HOFNOD Coordinator Honored With Award
    Hooked on Fishing-Not on Drugs Podcast with Liz Jackson (DEP Website)

New Jersey's Hooked on Fishing-Not on Drugs Program provides a great opportunity to get kids involved in positive recreational activities. Growing up in a big city, my parents saw value in having me spend my summers outdoors enjoying nature. These experiences afforded me the chance to discover that there is more to the world and my role in it than what the concrete jungle has to offer. Likewise, the goal of this program is to introduce youth to the fun and excitement of fishing, and to engage them in meaningful life skills, so that they also can imagine unlimited possibilities for themselves. Liz Jackson, HOFNOD Coordinator

HOFNOD FAQs

Fishing is an activity that can be started at any age by any person regardless of gender, physical size or athletic ability. Fishing can also be enjoyed individually or with family and friends. A great way to introduce youth to fishing is through the "Hooked on Fishing - Not on Drugs" (HOFNOD) Program.

"Hooked on Fishing - Not on Drugs" is a unique, nationally recognized program created by the Future Fisherman Foundation. In 2012, former Governor Christie signed legislation establishing the statewide implementation of the HOFNOD program. The legislation provided initial funding through an appropriation of $200,000 from the state's Drug Enforcement and Demand Reduction Fund. (See below for the identical State Assembly and Senate bills.)

The goal of New Jersey's program is to encourage school-aged children to avoid tobacco, drug and alcohol usage by providing alternative activities that involve learning to fish, appreciating aquatic and environmental resources, and developing positive life skills. The program will provide students with access to extracurricular outlets that utilize New Jersey’s incredible outdoor recreational assets. The NJDEP Division of Fish & Wildlife wants to partner with schools, community- and faith-based youth organizations willing to provide on-going and sustained engagement in HOFNOD activities throughout the year. The "Hooked on Fishing - Not on Drugs" program is flexible enough to be offered in different ways, such as: a weekly enrichment activity in summer youth programs an on-going educational physical education activity in after school settings integrated into grades 4-12 school curricula as a year-round supplemental activity of community-based youth organizations (e.g. Youth Corps, Boys/Girls Clubs and faith-based entities) HOFNOD is an excellent way for young people to participate in constructive recreation and to develop a positive sense of self-worth. The program helps: nurture self-esteem and confidence develop higher order critical thinking and problem-solving skills reveal alternate activities for young people instead of the pitfalls of drug and alcohol use foster opportunities and build skills to explore freshwater & marine careers

During the program, students learn:

• freshwater and marine ecosystems
• proper outdoor ethics and being a good steward of their local environment
• respect for themselves, others and the world around them
• how, when and where to fish
• life skills like preparing and cooking their catch

Sussex County Castaways enjoy striper fishing on the Mi-Jo out of Atlantic Highlands. Click to enlarge

Adult-led lessons provide students with hands-on, real life experience and incorporate peer teaching and mentoring in the process. Guest experts can be used to teach supplemental sessions like fly tying and casting, spearfishing, introduction to SCUBA diving, kayaking and boating safety. Available funding through the HOFNOD program may be used to offset the cost of staff training & materials, fishing and program gear, and transportation for youth fishing trips. Another activity HOFNOD teams can participate in is the Youth Fishing Challenge, normally held each year on New Jersey's first (of two) Free Fishing Days. In 2021, it was held on Free Fishing day, Saturday, June 5. Registered youth participants are eligible to receive prizes for the fish they catch during the event. The core message of the "Hooked on Fishing - Not on Drugs" program is that you don't need to use tobacco, alcohol or drugs to have fun! It's the type of program that not only will help reduce drug and alcohol use in youth, but will also bring families closer together by giving them an inexpensive outdoor recreation activity they can all participate in. For more information call 908-637-4125 ext. 122 or e-mail hofnod@dep.nj.gov. HOFNOD Team Registration Form (pdf, 210kb)

HOFNOD Teams
The HOFNOD program is organized in community teams found throughout the state. Teams are led by Team Leaders who dedicate their time, skills and energy conducting the program for local youths. Want to find a local HOFNOD Team? Locate a group near you from the list below:

