Cape Atlantic Outdoors :: South Jersey

NJ Launches Campaign to Lure Freshwater Anglers

Carl Price NJ Outdoors — Thu, 29 May 2008 05:55:47 GMT

If it's been a while since you've gone fishing in New Jersey, the Department of Environmental Protection has a special message for you: We want you back.

That's the upshot of a newly launched direct-mail and radio-advertising campaign that invites anglers to rediscover the pleasures of freshwater fishing and reminds them that fishing in New Jersey is time and money well spent.

"New Jersey's thousands of miles of rivers and streams and more than 4,000 reservoirs, lakes and ponds offer some of the finest freshwater fishing available anywhere on the East Coast," DEP Commissioner Lisa P. Jackson said. "Find out what you've been missing; come back to fishing in New Jersey. It's top-quality recreation close to home."

Beginning this week, at least 60,000 anglers who bought a New Jersey fishing license during the past two years, but haven't yet renewed it, will receive by mail a postcard that pitches license purchases and promotes fishing as one of the best ways to escape, play and reconnect with nature, family and friends.

The promotion is a partnership between the DEP's Division of Fish and Wildlife and the Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to boosting participation in recreational angling and boating nationwide through its well-known "Take Me Fishing" campaign.

To reinforce the postcard's message, five New Jersey radio stations also will air 30-second and 60-second spots that tout the key benefits of fishing - particularly the opportunities for exercise, relaxation and nurturing relationships with family and friends.

Sport fishing is not only good for the body and soul, it also puts muscle in the state economy. Every year, more than 150,000 freshwater anglers and 500,000 saltwater anglers collectively spend about 9 million days fishing in New Jersey. The annual economic impact of their expenditures totals about $1.5 billion, including more than $90 million in state tax revenue, and generates more than 13,000 jobs.

The campaign launch coincides with New Jersey's Free Fishing Days on June 7 and 8, which offer residents and visitors a chance to wet a line in all waters open to public fishing without purchasing a license or trout stamp.

"We encourage novice and seasoned anglers alike to take advantage of the opportunity to fish for free in New Jersey; once you've experienced what you've been missing, we think you'll be hooked on the sport," Commissioner Jackson said.

On all other days during the year, anglers must purchase a fishing license and, if trying their luck for trout, a trout stamp, too. Children under 16 and seniors 70 or older can fish anytime without a license or stamp. Freshwater fishing licenses and trout stamps can be purchased conveniently and printed immediately through the Division of Fish and Wildlife's Web site at http://www.njfishandwildlife.com/ .

A list of license agents statewide is also available on the Web site, along with a wealth of information on fishing in New Jersey. Click on the 'Take Me Fishing' link on the Web site homepage.

National Registry of Saltwater Anglers on Horizon

Carl Price NJ Outdoors — Thu, 29 May 2008 05:53:56 GMT

NOAA Fisheries Service is undertaking an initiative to build a new program to improve the collection, analysis and use of recreational saltwater fishing information. Part of the initiative will include creating a national registry of saltwater anglers. To learn more about the program go to:

http://www.nero.noaa.gov/nero/hotnews/recfish/

Three Weeks Left in Jersey Spring Trout Stocking Season

Carl Price NJ Outdoors — Tue, 06 May 2008 13:21:28 GMT

With three weeks of trout stocking still to go this spring, there's still plenty of great opportunities to fish in any of the state's 180 designated trout stocked waters. Nearly 475,000 trout have been stocked thus far, and over the next three weeks another 96,000 trout will be released into 60 of these waters.

Little rain has fallen since the trout season opener on April 5, and fishing conditions have been nearly ideal. As temperatures begin to warm and the opening day excitement begins to fade, savvy anglers know that May is one of the best months to fish for trout. Streams are generally less crowded with anglers, and by walking or wading just a short distance upstream or downstream from a stocking point you can often find trout that have been overlooked by others. May is also a hot month for catching big trout in Holdover and Trophy Trout Lakes.

