What many striper fisher men are calling a sight unseen for more than a decade, fleets of bunker boats have set up on local menhaden schools along the Jersey coast.
For the past two weeks, striper fishermen working bunker schools along the Northern Coast have watched as a fleet of commercial vessels has moved inside the three-mile limit.
The problem lies with the issuance of bait harvesting permits in New Jersey, those for boats that “catch” the baits and others for boats that are permitted to “carry” the menhaden.
Sponsored in the Assembly by Democrats Matthew Milam, Nelson Albano and Celeste Riley, and in the Senate by Democrat Jeff Van Drew, A2304/S1140 would create limited entry provisions for commercial owners looking to harvest menhaden for sale as bait, and would also limit the size and power of boats participating in the bunker harvest for bait.
The Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation is encouraging kids and families to get outside during National Fishing and Boating Week, which starts tomorrow.
To help plan the perfect day on the water, outdoor enthusiasts can visit TakeMeFishing.org to find local events, search for free fishing days and learn about the impact boaters and anglers have on the environment. And, with kids spending more and more time indoors, now is the perfect time to introduce them to nature.
The Jersey Coast Anglers Association will be holding its 16th Annual Fluke Tournament on Saturday. The awards ceremony will be held on June 18 at Trump Marina Hotel/Casino, where $70,000 in prizes will be given out.
To enter, call the JCAA office at (732) 506-6565 or visit http://www.jcaa.org.
Between the ongoing oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico and the vast areas of state and federal waters now closed to fishing, without immediate financial assistance, many of the region’s recreational fishing-dependent businesses may not be in business by the 4th of July.
A post-Memorial Day survey of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida recreational fishing-dependent business owners, conducted by the American Sportfishing Association (ASA), found that more than 85 percent of the owners surveyed won’t survive the oil leak’s fallout without immediate financial assistance.
