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JAWS - The last interview with Frank Mundus
JAWS would never have happened if it wasn’t for Frank Mundus. Without too much prologue and to put it in a nutshell, the salty prodigal character of Captain Quint in the blockbuster movie JAWS and entire hoopla in 1978 was built upon Captain Frank Mundus and his boat the Cricket II.
Nick Honachefsky
Jul 7, 202510 min read
The Saltwater Insider
Unfiltered coastal lifestyle intel on fishing, food, booze, gear info and reviews told straight up from the Saltwater Underground.
As a professional sportfishing writer and traveler for 28 years, I’ve been around the world to over 40 countries and the entire coastal US in pursuit of angling; a lifetime dedicated to writing about incredible fishing, drinking at salty bars, dining on fantastic coastal cuisine and living an underground lifestyle outside of the norm. In the new world of non-qualified influencers posing as experts or traditional outlets bought off in backpockets of overseers, I’m really tired of listening to garbage and writing within boundaries and Bullsh$t. Here's the real low-down as I see it for unfiltered fishing intel, reviews of seaside gear, food, drinking and travel destinations to make the most out of your coastal experience.
Get to the Choppers! - Spring Bluefish
No better way to talk about bluefishing then starting out with the timeless quote from Schwarzenegger because spring bluefishing is an all out battle. Choppers, slammers, gators, gorillas – whatever you call ‘em, bluefish certainly earn their nicknames. When roving packs of blues invade the backwaters, bays and surf, nothing is safe. Blues maniacally rip through the waters with knife-wielding maws equipped to shred, tear and destroy baitfish and lures alike.
Nick Honachefsky
4 days ago5 min read
BACKWATER BLACKFISH
When people think of blackfish, usually images of shipwrecks and reef sites offshore come to mind, but a secret lies in the backwaters. Springtime brings the spawn and tautog will move back into the shallow water areas right off the coast and more importantly, breach the inlet areas and station up around backwater structure.
Nick Honachefsky
Apr 107 min read
Worming Bayshore Striped Bass
The Raritan Bayshore beaches aren’t like the soft white sand beaches along the ocean coastline, but more of a harder packed yellow sand and mud, combined with sedgebanks and pebbly rocks, along with old brick and concrete dumps. In general, a gradually sinking slope extends into the heart of the bay. All along the stretch, there are striper spots to try out including South Amboy, Old Bridge, Cliffwood Beach, Union Beach, Pebble Beach and Keyport.
Nick Honachefsky
Apr 65 min read
BOOTSTRAP BLACKFISHING
Beach bound anglers have the advantage to score from the shore before the blackfish move on their outward migration into the ocean. The gameplan is to intercept them is at the choke points of the backwater inlets, piers and canal waterways. Who needs a boat?! - pull up your bootstraps and set foot to tackle some tautog!
Nick Honachefsky
Mar 265 min read
Out of the gates Winter Flounder
Anyone under 25 years old probably doesn’t realize that there was some serious flounda poundin’ to be had in central and northern Jersey waters back in the late 90’s and early 2000’s. Every spring, fall and winter it was a lock to load the coolers up with an unlimited bag back then on only a quick two to three hour trip. Solid backwater action.
Nick Honachefsky
Mar 205 min read
Starting Gate Stripers - Going Tidal
The starting gun has fired and striper hounds across the state have bass on their minds. Historically, it’s the tidal rivers and bay systems that will see the first bent rods. Myriad backwaters will be rife with striper activity, but more important than actual location is how to go about timing, technique and tactic to score.
Nick Honachefsky
Mar 45 min read
Winter White Perch
Old Man Winter and Jack Frost continue to team up blowing frostbitten chills keeping most anglers indoors by the fireside, but that doesn’t stop die hard, cabin-fever stricken anglers from facing the freeze to run and gun for white perch.
Nick Honachefsky
Feb 244 min read
MUTANT MUTTON SNAPPER
Anyone who fishes the Florida Keys patch reefs invariably hook into a prized jewel – the mutton snapper, that are fantastic in the frying pan as well as hefty battlers that put up an arm wrenching fight.
Nick Honachefsky
Jan 183 min read
Herding Sheepshead
As a New Jersey based angler, any time I would travel south to Florida or North Carolina, I would always be intrigued by the allure of sheepshead. It wasn’t hot and heavy action, but word would get out that the “exotic” sheepshead were being hooked, and they were not small - averaging 8 to 12 pounds. Fast forward to present day, and Jersey is putting up some of the most notable IGFA line class records when it comes to sheepshead.