Trout stocking continues through May 23. There is still plenty of time to grab your fishing gear and head to nearby trout-stocked water to enjoy a few hours outdoors fishing for trout. For information on where to go, stocking schedules, "Bonus Broodstock" waters and more, visit http://www.njfishandwildlife.com/trtinfo_spr08.htm on the NJ DEP Division of Fish and Wildlife Website.

Deer harvest info for 2007-08 season

Carl Price NJ Outdoors — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 08:19:29 GMT

The deer harvest totals, by zone, season and county, for the 2007-08 deer seasons are now available on the NJ DEP Division of Fish and Wildlife Web site. Data goes back as far as 1972 for those interested in harvest trends over the past 35 years.

The data is linked from http://www.njfishandwildlife.com/deer.htm#harvests where visitors will find a great deal of information about New Jersey's deer herd and its management.

ASMFC Withdraws New Jersey Tautog Noncompliance Finding

Carl Price NJ Outdoors — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 08:16:23 GMT

ASMFC Withdraws New Jersey Tautog Noncompliance Finding

Washington, DC - ASMFC Chair George D. Lapointe has notified the Secretaries of Commerce and the Interior that the Commission has withdrawn its noncompliance finding for the State of New Jersey with regards to its tautog management program. New Jersey notified the Commission on March 25, 2008 that it has implemented management measures that achieve a 25.6 percent reduction in exploitation as required by Addenda IV and V of the Interstate Fishery Management Plan for Tautog. The measures, which include recreational bag limits, and season closures for both the recreational and commercial fisheries, are consistent with those previously reviewed and approved by the Commission's Tautog Technical Committee and Management Board.
"We are delighted that New Jersey, a major participant in the tautog fishery, has committed to joining our states in taking the necessary steps to rebuild this valuable species," states ASMFC Chair George D. Lapointe.
"With stock biomass at a third of its historical average, it is critical that all the states and stakeholders dependent on this fishery share in the burden of restoring this important resource."
On February 7, 2008, pursuant to the provisions of the Atlantic Coastal Fisheries Cooperative Management Act of 1993, the Commission notified the Secretaries of Commerce and the Interior that the State of New Jersey was out of compliance with the provisions of the Addenda IV and V to the Tautog Plan. Specifically, New Jersey had not implemented Addenda IV and V's mandatory harvest reductions, which require the state to implement a management program that will achieve a 25.6 percent reduction in exploitation by January 1, 2008. The reduction is necessary to initiate rebuilding of the overfished tautog stock and to maintain effective cooperative management of the resource.
On March 11, 2008, the Secretary of Commerce concurred with the Commission's determination of noncompliance and notified the state that the federal government would impose a moratorium on fishing for, possession of, and landing of tautog in New Jersey state waters on April 1, 2008. With submission of the Commission's March 26th letter to the Secretary regarding New Jersey's compliance, the moratorium will not be imposed.
For more information, please contact Robert Beal, Director, Interstate Fisheries Management Program, at (202) 289-6400.

2008 Freshwater Fishing Directory Available

Carl Price NJ Outdoors — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 10:47:21 GMT

The 2008 Freshwater Fishing Digest is now available online at http://www.njfishandwildlife.com/digfsh.htm . The Digest is also available at all license agent locations. A list of license agents can be viewed at http://www.njfishandwildlife.com/agentlst.htm . Trout season opens on April 5. Fishing licenses are available at agent locations or they can be purchased and printed at home at the following link: https://www3.wildlifelicense.com/nj/start.php

Freshwater Fishing Forum at Batsto

Carl Price NJ Outdoors — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 10:09:51 GMT

The NJ DEP Division of Fish and Wildlife will host a Freshwater Fisheries Forum on Saturday, March 1 at the Batsto Village Visitors Center in Wharton State Forest, Burlington County. The forum will begin at 10 am.

