Access/Launching on Greenwood Lake

[muskynut]

Hi everyone,

Hope you and your families are healthy. We as fishermen are facing some serious resistance on the part of marinas/marina owners regarding public launching on Greenwood Lake, a public water body stocked because of monies collected from your fishing license sales and funds such as Dingell Johnson and Wallup Breux.

Recently a marina I had a great relationship with sold to a neighboring marina. When I inquired when they were going to open their launch, I was told, "We are no longer allowing public launching." Calling around, many marinas on the lake want to charge $30 on weekdays and $50 on weekends. Some will only allow weekday launching and no launching on weekends. Now, I am not a cheap skate...but money doesn't grow on trees.

The complaints by marinas are: fishermen don't utilize businesses in surrounding lake towns (gas, diner, etc.), they are disrespectful, and leave garbage all over their properties. They are labeling all of us because of a few bad experiences many of which I am sure can be attributed not to the fishermen but to the recreational tourists that also use the lake. I, for one, have integrity and am a conservationist....I have never caused ANY problems with the marinas I have dealt with.

A letter and a petition has been put together (both in rough draft stage) to petition the mayor and surrounding towns for a Public Boat Launch Ramp. WE NEED YOUR HELP IF YOU WANT TO CONTINUE TO FISH ON GREENWOOD LAKE. All user groups of the Greenwood fishery: weekend warriors, bass clubs, everyday fishermen, guides, etc. MUST have your voices heard. If we don't do something this "public waterbody" will become privatized/monopolized by the handful of marinas around its shores. Kiss incredible musky and walleye fishing goodbye.

Please get involved....have your voice heard:

GREENWOOD LAKE COMMISSION 973-506-7800

PAUL ZARILLO ON COMMISSION 917-597-3423

GEORGE VERNO ON COMMISSION 845-667-4625

PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE

Be cordial....be respectful.....Paul Z wants to help us. There is a "Lakes Bill"in the senate that, once passed will give Greenwood Lake 750,000/year......more than enough to provide for a State Boat Launch......even if we paid a nominal fee/or perhaps a one time yearly usage fee.

No marina has the right to dictate weather or not we as anglers have the ability to fish .....at THEIR discretion. I paid for my license which allows me access to the fishery....which was paid for by my license. As soon as the ice goes off....we should be able to get out there....instead....marinas are not open yet or are putting in their docks.....nighttime.....marinas close at 5-6 and do not allow launching until the next day.....what if you want to fish at night/during the night/all night????

I had one marina owner tell me directly, "I could care less about the fishermen"....as long as they rent their slip spaces, and sell ski doos and pontoon boats they are fine.

Fish and Game is aware of the situation. The towns have stocking permits which have created the incredible fisheries of Greenwood.

If one has an "I don't care attitude....I'll just go fish somewhere else"...somewhere else will be next in terms of privatization.

I will only say this one more time....please get together as one....EVERYONE...to fight for our rights to access and fish Greenwood.....if we don't....it will become private and that will be it.....that is where it is heading.

:

Thank You

Capt. Dave

[acabtp]

Browns point used to have a boat ramp, why was that shut down? Access is tough around the lake, a public ramp would be great.

[AndyS]

Can't you say the same for Lake Hopatcong ?

[Jigman13]

This is a GREAT post. $30-$50 to launch for a day in a lake stocked by license sales funding is ABSURD. My heads spinning just thinking about it.

Will you distributing the letter drafts/petition for us to read and/or endorse?

[pickerelpete]

Great post. The NJ Division of Fish and Game should be notified and all stocking should cease until public access is made available. Put the fish we pay for elsewhere. Elected officials (Senators too) should be asked to not approve the monies going for weed control too. I do see Hopatcong heading towards privatization as well.

[RWole]

This is and has been a problem in New Jersey for many years. Not all with issues regarding launch fees, that seems to be mostly at Hopatcong and Greenwood, there are so many lakes that do not have public access. Drive around Sussex, Morris and Passaic counties, its insane on how many private lakes there are in this state. Than again same goes for beaches, we have an entire coastline of beaches that are private or a fee is charged to use. When a storm hits they all want our taxes to fund replenishment though.

[Fred E. Goose]

It's such a great lake with incredibly lousy LEGAL public shoreline access, steep launch fees, and (correct me if I'm wrong) I believe the only rental boat options are pontoons and waterski boats? At least Hopatcong has Dow's to rent a fishing boat at a reasonable price.

If all of these marinas are price fixed together on $30 weekday / $50 weekend it seems like an opportunity for someone to open a ramp and undercut them and do pretty well. Why not the state?

[NJSquatch]

This is slowly happening around hopatcong as well. A well funded group is buying the private marinas and restricting public launch access. 10 years ago there were at least 3 more ramps where you could publicly launch. The remaining private marinas allowing public launches have very very limited trailer parking. Lees is limiting the number of daily launch passes to 50 and the State park ramp needs to be improved and be open 24 hours (sunrise to sunset is a joke).

[catfishonthelake]

Originally Posted by NJSquatch

This is slowly happening around hopatcong as well. A well funded group is buying the private marinas and restricting public launch access. 10 years ago there were at least 3 more ramps where you could publicly launch. The remaining private marinas allowing public launches have very very limited trailer parking. Lees is limiting the number of daily launch passes to 50 and the State park ramp needs to be improved and be open 24 hours (sunrise to sunset is a joke).

Come down to the Eastern Shore of MD. Tidal water every turn. Blue cats, bluefish, stripers year round, croaker, crabs, longnose gar, panfish, bass, pickerel, snakehead, sea trout, drum etc. Every public launch in Dorchester County is free, nice too. Bang you 5 bucks up in Talbot County. No fishing pressure either. Average property tax bill around $2k down here too. Think about it before it's too late.