With a decent number of catches in all categories for the 2008 New Jersey fishing season, anglers look forward to an even better year ahead in 2009. Lower fuel prices going into the new year should provide relief for New Jersey charter captains and anglers alike.
2008 started with plenty of baitfish from the Raritan Bay to Barnegat Bay. Bunker, spearing and rain fish were plenty through out the state and remained steady for most the year. A perfect example why we always need to protect our baitfish from being harvested.
Spring striped bass were showing up early and the schools stayed healthy. Fall bass was even more insane, with schools that seemed endless along our shore. Some days, we had to fight through dozens of big hungry bluefish to get to the bass.
Bluefish were more than plentiful and were back in good-size and numbers with an average blue at about 10 pounds.
Winter and summer flounder season were bringing in good-size fish along with plenty of shorts to keep the action steady.
Tog fishing also remained productive with decent size fish along the reefs and wrecks. Ling and cod also were back in numbers as well as size. Wreck fishing in the Garden State also produced a good number of sea bass and porgie catches.
Blue fin tuna patrolled our shorelines with sightings a few hundred yards of the beach. They were bigger and there were more sightings.
Off shore, anglers had no problem switching from yellow fin tuna to blue fin that were much closer in reach.
Offshore, the canyons produced a variety of big game fish, with more reports of swordfish being caught and some nights more swords than tuna.For many anglers, it was their first sword.Long fin tuna saved most trips on the troll when the nighttime chunk produced little in the yellow fin category. Anglers also did not have as many shots to the canyon due to the highest fuel prices ever recorded.
In 2008, web sites like our own local
www.NJSaltwaterfisherman.com and others like it helped anglers and captains gain a completely new look into the sport of fishing. It is a way to keep track of what is going on in the fishing community. It is a meeting place where anglers can share real-time information and keep track of current rules and regulations. These websites keep anglers in tune with edict and respect to the sport and one another. With information transferred in real time, the internet has definitely protected our oceans in so many ways. I look forward to a healthy 2009 fishing season.
Fish on!
