Sea Isle City NJ Polar Bear Plunge 2015 Date

Don't Forget that the 2015 Sea Isle City New Jersey Polar Bear Plunge is coming up.  The date for the 2015 Polar Plunge in Sea Isle is Saturday February 14, 2015. The party starts about noon but if you are swimming in the frigid, cold, ocean this year, be sure to check with event organizers or the SIC events Polar Bear website for more information regarding registration, times etc.

Technically the fun actually begins on Friday Feb 13,2014 in the evening at Sea Isle's local watering holes along Landis Avenue and continues until Sunday but the big event is Saturday the 14th.

Enjoy it if you go and be safe and responsible.  Have fun and hopefully see you guys there

Review of the event from years past 

Fall Family Festival Sea Isle City NJ

Fall Family Festival Sea Isle City NJ

The promenade in Sea Isle turns into a flea market of sorts with vendors selling all kinds of wares.  Sunglasses, purses, clothing, accessories, various specialty foods, crafts, toys, collectables, etc were all on display for sale.  I’d say there are probably a hundred or so vendors though I didn’t count.

The fall family festival is definitely a “G” rated event and is meant, of course, for the family to enjoy.  A free concert was held at the excursion center, JFK Boulevard was bustling with local restaurants who set up their own food and drink tents. In addition for the grown ups all the local watering holes are open for those who needed a break from the crowds and shopping.

A lot of people attended. It can get crowded on the promenade but for those who love to shop with the view of the ocean in the background it was a good time.  Personally, I got a pair of cool sunglasses cheap and a nice helping of my favorite fall family festival snack ….. toffee pecans.

Check it out sometime. The center of the action is JFK Boulevard and the vending booths stretch for many blocks in each direction from here along the promenade.

Sea Isle City Irish Festival – A Mini Wildwood Like Fest

Every year around the third week of September Sea Isle City has its annual Irish Fest celebration.  Sea Isle’s Irish Festival runs on the same day as the famed Wildwood Irish Festival.  The 2013 Sea Isle City Irish Festival is on Saturday September 21.

Catch a Blowfish Northern Puffer In Sea Isle City NJ

Blowfish on the Dock in Sea Isle

I know, I know, I lot of fisherman out there will read this and think this isn't much of a fish to catch at all.  I mean, blowfish are more infamous for stealing bait than for putting food on the table (the fish pictured was released safe and sound by the way :-)

That said, I was fishing off a dock in Sea Isle and landed a blowfish. It was fun to bring up because, quite honestly, I didn't know what it was.  I had to pull out one of those free marine manuals you pick up at the local bait shops to identify it.

The real tip-off though was when it 'blew up'   Not in the sense that it exploded but it swelled up like a balloon to the size of a softball then deflated.  I have to say that I'm sorry that I didn't get that picture but I did get a decent one showing it deflated on the dock.

I'd say it was about five inches long.  I caught it on a tiny kingfish rig with clams using a Penn spinning real and ugly stick rod.   Very easy to bring in ... he's just a little guy.

Not the best angle but the same blow fish :-)

Upon further research I found out that this guy is indeed a blow fish but specifically it is named a "Northern Puffer"

Great stuff fishing in Sea Isle big or small. Always fun .

What Kind of Fish Netted in Sea Isle is This? Mullet, Striper, or ?

Fishing in the back bay in Sea Isle is fun and relaxing. I confess I don’t always have a lot of luck fishing the backwaters. My fishing experience is usually limited to small sea bass, dogfish (sandshark), oyster crackers (toadfish) and the occasional‘eater’ in the form of triggerfish, flounder or bluefish.

 While I might not always be reeling in the big one, getting out beside the water does sometimes reveal some surprises and interesting finds. I’ve been messing around with a tiny casting net. I can’t say I’ve caught much in the cast net but I have pulled up my share of peanut bunker. During one cast in Sea Isle’s Intercoastal Waterway (not far from Larsons / Ludlums landing) I landed two fish I could not identify with any certainty.  Stripped and only about 4-5 inches long. Very interesting, not as interesting as the otters spotted in the bay, but interesting to me at least :-)

I took a picture of the two fish and released them safely back into the bay.  I really wanted to find out for certain what they were. What makes these two fish so interesting is that everyone I showed the picture to not only had a different answer, but they were certain they were right. Juvenile striper, herring, mullet were all guessed to name a few. I’m still not sure. In some ways this fish looks like a combination of the three.

Any ideas?  Please comment below.

 

2013 Harborfest Sea Isle City

There are things to do in Sea Isle City, NJ even after the summer ends. It seems as each year goes by, more and more off-season events sprout up making Sea Isle a place to visit not just in the summer.  Harborfest is held in fisherman’s alley, a small section of Sea Isle that is gradually competing more and more with other sections of town for its share of tourist and local activity. Typically held the last weekend of September / first weekend in October, vendors set up along 42 Place right next to the amusement park. 

A fair number of Sea Isle city eateries pull up trailers or tents to serve up their fare. The Lobster loft is right across the street and open for food and drinks. There are plenty of tables and some covered areas to get out of the sun and enjoy a quick snack.  

One nice touch to Harborfest was a rather fun to watch clam eating contest that consisted of a number of locals and was hosted by a local 100.7 radio DJ (whose name eludes me), the ubiquitous businessman Jimmy Bennett, who takes the lead in organizing such events, and Mayor Lenny Desiderio.   Contestants sat on an elevated stage over a long table that somehow reminded me of The Last Supper. Each raced to finish two dozen clams first. It was good fun to watch the about nine people slurping down clams. Trophies and some nice gift certificates were awarded to the 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rdplace winners.

 Harborfest is still relatively new. Not a huge crowd but definitely a big enough group of people to make it feel like you were part of something. I did see a stage set up with microphones so perhaps I missed an outdoor band performance? If I didn’t, I do think the event could have used more music like the legendary Bayfest sponsors along Bay Avenue each spring in Somers Point. That said, start small and grow big, Harborfest will get there.

 Harborfest was a nice time. Not quite the event I’d drive hours to go see, but if you are in the Sea Isle area or reasonably close by it is worth checking out on a gorgeous Saturday afternoon. 


If you get a chance to check out Harborfest, don't forget to check out St. Pats in Sea Isle too. I wrote a post on this event. Click here to learn more about St. Patricks Day in Sea Isle

 

Spiny Purple Sea Urchins in Sea Isle City, New Jersey

I have the pleasure of being beside the waters of the Intercoastal Waterway throughout much of the summer and some brief stretches during the winter. This is a great place to really appreciate the Sea isle City bay wildlife and learn a thing or two about nature.

One of a number of interesting species I see along the Sea Isle City (SIC), New Jersey bay are sea urchins. They are usually suspended just above or just below the water surface as they hang onto the sides of a dock or bulkhead.

I am not an oceanographer so you may need to give me a little leeway here (lol) but after some rudimentary research it seems that I am looking at the purple sea urchin. I has one to two inch long spines and purple color. I’ve heard people refer to it as a sea anomie but I think they are more poisonous and not the ones I (may or may not) have identified here. Regardless don’t step on or tough these these as the points are meant for protection and will stick you.

Apparently, the purple sea urchin is comfortable resting on these docks as they mainly eat decaying matter. Old kelp, algae, decaying ocean life, plant matter, they eat all of this.

Good to know something helping to keep the bay water clean.