitation.

Flounders. This group includes the Summer Flounder (Fluke) and Sun Dial. Flounder eat mostly small fish, and bigger fish, and occasionally shrimp. The most successful lure is one with a white grub-tail. So, use a fly that has a thin grub-tail-type pattern. Use all white or white/orange or orange (Red Assassin in white or orange). This is a slow retrieve, since flounder are predominately bottom feeders.

Mackerels and Tunas. The grouping includes mostly offshore species of Wahoo, King and Spanish Mackerel, Cero, Frigate Mackerel, all the Tunas, Bonito, and Albacore. Of this group only the Spanish Mackerel (and sometimes False Albacore) is a coastal fish that sometimes roams offshore. Spanish M's are fast runners, tail walkers, blasting out of the water, doing flips, and just doing anything to lose a hook. They are great fighters on a fly rod. The best flies will have a lot of flash and imitate small silvery baitfish. The retrieve is fast. Unfortunately, these are rare for New Jersey, except near the end of warm, dry summers.

The December Blizzard

2009-12-22T08:15:00.000-08:00

20" in most places, this was a blizzard in spirit, if not necessarily in meteorological terms (which require steady 35Knot winds for some duration of time, in addition to the snow).

Note also the curiosity that though weatherpeople often say "white out" during "near blizzard" conditions, technically a whiteout only occurs in the arctic regions of the earth... wikipedia has a facinating description of the phenomena. Finally, when you do go and read that (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blizzard) think of how God describes how our light should shine as Christians...Mathew 5:14 'You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.'

Moreso during this season of light :)

Monmouth Beach:

Smithville buried in the beautiful snow....

Nacote Creek:

Shrewsbury Township received about 2 feet:

All quiet from Brigantine

2009-12-03T12:47:00.001-08:00

Unless you can go to the North End or fish by boat.

The surf, using plugs and flies, has been dead at the south end for me, all fall.

With bait, I got a short striped bass or 2, and with plugs at the inlet got a couple of fish.

The north end of Brigantine, accesssible essentially only by oversand beach buggy, has had a few true blitzes this fall.

Images from Jetty Country in mid-November

2009-11-18T11:41:00.001-08:00

Ft. Hood from the "other" side

2009-11-12T07:17:00.001-08:00

Thank you former President George W. Bush and former First Lady Laura Bush

(click on the above to go to the blog...)

Late Summer Fishing

2009-09-11T12:28:00.000-07:00

Around New Jersey, late August and on into September finds a proliferation of many different types of baitfish. Spearing, Bay Anchovies (aka 'rainfish' because of the way they spray out of the water when a predator slashes into their schools), Juvenile Menhaden (aka 'peanut bunker'), Snappers (juvenile bluefish...rapidly growing and themselves turning into little voracious predators), Mullet, plus a miriad of other less known and less important species.

The coastal estuaries and salt portions of rivers become alive with all sorts of activity and this leads to some great, relaxing times angling with rod and reel.

Good "Fifths"

2009-08-29T05:34:00.000-07:00

The Famous Circle of Fifths

These Fifths Are Not Intoxicating

I've heard about the "Circle of Fifths" since I was a teenager, but it never made sense until recently. Another mental block knocked over. This is a very simple tool for musicians of all stripes.

How Does the Circle of Fifths Work?

Look at the circle below, and we'll walk through the basics. Think of a clock, with C occupying the 12:00 position.

First, everything starts from C, since C is the key in which there are NO sharps or flats.

As we move clockwise from C, each note is a fifth above the last. So G is the fifth of the C scale, D is the fifth of the G scale, and so on.

Starting with G, each new key going clockwise has one more sharp note in its major scale. You can test if you wish, by building a major scale on each note.

If we move counterclockwise from C, each note is a fifth below the prior note. And, just as with sharps, each scale to the left of C adds a flat note.

Note that at the 6:00 position, there are two notes -- F# and Gb. These, of course, are enharmonic notes -- they sound exactly the same and are the same. Their names are different only because they are reached from different directions.

this is not my original contribution, but rather borrowed from http://www.folkblues.com/theory/circle_5ths_text.htm, where you can find out more about Music Theory for the Simple Minded :)

Happy Rain Day, folks!

Bluefish in the Bay

2009-08-27T06:42:00.001-07:00

Small Bluefish, 1-2 lb in size, have invaded the backwaters... soon to be followed by their larger brethren.

Caught in the backwaters of Ventnor, NJ, around 9PM on a still, buggy, clear night... plenty of bluefish were harrassing the schools of bait gathered by the docks.

What would you do, if you had a huge credit card bill?

2009-08-26T04:03:00.000-07:00

Would you continue to spend, spend, spend?

Most red ink ever: $9 trillion over next decade
By JIM KUHNHENN, AP

WASHINGTON ? In a chilling forecast, the White House is predicting a 10-year federal deficit of $9 trillion ? more than the sum of all previous deficits since America's founding. And it says by the next decade's end the national debt will equal three-quarters of the entire U.S. economy.

But before President Barack Obama can do much about it, he'll have to weather recession aftershocks including unemployment that his advisers said Tuesday is still heading for 10 percent.

Overall, White House and congressional budget analysts said in a brace of new estimates that the economy will shrink by 2.5 to 2.8 percent this year even as it begins to climb out of the recession. Those estimates reflect this year's deeper-than-expected economic plunge.

The grim deficit news presents Obama with both immediate and longer-term challenges. The still fragile economy cannot afford deficit-fighting cures such as spending cuts or tax increases. But nervous holders of U.S. debt, particularly foreign bondholders, could demand interest rate increases that would quickly be felt in the pocketbooks of American consumers.

Amid the gloomy numbers on Tuesday, Obama signaled his satisfaction with improvements in the economy by announcing he would nominate Republican Ben Bernanke to a second term as chairman of the Federal Reserve. The announcement, welcomed on Wall Street, diverted attention from the budget news and helped neutralize any disturbance in the financial markets from the high deficit projections.

The White House Office of Management and Budget indicated that the president will have to struggle to meet his vow of cutting the deficit in half in 2013 ? a promise that earlier budget projections suggested he could accomplish with ease.

"This recession was simply worse than the information that we and other forecasters had back in last fall and early this winter," said Obama economic adviser Christina Romer.

The deficit numbers also could complicate Obama's drive to persuade Congress to enact a major overhaul of the health care system ? one that could cost $1 trillion or more over 10 years. Obama has said he doesn't want the measure to add to the deficit, but lawmakers have been unable to agree on revenues that would cover the cost.

What's more, the high unemployment is expected to last well into the congressional election campaign next year, turning the contests into a referendum on Obama's economic policies.

Republicans were ready to pounce.

"The alarm bells on our nation's fiscal condition have now become a siren," said Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky. "If anyone had any doubts that this burden on future generations is unsustainable, they're gone ? spending, borrowing and debt are out of control."

Even supporters of Obama's economic policies said the long-term outlook places the federal government on an unsustainable path that will force the president and Congress to consider politically unpopular measures, including tax increases and cuts in government programs.

"The numbers today portend the biggest budget fight we've probably had in decades in the United States," said Stan Collender, a former congressional budget official.

The summer analyses by the White House budget office and by the Congressional Budget Office reached similarly bleak conclusions. The CBO's 10-year deficit figure was smaller ? $7 trillion ? but that is because it assumes that all tax cuts put into place in the administration of former President George W. Bush will expire on schedule by 2011. Obama's budget baseline, however, hews to his proposal to keep the tax cuts in place for families earning less than $250,000 a year.

