Re: New Long Branch Fishing Pier
 

You cant' steal my memories . Fished it in the Fifties with grand pop and my dad.Roy's smoke house .Give them a hundred and they give you fifty smoked!

Re: New Long Branch Fishing Pier
 

As many fish as recreational anglers kept, which was significant, it didn't put a dent in the fishery. Every year the biomass was solid. Reason being whiting and ling were primarily an inshore winter fishery with some bottom fishing boats targeting them during the summer in deeper water. Both stocks had tremendous spawning strength. As soon as foreign factory ships and domestic small mesh netters targeted them, both stocks virtually disappeared in a few years, something no one ever thought possible. Shows just how destructive commercial netting can be when there's no boundaries or closed seasons.

Re: New Long Branch Fishing Pier
 

Good thread and information from everyone. Thanks

Re: New Long Branch Fishing Pier
 

With the sad state of today's whiting fishery, if you give them one today they'll give you back half a smoked fillet. Hammer those pictures on your post sure do bring back great memories. And they're some beautiful baseball bat sized whiting. Your dog looks ready to chow down! It wouldn't take much, in my humble opinion, to re-establish that fishery but the fishery needs to be managed for it to happen. Won't happen by itself. Plus the economic impacts to commercials, party boats, for hire and recreational angler spending would be significant.

Re: New Long Branch Fishing Pier
 

I've witnessed the same too many times. We'd stop and net a five gallon bucket in 15 minutes of the spikes to use for yellow fin and bigeyes on the way out. It brought a tear to my eye seeing literally thousands upon thousands of dead juveniles floating on the surface with a fair share as you mentioned of mediums and some jumbos mixed in. The regulations I believe allow it and if so the only thing that'll change it are changes to the regulations. It's madness, it really is.

Re: New Long Branch Fishing Pier
 

The part no one will want to believe is those whiting were caught in the first week of May , not the typical time they were fished for .

Seems ling fishery that also was a favorite wintertime fishery even only back 12 years or so is also a much better spring fishery now

All the talk of everything moving north doesn’t fit that timeline .

So next question is why such a shift of seasons .
Is it because they are here more than we think ? And actually left alone by the commercial guys who are usually targeting a different species then .

And is the amount of ling and whiting around in May, June really why the giants have been back here at that same time frame .

If no one targets them , no one knows they are there !

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Re: New Long Branch Fishing Pier
 

I've hammered cod in April and May on the SRR. Depending on what's coming out of the Hudson will have substantial impact on water temps in the hole. These fish have such tremendous reproductive strength if they're given a chance the stock will rebuild. And if there's ling, cod and whiting in the MH area, giants and mediums will be sure to follow. That's the way it was for decades, don't see it being any different today if the regulations took some pressure off the stock commercially.

Re: New Long Branch Fishing Pier
 

Just an FYI, I'm very concerned you and I are starting to agree on things:D. JK of course. We're in lock step on this thread.

Re: New Long Branch Fishing Pier
 

Glad to see you finally coming around lol

Re: New Long Branch Fishing Pier
 

Back in those days it was great, two dollars got you admission to the pier plus they supplied the bait, people bunked out for the weekend sleeping bags and all, good life