New Jersey receives a commercial quota for striped bass from the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) each calendar year.  Since New Jersey prohibits commercial netting and/or selling of striped bass, the Division of Fish and Wildlife utilizes this quota to provide a "bonus" fish for recreational anglers.  New Jersey is the only state on the east coast that allows recreational anglers the opportunity to keep a third striped bass per day.

The current striped bass recreational size limits allow anglers to take two fish per day at 28" or greater.  Under the 2011 Striped Bass Bonus Program (SBBP), recreational anglers will be able to take a third fish at 28" or greater.  The Striped Bass Bonus Program has been in effect since 1990 and was free of charge through 2006.  Starting in 2007, you have to pay a $2 fee for a one-time permit and $2 for every subsequent permit.  (In other words, you pay $2 for every bonus Striper you harvest.)

If New Jersey anglers harvest more than the assigned quota in a given calendar year, the following year's quota will be reduced by the amount of overharvest.  The 2011 Striped Bass allocation from the ASMFC is 321,750 pounds to be distributed between individual anglers and party/charter boats.  Should NJ overshoot this quota in 2011, any overage would be subtracted from the 2012 quota.  (The last nasty sentence is called an 'accountability measure' and it has the potential to bite us in the posterior, so pay attention to any bonus bass alerts from the Division of Fish and Wildlife.)
 

2011 Striped Bass Bonus Program highlights:

Striped Bass Bonus permits are available ONLY on the NJ Division of Fish and Wildlife's license web site

www.wildlifelicense.com/nj/

For a $2 application fee, individuals have the ability to immediately print one bonus permit.  The permit is non-transferable and valid for the 2011 calendar year.  Only one permit can be used per day.

All applicants must complete a Child Support Certification each year.  For those delinquent dads, if you want to catch a bonus bass, you have to be up-to-date in your child support payments.  See www.njfishandwildlife.com/child_support_info.htm for details.

All harvest must be reported online.  All information on your printed permit must be completed immediately after harvest and prior to transportation.  Report harvest information at www.wildlifelicense.com/nj/.  A $2 processing fee will be charged for each subsequent permit.

All participants receive a striped Bass Fishing Log with their bonus permit and are encouraged to report all striped bass fishing activity for the 2010 calendar year, but are encouraged to use the online logbook in place of the paper logbooks.

Instructions for completing the online logbook - This page also has a link to the actual online logbook.
 
Online SBBP Logbook Site

Striped Bass Bonus Program Instructions (PDF, 37kb)

Striped Bass Bonus Program Log Sheet (PDF, 38kb)

Applications for party/charter boats are only available by contacting the Division's Nacote Creek Office at 609-748-2020.

For more information regarding this program, visit the NJ Division of Fish and Wildlife web site at www.njfishandwildlife.com/bonusbas.htm.