Building Reefs

[Gerry Zagorski]

The more the better for us bottom fisherman, right?

This organization does this just that and they recently sunk 2 ships on Little Egg and Manasquan.

If interested in learning more or perhaps donating give them a look

http://www.thesportfishingfund.org/

[Captain Rich]

Capt. Monty Hawkins has the permits and has been building reefs for years out of Ocean City, Maryland. What he has accomplished is truly remarkable. You can follow him on facebook and get an idea of how NJ fishing can be improved. The sportfishingfund would be a good group to get behind.

[june181901]

Perhaps we could get some NJ Congress Representatives especially from the coastal counties to ask the U.S. Navy to keep us in mind when the next frigate, destroyer or cruiser is going to be decommissioned.

[PortlyRedhead]

Perhaps we could get some NJ Congress Representatives especially from the coastal counties to ask the U.S. Navy to keep us in mind when the next frigate, destroyer or cruiser is going to be decommissioned.

Where the real opportunity lays, as promoted by Ocean City MD’s Capt Monty Hawkins, is in barges, tug boats, and concrete forms. Imagine if NJ’s leading concrete contractors poured their leftover concrete into reef pyramids just one day a month!

On my local Townsends Inlet reef, the state drops concrete bridge rubble from
hopper dredges. You can’t miss the 5-8’ high cones. As storms push that material around, there’s more and more surface area on which corals can grow. Those projects create far more habitat than a Navy ship that is likely to be scrapped recycled, mothballed, or sold to a security partner.

[Captain Rich]

Where the real opportunity lays, as promoted by Ocean City MD’s Capt Monty Hawkins, is in barges, tug boats, and concrete forms. Imagine if NJ’s leading concrete contractors poured their leftover concrete into reef pyramids just one day a month!

On my local Townsends Inlet reef, the state drops concrete bridge rubble from
hopper dredges. You can’t miss the 5-8’ high cones. As storms push that material around, there’s more and more surface area on which corals can grow. Those projects create far more habitat than a Navy ship that is likely to be scrapped recycled, mothballed, or sold to a security partner.


Absolutely !!!! Cinder Blocks !!! They are the building blocks of Hawkins' Reefs !

[frugalfisherman]

Why wait. If you're out on a reef throw some old blocks or an old microwave overboard.

[bulletbob]

Only problem I have with these artificial reefs is distance for small boaters.. Why not build one a mile off the beach where guys with say a 15 or 16 foot boat can access it?.. There are lots of videos of guys in the Carolinas in kayaks fishing close inshore wrecks/reefs catching all types of bottom fish along with huge black and red drum... not many up here in the NY Bight that can be safely reached by kayak, or even say a 15 footer with a 30HP.... bob

[hammer4reel]

Only problem I have with these artificial reefs is distance for small boaters.. Why not build one a mile off the beach where guys with say a 15 or 16 foot boat can access it?.. There are lots of videos of guys in the Carolinas in kayaks fishing close inshore wrecks/reefs catching all types of bottom fish along with huge black and red drum... not many up here in the NY Bight that can be safely reached by kayak, or even say a 15 footer with a 30HP.... bob

Sandy hook reef is 1.4 miles off the beach

Manasquan is 1.7 miles off the beach

Axel Carlson is 2.1 miles off the beach
.
Fished all of them out of a 14’ with a 30HP.

IMO. The inlets are the dangerous part in bad weather , not the distance out

[GraysonEverett]

Right @Gerry Zagorski

[PortlyRedhead]

Only problem I have with these artificial reefs is distance for small boaters.. Why not build one a mile off the beach where guys with say a 15 or 16 foot boat can access it?.. There are lots of videos of guys in the Carolinas in kayaks fishing close inshore wrecks/reefs catching all types of bottom fish along with huge black and red drum... not many up here in the NY Bight that can be safely reached by kayak, or even say a 15 footer with a 30HP.... bob

You’ll see that just a very few of North Carolina’s artificial reefs are within 2 miles of a navigable inlet.

https://ncdenr.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=3b27e8594cb6444c88b5525bf763aa55

Also consider that materials on shallow water reefs tend to move or are covered by sand during major storms. That helps to explain why so many artificial reefs are in deeper water farther from shore.

[Capt. Debbie]

I see his concern. These are distances from any sandy beach, not from the inlet tip. In a smaller boat ocean distance ( 500 feet or 5 miles) is still time spent on the big water.

Sandy Hook reef and for that matter Shrewsbury Rocks aren't all that far from a beach. But are actually several miles from the SH#11 rounding the hook and entering the Atlantic

Open water run time & distance is a decision factor with smaller boats- exposure to larger risk- vulnerability.

Sandy hook reef is 1.4 miles off the beach

Manasquan is 1.7 miles off the beach

Axel Carlson is 2.1 miles off the beach
.
Fished all of them out of a 14’ with a 30HP.

IMO. The inlets are the dangerous part in bad weather , not the distance out