Cormorants in the Salt
 

Over the past week or so, there have been 6 pages of posts/arguments in the Freshwater Forum about cormorants increasing rapidly in freshwater lakes & streams.

I just want to mention, as I did in that forum, that I have been fishing in this area (central jersey) for over 60 years and I have never seen so many of them as I have in recent years. I don't have a bone to pick personally about their presence since they are not foreign invaders and it's just nature taking its course.

I do however want to mention that the same phenomenal increase is taking place in the salt water areas as well. I do a lot of fishing in Raritan Bay around Hoffman and Swinburn Islands. I believe that these are in NY waters, but on any sunny day you can float around these islands and see every pole and piling of the old abandoned piers and docks with one of these birds sitting on top. It's sort of neat because most of them have their wings flared out to dry in in sun. It's really neat to see so many of them on display all at once. I never took a picture, but I should have. If someone has a picture of this, I would like to see it posted in this forum.

Denny

Re: Cormorants in the Salt
 

I thought they were not indigenous to the America's

Re: Cormorants in the Salt
 

1 thing we all can agree on is they are delicious

Re: Cormorants in the Salt
 

Conservation groups pleaded with S.C. Department of Natural Resources officials Tuesday to end the cormorant control operation that killed more than 12,000 of the migratory birds in one month on the Santee Cooper lakes.

Meanwhile, Santee Cooper area tourism leaders praised the agency for trying to balance the importance of the fish-eating birds with the value of the lake’s fish population on the local economy.

DNR officials were stunned that 1,225 people came to the training sessions and volunteered to shoot cormorants on lakes Marion and Moultrie during the one-month program that ended March 1.

Read more here: http://www.thestate.com/2014/04/29/3...#storylink=cpy

Praise to the South Carolina Dept. of Nat Resources, N.J. wouldnt have the balls.

Re: Cormorants in the Salt
 

a very large cull is needed, Maine to Florida.

Re: Cormorants in the Salt
 

I agree with Dino.. way too many.

Re: Cormorants in the Salt
 

sign me up. that would be fun :D

Re: Cormorants in the Salt
 

You know when I see them working, I know there is bait in the area, so that is kind of helpful to me. Last week when I saw one trying to swallow a winter flounder in front of my boat, I wasn't so happy!

Re: Cormorants in the Salt
 

I'm wrong, they are indigenous to the US.

MY BAD

Re: Cormorants in the Salt
 

You realize that counts against your 2 fish limit right:eek: Best of luck this year Capt Rich.