The 2023 boat and outdoor show season is beginning to wind down at the Jersey Shore, with a few of the more popular and longstanding events still to come.
On Friday, the Northeast’s premier saltwater fishing event – the Saltwater Fishing Expo –returns to the New Jersey Convention and Exposition Center in Edison for three days, March 17-19. This unique three-day event will showcase more than 200 exhibitors selling thousands of saltwater fishing products, from new boats and kayaks to an array of accessories including fishing rods, reels and lures. The annual event also features free daily seminars by nationally and locally recognized experts.
Look for The Fisherman booth #461 as soon as you walk into the hall (just to the left) and get there early in the day to take advantage of our giveaways with your new or renewed subscription, a package of BKK hooks and one package of Fishbites FightClub lures.
Show hours are Friday noon until 8 p.m., Saturday is 10 a.m. until 6 p.m., and Sunday is 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. Adult admission is $15 per person, kids ages 6-11 pay $3, while children 5 and under are admitted free. The New Jersey Convention and Exposition Center is located at 97 Sunfield Avenue in Edison, NJ. Visit the Saltwater Fishing Expo website for advance ticket sales and a complete listing of seminars and exhibitors..
Another long-running fishing event in the Garden State is the 27th Annual Rahway Spring Fishing Flea Market on Saturday, March 18. Held from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. at St. Thomas Church Hall at 1400 St Georges Ave, Rahway, the event features plenty of new and used tackle and fishing gear. Admission is $5 for adults, kids 12 and under are free. For details call 732-381-2165.
And of course one of the main events for Jersey Shore surfcasters is the “The Original Plug Show” which returns to Asbury Park for its 30th season on Sunday, March 19. The Asbury Park Fishing Club’s 30th Annual Fishing Show will run from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. at the Berkeley Oceanfront Hotel at 1401 Ocean Avenue in Asbury Park (across from Convention Hall) and boasts one of the region’s top lineups of local plug builders. If you can’t join The Fisherman in Edison this weekend, look for our table at the Original Plug Show. Admission is $5. For more information call 732-988-0121.
Also this week in South Jersey, Congressman Jeff Van Drew from New Jersey’s second congressional district will host a hearing in the district on Thursday, March 16 at 2 p.m. entitled “An Examination into Offshore Wind Industrialization.” The purpose of the hearing is to gather testimony from experts in pertinent industries and groups that are affected by offshore wind development. The hearing will be conducted as a typical congressional hearing, including expert testimony and questioning. Other congressional representatives expected to attend are Congressman Chris Smith (R-NJ-04) and Congressman Andy Harris (R-MD-01)
The event is being held at the Wildwood Convention Center at 4501 Boardwalk in Wildwood, NJ. According to Congressman Van Drew’s office, witnesses expected to testify will include an expert in the fishing industry, one expert in environmental and energy policy, and an organizational representative for protecting marine ecosystems. Also invited to testify is a representative from the industrial wind company Orsted.
In an earlier statement on March 1, Congressman Van Drew blasted the Biden administration for ignoring the truth on offshore wind development while citing an internal government letter retrieved through the Freedom of Information Act regarding the decades long impact offshore wind will have on whales.
“Hearings are critical,” Van Drew said, adding “If the federal government and these offshore wind companies have nothing to hide, then prove it. They must prove that the development of these projects will have no effect on the environment, which is hard to believe following the death of over a dozen whales in the Northeast region where surveying is currently taking place.”
Congressman Van Drew’s office said there will be plenty of seating available, and that doors to the Wildwood Convention Center will open at 1:30 p.m. No promotional materials are to be distributed in the hearing room. Those wishing to submit written testimony or questions can email [email protected].
