blog

BHCFA Striped Bass Report

Captain John Lewis of the Beach Haven Charter Fishing Association, who runs the charter boat “Insatiable” out of Morrison’s Marina, is walking around with a smile on his face. Captain John says to all who hear him, “The ocean temperatures are finally dropping so the bass cannot be far behind.

There are reports of big bass to the north of Long Beach Island feeding on schools of bunker, and these bass should be off Beach Haven any day now. Between the cool weather dropping water temperatures, and northwest winds driving baitfish from the bay waters into the ocean, a perfect recipe seems to be forming for striped bass action.

There are currently good numbers of bass in the bay waters, but they seem to be mostly schoolie size fish. The bigger bass are in the ocean and will be caught in two primary ways. Many captains will look for schools of bunker and work their magic with the “snag and drop” technique whereby live bunker are snagged and used immediately as bass candy. The other method is trolling lures such as bunker spoons or Mojos to attract action. Either way, the fish will be in the 25-40 pound category right now.

In other BHCFA action, Captain Ray Lopez had the “Miss Liane” out recently looking for tuna and mahi. They left the boat at 3am and once they set up on the troll, they had two fish on immediately. Throughout the day the crew landed over 15 fish for an action packed day.

To learn more about the Beach Haven Charter Fishing Association or charter a boart, visit the association’s website at www.BHCFA.net and get in touch with one or more of the captains.

Sinking Sailboat

On October 29th, the Surf City Volunteer Fire Company shared the following report. "the Surf City Firefighters along with the U.S. Coast Guard Station Barnegat Light, Barnegat Light First Aid Squad, Harvey Cedars Police, Surf City Police, and Long Beach Township Police responded to the North Beach section of Long Beach Township for a report of a sinking boat close to shore. Upon arrival the crew of sailboat had beached it to avoid imminent sinking and had made it onto land. The crew of sailboat was uninjured but were assessed by Barnegat Light EMTs."

For more information about the volunteers at the Surf City Volunteer Fire company, visit their website at http://www.surfcityfire.org

35th Annual Cranberry Festival

The 35th Annual Chatsworth Cranberry Festival will take place on October 18th and 19th and is a celebration of New Jersey's cranberry harvest, the 3rd largest in the United States! The Festival is a tribute to the Pine Barrens and its culture, especially that of the cranberry farms.

The focal point of the Festival is the large field across from the White Horse Inn, where many artists & craftsmen will be displaying their art; some will also be demonstrating their crafts as well as offering them for sale. Directly behind the White Horse Inn, across Route 563, is a huge outdoor food court with picnic tables; a band provides music all day long. Admission to the festival is free. A donation of $5.00 will be accepted at the parking area at the school, located off Second Street (just south of Buzby's Chatsworth General Store, on the right).

The festival is located at 3980 Main Street, Chatsworth, NJ 08019 and is presented by The Festival Committee of Chatsworth for the benefit of the restoration and preservation of the White Horse Inn.

Clean Up - Cedar Bonnet Island

Start off fall with a Beach Clean Up!

Join us at the new Cedar Bonnet Island Environmental Trail on Saturday October 13 from 11:30AM-2:00PM for our 2nd Saturday Clean Up. We’ll provide buckets, gloves, data sheets and any other supplies needed. BYOB (bring your own bucket) is encouraged as well.

All volunteers will be required to sign a waiver for Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge.

Parking is limited so we ask that you car pool or park at the Ship Bottom Boat ramp and you can walk over the trestle bridges to the location. Please exercise safety around busy Rt. 72.

Join us afterwards from 2:30-4:30PM at The Old Causeway Steak & Oyster House for an early happy hour to celebrate the hard work just accomplished.

Shellabration

Join us for the 1st Annual LBT Oyster Shellabration! Being held at Bayview Park on Oct 6th from 12-6pm, the Shellabration will include Oysters, Beer, Wine, Food, Oyster Shucking, Music, Games & Activities for kids.

Tickets will be sold at the event for oysters and beer/wine. Each ticket is worth $1. Oysters will be $2 a piece. Clams $1 a piece. 1st beer will be $6 and you will receive a commemorative mug, subsequent beers will be $5. 1st wine will also be $6 with subsequent wines priced at $5. Food sold by the food vendors will be cash, ATM's will be on premise. Alliance for a Living Ocean will have their refillable water station so please bring your refillable water bottle. This will be a plasticfree event!

For more information call (609) 361-1000

36th Annual Ocean County Decoy & Gunning Show

Join us as we celebrate the 36th anniversary of the Decoy and Gunning Show during this exciting two day event on Saturday, September 29th and Sunday September 30th, highlighting the culture of the area!

Demonstrations, contests, seminars, decoy auction, crafters, carvers, vendors, food, refreshments, music, entertainment, and lots of fun! Dock Dog Competition as featured on ESPN! Two great locations: Tip Seaman County Park and Tuckerton Baymen's Museum. This event is free and open to the public!

