The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-09-01
TACKLE SMASHING
WEAKS IN BARNEGAT
Tactics Of Battling Yellowfins;
Angler Goes Overheard
to Rescue Catch.
TIDE RUNNERS RETREATS
BY w. n. BALLOU.


say that this 10 the FIRST season in my
years OF experience when weakfsh in
Barnegat Bay broke not only every
body's tackle. but broke more tackle than
was ever broke.
This remark has no application to the
non-professonal angler. who hauls in his
line hand over fist only TO lose nine
tenths Of the his fish. 1t refers to the
so-called professionals who never in
their lives saw weakhsh do such stunts
as they have done of good old Forked
River and who have never lost lines.
hooks, smells and 1oats in such quanti-
| ties before.
My first days experience led me to
conclude that perhaps my line had be-
| come weakened and to throw 1t away.
The next line put on was new, but only
nine strands. 1t also had to come Off. as
giving the big fellows all the rope they
wanted to drown themselves with was
exactly what they wanted.
Also stingrays and sharks are plentl-
| full in the bay, and I decided that the
game must be played in a mans way
| put on a fifteen strand line and used
Nom Hofes new type Of hooks with wire
smells, and will tell you why.
A weakfsh wound himself round and
round the anchor line OF the boat, then
tried to pull himself off the hook by
destroying his jaw. He came aboard
with the kedge. still putting up all the
fight in his eight pounds.
Overheard to Capture Fish.
| The next big fellow went right of
toward shore. tangling the line in tall
marine grass The line resisted all his
struggles and followed It with a row.
boat slowly untangling the snarls. and
then. removing my clothes, went over
board and captured the fish by getting
my hand in its gills
! / was we'll scratched for my pains. but
the fish actually had to be dug out Of the
mass OF grass in which he had sought
refuge. No smell, except a steel one, will
last half an hour II a weakfish or blue
| fish does not destroy IL the blowfish will.
To capture a Barnegat Bay weakfish
OF the size running this season there
must be something far more strenuous
done than merely playing the fish until
he browns. He must more often be fol-
lowed by the boat. same as in muska-
lunge fishing except In deep water Of the
bay. But then there are no big weak
fish In deep water. They lie in chan
nels along the edge of the tall grass or
they gather at the mouths Of the chan
nels that empty into other channels.
They seek such retreats as Heron
place. Mud Channel. Bucks Channel,
Double Creek Channel, Cooper Slough
Channel. Line Ditch. Beach Channel.
Horsefoot Slough Channel, both sides Of
big Oyster Creek Channel. the bend at
Clam Island. &c. where II you play
them in the ordinary way they smash
your tackle.
l should be pleased to note the sur
prise Of one Of our cotton thread anglers
ha In h,,o al 20
thread broken into n thousand pieces.
No cotton thread expert living can land
one of these big fellows where he has
grass. stakes. anchor ropes and other
aids to his escape
| Experience of Bass Angler.
Not one of the bay professionals ex-
poets to get more than few OF the
fish which take his hook. The fish must
not be allowed a run Of more than ten
feet. He must be stopped short some
how and then allowed to repeat the ten
foot run time and again until he is
tired. He cannot be lifted over the gun
vale by the line
Either large landing net must be
used or one must stoop, quickly thrust
his hand in the gills at the throat and
lift the fish aboard. When tackle can
not be broken by the fish lie will sacri-
flee section of his Jaw to escape.
III l were alone in such troubles as
above with big weakfish 1 should be
suspicious OF my prowess. But there is
p. Kelly OF New York. one Of the best
striped bass anglers on Barnegat Bay
He lives in summer at Forked River
in his own cottage and has his own sea
going boats He has tackle galore
Mr.. Kelly. In trolling for striped bass
1.1 Al n
row channels. has frequently lost his
best tackle this summer on big weakfish
When he lands three OF them a day ne
feels elated The narrowness of the
channels where he must go for bass
makes for almost easy tackle smash
Ing for weakfish. Let them run. and
they go right straight OF into the big
marine meadows and disappear.
There's Capt Ed Parker. who takes
out pleasure parties who wish to angle
solely for big weakfish. He reports that
not only was the ordinary tackle OF his
fares and himself smashed time and
again. but when bluefish lines with
squids were substituted many OF the
hsh got away by breaking their jaws
Now Ed doesn't like to admit that any
bay fish can get the best OF him. II 1t
were an occasional fish he wouldn't aJ
init IT, But this summer he has been
| oe"'e" so olten ana so inuch by these
ocean whoppers in the bay that he now
boasts OF their accomplishments. takes
on his cap TO them and says they honor
Barnegat Bay by their fighting quail
ties
But for that matter. other captains
who take out angling parties have had
almost too much trouble with big weak
hsh, Strange to say, the difficulties
above mentioned have little repetition for
night angling
| Weaktish do not seem TO struggle
| much at night, and most of the fish are
caught at night on flood tide, owing to
| the positive necessity OF securing as
many fish as possible for food. Night
anglers resort TO stout hand lines, and
capture as much prey az possible.
Open season for Coon.
Raccoons may be taken in New York
ia In