Gas prices dry out fishing season

The soaring price of gas isn?t just pumping wallets dry, it?s also tanking some seasonal business owners in Point Pleasant. The rising fuel costs are docking some sport fishing boats on the Jersey Shore.

News 12 Staff

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Jun 23, 2008, 8:33 PM

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Updated 5,964 days ago

The soaring price of gas isn?t just pumping wallets dry, it?s also tanking some seasonal business owners in Point Pleasant.

The rising fuel costs are docking some sport fishing boats on the Jersey Shore.

?It's killing it, it is horrible. Charters are down probably 50 percent from last year,? says Pete Grimbilas of the Point Pleasant Charter Boat Association.

Grimbilas says you haven't felt pain at the pump until you've shelled out $4.57 for a gallon of Marine diesel.

That's the going rate on the dock at Clarks Landing where a $200 gas bill is considered a drop in the bucket.

Grimbilas says some boaters no longer speak in terms of miles per gallon but rather gallons per mile.

"Today we have a lot of people fishing 60 miles offshore,? he says. ?You could come back and spend hundreds of dollars on fuel, maybe even thousands depending on how big the boat is.?

Ryan McShea is trying to put himself through college on the tips he makes pumping gas.

?I usually make about [$3,000], but I'll probably be making about $2,500 - not nearly as much as last summer,? he says.