The Fishing Line: Keep the gear ready

Are you ready for some fall fishing? Bundle up and don’t write off the season just yet.
According to reports from Sterling Harbor, anglers are catching small bluefish and an occasional striper in the surf. Bird-plays off the beach mean the striped bass are not far behind. Striper fishing in the back-bays has turned on with many double digit catches, mainly shorts, using clam for bait.
Togging is reported to be excellent around the jetties, bridges, and inshore wrecks. There are tuna and plenty of dolphin at the canyons, however the weather has hampered anglers to venture offshore.
On the kayak fishing scene, Justin Fesler of Court House, landed a 14-pound black drum while fishing on his Hobie Mirage Pro Angler near Grassy Sound Bridge. Crabby Jack gives the crabbing 3 Claws this week and says the ones caught were nice size crabs.
During the fall of 2009 the NJDEP Division of Fish and Wildlife biologists had the opportunity to collect striped bass biological samples on the party boat F/V Queen Mary and during several fishing tournaments throughout the state. These types of sampling, in addition to the Division’s field surveys, are valuable components of NJ’s striped bass research and the coast-wide assessment of the striped bass resource. To view the results go to http://www.njfishandwildlife.com/artstrpbass10.htm on the division’s web site.
The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council met in Cape May, Oct.12-14 to recommend 2011 management measures for spiny dogfish and to select alternatives for Amendment 11 to the Atlantic Mackerel, Squids, and Butterfish Fishery Management Plan for submission to the Secretary.
The Council recommended a 20 million pound quota and a 3,000 pound trip limit for the 2011 fishing year (May 1, 2011 – Apr 30, 2012) for spiny dogfish. This quota represents a 33 percent increase from the 2010 level.
The Council also approved Amendment 11 to the Atlantic Mackerel, Squids, and Butterfish Fishery Management Plan (FMP). The amendment would implement a limited access program in the Atlantic mackerel fishery, revises essential fish habitat designations for all FMP species and their life stages, and establish a mackerel allocation formula for landings of 93.8 percent and 6.2 percent for the commercial and recreational fisheries, respectively. The Council also received an update from the NMFS Northeast Regional Office on the butterfish cap which will start Jan. 1, 2011 for the Loligo fishery.
BOATERS: A wide-ranging coalition of groups behind FollowtheScience.org created the email campaign in anticipation of the EPA’s decision – expected in just a few days – that is likely to announce the authorization of increased ethanol in the nation’s fuel supply. Large numbers of boaters have been impacted by 10 percent ethanol in their gasoline, which was rolled out nationwide a few years ago. A solvent, ethanol can degrade fuel systems and harm boat engines. BoatUS members have reported engine breakdowns, some leading to expensive repairs and potential safety issues.
BoatUS had previously asked the EPA to see the science first. However, to date no independent testing of marine engines with the use of “mid-level” ethanol blends (up to 15 percent) has been completed. Most boat engine warranties are void when using ethanol beyond the 10 percent blend level. Go to www.BoatUS.com/gov and record your concerns about ethanol and ask the EPA to complete testing and get the science first.
Send your fish stories and photos to cmiller@cmcherald.com.