The forum will provide an opportunity for anglers to learn about freshwater fisheries research and management, culture and recreational angling in New Jersey, and to share their views and recommendations. Division biologists will be on hand to answer questions

Pre-registration is not required but is appreciated, and will help ensure that all attendees can be accommodated. Pre-register by calling 856-629-4950 or via e-mail to Christopher.Smith@dep.state.nj.us. Please include your name, address, phone number and the number of people attending.

More information about the forum, including directions, is available on the division's Web site at http://www.njfishandwildlife.com/news/2008/fshforumsouth.htm .

WEAKFISH REGS CHANGE

Carl Price NJ Outdoors — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 06:23:14 GMT

The Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) announces the implementation of new regulations for the harvest of weakfish. These regulations were adopted to remain in compliance with the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s (ASMFC) Interstate Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for Weakfish.

In January, 2007, the ASMFC Weakfish Management Board (Board) approved Addendum II to Amendment 4 of the FMP in an attempt to control expansion of weakfish fisheries. Under Addendum II, the states of Massachusetts through North Carolina were required to implement a six fish creel limit at their current size limit for the recreational fishery.

For New Jersey, effective immediately, the possession limit will be reduced from the current eight (8) fish to six (6) fish while the size limit will remain at 13 inches. The Addendum also establishes a coastwide commercial landings limit of approximately 3.7 million pounds (based on the average landings for 2000-2004) and reduces the allowable bycatch limit for commercial fisheries from 300 pounds to 150 pounds per day or trip. New Jersey’s bycatch limit has been 150 pounds since 1996.

The Board’s action was taken in response to a significant decline in stock abundance and increasing total mortality since 1999. The FMP requires the Board to adjust the management program to help rebuild spawning stock biomass. This issue is compounded by the fact that natural mortality, rather than fishing mortality, has been indicated as the lead cause for stock decline. In order to provide a greater probability of the stock rebounding, the Board has implemented a more conservative recreational creel limit, a commercial bycatch limit, and an annual commercial landings limit.

These management measures will be re-evaluated when either the coastwide commercial landings equal or exceed 80% of the commercial landings limit or any single state’s landings exceed its five-year mean by more than 25% in any single year.

Fish & Wildlife seeks Management Areas input

Carl Price NJ Outdoors — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 08:57:58 GMT

Recently voters approved a Constitutional Amendment which allows the dedication of a portion of the Corporate Business Tax to fund maintenance and capital improvements at state parks and Wildlife Management Areas. Wildlife Management Areas are public lands that offers citizens the opportunity to hike, bike, kayak, boat, birdwatch and hunt and fish.

With this stable source of funding, the Division of Fish and Wildlife now has the opportunity to expand how these areas can be used for public enjoyment. As we develop our plan for these 122 areas, we are interested in hearing from you, the users of these public lands. To help us in this decision making, we are asking you to please take a few moments to complete an on-line survey at http://www.njfishandwildlife.com/wmasurvey08.htm . Please fill out a separate survey for each WMA that you use. Thank you in advance for assisting the Division in this important capital improvement activity.

NJ Hunters & Anglers Spend Big Bucks

Carl Price NJ Outdoors — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 07:56:58 GMT

New Jersey's Hunters and Anglers Have a Significant Impact on the Economy
Spending $1 Billion a Year

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- New Jersey's 562,000 hunters and anglers are among the most prominent and influential of all demographic groups, spending more than $1 billion a year on hunting and fishing, according to a new report.

The new report, "Hunting and Fishing: Bright Stars of the American Economy ~ A force as big as all outdoors," spotlights the immense impact hunters and anglers have on the economy at the national and state level.

Links:

New Jersey Fact Sheet

Compare New Jersey
with Other States

In New Jersey, spending by hunters and anglers directly supports 16,000 jobs, which puts $585 million worth of paychecks into pockets of working residents around the state. Of course, government coffers also benefit -- spending by sportsmen in pursuit of these outdoor activities generates $109 million in state and local taxes. These latest figures demonstrate that season after season hunters and anglers are driving the economy from big businesses to rural towns, through booms and recessions.

