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”Fishing is much more than fish. It is the great occasion when we may return to the fine simplicity of our forefathers”

~ Herbert Hoover






 

 


Did You Know?

The Bureau of Marine Fisheries is responsible for the administration of marine fisheries management programs. The objective of the bureau is to protect, conserve and enhance marine fisheries resources and their habitat. With 127 miles of Atlantic coast and 83 miles of bayshore there's a lot of area to cover.

Living marine resources support important recreational and commercial fisheries in New Jersey. They help support a tourism industry worth $16 billion, and generate recreational & commercial fish revenues of about $2 billion.


Biggest record fish

On April 21, 1959, Alfred Dean caught a 2,664-pound great white shark off the coast of south Australia. Amazingly, he subdued this monster — the heaviest record fish ever listed by the International Game Fish Association (IGFA) — in only 50 minutes on 130-pound line. Dean also caught great whites weighing 2,333 and 2,536 pounds.


Capital punishment

On December 17, 2007 Governor Corzine signed into law a bill that would completely eliminate the death penalty in New Jersey. New Jersey is the first state to pass such legislation since Iowa and West Virginia eliminated executions in 1965.[40] There are only a handful of people on Death Row in New Jersey. Corzine also recently signed a bill that would downgrade the Death Row prisoners' sentences from "Death" to "Life in Prison with No Parole."

Conservation

Bring your own cloth or fabric bags when you shop!

Going Green Bag

If you grocery shop once a week, in five years you’ll have kept about 250 to 1,000 grocery bags out of our landfills. When one ton of plastic bags is reused or recycled, the energy equivalent of 11 barrels of oil is saved!

Welcome to SJ Quest!
Your drama free, outdoor resource for South Jersey and the world,
...but mostly fishing.



The NJ State & world record Striped Bass tipped the scales at an amazing 78 lbs. 8 oz.

Al McReynolds pulled this World Record striper from the Atlantic fishing at night off the Vermont Ave. jetty in Atlantic City following days of September Nor'easter storming in 1982. The fish was taken on a 5 1/2-inch long Rebel Black-back silver minnow plug on 20-pound test line. It took one hour and 40 minutes to land the fish on the slippery jetty. The fish measured 53 inches in length with a 34 1/2 inch girth, and was estimated to be 20 - 22 years old.

The largest striped bass ever recorded was a 125 pound female from North Carolina, 1891.





Change five lights.

Replace your home’s five most frequently used light fixtures, or the bulbs in them, with models that have earned the ENERGY STARsup>® for energy efficiency. By making this change, a household can save more than $60 a year in energy costs. The home’s five most frequently used lights typically include: 1. Kitchen ceiling dome light; 2. Living room table lamp; 3. Living room floor lamp; 4. Bathroom vanity light; and 5. Outdoor porch or post lamp.



Best prize for a record fish

In March 2006, fishing during the Texas Carp Challenge, angler Al St. Cyr landed a 43.13-pound, state-record common carp in Austin's Town Lake. That fish earned St. Cyr a $250,000 payday from the American Carp Society, the largest prize ever for a carp fisherman in the U.S.

Al St. Cyr with the 43-lb. Texas carp that earned him a $250,000 payday.




Advertising on SJ Quest is easy and in most cases FREE! If you have a business, club, organization, personel website or anything else that would be interesting or beneficial to South Jersey folks, send us your info and we'll put your ad up on the site free of charge. Our only exception is that if you're a business that makes tons of money, then give us a little to help support the site. >More Info


Daytona Inn & Suites


Jack Nicholson, Bruce Springsteen, Bon Jovi, Redman, Das EFX, Naughty by Nature, Sugar Hill Gang, Lords of the Underground, Jason Alexander, Queen Latifa, Shaq, Judy Blume, Arron Burr, Whitney Houston, Eddie Money, Frank Sinatra, Grover Cleveland, all New Jersey natives.