Both budget offices see the national debt ? the accumulation of annual budget deficits ? as more than doubling over the next decade. The public national debt, made up of amounts the government owes to the public, including foreign governments, stood Tuesday at a staggering $7.4 trillion. White House budget officials predicted it would reach $17.5 trillion in 2019, or 76.5 percent of the gross domestic product. That would be the highest proportion in six decades.

Congressional Budget Office director Douglas Elmendorf said if Congress doesn't reduce deficits, interest rates are likely to rise, hurting the economy. But if Congress acts too soon, the economic recovery ? once it arrives ? could be thwarted.

"We face perils in acting and perils in not acting," Elmendorf told reporters.

David Walker, former head of the Government Accountability Office, said the numbers illustrated the need for a national commission that would review spending and taxing options and present lawmakers with a deficit reduction plan that Congress could approve or reject.

"We're going to have to do a hard course correction once we turn the corner on the economy," Walker, now president and CEO of the Peter G. Peterson Foundation, said.

Both Romer and Obama budget director Peter Orszag said this year's contraction would have been far worse without money from the $787 billion economic stimulus package that the president pushed through Congress as one of his first major acts.

At the same time, the continuing stresses on the economy have, in effect, increased the size of the stimulus package because the government will have to spend more in unemployment insurance and food stamps, Orszag said. He said the cost of the stimulus package ? which spends most of its money in fiscal year 2010 ? will grow by tens of billions of dollars above the original $787 billion.

The White House also credited the $3 billion cash-for-clunkers auto program for contributing to recent economic growth.

Orszag, anticipating backlash over the deficit numbers, conceded that the long-term deficits are "higher than desirable." The annual negative balances amount to about 4 percent of the gross domestic product, a number that many economists say is unsustainable.

But Orszag also argued that overhauling the health system would reduce health care costs and address the biggest contributor to higher deficits.

"I know there are going to be some who say that this report proves that we can't afford health reform," he said. "I think that has it backward."

At the same time, 10-year budget projections can be "wildly inaccurate," said Collender, now a partner at Qorvis Communications. Collender noted that there will be five congressional elections over the next 10 years and any number of foreign and domestic challenges that will make actual deficit figures very different from the estimates.

tourists at Jose Tejas

2009-08-10T12:04:00.000-07:00

A nice, but very busy, mexican place in Woodbridge NJ

l-r: j, sar, layney, ema

sea run trout

2009-08-06T08:18:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure if this program is still officially being run by the state of New Jersey.

There is some interesting information nonetheless (for anglers anyway).

What is curious about how some trout will smolt and live out at Sea, if the opportunity is there, and some will never do so.

We are all created for a specific purpose... if we follow God's plan for our life!

Sea Run Brown Trout Program

Young brown trout may, after a period of freshwater residence, migrate to saltwater to take advantage of abundant marine food sources. These "sea run" fish have an overall silvery coloration masking most of the spotting normally found on the body, but with numerous small spots remaining on the head. They can quickly grow to between two and four pounds (or larger) and then return to freshwater creating a trophy fishery.

The Division of Fish and Wildlife recognized this growth potential and began a program in October 1997 to investigate the practicality of a sea run brown trout program in New Jersey. October 2005 marked the eighth annual stocking, and thus far approximately 234,000 eight-inch brown trout have been stocked in the freshwater/tidal and brackish portions of the Manasquan River.

We anticipate these trout will migrate out to the Manasquan estuary for one or two years to take advantage of the abundant forage there. After growing to a size of 2-4 pounds or larger, they will return to the freshwater Manasquan River in the fall of the year. Although it is doubtful the existing water quality will support successful reproduction, the urge to spawn will concentrate these fish in the freshwater portion of the Manasquan River creating an exciting new fishery.

There have been reports of 112 sea run trout being caught from 1998 through October 2004. Ninety-four (94), or 89%, of these were caught from the Squankum Dam through the Manasquan River Wildlife Management Area (pdf, 490kb). Seventeen (17), or 15%, of these sea runs reportedly weighed from 5 to 13 pounds and would have qualified as the NJ State Record.

Anglers should be aware that after returning to freshwater the browns may revert to the more familiar coloration pattern, and large fish caught in April and May may be sea run browns heading back to salt water and not be from the regular spring stocking.

Please report any such catches to Mark Boriek at the Lebanon Fisheries Lab at 908-236-2118. You can also contact Mark via email at mark.boriek@earthlink.net.

For more information on sea run browns see these other pages:

The Missing Record Sea Run Trout November 2004
Sea Run Brown Trout Program 2003 Update
Manasquan River Fishing Access Areas
Sea Run Brown Trout Program Yields Results Jan. 2003
Manasquan River Sea Run Brown Trout (2) - Nov. 15, 2002 news release
Manasquan River Sea Run Brown Trout - Sept. 11, 2002 news release
Record Sea Run Brown Trout Category Established - Oct. 11, 2001 news release
Manasquan River Sea Run Brown Trout - Oct. 2, 2001 news release
History of the Sea Run Brown Program - March 2001
Anglers Catch Sea Run Brown Trout - December 21, 2000 news release
New Jersey's Most Wanted Fish May, 1998

RIP

2009-06-28T18:58:00.000-07:00

Anna Nichole Smith, Natashia Richardson, Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson.

Now Billy Mays - Mr. Oxi Clean

All RIP.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/washington/2009/06/billy-mays-top-of-the-ticket.html

The question remains: If you knew you would die tomorrow, would it change how you live today?

More to the point: If you were going to stand before Almighty God, the judge of All, as these individuals
now have, would you then ask "How then shall I live?"

A Line Sider

2009-06-26T09:02:00.001-07:00

One could put their fist into one of these...

Scampi Recipe

2009-06-03T07:13:00.001-07:00

Yes, it's still morning here on the Eastern Seaboard of the United States... but what else should follow a striper post, but a post about cooking same :)

Seafood Scampi Over Angel Hair Pasta
Yield: 4 Servings

Ingredients1 lb medium fresh striper, or scallops, or shrimp-unpeeled (you can mix)
8 oz angel hair pasta; uncooked
1/2 c butter or margarine
4 cloves garlic; minced
1/3 c dry white wine
1/4 ts freshly ground pepper
3/4 c grated Romano cheese
1 tb fresh parsley; chopped

Instructions

If using shrimp, peel and devein, if desired; set aside. Cook pasta according to
package directions; drain. Place on a large serving platter; and set aside. Melt
butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and seafood, and cook,
stirring constantly, 3 to 5 minutes or until seafood turns pink; add wine and pepper.
Bring to a boil; cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Pour seafood mixture over
pasta; sprinkle with cheese and parsley and toss gently. Serve immediately.

Spring Striped Bass

2009-06-01T11:25:00.000-07:00

Got up early a couple of mornings this week, while spending time down in the great state of South Jersey!

A few pictures (cell phone only... sorry) of the striped bass that hit

The first picture is of a schoolie sized bass (22-24") that actually hit my kingfish rig.... a small hook on a chartreuse float, armed with a piece of bloodworm. Since it's a lighter rod, it actually peeled out drag and made my morning.

The other pictures are of bass a bit larger (16 lbs.)

Saralyn Graduates

2009-05-26T18:58:00.000-07:00

Doctor in Physical Therapy, Chatham University, May 23, 2009.

kingfish

2009-05-11T11:29:00.000-07:00

are in at Wildwood.

now to try to hit them "up north"... along Ventnor :)

a re-post of what they look like... and recall these heads are good for strip-ed bass

the largest below is around 14", and these fight harder than the typical new jersey stocked brook trout... making them nice adversaries on light tackle in the surf zone!

