The Ridgewood Blog Brings a Free Market Laissez-faire Point of View to Local, New Jersey State and National Issues.
photo by Boyd Loving
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, its summer and the CDC offers some water safety tips. What do surfing, fishing, water skiing, and swimming have in common? They are all lots of fun…and they all take place in, on, or around the water! Water activities are a great way to stay cool and have a good time with your friends or your family. Take along these tips — and your common sense — to get wet, make waves, and have a blast!
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, The spring trout stocking program met and exceeded the annual baseline of 570,000 trout with a total of 597,150 stocked. This included 5,745 breeders averaging 15.4″ and another 1,880 beauties averaging 20.2″ The average production fish size was 11.3″, making this spring’s fish some of the largest ever. Many waters will hold trout into the summer, and others provide year-round trout fishing – see the Spring Trout Fishing page for details. And if you enjoy fishing for other species, there’s the new Great Fishing Close To Home App to get you where the fish are.
Every fisherman knows that when it comes to getting the best catch in the ocean, it is all about using the right equipment. Whether you’re fishing on a boat or underwater, the right gear makes all the difference in the world, and it is not just about the spearguns and the polespears alone. It is also about wearing and buying the right kind of wetsuit.
Continue reading A Wetsuit Buying Guide for Your Next Spearfishing Adventure
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, the pre-season catch-and-release period for trout closes today, Friday, April 9, at 11:59 p.m. with the traditional season opening tomorrow at 8:00 a.m. To reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission, this year’s initial trout stocking began March 15 with waters opening on April 1 for the catch-and-release period. Stocking continued for four weeks and concluded Friday.
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, Fall trout-stocking during the second and third weeks in October has become of the most popular stocking programs offered by Fish and Wildlife, particularly since 2006 when the Division began stocking only larger two-year old trout. Anglers enjoy the additional fish provided by the Division as well as the opportunity to fish the waters of New Jersey during one of the most beautiful times of year. The big fish, cool water, great weather and spectacular scenery combined to make the fall season what many consider to be New Jersey’s premium trout fishing season.
Continue reading Fall Trout Stocking begins Tuesday ,October 6 in 2020
Planning a perfect fishing trip requires more than simply stuffing all your gear in your car trunk and driving to the nearest body of water. Amateur fishermen must factor in many things to enjoy the pleasures of this enjoyable and relaxing recreational activity. Now, regardless of your level of experience, we’ve put together a useful guide outlining everything there is to consider in order to prepare for the ultimate fishing weekend, alone, or with your favorite company!
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, Haven’t fished in a while, or maybe never fished? Have a friend or family member who hasn’t either? Or an out-of-state fishing friend who hasn’t fished here? Tomorrow is Free Fishing Day, the perfect time to try fishing the state’s public waters without a license or trout stamp.
After discovering or rediscovering the joys of fishing you and the others will need a license – so why not get Buddy Licenses together? These heavily discounted licenses go easy on your budget and let you enjoy all the fishing New Jersey offers, from small ponds to major rivers, from panfish to trophy muskellunge.
Click the links below for more information, and remember to maintain a 6-foot distance from one another (and wear face masks or coverings) to prevent the spread of COVID-19 while fishing.
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, Trout season is open and most waters have received their full allotment of trout. All regulations remain in effect except there will be NO IN-SEASON CLOSURES on the 14 major streams where they normally would be in effect. State Wildlife Management Areas remain open except for the Round Valley Reservoir boat ramp. Help keep WMAs and other areas open by observing proper social distancing!
golf
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ,so what is social distancing? Once again we go to Lisa Maragakis, M.D., M.P.H. , senior director of infection prevention at Johns Hopkins, helps clarify this concept so you can understand better why they’re being recommended. Now that the new coronavirus and COVID-19, the illness it causes, are spreading among communities in the United States and other countries, a phrase such as “social distancing,” is showing up in the media.
The blog editors recommend : golf, fishing, martial arts, yoga ,cigar smoking and bagpipes .
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Island State Park NJ, The annual Governor’s Surf Fishing Tournament is held on the third Sunday in May at Island Beach State Park. In 2019 the tournament will be held on Sunday, May 19.
A variety of species are eligible for entry in the tournament each year. Overall length determines the winner. All fish must meet minimum length tournament requirements. Tournament fishing hours are 6:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Continue reading Governor’s Surf Fishing Tournament Sunday, May 19, 2019
July 24,2018
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, while this may come to a surprise to Ridgewood, Glen Rock, Paramus, Ho Ho Kus , Allendale and the rest of the North West corner of Bergen County residents but the Sportsmen’s advocacy group celebrates the precipitous declines in negative bear-human interactions and bear complaints yet again.
The New Jersey Outdoor Alliance today released a statement celebrating news reports that, since the end of 2016, damage and nuisance complaints involving black bears have been cut in half, with a reported dip in bear sightings as well.
“The numbers are in and, as every NJ sportsman knows, the bear hunt has been and continues to be a huge success,” said spokesman Cody McLaughlin. “The New Jersey Outdoor Alliance is proud to stand on this record of responsibly managing NJ’s amazing wildlife populations and we will continue to stand with the scientists at the Division Of Fish And Wildlife as we work towards healthy, sustainable ecosystems and safe communities.”
