Re: POSSIBLE changes to STRIPED BASS fishery
 

I'm with you Leif. There are plenty of options to reduce Striper mortality.Circle hooks would help. You can change out the treble hooks on your jigs to singles, and net all Bass that can't be lifted. A lot of us are doing these things anyway.

Re: POSSIBLE changes to STRIPED BASS fishery
 

It would limit the amount of fish taken daily.
right now when fishing is easiest in the spring , there are very few small bass caught. so in essence it would limit you to taking one breeder size bass as the less than 28" fish arent being caught.



I also think that as a resource that the enjoyment and hooting and hollering that goes on when a big fish is caught far out weighs the pleasure at the dinner table.
Yet striped bass are good eating fish , and eating some of the smaller fish many would still get to enjoy them without a continued crushing blow to the brood stock

Then in the fall when there are alot of smaller bass around it would still pretty much limit you to one fish a day as there arent as many Big bass around.

the other thought is that it spreads the catch over many different year classes of bass.

and that smaller bass take much less time to be replaced in the fishery.

.

Re: POSSIBLE changes to STRIPED BASS fishery
 

One fish between 24-28. One fish over 28. That's what I hope for. Those 24's are delicious on the grill whole and stuffed with my secret ingredients.

Fished a charter a couple weeks back with a bunch of buddies. Friend X hooks a good fish, it's a 31lb female. The mate gaff's this fish right in the stomach and my buddy and I just felt horrible when we saw what came out of her belly. Let the big girls live. I have to say I did not think this way years ago but this fishery is very important to our future and future anglers. Let's hope that we can just stop all the gaffing and murdering of the big spawning females. It doesn't make sense to me to see pics of a bunch of 20-40lbers all over a bloody deck. They really don't taste that good when they're that big anyway! BRING BACK THE SLOT FISH!!!!!!!!!!!!

TIGHT LINEZ!!!!!!!!:D

Re: POSSIBLE changes to STRIPED BASS fishery
 

Agree with a slot similar to redfish down south cap off maximum length. Something like two fish 28 to 36. No need to keep anything larger.

Re: POSSIBLE changes to STRIPED BASS fishery
 

The simpler the better. Slot fish, like Hammer outlined in this threads very first post.

Excellent thread!!!!! Long over due.

Re: POSSIBLE changes to STRIPED BASS fishery
 

Sounds ok if it works i usually release all my bass anyway but once in a while they gut hook themselves and its a must to keep but always go to good use! I think I've kept around 6 of the hundred plus bass i caught so far this spring. Sucks to think some may not have lived after a release but i do everything in my power to gey thay fish back quickly and gently

Re: POSSIBLE changes to STRIPED BASS fishery
 

Lots of koolaid here but wish as much as you want, recreational fishing has no significant effect on marine stocks.

Everyone's crying about the couple of thousand fish kept for the pan but I bet you never seen the mountains of stripers that they used to net in the Chesepeake for fertilizer production. Nets are what kills stocks.

Re: POSSIBLE changes to STRIPED BASS fishery
 

Agreed some what that rec guys wont kill the stock but you have to admit 10+ boats per day, per marina, per state catching fish every day plus the private boats, kayaks, and surf fisherman are not helping the matter killing the spring breeders.
It has to hurt somewhat when you cut open a fat mature female that is holding thousands of eggs.
Yea netters do the damage but we need to do our part as well to help.
Most here may not remember the striper moratorium back in the 80s when of you even caught a striper let alone a keeper size were prety lucky.
Its going to happen again, mabey not now but most of our grand kids will only see a striper if they see the pics of us holding em.

Re: POSSIBLE changes to STRIPED BASS fishery
 

there's no way in hell you're going to get any bass fisherman to agree to NOT fishing live baits for bass... sorry that one's NG ;)

And the enforcement of circle hooks vs. trebles or j hooks is basically impossible - I'm not sure any decision maker is going to agree to that one..

the only way to fix this is to change the regs!

Re: POSSIBLE changes to STRIPED BASS fishery
 

Apparently you really have no idea about how many bass are caught here in the spring. Recreational fisherman create a huge impact on the striped bass fishery.And killing breeders full of eggs def is not a way to sustain a fishery.