Trout, Stripers and Bluefish

2009-05-06T16:42:00.000-07:00

All hitting.

All over New Jersey.

And will I get out to fish?

Not very likely LOL!!!

Heat Wave

2009-04-29T17:57:00.000-07:00

Whew... just made it through a mini heatwave here in NJ.

Several days of over 85F in a row.

In April!

Global Warming?

Or just a reminder to those who don't know the Lord Jesus Christ, what might await in Eternity?

He is Risen! Just as He Said!

2009-04-12T05:33:00.000-07:00

The Gospel (good news) of the Apostle Matthew 28:6 "New American Standard Bible (©1995)
"He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said. Come, see the place where He was lying."

There is no other leader who has risen from the dead.

Jesus' resurrection is proof that He is the One True God, Lord of All, and that He has fulfilled His promise of redeeming mankind from the just penalty of sin.

There is no other name under heaven by which we can be saved: The "Name" is that of Yeshua Ha Meshiach, Jesus The Messiah, The Christ. In whatever language you read or translate it, it means the same: The Savior, The Anointed One, God's only son.

Don't get hung up by skeptics... today *is* the day in which your life can be changed. Once and for all.

Don't get hung up by hypocrites... The Lord knows there is room in heaven for one more ;)

Don't get hung up by science... Science is discovering that which God created and nothing discovered will ultimately do anything but reveal God to you in a new marvelous way. Psalm 19 proclaims: "The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament proclaims his handiwork....

But one fact remains and was testified over a period of many days, and with hundreds of witnesses and never contradicted by historical, legal, governmental record: Jesus rose from the dead.

He is Risen! He is Risen, indeed!!

The Wing Dam

2009-04-03T15:22:00.000-07:00

Since this is Shad month on the Delaware River, it's time to give out directions to the famous: "Wing Dam"

On the NJ side of the Lambertville-New Hope bridge there is an old Railroad Station which has been converted into a restaurant and is on the downstream side of the road. Drive through their parking lot and follow the dirt road to the end (you will pass the sewer plant). This takes you to the wing dam. If you can stand the aroma, fish are sometimes caught in the warm water discharge of the sewer plant.

Not sure how the Shad would TASTE though... (however, some feel Shad aren't a great eat anyway...)

Full directions to Lambertville from PA are:
95 N TO WASHINGTON CROSSING, NEWHOPE EX ,AT THE END OF THE RAMP GO LEFT YOU WILL BE ON TAYLORSVILLE RD TO LEFT ON TO RIVER RD RT 32 STAY ON RT 32 RIGHT IN TO NEWHOPE AT THE LIGHT IN NEWHOPE THERE IS A STARBUCK'S ON THE LEFT AND A DUNKIN DONUT'S ON THE RIGHT. TACE A LEFT AT THE LIGHT OVER THE BRIDGE IN TO NJ.MAKE THE FRIST LEFT AFTER THE BRIDGE AND KEEP GOING TO THE PARKING LOT IN FRONT OF THE CANAL

PIcking up a pic

2009-03-28T06:09:00.000-07:00

That is, a pickerel

Chain Pickerel
Esox niger
World Record: 9.4 lbs.
A freshwater fish in the pike family easily identified by the "chain-like marking along its sides. It can be found in the northwest, northeast and southeast sections of the USA. Its primary food source is smaller fish and is known to lie in wait to ambush its prey. While it can be eaten it is not considered one of the better sport fishes for table fare. The chain peickere can be caught on fish-imitation lures and live or cut bait. Watch the sharp teeth when handling. Prefers water temperatures from 62 to 70 degrees. Also known as pickerel, eastern pickerel, pike, grass pike, jackfish, jack and others.

I picked up this one at a feeder creek to the Great Egg Harbor River.

I actually stopped there looking for herring, with which I would be pursuing Striped Bass.

Though I heard that herring came through at *some* point during the day, while I was there there were only pickerel :)

More Signs of Spring

2009-03-28T06:06:00.000-07:00

If you want to become a beekeeper, NJ wants to help you :)

Sign up today to become a beekeeper at
http://www.nj.gov/agriculture/divisions/pi/pdf/ApiaryRegistrationForm.pdf

Rutgers also hold Bee-ginning Beekeepers at a Rutgers extension in Bordentown, NJ: www.cpe.rutgers.edu/courses/current/ae0401ca.html

Twitter

2009-03-21T05:10:00.001-07:00

That is the sound one would expect to hear outside.

The sound of the songbirds enjoying the rays of Springtime sun.

Spring is always seen as a time of renewal after a long, dreary, sleepy winter. Such as our dachshund, Scooby, likes to enjoy.

But somehow, all of a sudden, "everyone" has discovered twitter. Perhaps some popular tv personalities have started "twittering".

Well, old news folks, you can follow *me* on twitter anytime. Just click on my link at the lower left.

Happy Spring, folks :) !!

A Mid-Winter Ray of Sun

2009-02-21T14:30:00.000-08:00

It is mid-winter, February, and we are getting another push of cold air, after a respite of warmth that lasted about a week.

Greetings from the Jersey Shore and may you see the signs of the times and look up!

Fishing for stripers and trout will come, though I may make a few attempts for Shad, since my work takes me near the Delaware River where there *still* is a decent run every year.

Nevertheless, Greetings and may you have a blessed Winter and Spring!

A thought from Pastor Chuck Smith:

AS IN THE DAYS OF NOAH

As we watch the downward spiral of our society today, we realize that a powder keg is ready to explode. Something has got to change.

by Chuck Smith

We look at the deteriorating moral values in our nation—the divorce rate, abortion, pornography, drug addiction and child abuse. We witness what has transpired in the homosexual community. We are shocked at the violent crimes, the drive-by shootings and the terrorism that plagues our world. What is the world coming to? Is the end near?

What will be the signs of Jesus’ coming and the end of the world? This was the very same question Jesus’ disciples asked. Jesus’ answer to them and to us is found in Matthew 24:37-39:

As the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of Man be. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that [Noah] entered into the ark, and knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of Man be.

Genesis 6:5 tells us what was going on in the days of Noah. “God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” As we look at our world today, we see the parallel—the movie industry corrupting our values, television defiling our homes, children’s video games teaching violence—all these are polluting people’s minds until the thoughts and the imagination of man’s heart is continually evil.

We read in Genesis 6:11 that “the earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.” Pick up the newspaper and you will see the hostility that fills the earth. Our nation’s morality has sunk to the place where Ruth Graham once said, “If God doesn’t judge America, He will need to apologize to Sodom and Gomorrah!”

I would say that the world right now is very much like it was in the days of Noah. Jesus pointed out that in Noah’s day, the people were totally oblivious to the coming judgment of God. They were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage. It was pretty much business as usual. There was no awareness that the judgment of God was about to fall upon them. They did not realize anything was wrong until Noah went into the ark and the rain began to fall.

People today do not realize how ripe the world is for judgment. God is trying to shake us from our lethargy and wake us up. We see a worldwide financial crisis, disasters, earthquakes, hurricanes, fires, floods, famines and the AIDS epidemic. But try to suggest to a worldly person that these indicate the beginning of sorrows and God’s judgment, and they will laugh at you. The world may acknowledge their belief in the existence of God, but they live as though God does not exist. There is a total lack of fear of a holy and righteous God.