Modern paleontology, the science of studying dinosaur fossils, began in 1858 with the discovery of the first nearly complete skeleton of a dinosaur in Haddonfield, New Jersey. The Hadrosaurus is the official New Jersey state dinosaur.

Brown Trout

The New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife has stocked brown trout in the lower Manasquan River, Monmouth County. Anglers are asked to report all catches of brown trout that exhibit characteristics of a sea run. These fish tend to develop a more silvery coloration, masking most of the body spots after an extended time in salt water. The future of this program depends on these fish being reported. Call Pequest State Fish Hatchery (908) 637-4173 or Lebanon Field Office (908) 236-2118.

Striper

The oldest ever recorded was 31 years of age.

A Striped bass tagged in the Chesapeake Bay was recaptured in Canadian waters, over 1,000 miles away.

A Striped Bass tagged and released in the Saint John River, New Brunswick Ca., was recaptured 36 days later in Rhode Island, 503 mi away! An average of 14 miles a day.


Strangest item inside a fish

The Manitoba Morning Free Press in Winnipeg (May 18, 1894) tells of a 140-pound Kansas catfish caught by one Douglass Smith.

In its stomach was found a small bottle, securely corked, containing this message: "Whoever will find this will please send it back to me. H.E. Pipes."

Mr. Pipes had thrown the bottle in the Kaw River three years earlier, 75 miles from where the fish was caught.

Recycled aluminum saves 95% energy vs. virgin aluminum; recycling of one aluminum can saves enough energy to run a TV for 3 hours. Recycled aluminum reduces pollution by 95%


Words to the wise on water

Water lawns only as needed -- usually only one inch of water per week in New Jersey. Irrigation timers should be set to water in the early morning (before 10 a.m.) and should be turned off during and after rainfall.

 



Redneck fishing tournament, no rods allowed
Posted April 25, 2008 | Forum Comment

Folks are up to their forehead in flyin foreign fish. There are two main rules. One, you can't use a fishing pole and two, fish at your own risk.

 

Landing trophy tarpon puts former President Bush under microscope
Posted April 25, 2008 | Link | Forum Comment

After catching and releasing a 135-pound tarpon off Islamorada, Fla., on Saturday, former President George H.W. Bush and his guide received some flak from a handful of conservation minded anglers for a photograph of the trophy catch. A reader sent reporter Byron Stout of The News-Press in Fort Myers the picture, pointing out that the ex-president's fish didn't have a $50 tarpon tag, a rope was through the fish's easily-damaged gills and the fish was out of the water.


Subway cars hit bottom on Atlantic City Reef
Posted April 25, 2008 | Link | Forum Comment



44 decommissioned stainless steel subway cars were deployed on the Atlantic City Reef site as part of the Artificial Reef Program. The AC reef is located 8.8 nautical miles offshore of the Absecon Inlet, has a depth range of 50 - 90 feet and is four square miles in size. Also located on the AC reef are Redbird subway cars, concrete, reef balls, telecommunication cables, army tanks, tires and various vessels all of which total just under 65,000 cubic yards of reef material.


Strange invaders in local waters
Posted April 25, 2008 | link


The mitten crab is showing up along the East Coast and is among a number of invasive species that threaten to push out local wildlife. There is a lot of strange stuff underwater these days. Most of it is still below the Mason-Dixon Line, but the appearance of Chinese mitten crabs in New Jersey is a warning. The crabs are native to East Asia, and, if they grab a foothold in U.S. East Coast waters they could have negative ecological impacts.

Despite volunteer efforts, garbage still lands on N.J.’s beaches
Posted April 25, 2008 | Link | Forum Comment



New Jersey's famous beaches have surf, sand and plenty of sun. Last year, they also had toilet seats, scissors, a used pregnancy test, underwear and nearly 40,000 cigarette butts. The annual roster of disgusting detritus picked up off the shoreline by volunteers during several organized sweeps in 2007 was released Thursday by the environmental group Clean Ocean Action.

Funny fishing montage
Posted April 13, 2008 | Forum Comment

A one minute video of some funny fishing clips. Check out the guy who gets his butt kicked by a large mahi mahi.

