New BRC rule would kill fishing on Lake Hopatcong

[ScowardNJ]

Copy + Paste of the whole article. Nice work fellas!

Updated January 11, 2017 3:35 PM
SEA BRIGHT - The New Jersey Boat Regulation Commission has tabled proposed boating changes for Lake Hopatcong after a public comment hearing held Wednesday in Sea Bright.

The changes were aimed to address issues in the Byram Cove section of the lake, after residents complained about the party boat hotspot. The proposal would have prohibited boats from anchoring within 200 feet of the lake's shoreline, prohibited more than 10 vessels from anchoring together and banned tethering more than 20 feet from an anchored boat.

People who live on Byram Cove say they just want to see problems like noise, navigational issues and littering addressed.

But fishermen who frequent the lake say that the rules would greatly impact their ability to fish there. Fishermen say freshwater fish like the weedy, shallower areas near the shoreline, and the rules would not allow them to anchor their boats in this area.

The commission says that it will take the comments made in the public meeting into consideration and may make changes to the proposal.