The Prophet Isaiah said, “Woe unto them who call evil good, and good evil” (Isaiah 5:20). Speaking of the future woes that are coming upon the earth, the angel proclaims in Revelation 8:13, “Woe, woe, woe, to the inhabiters of the earth by reason of the other voices of the trumpet of the three angels, which are yet to sound!” A day of reckoning is coming.

We see prophecies rapidly fulfilled before our very eyes. I believe the current economic crisis—and it’s not just a crisis here in America but a worldwide crisis—is going to force a joining together of the nations, a one-world union as prophesied in the Book of Revelation. It’s going to be moving in that direction. And as we look at the situation in Israel, we see their concern about the need to defend themselves against the possibility of a nuclear attack from other nations. Who and what can save us? Increased knowledge can’t save us. The government can’t save us. Neither can science nor Greenpeace save our planet.

So what does America need today? Rather than the homosexual community coming out of the closet, we need godly parents who will go into the closet and pray for their children, for their families, for the school system and the community. We need a spiritual revival to sweep our land. I believe more could be accomplished for good if we gathered together for times of prayer. Without a spiritual awakening, let’s face it, our nation is through. We need to realize that the only hope is to pray and to teach morality from a biblical base; that the Bible is the only true basis for morality.

We need men and women in our Congress and Senate who love God and fear Him. We need God’s people to humble themselves and pray, and seek God’s face and turn from their wicked ways. You see—we’re either part of the problem or we’re a solution to the problem!

The only hope for the future is the coming again of Jesus Christ. Only Jesus can save us. This is what Jesus is talking about in Matthew 24, the day of the Lord’s coming, the day of the establishing of the Kingdom of God. He said, “Immediately after the tribulation of those days … they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory” (Matthew 24:29-30).

This will be the day when, according to the Book of Revelation, “God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away” (Revelation 21:4). The day when “He [that is, Jesus] shall judge among the nations. … nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more” (Isaiah 2:4).

As we face the conditions of the world today, we see the same conditions that existed in the days of Noah. We realize that judgment is not far off. So let us pray that God will draw our hearts unto the things of the Spirit and free us from the bondage of corruption that holds the world in its grip. And let us pray—as God’s people—to have a real heart and concern for our families and for our nation—for a spiritual revival in our land. As we see the deteriorating condition of the world around us, it should be a wake-up call for us to live godly, righteous, holy lives, placing our minds, hearts and priorities on eternal values.

We don’t know what 2009 may hold for us—joys, sorrows, victories or defeats. But we do know that the Lord has promised to be with us, and He’s promised to help us. He has promised to guide us. So with this reminder, let us commit our ways to Him, knowing that He will bring to pass His perfect will in our lives.

May the Lord be with you and bless you. May the Lord’s hand be upon you to guide you. May His Spirit inspire you to a greater commitment to Jesus than you’ve ever had before, as we look forward to that glorious day of the Lord and the establishment of His Kingdom on the earth.

Stripers or Shad on the Delaware

2009-02-12T08:31:00.001-08:00

Found a potential launch spot to go after a couple of America's favorite fish:

View Larger Map

What would you give up?

2009-02-01T06:32:00.000-08:00

It is a cold winter so far... though not much snow in these parts. Nevertheless, we haven't had a warm day in January 2009, so what better food after coming in out of the cold than a nice bowl of "soup"

Gen 25: "29 Now Jacob cooked a stew; and Esau came in from the field, and he was weary. 30 And Esau said to Jacob, “Please feed me with that same red stew, for I am weary.” Therefore his name was called Edom.^[d]
31 But Jacob said, “Sell me your birthright as of this day.”
32 And Esau said, “Look, I am about to die; so what is this birthright to me?”
33 Then Jacob said, “Swear to me as of this day.”
So he swore to him, and sold his birthright to Jacob. 34 And Jacob gave Esau bread and stew of lentils; then he ate and drank, arose, and went his way. Thus Esau despised his birthright."

So easily, Esau gave up his birthright.

For what might you trade *your* soul?

Gaining the World While losing... everything?

2009-01-25T05:21:00.000-08:00

Jesus warned of this. Big time....

Matthew 16:26 (New King James Version)

26 For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?

Back 8 years ago, a television show (actually in the genre of what they call "reality" television... even though only miniscule clips of real persons' lives bear any resemblance to "reality") called audaciously "American Idol" began.

There were two co-hosts, Ryan Seacrest, and some other guy, who I actually liked (surprise :) !)

Take a look at Brian Dunkelman, now making fun of himself for quiting American Idol, the tv phenomenon:

Does Brian know the words of Jesus? I don't think so, for perhaps if he knew what he could gain by simple faith, he might not be kicking a fence over missing out on these earthly riches.

Toby Mac has a song out there, you know it, but just put down some more words on Jesus' message:

Man I wanna tell you all something, Man.
Man I'm not gonna let these material thing's, get in my way, you all.
I'm trying to get somewhere.
I'm trying to get somewhere,
Thats real and pure and true and eternal.

Father God, I am clay in your hands,
Help me to stay that way through all life's demands,
'Cause they chip and they nag and they pull at me,
And every little thing I make up my mind to be,
Like I'm gonna be a daddy whose in the mix,
And I'm gonna be a husband who stays legit,
And I pray that I'm an artist who rises above,
The road that is wide and filled with self love,
Everything that I see draws me,
Though it's only in You that I can truly see that its a feast for the eyes- a low blow to purpose.
And I'm a little kid at a three ring circus.

I don't want to gain the whole world, and lose my soul,
Don't wanna walk away, let me hear the people say.
I don't want to gain the whole world, and lose my soul,
Don't wanna walk away, let me hear the people say.

(Mr. Franklin, Step up to the mic sir)

The paparazzi flashes, and that they think that it's you,
But they don't know that who you are is not what you do,
True, we get it twisted when we peak at the charts,
Yo before we part from the start,
Where's your heart?
You a pimp, hustler?
Tell me what's your title,
America has no more stars, now we call them idols,
You sit idle, While we teach prosperity,
The first thing to prosper should be inside of me.
We're free...
Not because of 22's on the range,
But Christ came in range, we said yes now we changed,
Not the same, even though I made a fall,
Since I got that call, no more Saul, now I'm Paul.
(YEP!)

I don't want to gain the whole world, and lose my soul,
Don't wanna walk away, let me hear the people say.
I don't want to gain the whole world, and lose my soul,
Don't wanna walk away, let me hear the people say.
Don't wanna walk away,
Don't wanna walk away

How do I sense the tide that's rising?
De-sensitizing me from living in light of eternity,
How do I sense the tide that's rising?
It's hypnotizing me from living in light of eternity,
How do I sense the tide that's rising?
De-sensitizing me from living in light of eternity.

(Lord what we gonna do,We're relying on you,
all eyes are on you Lord,
all eyes are on you, all eyes are on you Jesus.)

I don't want to gain the whole world, and lose my soul,
Don't wanna walk away, let me hear the people say.
(Don't let me lose my soul, my soul.)
I don't want to gain the whole world, and lose my soul,
(This is my honesty, Father, won't you cover me.)
I don't want to gain the whole world, and lose my soul,
(Don't wanna walk away, and all those people say)
I don't want to gain the whole world, and lose my soul,
(Don't wanna lose, I don't wanna lose my soul.)

