Retirees hooked on fishing
BY JENNIFER AMATO Staff Writer

Manny Luftglass and Ron Bern have been fishing together for 45 years.

A few weeks ago, the friendly competitors were on a 12-foot fishing boat in the Spruce Run Reservoir, searching for 5-pound hybrid bass, which are known to fight like 12-pound largemouth bass. All of a sudden, one of Bern's lines went off and the fish was getting fairly close to the boat when Luftglass' lines went off as well.

Although Luftglass was fighting to land his own fish, when he saw that Bern had a 10-pound hybrid, he held his own fishing line in one hand and fumbled in the tackle box to find their throwaway camera so he could capture the moment. Somehow Luftglass managed to snap the picture and then catch his own fish.

This is just one of the types of scenarios that propelled Bern, a novelist and outdoor writer from North Brunswick, and Luftglass, an Alexandria Township resident and noted outdoor columnist who has published 14 books on fishing, to share their love of fishing with others.

Originally published in 1999, "Gone Fishin': The 100 Best Spots in New Jersey" was updated and re-released this year as a special anniversary edition.

The new edition contains two new artificial reef fishing venues, Shark River Reef and the Deep Water Reef, and a new introduction by David Chanda, director of the New Jersey Division of Fish & Wildlife.

The book, originally published by Rutgers University Press, includes detailed descriptions of 102 fishing venues, including driving directions, access information, environmental facts, fish species, preferred methods to help catch fish, where to put the boat, where to park the car, type of bait to use, and GPS locations for eight artificial reef sites. There are also personalized stories and pictures of record-breaking fish.

"You're pitting your skill against the fish … and you're doing it in a beautiful, lifeaffirming environment. … And Manny and me, we fish competitively against each other, so that is fun, too," Bern said of their love for the sport.

The two men, who are both retired and in their 70s, try to fish together at least twice a week. Bern, originally from South Carolina, said that New Jersey's quality and quantity of fishing sites are better now than in his hometown 65 years ago. He said that "fishing is absolutely superb in New Jersey" and that "the true wonder of it all is what a great fishery New Jersey is and how it is so misunderstood" because of misconceptions of smoggy skies and polluted waters and because of highways and exits interrupting the scenic landscapes.

Some of the favorite sites the men have shared include Greenwood Lake, on the border of New York and New Jersey, the Raritan-Delaware Canal and the Spruce Run reservoir.

Other sites include the following:

• The Round Valley reservoir in Hunterdon County is called the "Valley of the Giants" because of its trophy-sized trout, Bern said. He said that one time while trout fishing, Luftglass had caught a brown trout, but as he was releasing it, he realized it was damaged, struggling 15 feet from the boat. Bern said that all of a sudden, a huge shadow came over the boat and that "it was such a magnificent sight. We're talking about central New Jersey … and there's an eagle. It was just thrilling."

• In the Delaware River, there are huge muskellunge, massive carp and true striped bass.

• Merrill Creek, one of the reservoirs managed by the state, is 150 feet deep and conducive to lake trout that need cold, deep water to reproduce.

• One time at the head gates of the Raritan River, Bern was wearing chest waders and Luftglass was wearing knee waders while trying to fish for carp. Luftglass caught one, but the fish went under a snag, so as Luftglass held his rod tip, Bern took off his chest waders and gave them to Luftglass so he could go deeper into the water and land the fish.

Copies of the book may be purchased on Amazon.com. The list price is $16.95. For an autographed copy, send a check and a request to the authors at Gone Fishin' Enterprises, P.O. Box 556, Annandale, NJ 08801.