President's Report

The most important issue facing us now is what our fluke season will be for this year. In order to meet the reduced quota facing NJ’s anglers, the NJ Division of Fish & Wildlife has submitted a number of proposals to the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission that it feels will meet the necessary cutback. These proposals are:

1. 17 ½ inches and 2 fish from June 28^th thru September 8^th
2. 17 ½ inches and 8 fish from July 4^th thru September 2^nd
3. 18 inches and 8 fish from May 24^th thru September 8^th
4. 18 ½ inches and 8 fish from May 17^th thru October 17^th

There are pros and cons to all of these proposals. None of them are great since they all hurt us no matter which one of these that we pick. However, we do have to pick one of them and we will vote on one of these proposals at our February 26th general meeting. There are certainly other options that can be considered. However, they would have to comply with the cutbacks on the fluke quota that we are required to follow. The above proposals submitted by NJ’s Fish & Wildlife should place us where we need to be to meet the restrictions imposed upon us.

A decision on which proposal to follow will be made on March 6th by NJ’s Fish & Wildlife and the JCAA will submit its fluke recommendation at this meeting. So, we will need your input at our February 26th meeting to represent your club’s view on this important issue. A vote will be taken and that vote will be voiced at the March 6th meeting. So in order to represent your club, come to our meeting and let your view be heard!

Pot Bill  

A strategy meeting attended by JCAA, RFA, NJ Diver Association to plan Reef Rescue’s next step to advance this bill thru 2008 was held at the end of January. A number of initiatives were discussed including the hiring of a lobbyist to maneuver this bill thru Trenton’s legislators. Nothing was definitively decided since the cost to hire a lobbyist still needs to be determined. As more info on the progress of this effort becomes available, I will share it with you.

However, we do have support from Senators Sean Kean and Jeff Van Drew respectively in addition to other legislators on the Pot Bill.

New Jersey Outdoor Alliance  

The New Jersey Outdoor Alliance (NJOA) was initially formed to fight for the rights of the sportsmen in New Jersey by lobbying and supporting candidates that advance our sportsperson goals. With the help of you all and our hunting colleagues, these legislators who pandered to this small but vocal group were ousted even though they outspent their opponents 6 to 1 with all types of TV and radio ads.

The NJOA is not a one-issue organization and after a much needed and well-deserved rest, it is back again to represent both anglers and hunters. Unlike many of our clubs, the NJOA is a political action committee and can openly provide financial support to legislators who support hunting and fishing issues.

At this point, the NJOA is prioritizing a list of what issues it wants to pursue and it is also is considering hiring a full-time lobbyist to move its issues through Trenton. In addition to various hunting organizations, the JCAA, RFA and The Fisherman are on its Board to represent saltwater anglers. I will update you on the progress that the NJOA makes on the various issues it pursues. More info on the NJOA can be found on www.njoutdooralliance.org.

The U.S.S. Radford  

At our January 29th meeting, I read a letter written by Bill Figley urging the JCAA to request our Governor and the NJDEP to acquire the Radford from our Navy. A vote was taken by our membership to support Bill Figley’s request and it was agreed that I would write a letter to the Governor and our DEP to petition the Navy for this ship. This 560- foot destroyer would be a great addition to our artificial reef program and would house all types of marine activity. However, other states want this ship for the same purpose as ours and hopefully we will get this ship for our artificial reef program. The following is the letter I wrote to Governor Corzine and DEP Commissioner Lisa Jackson. Both of these letters went out on JCAA letterhead.

Letter to Commissioner Lisa Jackson

Respectfully yours,
John J. Toth
President, Jersey Coast Anglers Association

                            

Thank You!  

A big thank you is in order for all of you who volunteered your time to staff the JCAA booth at the Boat Show last week. In addition to the JCAA staff, we had members of Reef Rescue in our booth to garner support for the Pot Bill by having the show’s attendees signing a petition supporting the Pot Bill. In talking to those anglers who stopped by our booth, it was also amazing to learn how many anglers knew about the Pot Bill and its status. I also got info on anglers’ opinions on the proposed new fluke regulations. So it was fun working the booth and interacting with anglers to hear what they had to say about many topics. A special thanks goes out to Phil Celmer and his crew in setting up the JCAA booth and to Mark Taylor in organizing the volunteers to work at the Boat Show.

Volunteers Needed for Saltwater Expo!  

The Saltwater Expo show is scheduled for March 14th thru the 16th at the Garden State Exhibit Center in Somerset, NJ. This is a great show and it really focuses on saltwater fishing with a huge variety of vendors that have the stuff we are looking for. Mark Taylor is in charge of this show and he can be reached at (732) 929-2591 to sign up for this show. Mark usually has enough volunteers on hand so that you can work at the JCAA booth, but you also get the opportunity to walk around to see what the show is all about. Sign up with Mark and have fun while working for a good cause!

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