New Jersey Senate bill S1122, which would help create a state saltwater registry and allow New Jersey anglers avoid the mandatory $15 fee to sign up for the federal saltwater registry, will be up for discussion this Thursday in the Environment and Energy Committee, chaired by Sen. Robert Smith, D-17th District.

An assembly version of the bill has already been approved and the passage of the Senate bill would clear the way for a state registry that would exempt New Jersey saltwater fishermen from the federal requirement.

The senate bill has been down this road before. Last December, the bill was in the same position, only to become stalled without reaching the full senate for a vote.

One big stumbling block facing the registry is who will foot the bill. The cash-strapped Department of Environmental Protection, which would administer the registry, indicates that there is insufficient money to do the job.

Look for an update on the registry in this Friday’s Hook, Line & Sinker.

Meanwhile, there are plenty of anglers braving the dropping temperatures to drop a line.

Wayne Smith at Hoffman’s Marine, in his final report of the year, said the striper bite is down south and there aren’t a lot of fish being caught. “You really have to work for them,” he said, and most of the bigger fish are hitting bunker spoons.

The blackfishing has been good, he reported, with some days better than others. Last Sunday, the Paddy Wack docked with a nice bunch of blackfish up to 9 pounds. The fish were caught by Skip Boyle and Scott Sansone off Long Branch on white leggers.

Greg Bogan, at Brielle Bait and Tackle, finally had some big bass to report after a lull in the striper action. Bob Van Nostrand of Brielle brought a 27-pounder to the scales, which hit a big rubber Hogy right outside the Manasquan Inlet. Scott and Phil Beesley of Spring Lake Heights landed two bass of 31 and 17 pounds trolling just outside the inlet.

Dave Arbeitman of Reel Seat Bait and Tackle reported that the Second Annual Reel Seat Turkey Weekend Free Striped Bass Surf Tournament was a great success. A total of 17 striped bass were weighed in with first place going to to Angel Velez with a bass weighing 18.6 pounds. Scotty Pullen, of Lex Lures, took second with an 18.15 pound bass and and Jerry Taylor came in third with a 16.55-pounder.

Arbeitman also reported blackfishing remains steady on the offshore reefs and wrecks. Offshore sea bass trips are producing good numbers of sea bass up to 7 pounds, porgies up to 4 pounds, pollock up to 40 pounds and cod up to 50 pounds.

According to Arbeitman, bluefin tuna can still be found in local waters from three to eight miles off the beach. Anglers chasing them have been scoring with poppers such as Strike Pro Tuna Hunters and Yo-Zuri GT Bulls. Tuna are also being caught on Hogy softbaits and stick baits such as Sebile Stick Shads and Gibbs Tuna Candy.

Capt. Howard Bogan of the Big Jamaica sailed to the offshore wrecks over the weekend and had good fishing for giant sea bass, jumbo porgies, cod and pollock.

Capt. Bogan said there here was plenty of life on all of the wrecks they fished and he expects the fishing to be good through December as the offshore migration is just getting underway.

Capt. Ron Eble of the Doris Mae IV, Barnegat Light, reported lots of giant sea bass and jumbo porgies on Saturday’s trip along with some cod, ling and even some small blues. George Mohr, Manahawkin, took the pool with a 7-pound sea bass.

Courtesy of APP.com