 


Biggest fish ever hooked and landed
Posted April 13, 2008 | Forum Comment

What may be the largest fish ever hooked and landed is described in "Fishes and Fishing in Louisiana" by James Gowanloch (1933). Gowanloch tells how Captain Jay Gould captured a manta ray that measured 19 feet, 9 inches from wing-tip to wing-tip. The ray was hooked on a large shark hook on 1,200 feet of 1/2-inch rope, and when it had been subdued and towed back to Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., the city's 20-ton crane had to be used to lift the fish from the water, after the chain hoists on three smaller cranes were stripped in trying to bring it up. The manta ray's weight was estimated at 5,500 pounds.

Most expensive lure
Posted April 13, 2008 | Link

Were you upset the last time you snagged and lost a $5 or $10 fishing lure? Then you might not want to fish with the Million Dollar Lure from MacDaddy Fishing Lures. This 12-inch trolling lure, designed to catch marlin, is crafted with just over 3 pounds of glimmering gold and platinum, and encrusted with 100 carats of diamonds and rubies (4,753 stones to be exact). Cost? Just as the name says — a cool $1 million.

South Jersey freshwater fishing directory
Posted April 6, 2008 | Link | Forum Comment

Not sure where to fish in South Jersey? Check out SJ Quest's freshwater directory. The following list of waters includes those located within the 8 counties that comprise South Jersey. NJ offers more than 400 publicly accessible lakes, ponds and reservoirs. These waters offer a great diversity of fishing opportunities, from abundant populations of panfish to trophy-sized game fish. There are also miles of public streams and rivers.

Shooting of turkeys infuriates neighbors
Posted April 6, 2008 | Link | Forum Comment

A state Fish and Wildlife officer did more than ruffle a few feathers on Friday after she opened fire on some "nuisance turkeys" near Hunt and Stone Hill roads by the Freehold Township-Colts Neck boundary.

Witnesses said five of the gobblers were killed, and another one or two managed to run off into the woods near Stone Hill Road bleeding. The Department of Environmental Protection, which oversees Fish and Wildlife, said three birds were killed and the ones that ran off were not hurt.


NJ Trout season officially begins on Saturday, April 5 at 8 a.m.
Posted April 3, 2008 | Link | Forum Comment | General Trout Info



In 2008, trout season officially begins in all waters open to public angling. Each spring approximately 570,000 trout are stocked in the state's public waters. Standard production trout average 10.5 inches but range up to 12 inches.

By opening day, approximately 180,000 trout will have been stocked in the state's freshwater streams, lakes, ponds and impoundments.


Catfishing the hard way
Posted April 3, 2008 | Forum Comment

 

The redneck madness continues, "HOG"N " Catfish hardcore style! Two 45lb fish caught within 5 minutes while using only their arms as bait. Pretty impressive or real dumb. You be the judge.

Bald eagles face many challenges in
Garden State
Posted April 3, 2008 | Link | Forum Comment



Numbers for 2008 are still coming in, but as of this writing, five chicks have already been born to 54 active bald eagle pairs. By the time you read this, more will likely have arrived, including an eagerly-awaited chick from a nest in New Jersey Conservation Foundation's Franklin Parker Preserve in the Pine Barrens.

There is bad news still. In addition to natural hazards like storms that blow nests out of trees, New Jersey's bald eagles continue to be threatened by people.


DEP list: Parvin State Park could close this summer
Posted April 2, 2008 | Link | Forum Comment

The state Department of Environmental Protection disclosed a list of closings, service reductions and layoffs that would result in Parvin and many other state parks being closed to the public. Parvin is a popular stop not only for local residents, but tourists from farther afield.

It has a lake, extensive trail system, large forested area, fishing opportunities and a beach. It also has a number of cabins that are rented out to vacationers.