Nick Honachefsky
Aug 28, 20255 min read
Spanish Inquisition
I never thought I would state these word but let’s call it like it is – Spanish Mackerel are now a staple species providing a reliable fishery in New Jersey. That statement is pretty incredible as I cannot remember a time in the past when Spanish were thick enough to make daily trips targeting them.
Nick Honachefsky
Aug 18, 20254 min read
Jersey Surf Pompano
The Jersey surf always offers up some summertime surprises. This was my log entry for October 12, 2016 - “Unbelievable! Lavallette. High at 4:50 PM, seas 4 to 5 foot heavy water solid, greenish blue. Fished at 2 PM with clams, light east 5 knots, at 3:15 bagged clammed 28-inch striper and then, rod tip was freaking out with something small on it - POMPANO!”
Nick Honachefsky
Aug 15, 20255 min read
Treasures of the Crystal Coast
Down along the southern Outer Banks, North Carolina, the barrier islands stand apart in character and spirit, so much so that they go by a different name – the Crystal Coast. The sleepy tourist beach town of Emerald Isle simply sounds like it belongs here. I checked into a sublime, aquamarine-sided beachfront home on Emerald Isle, quaintly nicknamed Susie’s Hideaway, tossing my bags on a plump couch and opened the sliding window doors to feel the rush of the Atlantic surf bre
Nick Honachefsky
Aug 11, 20258 min read
Tricking Trophy Tautog
Blackfishing is a game you just can’t bluff. You’re either horrible at it, fair, or possibly even “good”, with room only left for one half of one percent of tog anglers to be considered excellent. Battling one of the most cerebral fish in the ocean isn’t easy and consistently trophy-catching toggers tend to be silent assassins who speak lightly, keeping their secrets tight to the chest.
Nick Honachefsky
Aug 11, 20256 min read
Spreader Bar Tuna Tactics
Northeast canyon tuna gurus are notorious for deploying spreader bars to raise all species of the Thunnus subgenera; including yellowfin, bluefin and bigeye. Captain Craig Angelini of the Canyon Runner, Point Pleasant NJ, is a familiar name in the offshore community as the Canyon Runner always seems to find its way onto the winner boards at major offshore tournaments. Angelini talks a little about spreader bar tuna tactics that put him on top of the pack:
Nick Honachefsky
Aug 11, 20253 min read
Proper Tuna Popping
Here it is, the moment you’ve been waiting for. Up ahead, the water is exploding with tuna smashing bait schools in a frenzy in such a fashion that you can barely stand, knees buckling with incredible excitement and heart pumping so much you may just white out.
Nick Honachefsky
Aug 11, 20253 min read
Bucktailing Back Bay Fluke
Late spring and early summer was legendary in the flatfish books. Since Superstorm Sandy relocated me to Ocean City, I had some new territory to learn, and applying some tried and true tactics, I targeted the OC backwaters and bagged more 2 to 8-pound back bay fluke than I had in my lifetime of fishing. I was absolutely floored.
Nick Honachefsky
Aug 1, 20256 min read
Hatteras Heavyweights
“Typical Hatteras seas, 6 to 8 foot Northeast and pretty nasty, but let’s give it a shot,” steeled up Captain Dan Rooks of the 50 foot custom Carolina Tuna Duck as 30 knot winds howled through the outriggers dockside and hot coffee got cold quick at 4:30 AM on a late February morning.
Nick Honachefsky
Aug 1, 20257 min read
Jersey Sheepshead
Bob Misak tread precariously along the slippery, moss-laden boulders of Barnegat Inlet’s south jetty, rod in hand and bucket of Asian crabs tied along his waist.
Nick Honachefsky
Jul 8, 20256 min read
Rocking Florida Jetty Snook
Forty knot southeast winds drove torrential rains into our faces, soaking us to the bone a 2 AM in the middle of the night. Crazy Alberto Knie and I were working one of Florida’s inlet jetties, punching 1-ounce bucktails through the spitting snot, fully realizing nobody with any sense of sanity would be out on the jetty rocks targeting snook at this ungodly hour and conditions.
Nick Honachefsky
Jul 8, 20256 min read
Land-based Flukin’ Score from the Shore
Leave the boat tied up at dock, the shoreline is the place to score with flatties! During the past decade or longer, I think I’ve caught more keeper class fluke from the surf and land-based platforms than from a boat.
Nick Honachefsky
Jul 4, 20256 min read
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