"Because sportsmen enjoy hunting or fishing alone or in small groups, they are overlooked as a constituency and as a substantial economic force," stated Jeff Crane, president of the Congressional Sportsmen's Foundation. "When you compare spending by hunters and anglers to other sectors, their impact on the state's economy becomes more tangible."

Sportsmen support as many jobs in New Jersey as Continental Airlines and the University of Medicine and Dentistry combined, two of the largest employers in the state (16,000 jobs).
Annual spending by New Jersey sportsmen is more than the combined revenues of The Vitamin Shoppe, Forman Mills, AmeriQuest Transportation and Logistics Resources - three of the fastest growing companies in the state ($1 billion vs. $874 million).
New Jersey sportsmen annually spend more than the cash receipts for all agricultural commodities ($1 billion vs. $924 million).
Annually, New Jersey sportsmen spend $130 million on outboard boats and engines to get out onto the water and around the marshes for hunting and fishing.
New Jersey sportsmen outnumber the populations of Newark and Jersey City (562,000 vs. 520,000).
The economic stimulus of hunting and fishing equates to an astounding $2.9 million a day being pumped into the state's economy.

"Spending by sportsmen benefits not only the manufacturers of hunting and fishing related products, but everything from local mom and pop businesses to wildlife conservation," noted Doug Painter, president of National Shooting Sports Foundation. "And because most hunting and fishing takes place in rural areas, much of the spending benefits less affluent parts of the state."

On the national level, 34 million sportsmen age 16 and older spent more than $76 billion in 2006, supporting 1.6 million jobs. If a single corporation grossed as much as hunters and anglers spend, it would be among America's 20 largest, ahead of Target, Costco and AT&T. And if all hunters and anglers had voted during the last presidential election, they would have equaled 31 percent of all votes cast. If all hunters and anglers living in New Jersey voted, they would have equaled 17 percent of all votes cast in the state.

These statistics are impressive and, if anything, they underestimate the impact of sportsmen since they do not take into account the millions of hunters and anglers under 16 years of age or people who were not able to get out and hunt or fish in 2006. When sportsmen's spending is thought of in business terms and compared to other sectors of the economy, it is quite remarkable. From small rural towns scattered across our country's landscape to the bottom-line of Fortune 500 companies located in major cities, if you take away hunting and fishing you take away the equivalent of a multi-billion dollar corporation.

"It is a fairly simple equation – hunters and anglers mean jobs in states and local communities that have made the effort to maintain their hunting and fishing opportunities," said Crane. "The economic impacts that sportsmen have on state economies should be a wake-up call to state governments to welcome and encourage hunting and fishing in their state."

The report, "Hunting and Fishing: Bright Stars of the American Economy ~ A force as big as all outdoors," was produced by the Congressional Sportsmen's Foundation with support from the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, National Marine Manufacturers Association, National Shooting Sports Foundation and SCI - First For Hunters. The report uses the results from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's 2006 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting and Wildlife-Associated Recreation and statistics provided by the American Sportfishing Association and Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies.

The report: "Hunting and Fishing: Bright Stars of the American Economy ~ A force as big as all outdoors" along with STATE FACTS are available on the Web at
www.sportsmenslink.org and www.nssf.org

For more information or questions contact: Melinda Gable 202-302-4794 or at Melinda@sportsmenslink.org

Grants Available for School Fishing Programs

Carl Price NJ Outdoors — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 10:07:29 GMT

The Future Fisherman Foundation and The Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation are partnering to sponsor the Physical Education Grants Initiative.

These grants provide up to $2,500 to certified physical education teachers to help establish a fishing and/or boating education program in their school. The grant recipient will attend a 5-day training workshop. Grant funds can be used for transportation to and from the training workshop. Room and board will be covered by the Future Fisherman Foundation and does not come out of the grant award. The grant is open to all K-12 PE teachers who are members of the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance. Applications for the 2008-2009 school year are due January 21, 2008. Information is available on the Future Fisherman Foundation's website at http://www.futurefisherman.org/programs/pegrants.php or on the Division's web site at http://www.njfishandwildlife.com.

