Dive team Cleaning Manasquan Inlet

 

What started out as a simple question back in December by a local fishermen turned into a mission for the dive team.  While waiting for slack tide at the inlet a local fishermen ask the chief diver of the team about why he was losing all his fishing lures in this one spot.

   The chief went on to explain that there were hang ups on the bottom that the fishermen can get hung up on and that was one of the things the team does trying to clear these up.

   The fishermen said it doesn’t always happen, but at times no matter what his does he loses his gear. The chief told him the sand moves around and what’s there today might be covered tomorrow. But we would check out the area and see what was down there.

   During the dive, team members search of the area in question nothing was found but a flat sand bottom.  The team did kept an eye on this area and around the middle of March the chief diver did find a fairly larger lump of fishing line sticking out of the bottom.

first time we saw the mount

    Since no one is really fishing at this time of year he put a float on it to mark the location. Over the next 4 dives more of the lump was pulled free of the bottom and a plan was made to pull it free and remove it from the water

float on the mount

a float on each end

   On Sunday March 28 2021 the plan was put into action. The dive truck (347) was pulled up as close as we could get it to the spot of the sinker mount and thanks to the Point Pleasant Beach Police department, who closed off the area we needed, we were able to use the heavy duty winch on the front of the truck to help pull the debris free from the bottom and out of the water.

Thanks to the Point Beach Police for blocking off the area

   The team came with a plan because the current in the inlet can be extremely strong. The plan was to get divers in as the tide was still coming in and get a line out to the mount. Ali B. and Rich G had this job. Once the line to the mount was in place they would take down a large grapple hook and set it in the mount. Now the dive trucks winch would start pulling the mount out of the bottom.

Ali and Rich 

setting up the line out to the sinker mount

grapple hook set

    Chris T. and Perry B would bring down lift bags and hook them into the mount and with the truck pulling the lift bags would also provide lift. At the same time Ali, Rich and Chris and Perry would be fanning the bottom to free it and cutting any lines still hung up.

Perry and Chris ready to go

lift bag ready for air

   With assistant Chief diver Joe S on the controls of the winch and keeping a steady pull on the line the mount slowly started pulling free of the bottom. Chief diver, Chet N was swimming around making sure everyone one was safe and shooting video. At last the mount pulled free of the bottom and was pulled over to the wall and pulled from the water.

Assistant Chief diver Joe S. on the winch controls

Chet with a head mounted video camera

The sinker mount out of the water

    The last three divers in were Joe (OJ) S. and the two Jim’s, Sr. and Jr. Their jobs were to clear the area of any debris and cut away any leftover lines. By now the current was getting fairly strong and it was time to retrieve all our lines and floats.

Joe (OJ) getting ready to drop in

Jim Sr & Jr dropping in

   The mount turned out to be over two hundred pounds of fishing line and now that area is clear of any hang ups and we will not be seeing dead fish and crabs entangled in this mess.