Lord forgive us when we get consumed by the things of this world,
That fight for our love, and our passion,
As our eyes are open wide and on you.
Grant us the privilege of your world view,
And may your kingdom be, what wakes us up, and lays us down.

(Hallelujah, Don't wanna lose our soul,
No, Don't wanna lose my soul.)

Hey excuse me,
I'm looking for the after party,
Toby,
Ha ha, yeah, last door on the left, you'll hear it.
Thanks,
No problem.

Don't let me lose my soul, I never wanna walk away,
I don't wanna lose my soul,
No, no, no.
Don't let me, don't let me, lose my soul,
I don't wanna walk away,
Don't let me walk away,
Na na na na no,
Don't let me lose, my soul,
I'm never gonna walk away.

One Nation Under God

2009-01-19T19:20:00.001-08:00

A Prayer For The New Year

2008-12-30T06:53:00.000-08:00

Lord keep me in your Groove of Grace.

The chosen path for me.

Your Will I daily will embrace

Until Eternity

Apollo 8: 40 years ago on Christmas Eve

2008-12-26T12:17:00.000-08:00

http://lloydpulley.com/2008/12/26/40-years-ago-christmas-night--live-reading-of-genesis-by-the-apollo-8-crew/trackback.aspx

http://www.honeysucklecreek.net/msfn_missions/Apollo_8_mission/video_flash_version.html

Are You Asleep?

2008-12-23T20:48:00.001-08:00

From Casting Crowns "While You Were Sleeping":

Oh little town of Bethlehem
Looks like another silent night
Above your deep and dreamless sleep
A giant star lights up the sky
And while you're lying in the dark
There shines an everlasting light
For the King has left His throne
And is sleeping in a manger tonight

Oh Bethlehem, what you have missed while you were sleeping
For God became a man
And stepped into your world today
Oh Bethlehem, you will go down in history
As a city with no room for its King
While you were sleeping
While you were sleeping

Oh little town of Jerusalem
Looks like another silent night
The Father gave His only Son
The Way, the Truth, the Life had came
But there was no room for Him in the world He came to save

Jerusalem, what you have missed while you were sleeping
The Savior of the world is dying on your cross today
Jerusalem, you will go down in history
As a city with no room for its King
While you were sleeping
While you were sleeping

United States of America
Looks like another silent night
As we're sung to sleep by philosophies
That save the trees and kill the children
And while we're lying in the dark
There's a shout heard 'cross the eastern sky
For the Bridegroom has returned
And has carried His bride away in the night

America, what will we miss while we are sleeping
Will Jesus come again
And leave us slumbering where we lay
America, will we go down in history
As a nation with no room for its King
Will we be sleeping
Will we be sleeping

Thinking of Warmer Weather - SPECS

2008-12-09T13:22:00.000-08:00

Not weakfish, but Specs, aka Speckled Trout:

Speckled Trout - Cynoscion nebulosus

not the same as Gray Trout, Weakfish - Cynoscion regalis /

see http://www.yankee3.com/Fish/Weakfish.html

The Fishery for Specs is an early morning, really early before sun up, and evening bite, once you start to see boat traffic you might as well pack it in..they are caught during every tide cycle, but either side of the tide when the water movement slows,.before and after the slacktide is probably the best, The larger fish aren't found in big numbers location is the key to the larger fish, small deep holes in the bay surrounded by flats hold the big fish.
Deep undercut sod banks and the mouths of tidal creeks away from main channels are also killer spots to check out, The school size fish can be found in greater numbers usually feeding right on the flats they can be chummed up w/ grass shrimp . you'll see them spray the rainbait and shrimp on the surface occasionally on the shallower flats during calm early morning tides , but most fish are mid water column as the sunrises. They are also caught while fishing for striped bass, but they are always a nice surprise.

Mouths of  small creeks that have a sandy bottom leading into grass is best locations to find them well inside the inlets.\
Around the inlets ,hard running water over sand on outgoing tide usually is best.
They don't need a lot of water,I've caught them in 1ft on small bucktails
In Southern NJ they don't usually hit surface plugs, but they will down in Florida.
In NJ, they usually begin showing up early Sept and can be caught into late Nov

Southern end of Cape May County is little more productive than northern end most years
but 3 years ago some came in mid-August in the 14-19" than they disappeared and
another school showed up in late October which were in 19-26"

Blackfish Time

2008-11-24T08:15:00.001-08:00

Family: Labridae

Genus a & Species:Tautoga Onitis

Description: Tautoga are usually a mottled brown to black shade on top with a white or gray chin and underbelly. They can grow up to 3 feet in length and 22 pounds, but are most commonly 2 to 4 pounds. They have thick rubbery lips and powerful jaws. The backs of their throats contain a set of teeth resembling molars. Together these are used to pick and crush prey such as mollusks and crustaceans. They prefer rocky areas and shipwrecks.

When water temps stay above 45 degrees the tog will stay on the jetties and in the back waters. The water temps will vary with the stage of the tide but if there are a couple contiguous tides where the water temps drop to 42-43 degrees, the tog leave for the deeper structures. This happened this season. One day a charter went out and fished inshore structure and they had a five man limit in 90 minutes. Others went to the same wreck two days later and the tog had left. They figured over 100 keeper size tog were on that one piece of structure.There are hundreds or perhaps a thousand or more keepers on the average ocean jetty.

Do Not Worry

2008-11-16T06:43:00.000-08:00

We are exhorted to work for a living... to "occupy" until Jesus' return.

That said, we must do so in faith, understanding that as believers we are in His hands.

From Luke 12:

"Do Not Worry

22Then Jesus said to his disciples: "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. 23Life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. 24Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! 25Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life^[b]? 26Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?

27"Consider how the lilies grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 28If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith! 29And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. 30For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them. 31But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.

32"Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. 33Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. 34For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

So, putting first things first, one needs to be right with the King first! Set your heart on things above!

Occupy until He comes, plan, work hard, but above all else: Trust in Him!

National Wetlands Research Center

2008-11-15T05:37:00.000-08:00

An amazing library of information on species inhabiting wetlands of the US is available at
http://www.nwrc.usgs.gov/publications/specindex.htm

Take a look:

USGS National Wetlands Research Center Digital Library

Species Profiles: Life Histories and Environmental Requirements of Coastal Fishes and Invertebrates—Listed by Species Name

The index below lists the species covered in the species profiles series. There are 126 profiles in the series, and all are available in the form of PDF files. The highlighted number in each entry refers to the Biological Report Number and is linked to a digital copy of the original publication. We recommend using Adobe Reader 8+ to view these documents. The size of the file is indicated within parentheses. For assistance, please contact the NWRC Library or email the NWRC Librarian at nwrclibrary@usgs.gov.

[A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z]

A Abalones, black, green, and red, 11.32 (1.01 MB) Alewife, Mid-Atlantic, 11.9 (1.38 MB) North Atlantic, 11.56 (1.12 MB) South Atlantic, 11.111 (1.03 MB) American eel, South Atlantic, 11.24 (1.04 MB) North Atlantic, 11.74 (1.28 MB) American lobster, 11.33 (965 KB) American oyster, North Atlantic, 11.23 (931 KB) South Atlantic, 11.57 (1.10 MB) Gulf of Mexico, 11.64 (1.17 MB) Mid-Atlantic, 11.65 (1.24 MB) American shad, Mid-Atlantic, 11.37 (917 KB) South Atlantic, 11.45 (943 KB) North Atlantic, 11.59 (846 KB) Amphipods, Pacific Northwest, 11.69 (789 KB) Pacific Southwest, 11.92 (880 KB)

and the list goes on and on ....

