Two miles of what is a terra firma angling enigma to many but a sure shot opportunity to those in the know via seasons, tides and access locations, the Point Pleasant Canal remains one of those “Can’t stand to go but can’t wait to get back to” locations when it comes to the likes of stripers, tog, sea bass, bluefish, fluke, triggerfish, blowfish and jumbo spot.
And a smattering other unexpected smile inducing late summer-through-late autumn visitors, including the rare but there winter flounder and, as recent rumors have whispered, sheepshead.
To others, it’s a more-often-than-not rambunctious but reliable conduit to Manasquan Inlet and/or Barnegat Bay, one way or another. Launching at one end or the other entailed a lengthy run from end to end, but that’s changed with the establishment of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection’s (NJDEP) Point Pleasant Fishing Access wildlife management area (WMA) located at 1998-1900 Beach Boulevard in “Point.”
Reached by an even GPS-challenging set of directions, the 7-acre tract snugging the pulsing flow was completed and open to the public January 31 of 2023, with two previous decades of planning starting in 1991. Pete Winkler, the NJDEP Division of Fish & Wildlife’s central region lands management supervisor briefly explained the undertaking to transform the area. To make a long story short, the establishment of the WMA was a coordinated effort between NJDEP and the Army Corps of Engineers which owned the bulkhead and 10 feet of the frontage on both sides that resulted in a licensing agreement.
The old sand ramp was replaced by a concrete ramp that can accommodate boats to 26 feet. A 200 foot fishing/observation dock was installed that included six well-spaced benches. There is a parking that provides four spaces for vehicles with trailers, and one ADA parking spot.
Looking at an elevated shot, the fishing dock is split, with the ingress for the ramp providing a generous pool of incoming and high tide water that hosts the likes of spot, snapper blues, blue crabs and a variety of baitfish that move in from the canal including spearing, finger mullet and peanut bunker. These sometimes invite and incite visits by schoolie stripers and cocktail blues, and witnesses have seen sheepshead in the area on occasion.
Regarding the fishing dock, a robust shout out from The Fisherman to Eagle Scout Seth Santos, Troop 38, Monmouth County who, as one of his qualifying projects, constructed a pair each of bait and fish cleaning stations. Thank you, Seth Santos!
With a bottom depth reaching to 35 to 40 feet in spots, coupled with a bottom strewn with rocks, boulders and other debris, and a rip snorting tidal pull in both directions, the Point Pleasant Canal’s reputation as a terminal tackle eater and a challenging waterway to fish successfully on a consistent basis is well known. However, the quality of the angling renders these obstacles moot. Indeed, it’s a go-to venue, predicated on the species sought, from March through December, sometimes into January.
While there are several well-known access areas to the flow as well as significant stretches of bulkhead to cast a line into the swirl, the Fishing Access WMA puts one directly on some prime water, particularly for fluke and stripers and tog. August into September is especially productive for fluke, and word from Jason from the nearby Fishermen’s Supply – who gets in a few flattie canal shots during summer’s wane – is that a 1- to 3-ounce white bucktail or plain jighead armed with a 5-inch pearl white Gulp Jerk Shad bounced around the structures is a fillet maker.
Green crabs, sand fleas and white leggers are tickets for tog, the latter especially productive during December. As with fluke, jigs better than rigs if for no other reason that there will be significantly less snagging and lost product. This is not to imply that baited rigs don’t work. They do for sure, but on average, baited jigs equate to more fishing time rather than re-tying time. Blues are on the metal chase, with eel the deal for stripers.
A note on the parking, especially if launching is in the plans; it’s at a premium, so plan accordingly.
