Fishing Sandy Hook
Highlands, NJ
The Bay Side
by Peter Mueller

Sandy Hook is located at the northern most section of the Monmouth County coastline, the northern tip that sticks out pointing to Long Island. The park begins at the mouth of the Navesink River and Sandy Hook Bay. On most nights the New York skyline is clearly visible from the Bug Light (no not Bud Light) and rips at the northern tip of the park. The Bug Light is a navigational light on a jetty at the northern end of the park. The park itself is one of a series of Parks in the Gateway National Parks system. The park in the past has served the country as a military facility. It is my understanding the park was used during the revolutionary war, right on through to a limited use at present. In many sections of the park you can find rail systems that were used to transport supplies and munitions. Bunkers, demolished bunkers, gun turrets, and Nike missiles are located in different areas giving clues to the parks previous uses.

There are some ground rules when fishing at the Hook. First and most important, all fisherman need to get a pass at the guard booth. In the past, the fee for a seasonal fishing permit was twenty five dollars. You would affix the parking sticker onto your vehicle. Individual night passes use to be free, but each night you had to sign in, similar to the state parks here in CT. Payments to the park system needed to be with a check, and usually during the daytime. It is my understanding this pass will get you into any Gateway Park . You will also need to find out which areas are off limits to fisherman, especially at night. It is my understanding the rules are tighter since 9-11.

The Hook itself is unique existing as a peninsula between the river and bay area, and the ocean. Major shipping channels are located at the northern section of the park. This gives the surfcaster an opportunity at deep fast running water with great structure close to the channels. The shape of the Hook enables one to fish in almost any wind. During a strong northeast blow, you can find most of the guys fishing in the river or bay, shielded from the harsh winds. Late in the fall, when those northwest winds kick up, it will push the bait across New York and Sandy Hook bay and up along the shoreline. Extended periods of strong wind will push the bait across the tip of the Hook.

There are salt ponds to fish, sand bar tips, rips, and jetty's. It is definitely a surf fishing destination. When bunker pour out of the rivers, watch out, the fishing can be fast and furious. In saying that, most guys that fish the Hook regularly, can go through long dry spells. Bait can vary from sand eels, mummies, silversides, shrimp, bay anchovies, bunker, and calico crabs. On one occasion, I saw someone fish a horseshoe crab. This is not a place for someone with a cardiac condition. Long walks are inevitable. The sand on the ocean side of almost all New Jersey beaches is incredibly soft making it difficult to walk.

The first spot, before you enter the park is the Highlands Bridge. This bridge has been rebuilt. At this point I'm not sure when, but like most old bridge remants, they are a collection of rubble and wooden pilings. These pilings are still navigation hazards, outside of the marked channel. Guys will line up under the bridge's north side along the beach. On an outgoing tide at night, fish big swimming plugs, bombers (always a favorite), wooden plugs, and some bucktales. Whenever I visit a spot were there is a strong local "flavor"( and this is one of those spots), I try to go with what they are using. Similar plugs, length of rod, and line. You'll probably see the guys here fishing with 10 foot rods, reels spooled with braid. The routine here is to cast, let the plug swing, and walk down the beach with the plug. At a very slow retrieve. Not too far to your right, there are some pier remnants that can hold fish or be a hazard to landing a large. Don't be surprised to see a handful of keepers on the beach here. This is a great spot when the bunker leave the estuary/river system. The key is knowing when they leave. This spot is popular when a northeast wind has been blowing for a day or two. For that matter the entire bay side good in those situations The whole shoreline along the access road is fishable, under the dune. The access road is a stretch of road that takes you from the town of The Highlands along the narrow sand spit to the entrance of the park. Hidden depressions on the bottom structure here hold bigger fish. The sand dune behind you can make fly casting cumbersome at high tide. On the outgoing tide, you will move down river with the bait. This brings us to our next destination.

