The Most Important Fish in the Sea: Menhaden and America by H. Bruce Franklin

(from Amazon website) Franklin, a historian and author of over 15 books (most recently War Stars), was inspired by his passion for saltwater angling to write this history of the all-but-extinct menhaden, a fish that's historically served an essential part of the Atlantic coastal food web, including human populations (natives and settlers both). Integrating his own observations, Franklin spins a grim but compelling tale of the role menhaden play in maintaining critical near-shore habitats, their utility to early Americans and the collapse of their stocks over the past 150 years. Beginning in Maine during the latter half of the 19th century, the menhaden decline has accelerated alongside the nation's economic and technological growth, in particular the increasing sophistication of the fishing industry. Effects are widespread: as the menhaden population thins out, so have bass, bluefish, weakfish and other species, while estuaries suffer catastrophic phytoplankton blooms that create long-lived "dead zones" in which nothing can survive. This informative, riveting narrative exposes the greed, short-sightedness and unintended consequences which nearly destroyed the Atlantic coast ecosystem entirely, and continue to wreak havoc in the Gulf of Mexico. Franklin's final chapter provides a measure of hope, describing the happy but imperiled recovery of menhaden populations along New Jersey and New England coastlines.

Inshore Fly Fishing by Lou Tabory
(reviewed by TimS) Every striped bass surf fisherman whether you fly fish for striped bass or surf fish with a spinning rod and plugs should be required to read this book! It will simply make you a better fisherman.

Lou Tabory spells out every step and stage of how to fly fish in the salt for striped bass in this book! His writing is easily understandable and intelligent. He explains how to use the water to bring your flies to the fish, how to determine where the fish should be in many different types of water, which flies to choose in certain conditions and why, and he does all this is a manner that even a non-fly fisherman can understand! He also introduces you to his flies, all are simple, all are well thought out and very effective! I've been fly fishing the suds for about a dozen years now and have come to rely on more than a few of Mr. Tabory's patterns, they are simply ingenious! Like I said, should be required reading!

Shipwrecks of the Atlantic by Bill Davis

This is a book I'm very interested in reading. Not only is it supposed to list all the major ship wrecks from Montauk, NY to Cape May, NJ, it is supposed to offer a lot of details. History of the ship, how and exactly where it was sunk, etc, etc. I think it will be an important read and will certainly come in handy for future bottom fishing trips ;-) I'll put up a personal review after I get through the book.

TimS

Wreck Valley Vol II by Daniel Berg (review below by book editor)
Wreck Valley Vol II is the most comprehensive, accurate, illustrated collection of information, photographs, sketches and stories ever written about the wrecks that lie off the Long Island, New York, and New Jersey shores. This book is a completely new updated, expanded and enhanced edition of Daniel Berg's original Wreck Valley book. Wreck Valley Vol II covers the history, legend, present condition, aquatic life and pertinent dive information on over 90 shipwrecks. This text includes over 265 illustrations comprised of 137 color photographs, 97 black and white historical images, 32 sketches, plus one map. The collection of historical photographs alone would take years of archive research to locate and would cost a small fortune if purchased separately. Many of these rare photographs have never before been published. Vol II also includes a Loran "C" List of accurate shipwrecks locations.