November 2, 2012 — There are still a lot of people without power in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, and plenty of families reeling from Hurricane Sandy. Some of the families that are going to be hurting the longest, though, are going to be the ones that rely on fishing.
As the Asbury Park Press put it, “no one will be fishing soon.” And while most of the fishing captains aren’t sure how long it’s going to take to settle things and for the fish to bite, but the biggest problem might be how soon infrastructure is rebuilt for fishing boats to launch from.
“I think we’re out of business because we have no place to come home. We have no harbor, no place to dock” Capt. George Bachert of the Angler, Atlantic Highlands said. He was uncertain of when repairs would be made to the harbor docks but he believes the docks for the commuter boats will get top priority. Capt. Bachert doesn’t think the boats out of Atlantic Highlands will be fishing anytime before next spring.
The winter is typically a slow time to hit the waters off of New Jersey, so as long as there is a mild winter, crews should be able to get working on those docks and get the fishing industry back on its feet for the spring run. As long as those skippers didn’t lose their boats. -Brian McClintock