Place: Island Beach State Park, Seaside Park, New Jersey, United States

Description

At the end of Seaside Park, New Jersy is Island Beach State Park. It is a barrier island on the Jersey Shore that stretches for nearly 10 miles. The area offers swimming on the ocean and bay sides of the island, surf fishing, bird watching, nature trails and beach buggy access for the really hard core anglers among us.

At the south end of the island is the end of the road and the last entrance to the beach. To enter, you will need a 4X4 and a permit. In order to get the permit you will need to have equipment loaded in your vehicle, including fishing gear (all on the beach with a vehicle must be actively fishing), a tow line, workable jack and support board, full size spare tire, shovel, tire pressure guage, fire extinguisher, and flashlight (among other things).

This is not for the faint of heart. But if you love surf fishing, this is the way to do it. But you will need to keep an eye on your bait. The area has many foxes and they love to scavenge. South on the beach you can see Barnegat Lighthouse and at night the light will keep you company.

One of most amazing experiences was when fishing in the surf at about 2:00 or 3:00 a.m. (yes, a.m.) I found myself surrounded by phosfluorescent jellyfish. They lit up the surf and surrounded me. It was truly a surreal and beautiful experience.

And now for an important tip - don't forget to let about half the air out of your tires. Take it from the voice of experience, you WILL get stuck if you don't. Digging out is not fun and you will most likely need someone to help you with a pull on your tow line or chain with their vehicle... The firsth time I went I learned the hard way and we were stuck for over an hour. But if you make the trek, it is well worth it...

As a final note, a three-day permit, at the time of this writing, is $50 or $195 for an annual permit.