Fisherman Stung by Cownose Ray

The Harvey Cedars Beach Patrol reported on Sunday, August 26, 2018 "at approximately 3:30pm, the Harvey Cedars Beach Patrol and Barnegat Light First Aid Squad responded to 73rd Street beach for a fisherman stung in the arm by a Cownose Ray."

The cownose ray feeds upon clams, oysters, hard clams and other invertebrates. It uses two modified fins on its front side to produce suction, which allows it to draw food into its mouth, where it crushes its food with its dental plates. Cownose rays typically swim in groups, which allows them to use their synchronized wing flaps to stir up sediment and expose buried clams and oysters.

According the Harvey Cedars Beach Patrol, "the patient was transported to the hospital. Cownose Rays are one of the most docile species of ray and stings are rare but painful. The barb with venom is close to the body & located near the base of the dorsal fin - this makes the barb not easy to get to. Always use caution when handling wild animals."

A Plan to Protect the Barnegat Bay-Little Egg Harbor Estuary

The Barnegat Bay-Little Egg Harbor estuary is under threat. Suburban sprawl and over-development prompted the Governor of New Jersey in 2010 to direct the NJ Department of Environmental Protection to research and develop a protection plan for the Ocean County bay.

Citizens from the region, recreational users, commercial fisherman, activists, scientists, and land developers all shared their experiences with the NJDEP to develop a research strategy towards formulating new regulatory policies and a management plan for protecting the bay.

On Wednesday, August 15, 2018 join the Tuckerton Seaport and speaker Thomas Belton at 1:00PM during this session as it explores how his research impacted the protection and stewardship planning.

Issues of concern to the environmental regulatory agencies and the public include: nuisance jellyfish blooms, excess nutrients, the imminent closure of the Oyster Creek nuclear power plant on the bay, the benefits of marine conservation zones, and the status of the fish, crab and shellfish populations.

Noteworthy is the collection of these data before and after Superstorm Sandy came ashore at BB-LEH, and its impact on the shallow bay.

This program is part of the NJ Council for the Humanities Public Scholars Project. Speaker Thomas Belton is a Research Associate in Science Writing with the Philadelphia Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University. He is a retired Senior Scientist with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection where he served as the Research Coordinator for the Governor’s 2010-2016 Action Plan for the Barnegat Bay-Little Egg Harbor Estuary.

His book “Protecting New Jersey’s Environment: From Cancer Alley to the New Garden State”  was named an Honor Book by the New Jersey Council for the Humanities due to its ability to take complex scientific information and put it into language and entertaining stories that everyone can understand. In his book and his lectures, he points out how people search for environmental remedies in their neighborhoods and the challenges they face that result in what Belton calls bare-knuckles environmental protection, replete with back-room political deals, infighting, criminals, and hapless victims. Belton demonstrates the ways that scientists, regulators, lobbyists, and politicians interact and offers the public a go-to guide on how to seek environmental protection in practical ways.

The Tuckerton Seaport Located at 120 West Main Street in Tuckerton, New Jersey. For more information call 609-296-8868

Ocean Hazards and Beach Safety

Sharks are often seen as the most dangerous and life-threatening part of the ocean. However, a more common and potential risk to bathers is the threat of hazardous rip currents, which kill over 100 people in the US every year.

Want to learn more?

Dr. Amy Williams of Stevens Institute of Technology and New Jersey Sea Grant Consortium will host an hour long presentation on facts about sharks and rip currents from 10:00AM - 11:00AM on Wednesday August 8, 2018. By being informed about how to spot a rip current along with a plan on how to react if caught in one will provide citizens the knowledge of how to stay safe while enjoying the ocean.

The program takes place at Long Beach Township’s newly-established Marine Education Field Station facility located at 127 W Osborn Ave Holgate, NJ.

For more information, call (609) 361-1000

10th Annual ALO LBI Longboard Classic

Now in its 10th year the ALO LBI Longboard Classic is one of their largest fundraisers and one of the most fun events in Ship Bottom. Started by their longtime board member Tom Beaty, the Longboard Classic brings together generations and celebrates our oceans the best way we know possible, surfing! This contest requires a vintage surfboard that is at least 3 feet longer than you are tall and is judged on style, nose rides, and ultimately looking like you’re having a good time.

The event features prominent surfers from varying generations and beach towns alike. Bring the whole family out for the day to enjoy as spectator or as a competitor. Raffles, live music, food, and more are all a part of this long running event.

The 2018 ALO LBI Longboard Classic will take place on Saturday, August 4, 2018. The event this year will be located at the 17th Street Beach Area in Ship Bottom. We’re excited to be in a central location on the island and hope to make this event the best yet.

For more information, visit the ALO Facebook page.