My fishing experience started as a child on the Chesapeake with my dad, trolling along in an old wooden crab boat with a screaming five horsepower Briggs and Stratton motor. I think those are the days I fell in love with the water. From there, our family relocated to Cape May where I fished as a young boy with family friends increasing my affinity for the open water and what it holds.

Once back from college I was fortunate enough to fish many years with a great friend and mentor. My career was just beginning and it allowed me to take a lot of time to fish and travel. The money spent was inconsequential; we were making stories and memories. With a MA500 win, travels to the Bahamas and Mexico my life seemed to evolve around fishing. I still do not know how I could ever repay him back for the experiences provided.

My career and new family has removed me from the scene, but I plan to be back. I too want to be able to afford the same opportunity to someone such as my friend did with me. I want to be able to show my kids one of the most wonderful natural sites there is express and explain my passion for the blue water. The oceans is full of opportunity, from watching that sun peak over the horizon on the run out, trolling the waters at the edge, seeing whales’ porpoise for air, sea turtles basking in the sun and ever so often raise a billfish and watch the dance. These are the memories I have of fishing. Fishing was my life, was my past and will be my future. I urge our government officials to keep this resource alive, keep our fishing industry intact, there are many lives at stake here and to remove this resource would ruin many shore towns up and down the coast.

John Kornick