New outboard

Technollogy has really changed. If any of you are thinking about purchasing a larger outboard, I would recommend the Mercury Optimax.  I just purchased a 2002 135hp Merc Optimax this past weekend. Like anyone else, I get very nervous about making a purchase like that on an item that can break down one week later.  However, all I needed to do was to get the motor in front of an authorized Mercury technician.  Those motors can be connected to a lap top computer (supplied by Merc).  The lap top goes through a complete diagnostic check of just about every part in the motor. Then, it can tell you how many hours the motor operated at each RPM level. That way, you can tell whether the motor was abused. Finally, it gives an exact measurement as to the total hours. This made my decision to buy the boat/motor so much easier.

Welcome NJ Whaler,

You running a single 135 on a Whaler?  What you fishing for.

BEAR

Beautiful boat NJW.  They really know how to organize those Whalers.  Love the rear pop up seat.  I have a 23 foot all-fiberglass inside Thompson.  Boy getting bumped around running in choppy water makes for lots of bruises; that seat makes it a decent boat to take the wife in.

I figure that winter flounder should still be running good.  I use to live in the Philly area and would fish abound the Egg Harbor area for them.

BEAR 

Tasunka,

Thanks for the update and I hope that you had a nice Easter also.

Bear, ths flounder are just getting started.  Also, just heard word of the first Stripers of the season caught.  The water is still a little cold. If you want to keep tabs of what is happening in the Barnegat bay, you can check this site also...

http://www.bhweb.com/

I don't know of any "head boats" that go shark fishing for the following reasons...

1. Too many people. One big shark, once hooked, can take hours to land and will cross all of the other lines in the process. 

2. The head boats are too big and too high off of the water.  How would you unhook a giant shark?

Charters are how the shark fishing is done.  Usually with a maximum of 6 people.

On a side note, if your friend goes out for bluefish at night, he has a chance to catch a small shark in the process.That can be done on a head boat.

Bear,

You are right which is why I suggested night fishing.  They always anchor and chum. With chum in the water you have a chance to catch a shark.  You never know what you are going to see in the water at night...especially if there is no wind and the water is calm.  I have seen a large school of squid (about a half mile long) swim by the boat.  With the spot lights shining on the water, they look like they are from another planet.  Also, I watched someone real in a skate (sting ray) that had a span of about 8 feet. All we could do was cut the line.  Most of all, once a school of bluefish gets a whif of the chum slick, it will be non-stop mayhem on that boat until the capt toots the horn to go home.  Tell him not to wear anything that he intends on keeping because when the fishing is hot, there will be blood everywhere.

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