In another direction - Winter on Sandy Hook

2008-11-15T05:07:00.000-08:00

Christmas at History House
Weekends in December, 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Weekdays, December 22, 23, 26, 29 and 30 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
History House decorated for the holidays as it might have
been during World War II. Refreshments and music will get
you into the holiday spirit
Special Events at History House
Fort Hancock Evening Lantern Tour
Meet at the Post Theater Parking Lot.
Friday, December 5 at 6 p.m.
Walk around the fort to learn about garrison life during World War II.
Bring a flashlight. Ends with refreshments at History House
Children’s Christmas Crafts Workshop
Saturday, December 6, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Bring the family, and make paper chains and
popcorn garland like in the old days.
Jazz at History House
Sunday, December 7, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
An afternoon of Classic Jazz by the John Doe Trio,.
An Evening Holiday Open House, Featuring the John Doe Trio
Saturday December 13, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Live ‘40s music and refreshments.
Santa Claus Visits History House
Sunday December 14, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Bring your camera and take a photo with Santa.
Fort Hancock Holiday Walks
Meet at Post Theater Parking Lot
Sundays, December 7 and 14 at 2 p.m.
Take a tour around the fort and hear how the soldiers celebrated the
Holidays. Ends at History House.
All History House Holiday activities are Free.
Thanks to support from the Sandy Hook Foundation.

On the teaser

2008-11-09T19:34:00.000-08:00

Sandeels have been prevalent this year, but even without them, fishing with a teaser is almost always recommended.

Sometimes it seems you "hit them on the head" with your offering. I've had multiple times where a first cast
brings a fish, then a long span of time passes before getting another hit, or perhaps no other hit for the session.

Here is such a fish, short and fat, that hit on the first cast this past Saturday at the Longport pocket.

Same Fish, Another Pic

2008-10-28T20:09:00.000-07:00

Finally

2008-10-27T19:29:00.000-07:00

well they say even a blind squirrel will find a nut once in a while...

Following the Skunk

2008-10-25T06:58:00.001-07:00

Well I know better.

I really do.

But this year, my weekly travels have me logging 500-700 miles per week going down to South Jersey and commuting to work.

As a result, along with family and home obligations, I've been getting very spotty time on the beach.

In addition, since September the Ventnor surf has been ripping a steady southerly current and *nothing* of note has been going on there in the times I've been fishing.

I now plan to abandon the open surf between the Ventnor and Margate piers and take the ride, time permitting, down to Longport where I've gotten the most from the surf anyways, when in South Jersey.

Up North near Sandy Hook, when I've been there, the fish haven't, reports of good action this past week notwithstanding.

I haven't caught a striper or bluefish this *year*. To this calendar date in the year, that's a first for me since I started fishing the surf in earnest Fall of 1999. Note: I did fish somewhat 20 years ago but abandoned the surf when job and family precluded spending time in the suds... too many basketball and volleyball and school and job travel obligations over those years.

That said, we are in the next 3 weeks of the most productive striper time in the Fall along the entire NJ coast, so I'm optimistic that I will indeed catch Mr. (or better yet Mrs... since they are MUCH bigger on average) Linesides.

That's all for now (all 2 or 3 of you who read my blog :) )

-- Surf Rob

The Arrival of Fall

2008-09-23T16:00:00.000-07:00

Brings..... APPLE PICKING!!!

More than you ever want to know about -> SPOT

2008-09-18T07:28:00.001-07:00

Species Name:	*Leiostomus xanthurus*
Common Name:	(Spot)

I. TAXONOMY

Kingdom	Phylum/Division:	Class:	Order:	Family:	Genus:
Animalia	Chordata	Actinopterygii	Perciformes	Sciaenidae	Leiostomus

The spot, Leiostomus xanthurus. Illustration by Diana Rome Peebles 1998. Courtesy of Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Division of Marine Fisheries.

Species Name:
Leiostomus xanthurus Lacepede, 1803.

Synonymy:
None.

Common Name:
Spot, flat croaker, golden croaker, silver gudgeon, goody, chub, roach, jimmy, spot croaker.

Species Description:
Leiostomus xanthurus is a moderately deep-bodied, compressed fish with an elevated back. Body color is typically bluish-gray dorsally, fading to golden yellow or yellow-tan ventrally. A set of 12 -15 dark streaks run obliquely from the dorsal surface down the sides to about mid-body. These tend to fade with age. Fins are typically pale yellow in color. The head is short, with a small, inferior mouth. The maxilla extends to approximately the middle of the eye. The dorsal fin is continuous, with a notch separating the spinous portion from the soft rays. There are 9-11 dorsal spines, and 29-35 soft rays. The anal fin has 2 spines and 12-13 rays. The caudal peduncle is moderately deep, and the caudal fin is notched. A large black spot is set above the upper edge of the gill cover. There are 72-77 lateral line scales (Johnson 1978).

Other Taxonomic Groupings:
Supeclass: Osteichthyes
Subclass: Neopterygii
Infraclass: Teleostei
Suborder: Percoidei

Potentially Misidentified Species:
Adults are not typically mistaken for other Sciaenids due to the prominent spot and faint oblique stripes. However, juveniles resemble a number of related species including the Atlantic croaker, Micropogonias undulatus and the silver perch, Bairdiella chrysoura. The Atlantic croaker is differentiated from the spot by having barbells on the lower jaw and a serrate preopercule. The silver perch is differentiated by its rounded caudal fin and well developed teeth.

II. HABITAT AND DISTRIBUTION

Regional Occurrence:
Leiostomus xanthurus is common along the Atlantic coast from Cape Cod south to the Bay of Campeche, Mexico. It occurs irregularly in south Florida and the Florida Keys, and north of Cape Cod, Massachusetts (Bigelow and Schroeder 1953; Chao 1978).

IRL Distribution:
Spot are common throughout the Indian River Lagoon, especially around Brevard and Indian River Counties.

III. LIFE HISTORY AND POPULATION BIOLOGY

Age, Size, Lifespan:
Leiostomus xanthusrus grows to approximately 11 inches total length (TL). In the first year it may reach 5.9 inches; in the second year, 8.7 inches; and in the third year 11 inches (Townsend 1956; Welsh and Breder, 1923; McRae et al. 1997). The lifespan may be as long as 5 years (DeVries 1982).

Growth rates in spot show both seasonal and annual variation. In young juveniles, growth rates are fastest in late spring and early summer, with high estuarine water temperatures in late summer and early fall tending to reduce feeding and retarding growth (Weinstein and Walters, 1981). Both juvenile and adult spot grow more slowly during winter (Dawson, 1958).

Abundance:
Leiostomus xanthurus is one of the most common demersal fishes in coastal and estuarine waters of the Atlantic, and has both commercial and recreational importance. In some areas, the recreational catch often exceeds the commercial harvest (Hales and Van Den Avyle 1989).

Locomotion:
Larval spot have limited swimming abilities measured at 0.25 – 1.0 m/s for brief periods (Lewis and Judy 1983). Adult spot have significantly slower swimming speeds than other estuarine species (Hettler 1979), with a typical speed of approximately 0.7 m/s (Rulifson 1977).

