what is biting in NJ? Haddock opens for NH on 4/1

[spc06]

Just curious, what's the bite like right now? We are still 7 weeks out before stripers come into the shore line up here. Haddock opens April Fools day, and the last few boats caught some nice ones b accident when targeting Acadian Red Fish. I was all set to go on Monday, but had to cancel for unforseen circumstances.

[Gerry Zagorski]

Spring Striper run getting into full swing and Blackfish opens up 4/1. We catch an occasional Cod or Pollack this time of year but not enough to target them specifically. Used to have some great Ling fishing this inshore time of year too but it hasn't been as good as they used to be…

[Broad Bill]

Winter flounder are coming out of the mud, dropping their eggs and should start feeding aggressively soon before pushing offshore. Ling are moving inshore to spawn in big numbers. Spring mackerel run is in full swing with loads of whiting and cod underneath the schools along with all the herring you want. Front runner bluefish are starting to arrive in the rivers chasing bunker and blackfish season as indicated opens within a week. And in two months, makos will be here in numbers as will weakfish shortly. Problem is, all those fisheries are either gone or a fraction of what they were not long ago.

So it's going to come down to bass, fluke, porgies and sea bass with two of those stocks already facing draconian restrictions. Sad to see what's happened to the most important recreational resources up and down the coast.

[Duffman]

Originally Posted by Broad Bill

Winter flounder are coming out of the mud, dropping their eggs and should start feeding aggressively soon before pushing offshore. Ling are moving inshore to spawn in big numbers. Spring mackerel run is in full swing with loads of whiting and cod underneath the schools along with all the herring you want. Front runner bluefish are starting to arrive in the rivers chasing bunker and blackfish season as indicated opens within a week. And in two months, makos will be here in numbers as will weakfish shortly. Problem is, all those fisheries are either gone or a fraction of what they were not long ago.

So it's going to come down to bass, fluke, porgies and sea bass with two of those stocks already facing draconian restrictions. Sad to see what's happened to the most important recreational resources up and down the coast.

LMAO. ya had me for sure. I was reading that thinking is this 1985

[spc06]

NJ’s fishery is truly is one nations finest!

[Gerry Zagorski]

Originally Posted by spc06

NJ’s fishery is truly is one nations finest!

It sure is!

[Duffman]

And yet all we do is complain

[hammer4reel]

Originally Posted by spc06

NJ’s fishery is truly is one nations finest!

It WAS one of the finest .
And while we still have a diverse fishery , it is just mere scraps of what we had even back 10 years ago .

.

[Broad Bill]

Originally Posted by hammer4reel

It WAS one of the finest .
And while we still have a diverse fishery , it is just mere scraps of what we had even back 10 years ago .

.

Exactly. We have a 1 fish slot for bass which is a seasonal fishery we have a shot at maybe 4 months out of the year. We have a 3 fish limit for fluke which at best is a 4 month season with probably 20% of the anglers catching 80% of the fish as the regulations continue to attack the breeding population. Sea bass is rebuilt but regulations don't reflect the health of the stock with an extremely limited inshore season to most and then there's blackfish, porgies, blues and ling which have all experienced recent declines in projected stock size and regulations. Our winter fishery of ground fish, mackerel and herring is for all practical purposes gone.

On the offshore front, we have our usual pelagics with makos shut down. On a relative basis, almost every fishery we have is a shadow of what it was and is facing serious issues challenging the future of these stocks.

Is it diverse, you could say it is but your stretching the definition. Is it the nations best, hardly.

[Capt. Debbie]

Originally Posted by Duffman

And yet all we do is complain

DITTO CAPT!