Monster Catfish caught off A.C. beach!
Posted April 1, 2008 | Forum Comment

Today, we are all April Fools! With March gone and April finally upon us, we can official look forward to green grass, baseball & early Spring fishing. It wont be long until our gear is dusted off from its long hibernation and we are out on the water. Good luck to everyone this Spring and don't forget to tell a friend about SJ Quest.

NOAA to Close NJ Tautog Fishery
Posted March 31, 2008 | link | Forum Comment

NOAA’s Fisheries Service found that the State of New Jersey has failed to implement measures necessary to fulfill its responsibilities under the tautog interstate fishery management plan which are crucial for conservation of the salt water fish. As a result, NOAA will close New Jersey’s commercial and recreational fishery for tautog on April 1.

Tautog is a popular recreational species whose stock is overfished. Landings data indicate that New Jersey’s harvest is significant compared with that of other states, and that its recreational landings more than tripled in 2006. Accordingly, its failure to implement management measures will undermine the interstate conservation plan for the species.

Corzine signs horseshoe crab legislation
Posted March 30, 2008 | link | Forum Comment

On Tuesday, March 25, Governor Jon Corzine signed legislation establishing a moratorium on harvesting horseshoe crabs in New Jersey. The new law protects the red knot from extinction by banning the harvest of horseshoe crabs which lay eggs that are consumed by the red knot on its annual migration to the Canadian Arctic.

Build your own “Redneck” bass boat
Posted March 19, 2008 | Forum Comment


I thought this was too funny. No, he's not a relative and if he's one of yours....sorry.

Redneck engineering at it's finest. Instruction manual not included. Either is a parts list but I'm sure you could build this sea worthy vessel from materials found on the side of the Atlantic City Expressway. All it needs is a bucket attached under the seat, wait that's where the battery for the trolling motor goes. Aint she perty!


Bass Pro Shop to open in South Jersey?
Posted by Adam Monacelli | March 14, 2008 | Forum Comment


For fisherman in America, visiting a Bass Pro Shops is on par with a
religious experience. In South Jersey, you're lone alternative was to gas up the car and make the trek to Harrisburg. And still, it's worth it.
Rejoice anglers and outdoorsman, because Bellmawr Mayor Frank Filipek has been saying publicly that the superstore is planning to build on a former landfill along Big Timber Creek. That site is currently being remediated.

Although the Bass Pro Shops doesn't list Bellmawr as an upcoming
location on their web site and their public relations department won't
confirm anything, Filipek can't be all wrong.

It makes sense--they don't have a store in the Garden State yet and
this one would dominate the landscape on the Route 42 North/South freeway. It sits in one of the busiest intersections in the state, where Routes 42 and 295 meets and it even has its own exit. It's minutes from Philadelphia, a half-mile from a New Jersey Turnpike interchange, and on a good day, 45 minutes from Atlantic City. Let's keep our fingers crossed. Fish on.

Back bay Striper season in full affect!
Posted March 13, 2008 | link | Forum Comment


If you haven't heard, back bay striper season is back underway! It's officially time to dust off the striper gear and to head out into the backwaters once again to score the first legitimate keepers of the year.

There's a ton of hot spots along the southern Jersey coast to dial in and drill your initial bass, and shorts have been reported in the early-season mainstays such as the Oyster Creek outflow of Barnegat Bay, Graveling Point in Great Bay, Beasily's Point in Ocean City and the Maurice River.

State bans horseshoe crab harvest, again!
Posted March 13, 2008 | link | Forum Comment


There's good news for the red knot, the extraordinary but endangered bird that relies on the eggs of horseshoe crabs to sustain its annual migration from South America to Antarctica.

New Jersey's Marine Fisheries Council, which enraged environmentalists last month by giving watermen the green light to harvest the crabs, this week reversed itself, saying "no" to the catch for another year.


2008 Flounder Regulations in place
At least we have a season this year?
Posted March 13, 2008 | Forum Comment


The minimum summer flounder size is up to 18 inches this year, from 17.5 inches in 2007. The daily maximum catch per angler stays the same at eight fish, and that combination should yield a season that runs from May 24 to Sept. 7, a week shorter than last year.

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