Long Branch...back in time

[clamchucker]

Especially for whiting and ling.The SE corner for Fluke. The front for tiderunner weakfish to 17-18 pounds, slammer blues to 20#, shark,bonita to 10#,spanish mackeral and albacore to 15#

Oh by the way I have pictures to prove all this,those were the good old days

I think one of the things about the good old days is that we know we will not see them again. Like when we used to catch hundreds of weakfish at a time in the Delaware Bay off of Fortescue. Nothing can ever take those memories away though. Thanks for sharing yours finchaser.

[finchaser]

I think one of the things about the good old days is that we know we will not see them again. Like when we used to catch hundreds of weakfish at a time in the Delaware Bay off of Fortescue. Nothing can ever take those memories away though. Thanks for sharing yours finchaser.

forgot all about the runs to Delaware and shinnecock for weakfish. Your right we will not see them again nor will anyone else due to modern fishing technology, greed and ego. it's sad

[finchaser]

http://njscuba.net/sites/site_long_branch.html great pictures

[buckethead]

We even live lined moths for bats that lived under the pier but that's another story.

Fantastic pics at the scuba site thanks for sharing.
Would love to hear you tell that story finchaser. Sounds like something I would only do after a bottle of Jack Daniels. You guys must have had balls of steel.

[storminsteve]

X2 great photos thank you for sharing all the stories too. Like to hear the bat story as well finchaser.

[buckethead]

Especially for whiting and ling.The SE corner for Fluke. The front for tiderunner weakfish to 17-18 pounds, slammer blues to 20#, shark,bonita to 10#,spanish mackeral and albacore to 15#

Oh by the way I have pictures to prove all this,those were the good old days

Thanks for sharing, and for the pics finchaser.

[storminsteve]

I hope people aren't turned off by the way I lay this down, because I have a bias here. Finchaser and Joe Melillo are some of the most talented fishermen from that golden era of NJ fishing, and continue to lots of younger guys on a regular basis. They were in an elite club called Steven's Surfsters that consistently won tournaments on the NJ fishing club circuit. More about that later.

That's not the half of it though. I knew the OGB, but wasn't fortunate enough to know him well until this year. Sure he's a great fisherman, so what?

How many people know that he, Joe Melillo, and a few other stubborn old farts were responsible for fighting to get the out of state bunker boats away from our bunker?
JCAA and bunker boats:
http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/...ead.php?t=5151

Did they do this in a few months? One year?

Hell no, they fought corrupt politicians, apathetic state officials, and the regulatory agencies for 11 years!

Yet I have never heard OGB or Joe Melillo brag about what they and JCAA members such as Tom Fote, Len Fantasia, Ron Sickler, and others did in the past, so that we have a future today!
JCAA history:
http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/...ead.php?t=5150

While other guys couldn't be bothered, or were content to "let Joe do it", there was a Joe, Ron, Bob, Tom, Len, and a few others from JCAA who, against formidable odds, and apathetic fellow fishermen, wouldn't give up until they gained some ground, marshalled the support of all the fishing clubs in the area, and got restrictions placed on the netters.

What is the significance of this, Dark?
Why are you preaching at us, why should we care what a bunch of grouchy old men did?

Because these guys were directly involved in the growth of the great NJ inshore trophy bass striped fishery we have today by getting those bunker boats removed.

I also ask when you see Fin post about the decline or lack of bass, take his words as gospel. He doesn't exaggerate, and his integrity is solid. This guy, and some others here and in the fishing world, have lived through the moratorium.

Sometimes it feels like he's yelling at me when he relates this stuff to me. That's why I call him a grouchy old bassturd. He has seen the stocks rebuilt. He and other friends of his fought for years to see that dream come true. Now they're declining, and many seem unconcerned.
(Where are the striped bass?)
http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/...p?t=760&page=6

Can ya blame the guy for bein just a little grouchy?

Since they're not the types to toot their own horns, I chose to do it for them.

I had some errands to run after work today and found myself in long branch. I walked around pier village a bit and tried to imagine how it was back then. Thank you for preserving these memories you old timers and finchaser thanks for all the stuff you guys did too and fighting against the bunker boats. I don't like the new long branch I feel it is too commerical. This thread rocks!

[great_white_hunter]

I get flashbacks every time I go there....I drive by the big stone church. I can remember parking at 5am in the late 90's before school do an hour or so of surfing and then heading into school. Now I'm sure you'd have to pay to park. I liked it much better before.

[bababooey]

A little something I found on the windmill, which has been there since 1964


aht.seriouseats.com/archives/2009/06/the-wind...
A Great Burger by the Beach at The Windmill in Long Branch, New Jersey

Posted by Nick Solares, June 9, 2009 at 10:30 AM

The Windmill

586 Ocean Boulevard, Long Branch NJ 07740; map); 732-229-9863; windmillhotdogs.com
Cooking Method: Charbroiled
Short Order: Classic backyard grill-out burger served out of vintage, circa 1964 edifice that actually looks like a windmill
Want Fries with That? Untested, but they seem to be proud of their cheese fries; they get equal billing with hot dogs and burgers on the chains tag line
Price: Cheeseburger, $4.19

I don't expect every website, particularly those of hamburger joints, to be the last word in web design, but I do expect the photos of the food they use to look somewhat like the food they actually serve—especially if that hamburger is rather good. Take the website for The Windmill, for example. If I didn't know better, and if a friend who grew up near to the Long Branch original hadn't vouched for it, I would never go to the Windmill based on the picture of the hamburger they use on their website. It looks like a stock photo from an agency: big crusty looking bun, vibrantly colored rabbit food that defies gravity by not sagging under the weight of the double serving of beef, the frilly lettuce perfectly ruffled on top of the bottom bun. The picture looks like something from a generic national fast food chain whose food is worse than shown, rather than what the Windmill is: a distinctive regional chain with a burger that is much better than what is pictured on their website.

