Quote Originally Posted by J Barbosa View Post
As fishing has become more popular in general and more people are fishing earlier and later into each season it is putting a hurting on all the sod!

These are critical to all of the bait Dark mentioned and serve many more purposes including water quality. How many times have you heard fisherman (myself included) complain that the water in the RB is stained badly this year. Almost a full year later are we still blaming this on nutrient runoff from Sandy?

Remember that those sod banks use to hold thousands of muscles that are filter feeders. As the muscles feed they clean the water and also provide a food source for other animals including stripers.

The sod banks themselves are also natures water filters. As the tide lowers the water gets filtered through the roots and any contaminents/sediment is then trapped in those roots.

Don't believe me??? Search some of the research papers on what use to be one of the two most polluted rivers in the country: The Passaic and the Hackensack Rivers.

The Passaic river is still very polluted while the Hackensack has made a huge comeback thanks to its huge marshes covered in sod.

They have credited most of the Hackensack Rivers comeback to the sod banks that line the large marshes.

I have to blame most of the sod banks disappearance on the shore bound anglers (myself included) because thats where the sod banks are disappearing. If you look at the areas where the sod banks still thrive they are difficult/impossible to access on foot.
I think you make an valid point here about the sod banks disappearing. I have noticed that in the raritan and newark bay as well. I also think the increase of phosphates has a lot to do with it. That and the rise in folks who have chemicals applied to their lawns. I read somewhere that is what is causing a lot of problems on the Chesapeake. I assume some of that must be true for up here as well.