Support your local Party Boats!

[Abrasion]

http://www.app.com/story/sports/outdoors/fishing/hook-line-and-sinker/2015/08/06/party-new-jersey-party-boats/31214187/

I used to fish on the Barvic, the Doris Mae, and the Sea Devil. And now they're gone. I guess I could be considered part of the problem. I had such a good time as a kid on these boats that I went out and bought my own boat. I just wish there was more of a back-fill from the future generations. It would be a shame if the industry continues to contract.

[Gerry Zagorski]

Grab a kid, turn their cell phone off and take them fishing!!

[Man Workin]

That's a good read, I do fish party boats or smaller boats like MIMI in the winter when Man Workin is winterized. Love the people and fact that I can just fish.

[Gerry Zagorski]

That's a good read, I do fish party boats or smaller boats like MIMI in the winter when Man Workin is winterized. Love the people and fact that I can just fish.

Same here....

[Abrasion]

I took a sea bass trip with Capt Jerry this year and I forgot the joys of just walking off of a boat with a bag of meat and going home. No scrubbing. No cutting fish. No prep for the next trip or tinkering with something that stopped working. Nothing but fishing.

[MohawkJD]

Grab a kid, turn their cell phone off and take them fishing!!

Turn off their phone? You mean fight with him to turn it off, then listen to him or her bitch about it all afternoon? I'd rather go by myself.

[Walleyed]

Last Friday, I took my oldest stepdaugher, 17, and her best friend out on the BarbGail IV. Since we live near the border of Warren & Sussex county, they had to get up at 3:30am in order to make it to the docks in Brielle in time for the boat.

Just like every other kid, they're both addicted to their phones, but once they had a rod in their hands and the fish coming over the gunnels, they didn't touch them except to take some pictures.

My experience is kids like to fish as much today as they did 40 years ago when I was their age.

[Humanzee]

I took a sea bass trip with Capt Jerry this year and I forgot the joys of just walking off of a boat with a bag of meat and going home. No scrubbing. No cutting fish. No prep for the next trip or tinkering with something that stopped working. Nothing but fishing.

And no jellyfish getting sucked up into your livewell! (So I don't have to pee on you. Again.). :)

[bunker dunker]

What what???????????????????

[Super]

It's an interesting article. I'm not sure if I agree with everything, particularly blaming the regulations for the decline in customers, but it may have some impact.

We have a striped bass fishery now that we didn't have before 2000 and that's thanks to regulation changes. No one complains when the regulations work.

I think it's an economic problem. Boats and fuel are expensive and need to make money. I understand that much. But if I take my wife and kids fishing...It's a $200 day even before beer ;). That's not something I can afford to do every weekend.

[RussH]

I agree with you 100%. Regs don't help the CUSTOMERS feel good when they don't get to bring fish home, but it's also economics. Adjusted for inflation wages have been stagnant for 30 years. Just to go fishing by myself is a 100 dollar bill for the day. I can afford it, but not every weekend like you said, and if I had to take my wife and kid each time I definitely couldn't afford it more than a couple times a summer.

Kids aren't really interested in this stuff anymore either and it's a shame. I said this in another post yesterday but how often do you see the grandfather with the young kid anymore? How often do you see the dad pulling his hair out because his kid keeps tangling or bothering the mates? I know some boats have more families on it than others, but it definitely doesn't feel like "the old days" and I'm only 35. That said, I fully intend to teach my kid to fish and have already started at the local lakes/ponds.

[phil]

I agree with you 100%. Regs don't help the CUSTOMERS feel good when they don't get to bring fish home, but it's also economics. Adjusted for inflation wages have been stagnant for 30 years. Just to go fishing by myself is a 100 dollar bill for the day. I can afford it, but not every weekend like you said, and if I had to take my wife and kid each time I definitely couldn't afford it more than a couple times a summer.

Kids aren't really interested in this stuff anymore either and it's a shame. I said this in another post yesterday but how often do you see the grandfather with the young kid anymore? How often do you see the dad pulling his hair out because his kid keeps tangling or bothering the mates? I know some boats have more families on it than others, but it definitely doesn't feel like "the old days" and I'm only 35. That said, I fully intend to teach my kid to fish and have already started at the local lakes/ponds.

I was out last week with my 8 year old nephew(1st ever trip) and my mom. he must have dropped and reeled like 750 times in 4 hours of fishing, 1 keeper. at the end we walked to the back of the boat to throw all the leftover bait to the gulls and i went to the cooler to get the fish filleted and its gone. whatever, i thought to myself if someone is that desperate to eat they can have it. we are sitting in the back of the boat and im looking at the fish winning the pool, no idea whos fish it is it was tiny, like 20" and my nephew keeps saying, my fish was bigger than that, wheres my fish, my fish is bigger and im like yea yea sure ok mmmhmmm. then theres no fish left and the mate says, well i guess you won the pool and i was like who? me? i didn't catch any keepers, WAIT WHAT???

so yea, if you think its expensive, take an 8 year old for the 1st time, almost guaranteed to win the pool especially when baiting with squid AND gulp and a killie

[Pennsy Guy]

I was out last week with my 8 year old nephew(1st ever trip) and my mom. he must have dropped and reeled like 750 times in 4 hours of fishing, 1 keeper. at the end we walked to the back of the boat to throw all the leftover bait to the gulls and i went to the cooler to get the fish filleted and its gone. whatever, i thought to myself if someone is that desperate to eat they can have it. we are sitting in the back of the boat and im looking at the fish winning the pool, no idea whos fish it is it was tiny, like 20" and my nephew keeps saying, my fish was bigger than that, wheres my fish, my fish is bigger and im like yea yea sure ok mmmhmmm. then theres no fish left and the mate says, well i guess you won the pool and i was like who? me? i didn't catch any keepers, WAIT WHAT???

so yea, if you think its expensive, take an 8 year old for the 1st time, almost guaranteed to win the pool especially when baiting with squid AND gulp and a killie

A trip he'll always remember--and you. Not many mates will take a fish-unasked-to the weigh-up and have it the pool winner, no less! Congratulations to your nephew & you. What a pleasant surprise...