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Fishing aboard the Capt. John’s Greyhound V in Key West,…

Fishing aboard the Capt. John’s Greyhound V in Key West, Florida.

Snakehead: Invasive species being caught in waterways throughout S.J.

chl 0901 snakehead fishing
Adam Mihara of Maple Shade fishes in Stewart Lake in Woodbury. The snakehead fish has been caught in this body of water and is known for its ability to survive on land for a few hours.

SNAKEHEAD FACTS

• Averages 2 feet long
• 7-13 pounds
• Color and size vary
• 28 varieties of the species

 

It might be one of the ugliest fish you’d ever want to see lurking in local ponds and streams. Brown with dark blotches, beady eyes atop its flattened head, the northern snakehead is coming up on the end of more and more reels across South Jersey.

And local fishermen claim the creature, dubbed “Frankenfish” for its ability to survive and even slither on land for considerable distances, is being caught here at an alarming rate.

“They’re exploding,” Rick Sayers, owner of Big Timber Bait and Tackle in Brooklawn, said of the species, which is not native to South Jersey. “They’re all over the place now.”

Snakeheads, which originally came from China and once were sold in this country at pet stores, are of great concern to scientists across the Mid-Atlantic region. The federal government banned the transport of live specimens in 2002.

The media had a feeding frenzy when snakeheads were found in a pond in South Philadelphia’s FDR Park in the summer of 2004. The park is near the Schuylkill River and that’s how authorities believe they’ve managed to swim as far south as Raccoon Creek in Logan and as far north as Bordentown.

The state Department of Environmental Protection was first alerted to their presence in New Jersey in 2009, when the species surfaced in Stewart Lake in Woodbury.

“They were once thought of as mostly a warm-water fish, but they love our habitat around here and they’ve shown that they do well in cold water,” said Christopher Smith, principal fish biologist for the DEP.

“They produce a large amount of offspring…. snakeheads grow pretty quick, faster than a bass does. They’re also resilient in that they can live out of water for, literally, five or six hours.”

Snakehead, which feed on native species like frogs, small reptiles and often small birds and mammals, are on the state’s Aquatic Invasive Species list. Officials fear their presence could disrupt the area’s ecosystem.

“In theory, any time you introduce a large predator to a population, you’re going to have competition for food and space, so there’s definitely the potential for impact,” Smith said. “Really, only time will tell.”

It might be one of the ugliest fish you’d ever want to see lurking in local ponds and streams. Brown with dark blotches, beady eyes atop its flattened head, the northern snakehead is coming up on the end of more and more reels across South Jersey.

And local fishermen claim the creature, dubbed “Frankenfish” for its ability to survive and even slither on land for considerable distances, is being caught here at an alarming rate.

“They’re exploding,” Rick Sayers, owner of Big Timber Bait and Tackle in Brooklawn, said of the species, which is not native to South Jersey. “They’re all over the place now.”

Snakeheads, which originally came from China and once were sold in this country at pet stores, are of great concern to scientists across the Mid-Atlantic region. The federal government banned the transport of live specimens in 2002.

The media had a feeding frenzy when snakeheads were found in a pond in South Philadelphia’s FDR Park in the summer of 2004. The park is near the Schuylkill River and that’s how authorities believe they’ve managed to swim as far south as Raccoon Creek in Logan and as far north as Bordentown.

The state Department of Environmental Protection was first alerted to their presence in New Jersey in 2009, when the species surfaced in Stewart Lake in Woodbury.

“They were once thought of as mostly a warm-water fish, but they love our habitat around here and they’ve shown that they do well in cold water,” said Christopher Smith, principal fish biologist for the DEP.

“They produce a large amount of offspring…. snakeheads grow pretty quick, faster than a bass does. They’re also resilient in that they can live out of water for, literally, five or six hours.”

Snakehead, which feed on native species like frogs, small reptiles and often small birds and mammals, are on the state’s Aquatic Invasive Species list. Officials fear their presence could disrupt the area’s ecosystem.

“In theory, any time you introduce a large predator to a population, you’re going to have competition for food and space, so there’s definitely the potential for impact,” Smith said. “Really, only time will tell.”

 

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Gloucester City plans to ban fishing at Freedom Pier

FISHING PIER
FISHING PIER

GLOUCESTER CITY — When the refurbished Freedom Pier opened in December, it was the first time in more than 20 years the public could gain access to the quay.

The pier offered a prime fishing site, locals say, but the No Fishing signs have recently gone up as City Council aims to ban the sport from the 98-year-old dock.

“That’s because you had a few knuckleheads leaving a big mess and destroying property,” said Mayor William James.

“We spent over a million dollars fixing the place up and making it accessible to the public,” James said. “And initially we didn’t mind people going out there fishing. But then we had people leaving their cut-up bait and fish guts.

