Opinions needed! If you had a wish list for F&G

[buzzbaiter]

Rules & regs test before getting license. Story from yesterday:

I arrive at a pond and see 2 bucket guys. I give them plenty of space and fish a good 500 feet away. My first cast I get a 16" largemouth, take a photo and let it go. I actually hear one of them say "why'd he let that bass go?" Other says "I guess he didn't want it". Over the next hour, I C&R 8 more bass(bunch of pickerel too) and the fellas are stunned I keep letting them go.

Ummm...fellas...ever hear of bass season? No bass may be kept or killed between April 15th and June 15th. How do people not know this? Makes me wonder how many bass they've killed over the years. Its part ignorance and part stupidity.

[Suntzu]

No stocking of urban ponds with trout
More of a spread to stocking urban streams
Take down all dams
Stock pike in Rahway River
Put tiger Muskie in some urban ponds to deal with sunfish overpopulation
More CO's enforcing salt water shoreline where buckets of short blackfish and bass are illegally taken
Make speargun fishing illegal

[AndyS]

X2 on stockong those urban scum ponds with trout, throw some pike and and stuff in there, then I might start fishing them.
No treble hooks in TCA's
More involvement with dam removal, river and stream clean ups, and river restoration projects.
Stock smallmouth in rivers, no just lakes, BUT Round Valley could use a healthy dose of smallmouth, they will eat all the lake trout fingerlings.

[Eskimo]

.

Originally Posted by Wilson

More enforcement of the laws that are already on the books and stiffer penalties for those apprehended,
Lower creel limits and catch and release areas might be doable.
Anything that will help curb the bucket brigadier's.

Yes - This!
If Largemouth Bass are as valuable of an asset as Fish & Game calculates they are - then act like it.

The reality of the situation is the population density of New Jersey is reaching critical mass. If we are going to maintain sustainable quality bass fishing then changes are going to have to be made to the laws and how they are enforced.

The first issue is the overly generous creel limit. I don't know why it is five fish with a twelve inch minimum. My guess is it's a relic from the time when anglers didn't consider a day on the water as successful unless brought home a full stringer of fish. This simply is not sustainable and does not reflect the conservation-ethics of most bass anglers fishing today.



.

[Jigman13]

More COs for sure. I know it's not in the budget but we def need like twice the number of what we currently have. I'd pay more for my license and trout stamp, which I'm sure many others would... Unfortunately the increase would likely not end up where it needs to go... It'd line bureaucratic pockets elsewhere...

[EJS]

Thanks everyone, that's a pretty healthy list filled with great ideas, many I hadn't given thought to!

What about funding? We all know the cost of a license and trout stamp. We all cringe at the price, but would anyone be willing to pay $1 more if it went to pay for more CO's, better quality fish, dam removal & stream restoration projects, or to build a trophy catch and release fishery, basically the items on your NJ fishing wish list? It's simply food for thought, I am in no way saying any of this is on the table or has ever been contemplated by F&G! This discussion is an experiment, a private survey of sorts.

I think we are all well aware of the current water conditions in our rivers, streams, lakes and such. The temps are rising fast, conditions are dangerous for many species. How important do we see dam removal in lowering water temps, returning flows, boating hazards, etc? Does anyone see benefit to keeping the dams in place and feel that removing them jeopardizes quality fishing?

Should supplying water to neighboring states take a back seat to NJ fishery needs?

I am simply picking your brains! Thanks again for the honest answers, and know your answers won't go to waste!

[Dave B.]

I'd like to see many of the same things others have stated here. More CO's for sure, more dam removals and stream restoration projects, add to the list more public access to many of our bigger and better streams.

Personally I'd have no problem at all with a license increase as Jigman13 mentioned. For the sake of clarity let me share a bit of info in that regard. Every dollar we as sportsmen/women spend for our licenses, stamps and permits goes into a dedicated fund called the 'Hunters and Anglers Fund' which the politicians cannot touch. This is protected by the state constitution. The monies in this fund are to used solely for the purposes of maintaining, improving and enhancing the hunting and fishing resources we have. This includes the law enforcement aspect as well as the freshwater, marine and wildlife biologists in the Div.
NJF&W also recieves funds from the USF&WS as reimbursements of federal excise taxes we all pay on hunting, fishing and boating gear. This money also goes directly into the 'Hunters and Anglers Fund'. Under the federal laws establishing and controlling these disbursements this money MUST go into a dedicated fund that cannot be used in any manner or by any other agency than a given state's fish and wildlife agency.

I share all this so that folks will know that should a license increase ever be proposed the money will definitely go into the Div and by law CANNOT be touched by the pols for anyone's pet project. Should this fund ever be raided by any politician we would instantly lose our federal reimbursement monies as well.
Gov. McGreevy tried once to divert several million from the 'Hunters and Anglers Fund' into the state parks & forests budget in his annual fiscal budget. Within a few days there were several lawsuits filed against him by NJ sportmens orgs including the NJ Fed. of Sportsmen, and the USF&WS was demanding an immediate refund of the 4.1 million our NJF&W had just recieved as our annual distribution. Needless to say McGreesy backed down and revamped his proposed state budget.

Sorry for hijacking the thread, back to the 'Bucket List'.

[Wilson]

Originally Posted by EJS

Thanks everyone, that's a pretty healthy list filled with great ideas, many I hadn't given thought to!

What about funding? We all know the cost of a license and trout stamp. We all cringe at the price, but would anyone be willing to pay $1 more if it went to pay for more CO's, better quality fish, dam removal & stream restoration projects, or to build a trophy catch and release fishery, basically the items on your NJ fishing wish list? It's simply food for thought, I am in no way saying any of this is on the table or has ever been contemplated by F&G! This discussion is an experiment, a private survey of sorts.

$100 plus reels and rods, side scanning GPS sonar with coffeemaker, auto pilot trolling motors, Orvis stuff, $15.00 lures, fancy boats, bait, lunches, beer. The license is the cheapest part of fishing by far. If a license costs $120.00 per year that equates to $10.00 per month. Netflix costs more

I would pay more but I want to see a big difference in enforcement and restoration projects. The problem is the state government B.S.

[Andrushkin33]

I'll have to agree with many here.

I dot think many will have an issue of paying more for the license but as Wilson pointed out it would be nice to see some results of it.

We all know changes will not be made on a spot so some general plans on how it will be distributed would be nice to see.

More COs is a must. If state can afford to hire more at least be able deputize local citizens which are part of the fish or game clubs.

Another thing I would love to see is more State Sponsored Events on both fresh and salt water. Us as fishermen we have our own contest and it would be nice to join the state ones as well. Note only it would be another way for state to raise some $, it would be also a good education experience for all of us. Another way to find out more about our local lands as well as meet men and women in charge of protecting them.

Stiffer penalties for the laws we have in place. Some of them are a complete joke. Beside a penalty + mandatory community service such as cleaning up or something of that sort.

Just my two cents on all.

Andre

[jimcnj]

Originally Posted by Wilson

$100 plus reels and rods, side scanning GPS sonar with coffeemaker, auto pilot trolling motors, Orvis stuff, $15.00 lures, fancy boats, bait, lunches, beer. The license is the cheapest part of fishing by far. If a license costs $120.00 per year that equates to $10.00 per month. Netflix costs more

I would pay more but I want to see a big difference in enforcement and restoration projects. The problem is the state government B.S.

In a nutshell.