Plum Island, is always a go to spot. This is a short walk from the parking lot. In the past, there has always been a noticeable hole to the south of the island. After the action turns off under the Highlands Bridge, you'll see guys fishing here. Eels, clams, plugs, or crabs are favorites. From that southern most point of Plum Island, look up the beach, you notice a pipe. If you parked at the "Bayberry Lot", you would have walked over the pipe. It holds fish. Fly rodders should use a shooting head with a fast sinking line. With conventional and spin gear I would use a bucktail with a trailer. Fish upstream of the pipe, being careful not too wade too deep. Fear of falling into the swift current or spooking the fish come to mind. After that, fish around the pipe and along with the area after the pipe. Its "tailwaters" are productive. Moving north along the and bar, its good to make a few casts while moving up the beach. A few schoolies are managable here. The northern point of Plum Island features a sand bar, a long one. Watch out for fog. Always keep a point from shore insight. A compass or GPS would come in handy here. This spot from the beach is fishable at the top of the tide at the beginning of the sand bar. There are a few depressions in the bar a short distance out. Cast towards the navigation buoy and let your plug sweep along in the current. Slow retrieves along the bar are productive. Dead drifting a fly or jig is "deadly". The bar extends probably about a half mile out. There are a series of depressions and curves. Wade a low tide in the day. It will make your night safer. If the fish are in here, you will have a lot of company. On one new moon tide, I've had the opportunity to walk all the way to the end. I watched and talked to a close friend as he scored blues from his boat. In reference, this bar is probably about half the total length of Penfield Reef. The drop off at the end of the bar is dangerous. One step your on the bar, the next step is twenty feet of water. I've documented this with my fish finder while swinging the boat by the end of the bar.

Moving on, between the bar and the access road, looking to the east, there's a large cove with a salt pond that empties into it. The mouth of the pond can be productive after the water temps have reached a seasonal high, and the bait has matured enough to migrate.

Moving back to the access road there are some seemingly featureless beaches, with rip rap at various points. Not necessarily go to spots, there have been times when weekies have holed up along here.

The next area to look for is the Visitor Center Parking lot. Known as the wind surfer beach. Windsurfers and kayakers will make the short walk with their boats across the road to launch. This is one of our access points to Spermaceti Cove. The sand is soft here, the walking is tougher at high tides. Small points can hold fish on the 15-20 walk out to the point. You will notice an old wooden breakwater just a few yards within casting distance. It may be OK to throw a few floating plugs here without loosing them. Be mindful of the structure, it's a plug eater. There are also areas with eel grass. These areas can hold fish. They nose around on a dropping tide, in search of spearing. The point is the best area. All tides here flow from left to right. It doesn't matter weather its dropping or coming. The breakwater has an area here that is navigable with shallow drafting boats. Getting to that spot is tricky. We are concerned with the deeper water here as it flows into the breakwater. Eels are good here, clouser minnows, wide body plugs in the fall. Across the channel we are fishing is Skeleton Hill Island. On some charts as Skull Island. A small boat or kayak can put you into some good fishing off a rip on the bayside of the island. Launching a kayak from the parking lot would give us access to Skull Island. Beach the kayak and fish this island by foot.

Our next point is the Ranger Station. This guard house is where you get your park passes. In the past, the bayside has been off limits to fisherman at night but it is accessable at dawn.

Up the road a bit from the guard house is another parking area with access to the spit on the other side of Spermaceti Cove. This is a long walk. 35-40 minutes. Access here takes you along roads, demolished bunkers, and fences. The whole area along the spit can be productive. The jetty off to the right has some deeper water in front of it. There is some eel grass that hold bait about halfway out. At the end you will notice that you are across the way from the previous spot. Cast in the hole here and along the drop offs to the right as you face Skull Island.

Back to our access road we come to the Horseshoe Cove area. There is a parking lot here that is directly opposite a bridge. Under the bridge there is another pond that flows. Lead heads, eels, big flies dead drifted on the outgoing water. The fish will move along between the outflow and the eel grass off to the right. Some nice size fish can be had here. Do not forget to fish the point further out. Some wooden pilings from old jetties can hold some larger fish off to the right of the point. The point itself is good on an incoming tide.

Moving up the way we come to the area were you'll find most of the buildings, an Oceanographic school, the Littoral Society and Coast Guard are up in here. I've read that some of these buildings have been leased out to the public.

The most enjoyable thing about fishing Sandy Hook is you can work an area, not just a spot. You can follow fish along with the tide. It is very fishable in just about any wind.