Meet Physical Education Standards

The National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE) developed a set of standards for physical education that discusses what a student should know and be able to do as a result of a quality physical education program. All standards can be met by a fishing and/or boating program. Some of the standards that can be met include the following:

-- Understand that physical activity provides opportunity for enjoyment, challenge, self-expression and social interaction.

-- Demonstrate competency in many movement forms and proficiency in a few movement forms.

-- Applies movement concepts and principles to the learning and development of motor skills.

-- Exhibits a physically active lifestyle.

-- Preparing for a fishing education program

Pequest Trout Hatchery and Natural Resource Education Center is a great place to learn about our aquatic resources and how to fish. Pequest offers video and tours of the hatchery year-round. We also offer fishing education classes from April through October.

Visit us on the web at http://www.njfishandwildlife.com for a list of programs or to learn how to schedule a program. Once your students have learned the basic skills necessary for fishing and have gained knowledge about aquatic resources, schedule a trip to Pequest for a hands-on fishing experience they will never forget! All of the Pequest programs are free of charge!

Fall Trout Stocking Underway

Carl Price NJ Outdoors — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 10:09:46 GMT

The NJ DEP Division of Fish and Wildlife's popular Fall Trout Stocking Program began Tuesday, October 2, with streams in the northern and central portion of the state being stocked. By the end of next week 20,000 brook, brown, and rainbow trout averaging 14 to 16 inches, and weighing 1½ - 2 pounds, will have been distributed in 16 streams and 16 lakes and ponds statewide.

Due to low water flows, some changes in stocking are anticipated. As of today, changes are planned for the Black River which will not be stocked; the Lamington River will be stocked instead. Also, the South Branch of the Raritan River will only be stocked downstream of the Rt. 513/Rt. 517 bridge in Long Valley.

For more information on the fall stocking, as well as the stocking schedule and any other changes, visit http://www.njfishandwildlife.com/trtinfo_fall.htm on the division's Web site.

NJ Hunting Digest Online

Carl Price NJ Outdoors — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 10:10:18 GMT

The 2007 Hunting Digest is now available on the DEP Division of Fish and Wildlife Web site in PDF format. It can be downloaded from http://www.njfishandwildlife.com/dighnt07.htm. Print versions are expected to arrive at license agents and division offices beginning Wednesday, August 29.
Waterfowl information on this year's population status and hunting seasons has been put together by biologist Ted Nichols. His informative article can be viewed at http://www.njfishandwildlife.com/artmigratory07.htm. It also includes a link to information about this year's three Youth Waterfowl Hunt days in October.

Four vessels slated for reef duty in Cape May County

Carl Price NJ Outdoors — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 10:11:02 GMT

Four vessels are being meticulously cleaned for sinking on New Jersey's Reef Network. The vessels include a 77-foot trawler, two 100-foot deck barges, and a 100-foot surf clam vessel.

Once the vessels are sunk they will soon become homes for 150 species of fish and marine life, fishing grounds for anglers and an underwater attractions for scuba divers. The vessels will continue to provide habitat for marine life and be productive fishing grounds for at least another 50 years. The target dates for the deployments are:

August 3rd - 77-foot trawler at Townsends Inlet Reef

August 9th - 200-foot deck barge at Axel Carlson Reef

August 16th - 200-foot deck barge at Cape May Reef

August 28th - 100-foot surf clam dredge at Cape May Reef

All reef deployments are subject to weather and sea conditions. For further information regarding these deployments contact Hugh Carberry at 609-748-2022. For information on past deployments please visit NJfishandwildlife.com.

