[catfishonthelake]

New Jersey is a tough place to fish, always has been and always will be. We are the most populated state in the country and I think it's safe to say that our waters get pounded more than anywhere else. If anyone has ever fished out of state, or on a private lake, I think it's safe to say that our public waters in NJ just don't stack up to other places in the country. That's not saying you can't catch fish, but I just feel like some of the destinations I've gone too in New York, West Virgina, Pennsylvania, Virginia etc. do not have anything equivalent here in the Garden State.

I think a lot has to do with pressure, and people are going to jump on me for saying this, but these boards are part of the problem. 5 years ago I could go ice fishing on Pompton Lake, be the only person out there on a Sunday, jig up 70 panfish and have a 20 flags with pike, big bass and big pickerel all day. People still have some good days there, but the place is an absolute zoo now and it's nothing in comparison to what it was. And that has only been a few short years. I've been saying this all along, but watch what happens to the Passaic River pike fishery 5 years from now. Once you alert the bucket brigade, it's only a matter of time.

One thing we have going for us is that less people are fishing these days. Kids want iPads, not fishing rods. Laurie at Dow's told me she used to rent 40 boats on a weekend back in the day. On the other side of it, I see more saltwater guys eventually getting fed-up with all the BS they have to deal with and maybe taking up freshwater fishing.

The other thing we have going for us is that we have the best hatchery in the country. The state is constantly assessing fish populations and replacing what it lost. I can honestly say that I have not seen much of a decline in our fisheries since I first started freshwater fishing in NJ 20 years ago. In fact, it's gotten so much better, with more species diversity and more angling opportunities.

The invasive species, meh. They'll be here, but nature will adapt. The flatheads are not new and neither are the snakeheads. I've talked to Lake St. Clair guides and St. Lawrence Guides and everyone was all freaked out about zebra mussels and gobies, but the common belief among guys in the know is that the fisheries adapted. I fished for 3 days with a Potomac River guide this year for snakeheads and he says that the hype is definitely overplayed. We fished hard for snakes for 3 days and although we could see them, we couldn't get one to bite. And we caught like 30 bass.

So, after all of that......my prediction for the future of NJ fisheries....not much different then what it is now. Some lakes will be become less productive, some will get better. New Jersey has always forced anglers to fish a little harder, walk a little further in the woods, spend some time getting lost in the car and digging on Google maps nowadays. For those willing to put in the time, we will always have quality fishing.

That being said, promoting catch and release is the most important thing we can do as anglers. Just because it's legal to bring home a bucket of 50 panfish while they're spawning, does't mean you should do it. Just because it's legal to keep a big musky, doesn't mean you should do it. If you see someone fishing illegally or taking illegal fish, forget about being a snitch, report them. The future in NJ fishing depends on anglers protecting the resource we have.