As the sun set along the upper stretches of the Barnegat Bay last New Year’s Eve, I walked away from a local bulkhead with a bit of sadness knowing there would be no targeting of these back bay stripers once the ball dropped that evening. After another incredible fall run along the front beaches of the Jersey Shore in 2023, I was able to snare shorty on a soft plastic the night before, but I didn’t get my New Year’s bass before the winter closure. Maybe this year!
From January 1 through the end of February, anglers are not allowed to target striped bass in New Jersey west of the COLREGs, which is the dividing line for inland waterways. The term COLREGs comes from the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea of 1972, also known as Collision Regulations or COLREGs, which are a set of navigation rules published by the International Maritime Organization. You may target (and even retain a keeper) striped bass along the front beaches on out to the three-mile-line at the Jersey Shore in January and February, but west of the COLREGs line (inlets, back bays and saltwater rivers) are off limits to striper fishing until March 1.
While summonses for illegal targeting of striped bass during the winter months may be few and far between, they do happen. “From 2017 to present day, there have been seven summonses (six written during closed season in the Delaware River and one in COLREGS) and four written warnings,” said New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection press officer Vincent Grassi, adding that more than $1,000 in fines have been collected for these targeting infractions.
Also closed as of January 1, 2025 is black sea bass and winter flounder, while New Jersey’s blackfish (tautog) bag limit drops to four fish at 15 inches through the end of February. Porgy remains in place as of New Year’s Day, and the latest head boat reports at the Jersey Shore for the week ending December 28th have a few limit catches for folks fishing between Christmas and New Year’s; other vittles there for the taking on January 1 include cod, pollock and ling.
Personally, one of my favorite ways to start the New Year is by tossing small Mepps spinners to rainbow trout in waters stocked by the New Jersey Division of Fish & Wildlife. If you’re thinking of following my lead (dressed and cooked whole on the barbecue is a great start to another year) make sure you’re all licensed for 2025. You can get your new freshwater license, trout stamp, and free saltwater registry by visiting https://nj.aspirafocus.com/internetsales. Or, just remember saltwaterregistry.nj.gov, as that link still exists and will take you to the processing site.
Here’s to a great New Year, and hope to see you this winter at one of the various shows or fishing flea markets in the tri-state region!
