The 35th Garden State Outdoor Sports Show opened Thursday at the N.J. Convention & Exposition Center at 97 Sunfield Ave, in Edison -- and continues through Sunday. The first sportsman's show of the winter runs from 1 to 8 p.m. Friday; 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday; and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. It's best to buy tickets online as a free one-year subscription to either Field & Stream or Outdoor Life is included in the $10.75 cost for an adult ticket. Children 11 and under are admitted free. Visit gsoss.com for tickets and other information. Saltwater anglers can take in many seminars. Nick Honachefsky is on at 2:30 Friday with Winter Bottom Fishing, followed at 4 by Capt. Frank Tenore of Fins On Feathers at Leonardo explaining Alternatives To Fluking In Raritan Bay. Capt. Greg Dubrule covers Top Tips For Sea Bass, Cod and Porgies at 5:30 -- and Donald La Rubio demonstrates Rigging Plastics for Striped Bass at 7:15. Capt. Bill Sheehan has a big subject at 10:30 Saturday -- 20 Years Hackensack Riverkeeper : Yesterday & Today. Tenore presents his program again at noon. Honachefsky follows at 2:30 with Surf Stripers and Bluefish Tactics. Dubule is up at 3:30 with his program. D.J. Muller winds it up at 6:15 with Five Keys To Becoming A Great Surfcaster. La Rubio starts Sunday with his plastics for stripers at 10:30; followed by Dubrule at 12:30, and Austin Perelli with Hard Structure Fluking at 2:30. Anglers finally had the opportunity to return offshore during the middle of the week where they found much lower water temperatures and only a pick of fish. At Belmar, the Ocean Explorer reported some legal blackfish plus shorts were caught on each drop in a flat calm sea on Wednesday though the surface temperature was down to 39 to 43 degrees. The Big Mohawk had a 9-pound tautog that day along with some cod, but overall sluggish fishing. Water temperatures are probably much lower in the surf, and I haven't heard of anyone giving it a try for the small stripers that had been abundant a few weeks ago. The column deadline was too early to get results from Thursday's sea bass hearings and Saltwater Council actions, but will be included in Saturday's daily blog at nj.com/shore/blogs/fishing. <!-- .AOLWebSuite .AOLAttachedImage {max-width:275px; max-height:275px;} .AOLWebSuite .AOLPicturesFullSizeLink { height: 1px; width: 1px; overflow: hidden; } .AOLWebSuite a {color:blue; text-decoration: underline; cursor: pointer} .AOLWebSuite a.hsSig {cursor: default} .AOLWebSuiteM1 {margin: 10px 20px 4px;} .AOLWebSuiteM2 {margin: 5px;} .AOLWebSuiteM3 {margin: 10px;} .dmItemSelected {padding: 2px !important;text-decoration: none !important;color:#fff !important;background-color: #656565 !important;border-radius: 2px;} --> The New York DEC reports: New Federal Rules for Recreational and Commercial Shark Fishing Starting January 1st, 2018: Highly Migratory Species (HMS) permit holders who fish for shark recreationally will need to obtain a shark endorsement, which requires completion of an online shark identification and fishing regulation training course. HMS permit holders with a shark endorsement will be required to use non-offset, non-stainless steel circle hooks while fishing for sharks recreationally in federal waters (3 - 200 miles offshore) south of 41deg43'N latitude (Chatham, MA), except when fishing with flies or artificial lures Commercial HMS directed shark permit holders using bottom longline gear will also be required to use circle hooks. New York State already requires that sharks, excluding spiny dogfish, shall not be taken for commercial or recreational purposes by baited hooking except with the use of non-stainless steel non-offset circle hooks in state waters (0 - 3 miles offshore). Also, no person shall conduct, sponsor or participate in any shark tournament unless said tournament's rules and regulations require the exclusive use of non-stainless steel, non-offset circle hooks.