Don't be fooled into getting the wrong burger. While The Windmill does offer a "California" burger with lettuce, tomato, and onion on a hard roll as pictured on their website, the basic charbroiled cheeseburger on a generic white bun is a thing of understated beauty. Even though I am a big proponent of griddle-cooked hamburgers, there is something that just feels right about eating charbroiled burgers near the beach. The salt in the air competes with the smoke from the grill for your attention as the taste of the hash marked patties evoke memories of backyard cookouts, beach parties, and summer vacations. There is something festive about this type of hamburger, but I think that they need to be eaten outdoors for the best effect. And that is where I recommend you eat the hamburger at The Windmill.

It may be skinny and cooked through, but the fresh, never frozen, beef is juicy nonetheless and has some delightful grill marks that have a pleasing acridity and provide a nice crunch. Underseasoned? Perhaps a tad, but you will hardly notice if you climb the winding stairs up to the outdoor balcony, sit down on the picnic tables, and breathe in the warm, salty breeze. Although the squishy bun may be a bit large for a single patty, it is an otherwise perfect vessel for the smoky patty. You might ask for a double to redress the imbalance or you could just add some pickles and a dollop of mustard or red relish.

The Windmill website might not have the best picture of the hamburgers that they serve, but it at least lets you know that the chain has eight locations throughout New Jersey with a ninth opening soon in Hoboken. I can't imagine that the burgers at any of the other outposts could taste better than the one served at the circa 1964 original in Long Branch, which is the only restaurant in the chain that actually looks like a windmill. You need to be outdoors in the sun with a sea breeze blowing to get the most out of this burger.

Best burgers in the state. Fuddruckers used to be a close competitor but seem to have disappeared.

[hookedonbass]

Was looking at this thread and getting flashbacks again. Plus the windmill hamburger made me hungry. Can't wait until the weather is better and you can go into the windmill and get dogs and fries at 2am.

[CharlieTuna]

They say the NE corner was the best. Great thread and pics.

old pic I found online. I have some good memories back when I lived in Jersey and fished there.

[basshunter]

After video of the fire. Sad

[bababooey]

Wow didn't realize that was 27 years ago.

[storminsteve]

Bump for a great thread. The way things used to be compared to how they are now is a world of difference. Every holiday I go and scroll through this thread and look at the old pics. Now if you go down there it is all sleek buildings, condos, and all about folks spending money and dining and partying. That's fun but I wish I could have grown up among the old salts at the pier. Guys like finchaser and 3 fingers pete and the other salty fishermen. Must have really been a special time. gone forever but nice to reminisce, though.

[storminsteve]

old pic I found online. I have some good memories back when I lived in Jersey and fished there.

Thanks for sharing that charlie. That's what I was talking about in my previous post. Awesome.

[DarkSkies]

Bump for a great thread. The way things used to be compared to how they are now is a world of difference. Every holiday I go and scroll through this thread and look at the old pics. Now if you go down there it is all sleek buildings, condos, and all about folks spending money and dining and partying. That's fun but I wish I could have grown up among the old salts at the pier. Guys like finchaser and 3 fingers pete and the other salty fishermen. Must have really been a special time. gone forever but nice to reminisce, though.

Some of the most colorful references in this thread come from Fin....Joe Melillo....and some of the other old timers at the Long Branch fishing pier...who made that pier and the stories that still are told....the iconic place that it was....
Thought you might like to re-visit them.....

[jsarosi]

Hi Dark,
Great thread! Brings back many memories for me. I fished the pier for many years and was a member of the Long Branch Fishing Club. I fished the pier since I was 10 years old. Did you guys ever had a reunion? I sure miss the pier and the regulars fishing there.

[DarkSkies]

Hi Dark,
Great thread! Brings back many memories for me. I fished the pier for many years and was a member of the Long Branch Fishing Club. I fished the pier since I was 10 years old. Did you guys ever had a reunion? I sure miss the pier and the regulars fishing there.

Hey, welcome aboard!
Is your first name Joe?

If you are ever in the Point Pleasant area, drop in to Castaways bait and tackle.....
http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/...Point-Pleasant

Some of the old timers from the Long Branch Pier stop by there regularly.......
I think 3 fingers Pete might have passed on....but some of the other crusty old farts are around....Finchaser, Joe Melillo....etc
and you might remember Mark Ballocco....he's probably around your age........

They might be able to fill you in with some more details.......
The years I could have spent chasing fish at the pier, I spent chasing women.


I think that pier was one of the icons of our NJ fishing history....and you're right....the stories are great.....
Hearkening back to a lost era......

Thanks for the kind words....
Let me know if I can help ya in any other way....
PM me if you need more help or info....any time......

[finchaser]

Hi Dark,
Great thread! Brings back many memories for me. I fished the pier for many years and was a member of the Long Branch Fishing Club. I fished the pier since I was 10 years old. Did you guys ever had a reunion? I sure miss the pier and the regulars fishing there.

Dark was not one of us at the pier Joe and I started the Long Branch fishing club.

On a sad note we lost Pauli Rubino a few weeks back

[buckethead]

It was you and Joe Melillo? Gosh that was a great pier. Didn't spend a lot of time there but I do remember it. Weren't they considering building another one. what happened to those plans?