Spot Small spot (<2.7>

Reproduction:
Spot typically migrate offshore and spawn in the relatively deep water of the outer continental shelf, though some evidently spawn in both nearshore waters and estuaries (Dawson 1958; Lewis and Judy 1983). Ripe adults aggregate off beaches in fall and begin migration offshore, possibly migrating to more southern waters in the process (Pearson 1932). Spot may spawn repeatedly over several weeks (Hildebrand and Cable 1930), with some individuals remaining offshore after spawning (Pearson 1932; Wenner et al. 1979, 1980).

In the south Atlantic region of the U.S., spawning occurs from October through March, peaking in December and January (Townsend 1956; Lewis and Judy 1983; Warlen and Chester 1985). This is later than in mid-Atlantic waters and earlier than in the Gulf of Mexico, where spawning begins in December and peaks in January and February (Nelson 1969).

Most spot reach sexual maturity in the second year, but some require 3 years (Hales and Van Den Avyle 1989). Dawson (1958) and Music (1974) reported that spot measuring 170 -175 mm total length (TL) showed ripened gonads. However, other research (Hildebrand and Cable 1930; Gunter 1945; Townsend 1956) suggests sexual maturity is attained at somewhat larger size, between 185 – 210 mm TL. Music (1974) reported that males may reach maturity at slightly smaller sizes than do females, 170 mm TL for males vs. 205 mm TL for females.

Dawson (1958) estimated fecundity for spot at approximately 77,000 – 84,000 eggs per season.

Embryology:
Eggs are pelagic and buoyant. Under laboratory conditions, eggs hatched at 20ºC within 24 hours. Larvae absorb the yolk sac and oil globule within 5 days of hatching (Powell and Gordy 1980). Larvae are initially found in surface waters but become more demersal as they grow (Hildebrand and Cable 1930; Lewis and Judy 1983). Due to the limited swimming ability of larvae, it is believed that passive mechanisms (wind, Ekman transport, tides) are the primary transporters of larvae to the nursery habitats of estuaries and bays.

Larvae arrive at estuaries when they are approximately 10 – 24 mm Standard length (SL) and 40 – 47 days old (Warlen and Chester 1985), typically in January (Hildebrand and Cable 1983; Lewis and Judy 1983), with recruitment peaking in February and March (Hildebrand and Cable 1983). Larvae continuing to enter estuaries through June.

Postlarvae and smaller juveniles tend to congregate in shallow water areas of tidal creeks in estuaries for 3-6 months (Weinstein and Walters 1981). Thereafter, they tend to migrate to other estuarine habitats, and often migrate to deeper waters (Weinstein 1983; Weinstein and Brooks 1983; Rojas and Hackney 1984).

Warlen and Chester (1985) examined growth characteristics of larvae and juveniles and found that initial growth is rapid while larvae remain in offshore waters, presumably due to the abundance of plankton available. Growth then slows in the early period of estuarine residency, until approximately April. After metamorphosis to the juvenile stage, growth is again accelerated.

IV. PHYSICAL TOLERANCES

Temperature:
Mass mortality of spot was observed at water temperatures of 5 – 10 ºC, but larvae and postlarvae may be more tolerant of widely ranging temperatures than are older fish (Hildebrand and Cable 1930; Hodson et al. 1981a).

Under laboratory conditions (Hettler and Powell 1981) reported spawning occurred at 17-25ºC. Spot embryos do not develop at temperatures below 14ºC; however, larvae can tolerate temperatures as low as 5 ºC. (Hettler and Clements 1978). Burton (1979) reported symptoms of cold stress in juveniles held at 5ºC.

Upper thermal tolerance for postlarvae and juvenile spot is approx 35 ºC, depending on the size and general condition of fish, as well as the temperature the have been acclimated to. Generally, as acclimation temperatures increase, the critical thermal maximum also increases (Hodson et al. 1981a).

Salinity:
Low salinity does not appear to be necessary for proper development and metamorphosis to the juvenile stage; however, it may affect survivorship of larvae (Powell and Gordy 1980). Perez (1969) found that spot tended to be more active under lab conditions when salinity changed quickly, suggesting that they may actively try to avoid areas where salinity levels change rapidly.

Dissolved Oxygen:
Postlarval and juvenile spot have intermediate tolerance to hypoxic conditions in comparison to other estuarine species (Burton et al 1980). Exposure of 90 mm TL spot to 0.8mg/L for 96 hours resulted in 5% mortality; however, lowering the concentration to 0.6 mg/L resulted in 95% mortality.

V. COMMUNITY ECOLOGY

Trophic Mode:
Leiostomus xanthurus show 2 distinct feeding modes: larvae are selective plankton feeders, while juveniles and adults are partly olfactory-dependent, benthic feeders that prey on infaunal and epibenthic invertebrates.

Preferred larval foods include ciliates, invertebrate eggs, and copepod nauplii. Individuals up to 25 mm SL feed primarily on copepods and ostracods (Hildebrand and Cable 1930). Upon metamorphosis, the diet changes to include insect larvae, polychaetes, harpacticoid copepods and other crustaceans (Hildebrand and Cable 1930; Townsend 1956; Hodson et al. 1981b); however, the juvenile diet can be flexible and often is reflective of prey availability in specific areas (Hales and Van Den Avyle 1989).

Chao and Musick (1977) reported that in Chesapeake Bay, prey for adult spot includes zooplankton and benthic infauna, with polychaetes most frequently observed in gut contents. Other prey types included amohipods, cumaceans, gastropods, nematodes, mysids, and copepods

After growth to 10 – 15 mm SL, larvae of all sizes feed diurnally (Govoni et al. 1983).

Competitors:
Spot likely compete with other estuarine species; however little research has been undertaken in this area.

Habitats:
Spot are common in coastal waters during the spawning season, and in estuaries and nearshore waters during other parts of the year. They are typically found over sandy or muddy bottoms in waters up to approximately 60 m deep.

Activity Time:
Postlarvae feed most actively during daylight hours, with peaks in late morning (Kjelson et al. 1975). Juveniles switch to nocturnal feeding after metamorphosis, perhaps as a predator avoidance mechanism, or to avoid high daytime temperatures in shallow marshes (Hodson et al. 1981b). Adults tend to be nocturnal.

Associated Species:

Predators:
Predators of spot include silversides (Menidia spp.), which may affect postlarval distribution in estuaries (Weinstein and Walters 1981). Juveniles and adult spot are also preyed upon by many fishes, including striped bass, sharks, seatrout, bluefish, mackerels, gars, and flounders (Hollis 1952; Rozas and Hackney 1984).

Parasites:
Parasites of spot include copepods of the genera Lernaeenicus and Ergasilus, as well as a marine leech, Myzobdella lugubris (Sawyer et al. 1975). Internal parasites include trematodes, microsporideans, and acanthocephalans (Sprague and Hussey 1980; Govoni 1983).

VI. SPECIAL STATUS

Special Status:
None.

Fisheries Importance:
In 2001, statewide landings in Florida were 352,786 pounds. Of this, approximately 90% of the statewide landings were made on the Atlantic coast of Florida; with the recreational fishery for spot accounting for 86% of the total (Murphy 2003). Commercial landings on the Atlantic are generally concentrated around Brevard, Indian River and Martin counties.

Before 1995, the commercial fishery for spot relied almost exclusively on gill nets. The ban on entangling nets enacted in late 1995 prompted a shift toward smaller gear such as cast nets and haul seines. As reflected in the reduced commercial landings since the rule went into effect, Florida’s abolition of entangling gear use in July 1995 almost eliminated the traditional commercial fishery for spot. Reduced fishing pressure could result in higher and more stable recruitment in the future (McRae 1997b).

