Is Raritan bay dead ?

[baseballman]

If you asked me this time last year, I would’ve said no.

However, I spent much of last Aug/Sept in the channel en route to the extremely popular fluke grounds and I can tell you the commercial boats are hard at work there. I used to think the issue was participation but I just think there’s been so much pressure there over the years (and I’m not blaming commercial guys they have to make a living, too) that the fish are spread out around the bay, making it harder to find concentrations.

Of all the formerly abundant species, Bluefish to me are the biggest mystery. I grew up on the Point boats running up to the channel or 17 Fathom Banks to catch absolute monsters and you just don’t see it anymore, not even in small numbers. Definitely miss that summertime fishery.