“They were stealing the bolts from the benches to use as weights. We had to take some action.”

At a July 26 council meeting, an ordinance was approved on first reading that would prohibit anglers from casting their lines into the Delaware River off the pier.

The recently posted No Fishing signs notwithstanding, the ordinance still has to go before a public hearing and a second reading, which will place Thursday.

On a recent hot and humid morning, residents had differing opinions on whether the ban should go into effect.

“(The ban) makes sense and I agree with it,” said Bill Cook, as he and his dog Spud sat on a bench along the walkway between Freedom Pier and Proprietor’s Park Pier.

“You had underage kids drinking on Freedom Pier and people not cleaning up after themselves. It’s a shame because it was good to see the town finally doing something with (the pier),” added Cook. “It was a dilapidated garbage heap for years.

“But you have another pier right over there,” Cook said as he gestured toward Proprietor’s Park Pier. “There’s no difference. I’ve seen a 5-pound catfish from both piers. There’s no reason for anybody to complain about (the ban).”

Recently unemployed salesman Pete Donofrio had just pulled in his third catfish of the morning off Proprietor’s. A longtime fisherman who makes his own lures, the chatty angler said there is, indeed, a difference between the two piers.

“From (Proprietor’s) you have to know where to throw your line, otherwise you’ll lose it among the branches and other stuff down there.

“At Freedom you can fish from anywhere around the pier and you won’t hit anything. There are no snags there.”

Donofrio also blamed the “idiots” who have ruined a good thing for other townfolk.

“It had been opened for less than a year and some morons came out and tore the pier up. The kids obliterated it.”

James said plans are in the works for an Ott’s Restaurant to be built on Freedom Pier, and hopes to see it open sometime next year.

He added that if the ordinance does not pass, he’s looking for ideas on how to police the pier.

“Somebody’s going to have to come up with something if the fishing is allowed. I certainly can’t have a cop sitting out there all day watching people fish.

“We’ll see what happens” on Thursday, the former police officer said. “I’m sure we’ll get our share of public pressure. But it’s not what’s good for the few, it’s what’s good for the many.

“I love to fish, but you have to abide by the rules, respect property and police your own area.”

 

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Fishing the deep: Anglers enjoy the sea, pump up state’s economy

The bustle of the Atlantic City skyline a mere afterthought on the horizon, the focus of the 30-some people lining the gently rocking deck of the North Star is on the anticipated rod-bobbing tug of a catch from far below.

It is a calm, warm Friday morning and 10 miles off the coast, the patrons aboard this Ocean City party boat are enjoying one of the shore’s prized attractions — mile after mile after mile of saltwater fishing.

From avid anglers with their own gear, to youngsters and weak-kneed novices like this reporter, the vessel is filled with a mix of vacationers from Atlanta to New York.

The four-hour “deep sea” trip is one of three Captain Tim Barrus will make with the North Star on this day and is just one of a plethora of party and private boats making similar treks across the state’s coastline and peaceful inlets.

Whether from roadside piers, the ocean surf or casual trips like ours, hundreds of thousands of people will drop a fishing line in New Jersey’s salt waters this year — making the age-old sport among the most popular of all activities at shore points from Brigantine to Cape May.

“It’s one of the main attractions for people,” fishing enthusiast and columnist Nick Honachefsky said of the shore’s vast array of fishing options.

And although those in the business say increasingly stringent fishing regulations over the past decades have cut into the industry, New Jersey’s marine anglers continue to pump hundreds of thousands of dollars into the state’s economy.

“Fishing is a huge part of the economy for the entire state,” said Adam Nowalsky, chairman of the state’s chapter of the Recreational Fishing Alliance.

A report by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration puts the total dollars spent by marine anglers in the state in 2006 at $1.6 billion.

From the summer flounder and black sea bass targeted by boats like the North Star to big-time game fish like tuna and marlin available to avid anglers in canyons farther off shore, Nowalsky and others entrenched in the industry brag that the fishing opportunities here are among the best in the nation.

“New Jersey offers an experience unlike you can find anywhere else in the country,” Nowalsky said.

Hoping for a taste of that experience myself, I board the North Star in Ocean City with a photographer on a slightly overcast Friday morning earlier this month. After paying our combined fare of $115 — which includes bait, rods, tackle and the service of two mates — we climb aboard and lay claim to one of the last remaining open spaces along the side of the boat.

Dan, one of two mates aboard for the trip, brings us each an outfitted rod and later gathers those around us to the bow of the boat for a brief tutorial on the best way to catch the sea bass and flounder we’ll be fishing for.

With the island of vacationers still asleep around us, the North Star rumbles to life shortly after 8 a.m. with sea gulls trailing behind. The one-hour ride out into the Atlantic Ocean has begun.

