The Fishing Line: Marina, New and Improved

Congratulations to Debbie and Jim Mooers at Grassy Sound Marina who were awarded $775,000 grant from IBOATNJ. The grant, offered through NJDOT Office of Maritime Resources is the largest ever awarded a marina in NJ. These grants, funded through boater registration fees rather than tax-payer dollars, are earmarked to improve and enhance NJ marinas.
The Mooers, who bought the marina off the North Wildwood Bridge in 2002, have fought a constant battle with sand. Many slips had become unusable. Using $125,000 of their own money, they dredged the area. Grant money paid for new bulkhead, walkways, pilings, floating docks, and upgraded facilities for water, electricity, lighting and fuel system. When all is completed, there will be 90 slips available at the improved marina. As of this writing, they are open on weekends, although Debbie says things are still slow. The marina opens daily on April 30.
April 9 was the opening of trout season. More than 180,000 trout have been stocked in 88 streams and 90 ponds and lakes and by the end of May nearly 600,000 will be stocked throughout the state. The “production trout” average 10.5-inches but more than 6,000 huge broodstock trout are also being stocked. Those trout will be in addition to some of the 26,000 bruisers still in the water from stockings last fall and winter.
Ten ponds and small lakes will get an extra allocation of 30 to 50 broodstock trout that measure 17 inches to 24 inches and weigh 3 pounds to 8 pounds. For locations of the ten Bonus Broodstock Ponds and Lakes go to www.njfishandwildlife.com/trtinfo_spring.htm Weekly in-season stocking information is available at the Trout Stocking Hotline, 633-6765.
Buying a license and trout stamp is easy at www.njfishandwildlife.com/ One hundred percent of the money goes toward improving fishing in NJ and protecting the quality of the state’s waters both for fish and people.
The NJDEP Division of Fish and Wildlife opened the oyster beds known as Fitney Bit and Oysterbed Point, located at the mouth of the Mullica River, to a limited one-week oyster harvest season. The season began Monday and ends on Saturday, April 16 (daily harvest times are sunrise to sunset). The harvest is open to all commercial and recreational shellfish license holders.
Recreational shellfish license holders will be limited to 150 oysters or clams in aggregate per day, and the harvest will be limited to hand tongs only. The oyster bed known as the Reef Bed will remain closed to harvest. For more information including charts of the harvest area, visit http://www.njfishandwildlife.com/news/2011/oysterharvest_spring11.htm .
Bridgeton Bluffs Earth Day, Cleanup & Celebration, Saturday, April 16, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Join the American Littoral Society for a guided walk to explore, learn about, and cleanup this popular fishing spot steeped in history and geographic and environmental significance. The Cohansey River is home to the largest nesting population of bald eagles in New Jersey.
Help cleanup this underappreciated site. Interested participants must signup by April 14. Participants will be treated to a BBQ . Signup at jessica@littoralsociety.org or 856-825-2174.
From John J. Toth, Jersey Coast Anglers Association Board Member: The organization “Reef Rescue” has been trying through legislation to get traps off the reefs for about five years, but legislators with ties to the commercial industry have stopped it. However, NJ’s Senate has recently passed the Pots Off The Reef Bill and it now its needs to be passed through our Assembly. Contact Assemblyman Albano to have A-1152 passed through his committee. Contact Assemblywoman Sheila Oliver for her posting it in the Assembly for a full vote where it is expected to pass. Protests and a rally in Cape May are planned by Reef Rescue on April 23 and 30 to bring District #1 legislators on board. Go to www.njreefrescue.com for more information on Bill A-1152 on how to get it passed. Call for protest and rally information at 698-1430, (856) 455-3114, (201) 245-5236, or (973) 454-0315.
Send your fishing reports and pictures to cmiller@cmcherald.com