Anglers are up in arms about the proposal by the Navesink Maritime Heritage Association to seek a Sandy Hook Bay National Marine Sanctuary designation that would encompass not only that Bay but also the rivers flowing into it plus a portion of Raritan Bay. The April issue of Salt Water Sportsman states that proposals there would eliminate fishing in up to 30 percent of the reefs covered, and may be followed up by making the entire southeast Florida reef track a National Marine Sanctuary.
More than 300 participants will plant a record 40,000 American Beachgrass plants at Island Beach State Park this Saturday, March 26, as part of the park's largest annual volunteer effort of planting dune grass. The annual dune grass planting program is one of the most popular volunteer efforts at Island Beach State Park, bringing together hundreds of volunteers to help strengthen the dune system while making the beach even more beautiful, said Mark Texel, Director of the DEP's Division of Parks and Forestry.
There may be a break Thursday morning before it's wind again into Friday. Capt. Al Hilliard says he'll be making his first striper effort in the back of Raritan Bay on Good Friday.
After another terrible winter fishery, and long before the spring fishery that's been missing for many years, the Golden Eagle from Belmar found good mackerel jigging on Saturday. The wind stopped them from fishing after that, but the Golden Eagle will start daily trips on Thursday.
The inlet was alive with blues and Spanish mackerel on incoming tide and we also caught a couple of big mangrove snappers and pompano. Charlie 772 360 7647 5 Attached Images (reduce for viewing)
Rich Swisstack was at the St. Croix booth, and reported catching seven bass up to 28 inches on clams Friday night at Cliffwood. Freshwater guide Skip Lerman was helping at Shimano's display -- and said he used clams at Morgan the previous night for a 32-incher plus shorts.
For a complete list of seminars, plus other information about the Expo (that was written up in last night's blog) visit sportshows. com. They hope to get out Saturday, which appears to be fishable until the northeast winds kick in that night.
The Spring Lake Live Liners dinner at the Lobster Shanty in Point Pleasant Beach last Saturday night featured two boat awards for Gavin Petillo largest striper of 35 pounds, and fluke at 9 1 8 pounds. I talked to fly-fishing pro Bill Massie of Wall who managed to catch only 50 stripers while fishing local beaches almost every day during a poor surf year down from his usual 200 on a fly.
It was a lot worse in Florida, where recreational fishermen and charter skippers weren't allowed to fish in Everglades National Park. I'll be at that meeting in the Red Bank Library at 84 Front St. -- and will report further in tomorrow's blog.
The Ocean Explorer from Belmar reported there were huge swells on the ocean Monday, but they're planning to head offshore for cod on Wednesday. A meeting on the proposed Sandy Hook Bay National Marine Sanctuary will be held at 7 p. m. Wednesday in the Red Bank Library at 84 Front St. The Recreational Fishing Alliance opposes what Jim Donofrio calls a solution looking for a problem .
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