NJ DEP Gear Rules for Stripers and Sharks

[Ol Pedro]

Originally Posted by Broad Bill

New regulations are a welcomed change. What's the point of changing the regulations to protect young and older age classes of bass if anglers are going to circumvent those measures, gaff bass which is insane and increase fishing related mortality. Short term practices to ignore conservation measures will accomplish two thing, provide impetus for greater restrictions down the road and circumvent the new regulations intended to promote conservation within the fishery. No need to use treble hooks on party boats when jigging, using swim shads, chunking or swimming live bunker and no reason to have gaffs on board.

BB, there are still uses for gaffs that don't involve gaffing Stripers. Bluefish are still gaffed as they eat the nets. (Not so many lately) You never know when you need to retrieve something from the water/stern lines.(right tool for the job)Saying that they shouldn't be on the boat is a bit of a stretch. Lifting fish whenever possible, netting, and using single hooks are things that a lot of us have been doing without having regs to force us to comply.