COMMERCIAL FISHERY:

Figure 1. Annual dollar value of the commercial catch of spot to the 5-county area of the
Indian River Lagoon.

Figure 2. Total spot dollar value and percentage by county for the years 1987 - 2001.

	Volusia	Brevard	Indian River	St. Lucie	Martin	Total
	Value	Value	Value	Value	Value	Value
YEAR	($)	($)	($)	($)	($)	to IRL
1987	$6,017	$114,449	$82,636	$54,994	$10,160	$268,256
1988	$44,274	$132,279	$90,437	$56,650	$26,258	$349,898
1989	$3,784	$131,953	$98,710	$113,096	$18,666	$366,209
1990	$6,479	$80,086	$129,043	$189,237	$7,028	$411,873
1991	$5,329	$115,195	$107,273	$140,489	$12,472	$380,758
1992	$3,925	$51,237	$90,276	$80,835	$30,678	$256,951
1993	$7,431	$134,119	$104,704	$48,348	$21,436	$316,038
1994	$1,993	$108,958	$169,801	$78,829	$19,871	$379,452
1995	$2,027	$100,708	$88,224	$56,545	$7,741	$255,245
1996	$641	$3,027	$21,347	$5,689	$848	$31,552
1997	$29,961	$37,831	$23,084	$11,030	$2,458	$104,364
1998	$7,279	$16,678	$11,108	$10,887	$3,257	$49,209
1999	$60	$2,282	$12,245	$8,110	$1,552	$24,249
2000	$279	$9,298	$3,397	$7,268	$776	$21,018
2001	$63	$4,080	$1,058	$4,346	$1,740	$11,287
Cumulative Totals:	$119,542	$1,042,180	$1,033,343	$866,353	$164,941	$3,226,359

Table 1. Total dollar value of IRL spot, Leiostomus xanthurus between 1987 - 2001.

	Volusia	Brevard	Indian River	St. Lucie	Martin
	%	%	%	%	%
YEAR	Total	Total	Total	Total	Total
1987	2.2%	42.7%	30.8%	20.5%	3.8%
1988	12.7%	37.8%	25.8%	16.2%	7.5%
1989	1.0%	36.0%	27.0%	30.9%	5.1%
1990	1.6%	19.4%	31.3%	45.9%	1.7%
1991	1.4%	30.3%	28.2%	36.9%	3.3%
1992	1.5%	19.9%	35.1%	31.5%	11.9%
1993	2.4%	42.4%	33.1%	15.3%	6.8%
1994	0.5%	28.7%	44.7%	20.8%	5.2%
1995	0.8%	39.5%	34.6%	22.2%	3.0%
1996	2.0%	9.6%	67.7%	18.0%	2.7%
1997	28.7%	36.2%	22.1%	10.6%	2.4%
1998	14.8%	33.9%	22.6%	22.1%	6.6%
1999	0.2%	9.4%	50.5%	33.4%	6.4%
2000	1.3%	44.2%	16.2%	34.6%	3.7%
2001	0.6%	36.1%	9.4%	38.5%	15.4%

Table 2. By-county annual and cumulative percentages of the spot harvest for the
years 1987-2001.

	Volusia	Brevard	Indian River	St. Lucie	Martin
Dollars	$119,542	$1,042,180	$1,033,343	$866,353	$164,941
%	3.7%	32.3%	32.0%	26.9%	5.1%

Table 3. By-county cumulative dollar value and percentage of total for the spot
harvest from 1987 - 2001.

RECREATIONAL FISHERY:

Figure 3. Survey data for the spot recreational fishery showing the number of fishes
harvested in East Florida waters from 1997 - 2004.

Figure 4. Summary of the spot recreational harvest and percentage of total by area from
1997 - 2004.

	To 3 Miles	To 200 Miles	Other Inland	IRL	TOTAL
1997	12,250		19,731		31,981
1998	82,632	2,594	34,345	819	120,390
1999	17,125		235,374	462	252,960
2000	1,118	5,071	31,888	2,333	40,410
2001	13,334		437,757	178,720	629,811
2002	4,200		16,607		20,807
2003	31,224	5,297	19,295	6,709	62,524
2004	7,251		3,922		11,172
Total:	169,134	12,962	798,919	189,043	1,170,055

Table 4. Summary data for recreational fishery in Eastern Florida waters for
the spot, Leiostomus xanthurus, from 1997 - 2004. Data provided by
National Marine Fisheries Service, Fisheries Statistics Division, NOAA.

	To 3	To 200 Miles	Other Inland	IRL
	Miles	To 200 Miles	Other Inland	IRL
	% Total	% Total	% Total	% Total
1997	38.30%	0.00%	61.70%	0.00%
1998	68.64%	2.15%	28.53%	0.68%
1999	6.77%	0.00%	93.05%	0.18%
2000	2.77%	12.55%	78.91%	5.77%
2001	2.12%	0.00%	69.51%	28.38%
2002	20.19%	0.00%	79.81%	0.00%
2003	49.94%	8.47%	30.86%	10.73%
2004	64.90%	0.00%	35.11%	0.00%

Table 5. By-county annual and cumulative percentages of the spot
harvest for the years 1997 - 2001. Data provided by National Marine
Fisheries Service, Fisheries Statistics Division, NOAA.

	To 3 Miles	To 200 Miles	Other Inland	IRL
No. Fish	169,134	12,962	798,919	189,043
%	14.46%	1.11%	68.28%	16.16%

Table 6. Summary of the spot recreational harvest and percentage of total
fish captured in each area from 1997 - 2004. Data provided by National
Marine Fisheries Service, Fisheries Statistics Division, NOAA.

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pelagics

2008-09-16T18:27:00.000-07:00

been a while, but hopefully will be out in the next 2 months chasing down the fall surf species: blues, stripers, albies and more blues :)

Trout stocking of the Toms River will be on Oct 7th, usually around 10:30AM or so (often later), and the JSTU folks will be doing the normal float stocking... maybe I can attend ?

Fall Trout Stocking

2008-08-27T15:48:00.000-07:00

Information on the 2008 fall trout stocking program has been posted on the NJDEP Division of Fish and Wildlife website. This fall marks the third year ofstocking only big, two-year old trout. In addition to these large trout, evenolder and larger broodstock fish will also be stocked again for the fall season.This adds up to 21,000 trout measuring 14 - 21 inches and weighing 1½ to 5pounds for New Jersey fall trout anglers. These trout will be stocked in 16streams and 16 lakes throughout the state over a two week period in October .Fall stocking is scheduled to begin on Tuesday, October 7, and all fall-stockedwaters may be fished as soon as they are stocked.For more information on the fall stocking program, the stocking schedule and anynecessary changes which may be posted in the future, visithttp://www.njfishandwildlife.com/trtinfo_fall.htm . The fall stocking scheduleis also available by calling the Trout Hotline at 609-633-6765.

Drifting for fluke in the Somers Point back bay...

2008-08-13T12:30:00.001-07:00

Got a recommendation on a good trip for ya small boaters. Take 55 to 40 east. Take 40 east to 559 south. Follow 559 till it ends at the circle in Somers Point. Once you get into the circle, exit at the very next exit(from the circle). Follow the road for about a 1/4 mile and on the left is Kennedy Park.

At the launch you will see a fleet of boats straight out drifting for fluke. If you go to the left and under the bridge, it's a no-wake zone. It's a little calmer in there.

Someone takes a 14' Vhull with a 15 hp there all the time. It's a wide open area there and you can always get away from the main channel and boat traffic.