Fish On
Anglers looking forward to new year
RON NUZZOLO
With the 2007 season behind us, I look forward to an even better one ahead in 2008. Last year was a year with big fish in all categories.

To start, bait fish like peanut bunkers are the true reason why we all enjoyed a great year. Peanuts were in the hundreds of millions along the entire coast and enjoyed warmer ocean temps for most of the year.

In return, spring striped bass seemed like they were in bigger numbers and the schools stayed healthy. Fall bass was even more insane, with schools that seemed endless along our shore right to the end of December. Anglers had a blast off the beach with all you can catch and release, and so did the boaters.

Bluefish filled the gaps and were back and in good-size numbers with an average blue at 8 to 10 pounds anywhere along the coast. Fishing for weakfish in the bays also remained solid, with some big fish mixed in that have not been seen in previous years.

Winter and summer flounder season were bringing in record-size fish not seen in more than 20 years, and they were eating peanut bunkers.

Tog fishing remains productive along the reefs and wrecks, with some bigger-thanever fish. Ling and cod also were back in big numbers as well as size. Wreck fishing in the Garden State also had a banner year, with some of the best - in size and number - sea bass and porgies seen in years.

Blue fin tuna patrolled our shorelines within in a few hundred yards of the beach. They were bigger and there were more sightings, meaning more numbers than in previous years. Offshore in the canyons, we enjoyed a variety of big game fish, with more reports of swordfish being caught - and for many anglers, it was their first sword ever.

Technology in 2007 was showing it can only help increase the monitoring and health of our oceans and bays.

Web sites like NJSaltwaterfisherman. com and others like it can help anglers gain a whole new look into the sport of fishing. It's a way to keep track of what's going on in the fishing community. It's a meeting place where anglers can share real-time information and keep track of current rules and regulations.

Also, captains can share information to help each other plan a next trip or find where the action is in real time. More and more sites are helping protect our oceans and beaches in a positive way by sharing such information and gaining a new respect for the sport and one another.

The year 2007 was a healthy season in all categories - except fuel prices. The Garden State had many captains retire early for the 2007 season. Fuel prices were so high that they raised the price on everything, including bait and tackle and even dock space at the marina. Hopefully, technology in 2008 will help ease these and other issues by having more anglers heard through organized sites where information, facts and knowledge can be shared to help one another and the sport.

Fish on.