ATLANTIC Atlantic County Parks and Rec 109 State Hwy 50 South Mays Landing, NJ 08330 Adam Erskine - Adam_Erskine@aclink.org Adam Witcraft - Adam_Witcraft@aclink.org 609-625-7000 x5400 Fax: 609-645-5868   BERGEN Hackensack River Junior Stewardship Hackensack Riverkeeper 231 Main St. Hackensack, NJ 07047 Jodi Jamieson - jodi@hackensackriverkeeper.org   BURLINGTON HOFNOD Burlington 14 Cramer Road Tabernacle, NJ 08088 Vic Gorin - victorgorin@comcast.net 609-468-6106 Heather Milloy - heathertricoche@comcast.net 609-234-1357 www.facebook.com/groups/214899822335201/   CAMDEN HOFNOD Gloucester Township H.O.F.N.O.D.G.T. Hazel & Kendrick Aves. Sicklerville, NJ Fred Kline - hockeyfred105@gmail.com www.hofnodgt.com www.facebook.com/hofnodgt/   CAPE MAY Tightlines 4H Fishing Club Lockwood Youth Center, 4H Fairgrounds Cape May Courthouse, NJ 08210 Joyce & Allen Stokes - alsjoy@verizon.net 609-463-5957   ESSEX Fishy Tales Benjamin Franklin School 42 Park Avenue Newark, NJ 07104 Jessica Allen - J1Allen@NPS.K12.NJ.US 973-268-5250 www.nps.k12.nj.us/FRA/   GLOUCESTER Hooked on Fishing - Gateway Gateway Regional High School 775 Tanyard Road Woodbury Heights, NJ 08096 James Gooding - jgooding@gatewayhs.com 856-848-8200 Instagram - @gateway_fishing   MERCER HOFNOD Mercer Tulpehaking Nature Center Mercer County Park Commission 157 Westcott Avenue Hamilton, NJ 08610 Alexandria Kosowski - akosowski@mercercounty.org 609-888-3218 www.facebook.com/hofnodmercer/   MONMOUTH Collier School 160 Conover Road Wickatunk, NJ 07765 Linda Librizzi - libreezi@gmail.com 732-946-4771 Jersey Devil Kids Camp Jersey Devil Sportfishing Captain Brian Rice - brian@jerseydevilsportfishing.com 732-996-6372 www.jerseydevilcharters.com Reelin' Roses St. Rose High School Belmar, NJ 07719 Adam Iatesta - aiatesta@srhsnj.com   OCEAN Brick School District HOFNOD Brick Memorial High School 2001 Lanes Mill Rd. Brick, NJ 08724 Tim Brennan - tbrennan@brickschools.org www.facebook.com/Brick-Schools-Hooked-on-Fishing-Not-on-Drugs-259088461566403/ Reel Fun Fishing Boating Education And Rescue (BEAR) Mike & Debbie Bennett - bear@boatingeducationandrescue.org 732-492-4009 www.boatingeducationandrescue.com Reel Legends American Legion Post 129 Tom's River, NJ 08753 Jerome Townsend - jhscouts341@gmail.com   PASSAIC Silk City Anglers City of Paterson/DHHS- Municipal Alliance Prevention Program 125 Ellison St. Paterson, NJ 07505 Tenee Joyner - tjoyner@patersonnj.gov W. Raheem Smallwood - wsmallwood@patersonnj.gov 973-321-1242   SUSSEX Bait Buddies Montague Twp. School 475 Route 206 Montague, NJ 07827 Carl Ferriere - cferriere@montagueschool.org 973-293-7131 BEE (Byram Environmental Education) Byram Intermediate School 3 Highland Ave. Andover, NJ 07821 Betty Saar, Special Educator 973-271-4658 www.byramschools.org Sussex County HOFNOD 4H 35 Newton Avenue Branchville, NJ 07826 Natalie Burger - info@hiddenpasturesalpacas.com 973-948-6800 www.facebook.com/groups/hofnod4hsussexcounty/ The Castaways -HOF 4H Club Sussex County Library 125 Morris Turnpike, Newton, NJ 07860 Janet Halpin - janhalpin3910@gmail.com   UNION Team Linden City of Linden Recreation Department Linden, NJ Team Leaders: Sandra Jackson, Michael Jackson, Jay Sibilski Ralph Dunhamn, Director - rdunhamn@linden-nj.org 908-474-8600 www.facebook.com/Lindenhofnod   WARREN Keeping It Reel Community Center at Belvidere 301 Second St. Belvidere, NJ 07823 Tammy Koop - tammykoop69@gmail.com The Cast'aways Stepping Stone School 45 County Road 519 Bloomsbury, NJ 08804 Sarah Fallstich - kostelas@yahoo.com 908-995-1999 Click photos to enlarge

Resources
Fishing Education
Teacher/Education Resources
FunNewJersey.com (Fun things to do with kids in NJ)

Enabling Legislation
To view the enabling legislation (Assembly Bill 638 and Senate Bill 178) use the Bill Search feature on the State Legislature's site as follows:

1) Go to the Legislature's Homepage
2) In the Bill Search section enter A638 or S178 in the Bill Number(s) box.
3) Select the 2012-2013 Legislative Session
4) Click 'Search'