Thursday, October 1, 2026
“Fishing is a passion that can never be fully explained,” the phrase is often used with merchandise in an effort to capture the unexplainable bliss and spirit of the experience.
And for those of us who are fortunate enough to have grown up in Long Beach, we possess an abundance of childhood memories which remain indelibly printed in the deep recesses of our minds, and which seem to be shared on a regular basis whenever old friends get together.
These include the milestones of “firsts” which are rites of passage for those who spent their formative years on our barrier island: the first slice of Gino’s pizza, the first time sneaking onto a lifeguard chair with that special someone during a hot summer evening, and pulling up your first fish during an early angling experience, perhaps with your father or in the company of your neighborhood friends. And more often than not, the latter took place at one iconic location: the fishing pier at the Long Beach Recreation Center referred to by us locals as “The Rec.”
Depending on what you’ve read or whom you believe, the first fishing pier in Long Beach was constructed in 1885 on the “bay side” of Long Beach, (jutting into what would eventually be named Reynolds Channel) in the vicinity of the current Magnolia Boulevard.
Draining in and out of Jones Inlet from the east and Rockaway Inlet from the west, Reynolds Channel has always been a favorite destination of innumerable species of marine life, which come and go as the seasons change during the year. This has always made it an ideal fishing location. The actual pier has been reconstructed several times since those early days, with the current structure being a part of the post-Hurricane Sandy rehabilitation of the entire city, sturdier than ever.
For me, my childhood pals and our older siblings (children of the 1950s and ’60s), an afternoon spent fishing at The Rec was all that a kid could ask for. Depending on where one lived, you would either bicycle or walk over to the pier, but not before making a stop at one of the local fishing stations to pick up bait, hooks, sinkers and other accoutrements. Eagle’s Fishing Pier at New York Avenue and the bay was our favored place.
Once at the pier, we would fish for a few hours or the entire day, depending on both the weather and how the action was. No matter what the circumstances, it was always a day of bliss. However, there were times when a wonderful day of fishing would be cut short by an unanticipated event, usually involving the loss of a key piece of the fishing necessities.
More fishing would mean a trip back to Eagle’s, which was usually out of the question. To this day, a part of me remains traumatized when I saw my killie box gloat out to sea because I did not tie not properly to the pier!
During a recent visit to Long Beach with the guys who I used to fish with, (yes, 60 and 70 years later, a good number of us are still friends!), that ignominious day was recalled clearly, with me once again being the butt of some good natured ribbing.
However, we were more than pleasantly surprised to learn that for those who might suffer the same fate today, such occurrences are now simply minor annoyances. Because as we pulled up to the pier, we discovered something new at our old haunt — a full service fishing station!
Just a few years old, the Magnolia Bait and Tackle shop provides everything that an angler might require, whether a novice or a seasoned pro! Besides hooks, sinkers, and lures, along with every kind of bait one might require, the shop offers rentals to outfit any eager first timer, including fishing rods and instruction on how to use them. As the classic television pancake syrup commercial used to ask “what took so long?”
Actually, the question, which may be asked, is: “What sparked the construction of such a long needed facility after over a century of fishing in our fair town without one?”
Justin Kula, the gentleman who we met that day who is the owner, provided the answer. Justin’s story is not unfamiliar, disenchanted with his life on Wall Street; he transplanted himself from Syosset to Long Beach, seeking to reinvent himself while finding a more rewarding lifestyle.
While on this journey, Justin found himself spending time at the pier, befriending both the adult and child regulars. Some of those in the latter group would find themselves in the same situation that I was in when I lost my killie box as a kid.
Some would run out of something, some forgot something; some simply got hungry and needed something to eat. Justin cheerfully would give the youngsters a ride in town to pick up whatever was needed and as time went on he found that the demand for such services kept increasing. Rather than start a dedicated taxi service to cater to fishermen of all ages, he decided, to paraphrase the ancient saying, “bring the mountain to himself.”
A few short years later, some of those kids who got rides from Justin are now his employees, helping out the usual robust crowd of visitors and customers with whatever they may need for a day of fishing or organizing special events for the fishing club or one of the after school activities, or perhaps preparing picnic lunches at the waterside dining area.
The Magnolia Pier Bait and Tackle staff might even be incorporating the joys of fishing into one of the rituals of one of our houses of worship. Last fall, a local synagogue fished from a Sukkah, a temporary hut constructed for use during the weeklong festival of Sukkot!
It has been said that the man who goes fishing gets more than the fish he catches. If you fish, this needs no explanation. If you don’t, and have not been to the Magnolia Pier in a while, do yourself a favor and come by some time. The meaning will become crystal clear in short order.
