Our small group of 12 comprised of students and professors from UMASS and Monmouth University was invited to join the Berkeley Striper Club for a day of surfcasting for striped bass at Island Beach State Park in New Jersey. We were all impressed by the vast ecological knowledge of the anglers and with their commitment to striped bass conservation. In hopes to determine best catch-and-release handling practices, we with the aid of the anglers took non-lethal blood samples and performed behavior assessments on caught fish. It was a chilly but beautiful November day to spend on this picturesque barrier island with its sprawling grass covered dunes.
