"It was Senator Adler who put us over the top with the menhaden bill, and now we have the best striped bass fishing in New Jersey," said James Donofrio, executive director of the Recreational Fishing Alliance, which pushed for the ban on industrial menhaden fishing in state waters.

"I found him to be a breath of fresh air," said Ed Markowski, vice president of the state Federation of Sportsmen, who said he has worked with Adler on behalf of gun owners and hunters worried about New Jersey firearms legislation.

One Adler-supported bill to restrict heavy rifles of .50 caliber or greater was amended after hunters explained that such a law could also ban hunting with single-shot, muzzle-loading rifles.

"I found him to be open-minded and willing to listen to facts," Markowski said.

The Outdoor Alliance has a council of 14 members representing constituent groups. It also considered endorsing Adler's rival, Chris Myers, the Republican mayor of Medford.

"We spent about an hour with him," Markowski said. "Very impressive guy," added Peter Grimbilas of Reef Rescue, a recreational fishing advocacy group.

"He's a nice guy," Donofrio said of Myers. "John Adler's got the knowledge and experience and the commitment to stick with us." This is the first time the alliance has supported a candidate outside state government, Markowski said.

"Chris Myers has been campaigning hard to earn the support of hunters and fishermen in the district . . . and he feels he will win that, because he stands with them on the issues," said Myers campaign spokesman Chris Russell.

The Outdoor Alliance "will have some explaining to do to their members" because as a state senator, Adler supported handgun restrictions, and in 1998, he was a co-sponsor on a bill to ban controversial black bear hunts, Russell said.

"This is typical of the Myers campaign, if he doesn't like the message of the group endorsing John, he attacks the group," Adler spokesman Mark Warren said. If elected, Adler said, he will support protecting rights of hunters and fishermen. Earlier this year, he pledged support for an effort by Rep. Frank J. Pallone Jr., D-N.J., to allow flexible time lines for rebuilding fish populations to biological targets set under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act.

Those deadlines have resulted in stricter catch limits that fishing advocacy groups say are not justified.

"Magnuson is very troubling," Adler said. Anglers face catch restrictions that last "maybe indefinitely, maybe forever, with these unrealistic stock expectations," he said.

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