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