Bunker Boats Off MI - NJFishing.com Your Best Online Source for Fishing Information in New Jersey

Billfish715 · #1 08-31-2020, 05:02 PM

There were two bunker reduction boats less than 1 mile off the Manasquan Inlet this morning. At first, I thought they might be clammers or scallopers coming back in. Then I was able to see their gear. I looked at my pictures when i got home and could see the big letter "B" on the side of the pilothouse which confirmed my suspicions that they were bunker boats. I haven't seen many of them this year, although I have seen lots of bunkers along the beaches. One of the boats was from Gloucester, Mass. I guess there is some sort of arrangement that allows those netters to get in close to the beach. While they appeared to be purse seining, you have to wonder what by-catch comes with it.

Shooting into the sun caused the less than perfect picture. Also, by the time I grabbed my camera and attached the long lens and walked out to the jetty, the smaller boat had lifted its nets and was headed south toward Bay Head. Did anyone else see what was happening?

Billfish715 · #2 08-31-2020, 06:48 PM

The regulations for taking bunkers by commercial net boats sets a .6 of a mile distance as the extreme inshore limit in which the boats may operate. They can’t seine up to the beach, but .6 of a mile out might look that way. Look for the big “B” on the side of the vessel if you are worried whether what you see is a bunker boat.

BigRock44 · #3 08-31-2020, 10:30 PM

a while back we were fishing south of sandy hook with a handful of other boats when a netter steamed in uncomfortably close to us as we were working a bunker school. he quickly circled the school with his net and scooped them up with no regard to the other boats around. couldn't believe he did that and needless to say he killed the fishing for us. don't even want to think of what bycatch he sucked up too. he eventually loaded his catch onto a larger boat and it looked like maybe there was a spotter plane up above also.

tjd24 · #4 09-01-2020, 05:28 AM

A few years ago, I counted 7 bunker boats in Raritan Bay. They worked as a team and wiped out the entire mass of bunker. Thinking it was a violation, I reached out to the USCG in NJ & NY. Getting no satisfaction, I finally called the NJDEP Marine Fisheries Office in South Jersey. They said they'd investigate. I told them it's over a 2 hour drive up to this area and the bunker would be gone by then.

The boats got all the bunker and left the area. Needless to say, I'm sure the Fall bass & blue fishing was severely impacted by these boats.

I wish there was more we could do about these guys coming here and wiping out all the bait fish.

rwp2101 · #5 09-01-2020, 06:44 AM

I've always found it crazy that those boats are in Raritan Bay. So many times we'd be on a good bite for bass or blues and the next time we arrived those boats would be on the spot and that was the end of that.

#6 09-01-2020, 09:15 AM

Thank you Cooke Inc and Omega One.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXE_n2q08Yw

Capt Sal · #7 09-01-2020, 10:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Billfish715

There were two bunker reduction boats less than 1 mile off the Manasquan Inlet this morning. At first, I thought they might be clammers or scallopers coming back in. Then I was able to see their gear. I looked at my pictures when i got home and could see the big letter "B" on the side of the pilothouse which confirmed my suspicions that they were bunker boats. I haven't seen many of them this year, although I have seen lots of bunkers along the beaches. One of the boats was from Gloucester, Mass. I guess there is some sort of arrangement that allows those netters to get in close to the beach. While they appeared to be purse seining, you have to wonder what by-catch comes with it.

Shooting into the sun caused the less than perfect picture. Also, by the time I grabbed my camera and attached the long lens and walked out to the jetty, the smaller boat had lifted its nets and was headed south toward Bay Head. Did anyone else see what was happening?

If you saw the letter ''B'' on the hull it means it was a ''bait'' boat. All purse seiners and the ones in the bay have a B on the hull. It is the law. I hate reduction boats but they are not that stupid to go close to shore and risk hughe fines. There are plenty of bunker outside.Also the.6 from the beach is for bait boats not reduction boats. FYI it is also illegal for a bait boat to transfer there catch to a reduction boat.Keep them out of Raritan Bay like NY did but look at who your governor is ??? A joke and he could cre less about fishermen or bunker boats.

Gumada · #8 09-01-2020, 11:10 AM

The Massachusetts boats net bunker here because they wiped out the herring up north. They use bunker for the lobster traps. Wonder where all the big bluefish went ? We a get a 3 fish limit.....bs

RescueDogger · #9 09-01-2020, 09:07 PM

5000 fishing rods in perfect weather for half the month of August can't touch what one of those things can do to the fishery in a good afternoon with the help of his spotter aircraft.

It's hilarious to me that we fuss over recreational fishing limits as if it's an ethical imperative, and then allow the industrial efficiency of these ships to do their thing. Especially with regard to stripers. Ugh.

Billfish715 · #10 09-01-2020, 09:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Capt Sal

If you saw the letter ''B'' on the hull it means it was a ''bait'' boat. All purse seiners and the ones in the bay have a B on the hull. It is the law. I hate reduction boats but they are not that stupid to go close to shore and risk hughe fines. There are plenty of bunker outside.Also the.6 from the beach is for bait boats not reduction boats. FYI it is also illegal for a bait boat to transfer there catch to a reduction boat.Keep them out of Raritan Bay like NY did but look at who your governor is ??? A joke and he could cre less about fishermen or bunker boats.

Thanks, Sal. You are correct. “B” does stand for bait. I thought it was for bunker since that’s what they were targeting. Also, these were not reduction boats but private commercial netters. I’m not sure where they sell their catch though. As for the lobster baits, the lobster men will use whatever is available and cheap. The boats out of Pt. Judith often use skates strung together inside their traps. They last for a long time and are bought in large barrels as bycatch from trawlers.

The amount of bunkers that are still around at the beginning of September is highly unusual. If your business is to catch and sell fish, you’ll go wherever you have to in order to get a paycheck. In this case, the bait is here and therefore , so are the boats. We can only hope the bait stays around close to shore when the stripers come through. Maybe they will migrate closer to the beaches instead of 15 miles out.