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New Jersey

Saltwater Fishing

Saltwater Fishing

Striped Bass Bonus Program

The Striped Bass Bonus Program will continue in 2023, where anglers possessing a Bonus permit may keep a striper at 24 inches to less than 28 inches. The open season for this program is May 15 through December 31. Check website for updates at dep.nj.gov/njfw/fishing/marine/striped-bass-bonus-program/

The current allocation from the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission is 215,912 pounds. Should New Jersey exceed this quota, any overage would be subtracted from the following year’s quota.

Application Process: Striped Bass Bonus Program permits are issued via mail only. Go to dep.nj.gov/njfw/fishing/marine/striped-bass-bonus-program/ to apply and for regulation or program updates. The permit is non-transferable and valid for the current calendar year. Only one fish can be harvested per permit. Fishing logs must be kept and harvest reporting is mandatory.

Striped Bass Bonus Permit Harvest Reporting: The Striped Bass Bonus Permit must be securely attached to the fish through the mouth and gill immediately upon capture and prior to transportation. Harvest reporting is mandatory and must be reported online or by leaving a message at (609) 748-2074.

Fishing Logs: A log of striped bass fishing activity must be kept and submitted by January 15, 2024 in order to remain eligible for 2024.

Striped Bass Bonus Program Harvest 1996–2022

Harvest Year

# Fish Harvested

Weight Harvested (lbs)

Mean Length (inches)

Mean Weight (lbs)

% of Quota

1996

233

4,050

35.7

17.4

1.8

1997

344

7,678

36.8

22.3

3.4

1998

473

11,149

37.2

23.6

5.0

1999

574

13,174

36.2

23.1

5.9

2000

2,488

42,794

33.7

17.2

19.0

2001

4,583

79,774

33.5

17.4

35.5

2002

4,855

82,050

33.0

16.9

36.5

2003

6,101

121,410

35.0

20.0

37.7

2004

4,602

81,870

32.8

17.8

25.4

2005

2,047

29,866

31.7

14.6

9.3

2006

1,127

23,656

34.9

21.0

7.4

2007*

708

13,615

34.0

19.2

4.2

2008

367

7,345

34.3

20.0

2.3

2009

526

10,330

34.2

19.3

3.2

2010

728

12,833

34.5

17.6

4.0

2011

916

16,332

34.0

17.8

5.1

2012*

325

6,285

34.3

19.3

2.0

2013

404

6,096

33.4

15.1

1.9

2014

178

3,653

35.0

20.5

1.1

2015*

3,301

21,479

25.8

6.5

9.9

2016

3,686

24,963

25.9

6.8

11.6

2017

2,161

14,602

25.9

6.8

6.8

2018

1,101

6,786

25.3

6.2

3.1

2019

5,558

32,000

26.0

5.8

14.9

2020*

5,746

36,865

25.5

6.4

17.1

2021

6,457

41,867

25.7

6.5

19.4

2022

5,742

36,807

25.8

6.4

17.0