State Sets Up Bass Program

Thursday March 31 2005
By Al Ristori STAR LEDGER staff

(from Jersey Coast Anglers Association May 2005 Newsletter)

The Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has announced a plan to provide a Striped Bass Bonus Program, which probably won't start until Sept. 1, that rewards past participation while allowing for some new participants via a lottery.

This program utilizes New Jersey's commercial striped bass allocation from the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) to allow anglers a third daily linesider. It was originally set up to provide a shot at a trophy bass but was soon reduced to any bass of 28 inches or more. Since most anglers are satisfied with a bass or two, there was never much pressure on that allocation, which became almost a conservation program since only a small proportion of the quota was taken each year.

That won't be the case this year due to the odd regulations governing our fishery. In order to retain the 24-to-less-than-28-inch slot bass, the second fish in the limit had to be pushed up to 34 inches or more. As a result, bass of 28 to less than 34 inches are illegal. The only way one can be retained will be with a bonus tag, and that fact will put a lot of pressure on the quota for the first time.

Commercial quotas can't be exceeded, and the state must be very cautious in distributing tags as the 320,000 pound allocation will allow for only about 20,000 bass (depending on average size) -- which is close to the number of tags applied for last year.

Speculation was that the state would try to accommodate as many anglers as possible by issuing only one tag to as many fishermen as possible, either on a first-come, first-served basis or through a lottery. But the general public will get two per person though only 75 percent of the total.

Due to underutilization of the quota, party and charter boats have been issued tags in bulk since 1999 while being required to report their catches in logbooks. That portion of the program was expected to be dropped, but instead the DEP will issue 25 percent of the cards to party and charter boats with 80 cards going to boats carrying 18 or more passengers and 16 to all others.

Information provided at a meeting last Wednesday in the Nacote Creek office indicated only boats which had submitted mandatory logbooks by March 28 would be included -- and that there would be no new applications. Yet, yesterday's official release made no mention of such a qualification.

Another 18 percent of the tags will go to anglers who were in the program last year and submitted voluntary log information. The remaining 57 percent will be available to the rest of the public on a lottery basis. Anglers will have until May 31 to apply for two non-transferable cards with no replacements available.

Applications can be downloaded at www.njfishandwildlife.com , and will also be available at tackle shops that distribute the marine edition of the Fish and Wildlife Digest. The application then must be sent to the DEP with a No. 10 stamped business envelope by May 31. The selection will be by computer.

Tom Fote of the Jersey Coast Anglers Association (JCAA) attended the Tuesday night meeting and was upset that the regulations as presented were cast in stone -- and that there will be no public hearings on them. The JCAA meeting also expressed displeasure at the provisions which will leave many anglers unable to keep even a single 28-to-less-than-34-inch striper this year.

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