For years New England fishermen have had to steam farther and farther from shore to find the cod, haddock and winter flounder that make up their catches.

By JIM FREDA The heavy runoff and flooding from last week's storm was still being felt in Raritan Bay this past weekend. Plenty of debris in the form of lumber, garbage, tires and tree limbs made for a navigational maze as boaters were heading to the clamming grounds off Keyport and Keansburg.

By JIM FREDA Heavy rains from the big nor'easter that barreled through here at the beginning of this week left a mess of all our back bay waters throughout the state and put a hold on the striper fishery that was developing nicely.

U.S. scientists have determined winter flounder -- sold in markets as flounder or lemon sole -- is a good candidate for stock enhancement. Flounder in the Gulf of Maine went into serious decline during the 1980s, taking with it a major commercial and recreational fishery.

By JIM FREDA The weather cooperated nicely for the start of the winter flounder season and continued through this week. This made for good to great action depending on which location you set up at anchor.