MITTEN CRAB ALERT

Carl Price NJ Outdoors — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 10:11:49 GMT

The NJDEP Division of Fish and Wildlife would like recreational crabbers to be aware that five Chinese mitten crabs were recently caught by commercial watermen on the Delaware side of Delaware Bay/River and have been sighted in the Hudson River near the Tappan Zee Bridge. Mitten crabs are native to Asia but have invaded portions of northern Europe and California.

These crabs are listed as an invasive species. The Division of Fish and Wildlife has contacted, and will be cooperating with, the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC) in Edgewater, Maryland, which is spearheading the investigation of mitten crabs in Chesapeake Bay and now Delaware Bay.

For more information on mitten crabs and how you can help in the SERC investigation, visit http://www.njfishandwildlife.com/news/2007/mittencrab.htm on the division's Web site.

2007 NJ Spring Turkey Results

Carl Price NJ Outdoors — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 10:12:12 GMT

The 2007 spring wild turkey hunting season results have been posted on the NJDEP Division of Fish and Wildlife Web site. With a total harvest of 3,061 male wild turkeys, the harvest is the sixth-highest in New Jersey since the first season in 1981. The 2007 harvest total represents an 11 percent decrease from 2006 and is likely due to a combination of lower than average turkey productivity during the past two years and poor hunting weather due to heavy rain during the 2007 A Week permit segment.

For more detailed analysis and a zone by zone breakdown of the harvest, visit http://www.njfishandwildlife.com/trkharvspr07.htm on the DFW Web site.

Hooked on Fishing trip July 23 for EHT residents

Jersey Shore Admin — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 10:12:29 GMT

The Egg Harbor Township Recreation Department and the Municipal Alliance is sponsoring another season of Hooked on Fishing, Not on Drugs fishing trips. The next trip will be Monday, July 23.
The program is open to all Egg Harbor Township residents 7 and up.
For information call the township Recreation Department at (609) 926-4028 or visit www.ehtgov.org for a complete schedule of trips.

Cash for Fish!

Carl Price NJ Outdoors — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 10:12:50 GMT

The New Jersey Bureau of Marine Fisheries, within NJDEP's Division of Fish and Wildlife, joined the efforts of other agencies by entering the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service's (USFWS) Cooperative Coastal Striped Bass Tagging Program in 1989. The Cooperative Tagging Program has provided valuable information for striped bass restoration and conservation.

The tagging information has provided biologists with a better understanding of striped bass migration, mortality and spawning behavior. Through 2006, over 33,000 striped bass have been tagged in New Jersey alone and 7,614 have been recaptured and reported by fishermen from locations up and down the East Coast.

However, there is still a lot to be learned from the tagging program and angler assistance is needed in collecting and reporting striped bass tags.

Some striped bass tagged this spring carry new tags that offer a reward of $125. Rewards are also being offered for several other type tags. Help continue the valuable striped bass data collection effort. Be on the lookout for tags on striped bass when fishing this year. For more information on the different striped bass tags, various rewards and how to go about reporting, visit the following link: http://www.njfishandwildlife.com/images/marine/strbass_tag_flyer07.jpg .

Fishing in Sea Isle City

Carl Price NJ Outdoors — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 10:13:07 GMT

I took my first cast Saturday of the 2007 fishing season on the beach at Sea Isle City.
My fishing buddy Mike had all the luck picking up two kingfish on bag o bite, one 13-inch flounder on procut squid and a small thresher shark on squid.
No keepers, but proves the fish are out there in the surf.
All of the fish were caught on the incoming tide.
There were a few other surfcasters on the beach, but we didn't see anybody else hauling in fish.
I'll keep posting my fishing excursions right here.

Catfish Stocking

Carl Price NJ Outdoors — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 10:13:26 GMT

Approximately 3,310 surplus channel catfish will be stocked in 11 additional waters this spring by the NJ DEP Division of Fish and Wildlife. This is in addition to the 23 waterbodies already scheduled to receive 3,890 channels.

For all the details visit http://www.njfishandwildlife.com/news/2007/chcatsadded07.htm on the division's Web site.