It's March 1st, 2026. Today the "season" for striped bass opens up in the back bays and rivers of New Jersey. Right now, at 732 am, someone, somewhere, is driving around a frozen striped bass looking to have their catch registered at one of the many tackle shops that may certify it as the first striped bass caught in New Jersey. It'll most likely come from the waters of
the Hackensack, Toms, Manasquan, Maurice or Mullica Rivers. While the ocean has remained opened year round I doubt anyone is fishing out front looking for that first bass of the year. I did a quick internet tour to see if there were any recorded catches but none as of yet.
If you're not out there soaking bait then maybe you'll be attending The Asbury Park Fishing Club's fishing flea market. It's one of the big plug shows that's like what The Fly Fishing Shows is to fly fishing but for surfcasters. There's Surf Day, todays show, and the Berkeley show to name a few. I remember when I first got a wind of the plug and plug making scene when I joined the APFC in 2010. The biggest difference is while people arrive early for TFFS these guys pitch a tent and wait overnight for the first shot at the latest plugs offered by some of the best plug makers in the business.
Makers would set up a table and watch as the beeline of buyers would make their way in and to the table where some would sell out in less then an hour, if that long. Being a fly fishermen and member of the club I really did know the hype or the drama and politics that came with the plug scene, and boy was and is there drama. And drama, while fun to watch sometimes, can ruin a good thing. You know how I feel about the internet, and eBay, and how it affects the find, or get, and throw in a little greed and there you go.
It used to be you would get there early, wait in line at the entrance, and then at the hottest table, to pick through what was left. Then the flipping thing hit the scene. Guys would buy several plugs only to put them up on the internet at a huge mark-up. While you could say it's Capitalism, it really put a bad spin on what was in a way a form of artwork. Yes, some guys fish these expensive plugs, other collect them and have huge displays. To combat that they went to a plug buy maximum and even went to a ticket system at the gate, because, we always find a way to f-things up.
Being the photographer in the club my duties after help setting up Friday and Saturday was to document the show. I did that for four years running before fizzing out of the club. Below is the video I made from the 2012 show, which was 14 years ago. Man, life goes by fast. If the kids today only knew how quickly life goes by.
I've seen the APFC show held in the Paramount Theatre, in the Grand Arcade, and in the Convention Center. What's interesting is the timing of each of these shows. Anglers only have such a certain budget for plugs, and fishing in general, with their spouse knowing it or not, so if you go all-in at an early show you might miss out a buying opportunity at a later show. So there's a strategy and tactics in getting what you want.
I hope this a sign that spring is in the air although here's plenty of winter left and a threat of snow coming in the next few days. While I'm a few months away from throwing flies with the possibility of actually catching a fish I hope to be able to find my gear in one of the many bins that are packed and stacked ready for a potential move. Time will tell with that, but we're moving in that direction, although some days the measure of progress is disheartening. So it's back to the Lionel trains today and getting ready for the big Facebook Marketplace listing, where hopefully they'll be train buyers like there are going to be at the Asbury Park Fishing Club's fishing flea market today.
Below is the show, in motion, from 2014....