Melill0’s Canal surprise

No one enjoyed fishing in Point Pleasant Canal more than Joe Melillo, who passed away this week at 82. He joined many other regulars to cast small jigs, metals and plugs on light tackle for bluefish, school stripers and fluke that flurry through the strong currents. It’s rarely fast fishing, but most of the anglers who fish there enjoy the challenge. There aren’t many large fish hooked during the day as boat traffic is a problem, but Joe seemed to find an exception to that rule one morning when he lifted into a solid fish.

The fight went on in swirling currents and boat wakes for a long time as Joe also had to worry about straightening out the small hook of his jig. A big landing net was located, and Joe was gaining line very slowly as everyone wondered what it could be. We were hoping for a strange-acting striper, but suspected that it might be a big skate or ray. Joe was no stranger to catching big bass in the “old days” and was making progress when a large shape was spotted just below the roiled surface which turned out to be the head of a big tuna!

When it came to the normal fishing there, Joe had the touch, and was glad to help other anglers get in on the action which often required working a particular type of lure at just the right speed and level.

The NY/NJ Bight weather certainly hasn’t been fishable lately, and there is a freezing spray warning up from this evening to Sunday when it increases to a gale warning.