The report, published by NorthJersey.com, cites “Encounters with aggressive bears tied the lowest total since 2010 with two in 2017. This year, however, four were reported through June 20… Reports of negative encounters with bears in general have dropped severely since that 2014 mauling. State records show that reports of nuisance, or unwelcome, black bears made to the state through late June mostly reflected 2017’s totals. The 962 reports registered in 2017 were the fewest since 2013, when there were 1,866 reports, records show.”
About the New Jersey Outdoor Alliance: The New Jersey Outdoor Alliance is a grassroots organization dedicated to supporting outdoor-minded legislation and legislators who support hunting, fishing, trapping and the conservation of our natural resources in New Jersey. Notable accomplishments include the recent passage of the Blood Tracking bill, along with the institution of Hooked On Fishing, Not On Drugs.
October 10,2017
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Fall stocking begins Tuesday, October 10 in 2017 and concludes on Wednesday, October 18. All trout are raised at the division’s Pequest Trout Hatchery. Any trout not caught during the fall will also be available all winter long for anglers to enjoy. Many are even caught the following spring.
Waters stocked during the first week of fall stocking are the 16 large streams and rivers in northern and coastal areas, such as the Big Flatbook, Pequest River, South Branch Raritan River, Musconetcong River, and the Manasquan and Toms Rivers. During the second week, 21 ponds and lakes in the central and southern portions of the state are stocked. All fall-stocked waters may be fished as soon as they are stocked (no “closed waters” during fall stocking).
2017 Updates
NOTE: Due to general low flow conditions some individual stocking points may not be stocked this fall. Stocking truck drivers will determine if each location has enough water to allow for stocking on the day of the run. If conditions do not allow for a point to be stocked, the fish allocated for that stocking point will be spread out among the other stocking points on that same river or stream as conditions allow. Please check the Updates for the latest information.
During the 2017 fall trout stocking season the Division of Fish and Wildlife will stock more than 20,000 trout in the state’s major trout waters. The fish will be stocked from the Pequest Trout Hatchery from October 10-18.
Trout measuring approximately 14″ up to 22″ in length and weighing one-and-a-half pounds to almost eight pounds will be stocked. These Rainbow Trout will be stocked in 16 streams and 21 ponds. The number of ponds increased beginning in 2016 with six waters moved from the Winter Stocking Program (see Updates) over the two-week period.
As in past years, streams (except the Maurice River) are stocked the first week, and ponds and lakes are stocked during the second week. The majority of streams stocked in the fall support holdover trout fisheries, providing anglers opportunities for larger trout to be caught year-round.
The stocking boundaries for streams are the same as in the spring (see the current Freshwater Digest for information). There are no closed dates during the fall stocking period. Updates to the fall stocking program will be posted as necessary.
BERGEN & PASSAIC COUNTIES
Wanaque River – 330
Ramapo River – 930
Michael Sol Warren | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
By Michael Sol Warren | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
on May 14, 2017 at 9:32 AM, updated May 14, 2017 at 9:33 AM
Who says there aren’t plenty of fish in the sea?
In a boon for New Jersey fishers, the state Division of Fish and Wildlife, part of the Department of Environmental Protection, announced last week that because of high productivity at the Pequest Trout Hatchery, extra trout will be added to each load of fish in state-stocked waters for the rest of the spring stocking season.
According to an email from DEP spokesman Bob Considine, approximately 4,000 additional trout were included in this week’s stocking. A similar amount is expected to be added to trout loads for the final two weeks of the spring stocking season. Considine added that every water stocked by DFW will receive some of the surplus trout.
AUGUST 21, 2015 LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, AUGUST 21, 2015, 12:31 AM
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
Village should give more attention to King’s Pond Park
To the Editor:
It was reported last week that two truckloads of construction debris were dumped in the rear of the village’s composting site at the end of Lakeview Drive sometime in the prior two months. The village manager’s response is that the police are attempting to track down culprit. This effort seems like a worthy effort. However, the result of this dumping, although wrong, is inconsequential as it is not visible from any walk paths, does not impede access to anything and actually blends into the landscape of that area.
How the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection was able to discover and react to this violation is to be applauded. However, the DEP and the village administration have failed to recognize the very visible dumping by Mother Nature on King’s Pond Park, the largest wildscape in Ridgewood. Here, we have a dangerous, partially collapsed dam, a pond full of debris, and a shoreline overgrown with vegetation that denies access. All of this is in plain view but remains ignored. It is a disgrace that this wildscape has been allowed to deteriorate without any action by current or previous village mangers or the DEP. After 15 years of neglect, the current village budget is devoid of any funding to address this situation.
From my standpoint, if you want to clean up a mess, let’s put our efforts into restoring a popular fishing area in a very visible park setting to its intended use. The village’s 2006 master plan showed, in detail, how that could be accomplished. It’s way past the time when it should be implemented.
George W. Shabet
Ridgewood
