Fish On
Get out your gear, it's time to catch stripers
Ron Nuzzolo

Are you ready? Today marks opening day for striped bass season in the garden state.

Local bait and tackle shops through the state are holding annual striped bass contests - contests such as "guess when and where the first bass will be landed." Other contests include some nice size gift certificates for the first and or largest fish taken for the day. Those of you planning to call in sick on Thursday, make sure you check out your local bait shop for some of these annual contests; it really adds a nice competitive challenge to the sport. Please don't forget the rules are simple: a "Keeper" means 28 inches or greater and two fish per angler for the 2007 season as per N.J. saltwater regulations. Measure striped bass by laying them on top of a ruler on a flat surface, mouth closed and tail squeezed; that way you're confident enough to weigh in that trophy bass at your local B & T shop.

Today will also be the day N.J. anglers have been waiting for. At 4 p.m. the 2007 Summer Flounder (Fluke) regulations will be finalized. Size, limit and season dates will be posted by the New Jersey Marine Fisheries Council. I will post them as well in next week's article.

Ron McClelland, of the Hi-Mar Fishing Club, and his buddies ventured to Costa Rica last week and had an enjoyable time relaxing and fishing. Bruce Rohrmann from Middletown was the main man on Roosterfish, where he caught one that had to go around 30 pounds, along with a few others. And, Jim Curcio from Edison was the Sushi & Sashimi man, catching all the yellowfin tuna. Jim is also the ultimate bottom fisherman, catching everything from red snappers to rainbow runners. Ron lucked out and picked up one very nice cubera snapper, along with a few other various species. On the local side, the Gambler and Norma K III snuck in a few trips over the weekend before the storm and fared well on ling off shore.

Did You Know?

On Feb. 22 a New Zealand fishing crew caught a 990-pound (449-kilogram), 39-foot (12-meter) colossal squid that may be the biggest specimen ever landed, the Associated Press reported, citing fisheries officials. Calamari rings made from the squid would be the size of

tractor-trailer tires, AP said, citing Steve O'Shea, a squid expert at the Auckland University of Technology. The animal would be 330 pounds heavier than the biggest specimen ever caught if estimates of its size are correct, AP said.

The crew was fishing for Patagonian toothfish, a species sold under the name of Chilean sea bass, in Antarctic waters south of New Zealand when it caught the squid, AP said, citing New Zealand Fisheries Minister Jim Anderton. The animal was eating a hooked Patagonian toothfish when it was hauled aboard after a two-hour fight. The squid was then flash frozen on board the vessel and donated to research. Colossal squid, which can grow to as long as 46 feet, are found in Antarctic waters.

Local Recipe:

Every week I ask readers to send in their favorite local recipes to share with the rest of us.

At the end of the year I will post my three favorite recipes. Once we post them, you, the readers, will decide who will become the first annual "Fish on with Ron - Local Seafood Recipe Champ."

First place will receive their favorite fishing picture reproduced on a 2-by-2-foot gallery-wrapped canvas photo. Remember, your recipe should also tell us where you're from and how you came about creating your culinary masterpiece.

Please submit your recipe to ron@signbrothers.com. I will make sure we get you in. Thank you and "Fish On."

This week's recipe comes from a local Freeholder, Stacey Teplitzky. Stacey enjoys cooking and loves to create different dishes like this one by trial and error. She also says whenever she gets invited to a party, this dish is always requested.

Get the net: 4 out of 5 nets

Comment: Talk of the party

Difficulty: medium

Stacie's (J.S.S.M) Jersey Style Stuffed Mushrooms

1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs

1 teaspoon bread crumbs

2 tablespoons mayo

1/2 teaspoon yellow mustard

1 can baby shrimp, drained

1 can clams, drain most of the juice, reserve 1 teaspoon

1/8 teaspoon paprika

1 16 oz. package mushrooms

Shredded cheddar cheese (1/2 cup)

3 teaspoons butter

Preheat oven to 350

Clean mushrooms, pull out stems

Mix all above ingredients in bowl with the exception of butter, cheddar and teaspoon of bread crumbs

Ingredients should have a nice texture not too watery, not too clumpy (eyeball it). If mixture seems more like sand, add more mayo and a drop of water

Melt butter in microwave, dip mushroom caps in butter, and place in ungreased cooking pan

Stuff mushrooms with 1/2 teaspoon of mixture (eyeball it)

Using remaining melted butter, sprinkle stuffing lightly with remaining butter, sprinkle the teaspoon of breadcrumbs over topping, and top w/shredded cheddar (use cheese as little or as much as you prefer)

Bake 15-20 minutes until mushrooms begin to turn gray/brown and cheese is completely melted.

Chef: Stacey Teplitzky, Freehold