Barrus cuts the engines an hour later and those lining the side waste no time in dropping their lines to the ocean floor 60 feet below. Black sea bass are biting immediately and within minutes the lightweight fish are being hoisted up to hoots of acclamation.

The fishing is steady throughout the morning but the majority of the sea bass and the few flounder pulled in fall short of the state’s requirement for keepers.

Many, like myself, are happy to simply find something tugging at the other end of the line and two hours later when Barrus starts the North Star on its return trip to the marina, the boat has tallied about 25 keepers, nearly all black sea bass.

The two mates make quick work of filleting the fish and many of the groups aboard walk away with that night’s dinner tucked away in their coolers.

When it comes to catching dinner, Honachefsky said that summer flounder or “fluke” are the current top draw.

Honachefsky, who checks in regularly with captains and tackle shops along the shore, said the fluke fishing this summer has been stellar in both the back bays and ocean reefs, thanks in no small part to a slight reprieve on the size limit. After an earlier moratorium on the species, black sea bass populations are also said to be booming.

In a rare move, the regulations were decreased this year for keeper flounder from 18 to 17½ inches.

“They are catching the same kind of size fish but last year they were throwbacks,” Honachefsky said.

The requirement for flounder was once 14 inches.

Intended to help species populations, Honachefsky and others said the regulations have also hurt the industry, contributing to the closure of party boats as keepers in different species became harder to find.

While shore rentals make the summer the most popular fishing season, Honachefsky said the spring and fall are when New Jersey’s fishing opportunities really take off for striped bass, blue fish and tuna.

With more 30- to 40-pound striped bass being caught here than anywhere else, Honachefsky proclaims New Jersey as the “new Mecca” for the prized species.

“It’s like taking candy from a baby,” Honachefsky said.

Watching all the action below from his perch on the second deck, Barrows, the captain, describes our day aboard the North Star as a typical outing.

Barrows needs 15 adult fares to make the four-hour trip worthwhile. He had to cancel one trip this year because of a lack of interest.

“It depends on the day,” Barrows says of the crowd.

A lot of his customers are from the South Jersey and Philadelphia region. Some are regular anglers while many have little to no experience.

“A lot have aspirations of coming out with their family and catching dinner,” Barrows says. “It’s not something they can do in their normal lifestyle.”

During my morning aboard the North Star, I experience the long-dormant boyhood joy of reeling in one keeper sea bass and with a sense of seasickness beginning to grip my stomach, I set down my rod for my notepad and pen.

To my left, avid freshwater angler Jeremy Fanucci is using his own rod, while patiently coaching his son Nicolas on the art of resting his line on the ocean floor. The energetic 7-year-old eventually finds more interest in crossing back and forth across the boat yelling out the different fish being hauled in.

For Fanucci and his brother-in-law Phil Detwiler, whose families are vacationing at the shore, it is the second fishing trip of the week. Days earlier, they went on a party boat in the bay. Detwiler has brought his 7-year-old daughter Madison along on this trip.

“You can only sit at the beach so much,” Fanucci explains.

Throughout the morning Fanucci pulls in a steady stream of sea bass but nearly all fall short of the 12½-inch size limit.

“Dinner is served,” Fanucci yells after eventually landing a keeper.

Toward the back of the boat, Moorestown resident Steve Ungrady and his father Dennis are enjoying what has become a traditional outing during the family’s yearly vacations at the shore.

“My dad and I like to fish together, it’s a little family bonding experience,” says Ungrady, a 35-year-old attorney at Haddonfield’s Archer and Greiner law firm.

The pair have been out on the North Star several times before and chose it again this day after an attempt to go out on a party boat in Sea Isle City earlier in the week was foiled. The trip was canceled as only eight passengers had showed up by departure time.

“We have caught some good stuff out here,” Ungrady says of trips aboard the North Star.

Later, with his rod bent nearly in half, Ungrady lets out a whoop as he hoists up a sizable black sea bass.

But seconds later the elation turns to dejection as the catch squirms from his father’s hands and flops underneath the railing on the boat back into the water.

Ungrady jokes that at least now the fish can live among the stories of the one that got away.

“Oh yeah, it was at least 8 feet,” he says laughing.

All in all, it’s a good day for the pair as they take home several keepers.

But like others I talk to, it’s not just about the fish for Ungrady.

“How can you not like it out here,” he exclaims, gesturing toward the wide-open waters.

For Dean Bowser, the four-hour trip aboard the North Star has become a passionate routine.

The 26-year-old Bucks County native said he comes to his fiancee’s shore house each weekend and always goes out on the water, whether it’s aboard the North Star or by renting a boat.

This trip is his sixth on the boat this year.

“It’s too fun to pass up,” Bowser offers as way of explanation. “You come out here and talk to people and have a fun time.”

 

 

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