Bass
 

Well, over the last few weeks I have been thinking about the Striped Bass fishery and its future.

Undoubtably, no business and fishery can be perfect. The biology and math tells the truth though, whether in reference to changes in quotas, stocks, coastal regulation, daily and seasonal fishing pressure and other factors.

I have a article I would like everyone to read, and I think you might see where I am going. I did not elaborate yet, as I would like to see a few reacting comments first of all.

Any opinions, input, and other constructive comments are welcome. If It was not proper of me to make this post, I will delete it.

http://theaverageangler.blogspot.com...riped.html?m=1

SNAPPERHEAD

Re: Bass
 

Very true:(

Re: Bass
 

based on the non-existent ocean run this year, i think its safe (and UNFOOLISH) to say there is something wrong or going on. it's killed the charter and party boat fares without consistent daily reports. it's amazing what a year difference makes, but something is up. maybe the fish stayed farther out east chasing more consistent food, maybe there are still effects from Sandy in the water that we can't see or even touch, but that the fish notice or maybe they just by-passed the beaches and just went right into raritan bay, but it has been an awful spring for the SRI & Manasquan Fleets concerning bass.

on the other note, what amount of fish is enough for one person to harvest? there have been plenty of arguments on here that "catch what you legally can daily and don't worry". well, more and more people have boats or access to boats, so that needs to be taken into account. equipment is better, with rods and reels and FISH FINDING electronics, making it easier than ever to put meat in your cooler. i'm all for taking a fish now and then for a meal or to give to friends who love fish, but like the gist of this article is pointing towards, at some point the stock is going to become overfished again and we will only have ourselves to blame. just my opinion, everyone else is entitled to their own also...:cool:

Re: Bass
 

I think the math is a little off. He comes to an average of 100 fish per day and seems to think that way more than that are harvested.

But........

Some days it rains, or the wind blows a gale, sometimes nobody gets out for 4 days due to storms and then the fish are scrambled and it takes days to get good fishing.

If it blows on weekends, less people fish during the week.

How many times do party boats not sail due to lack of participation.

It is a big Ocean. I'm not buying it. The Bay is on fire this year. If we overfished, the bay would have to be quiet too.

Re: Bass
 

Good post -- We have to change the climate this is how it starts

i saw a post today on other site guy from RI saying the same thing! Last year one of Montauks top guides said same.

Unfortunately humans have a hard time regulating themselves

Re: Bass
 

The biggest mistake I can think of is alot of people from up here in Monmouth and Northern Ocean Counties can do, including myself, is only think of the North Jersey coast's fishing, when it comes to the daily catch of the Striped Bass. We have the Private, Charter, and Party Boats down in Central and South Jersey as everyone knows. If you think of only North Jersey's daily catch, then it probably isn't over 100 fish per day. But if you think of the whole state, it would make sense that it is 100+ per day. That is lot of fish for a days worth and for a whole entire state.

With that being said, does anyone have any spring run Bass reports from the central and southern region for reference? That would certainly help a lot.

But in correlation to my main dialogue, do you think that is feasable? If I am wrong, I would like to know what is right.:)

SNAPPERHEAD

Re: Bass
 

Not exactly perfect science, but then again- that doesnt exist in fisheries management. Great post and I totally agree that if we want to keep the fishery robust we need to release more big fish, if only to keep those big fish genes in the ocean as long as possible. I know it makes for a great dock shot to pull 20 cow bass off the bunker pods, but do you really need to freeze and eat all that meat? probably not. its about the cool dock shot isnt it? I think one big fish per man, per day is plenty. what is so bad about 2 fish at 28" where only 1 can be 38" +

PS: dont feel like you need to walk on eggshells posting about conservation issue. There are a few guys on each message board that get real sarcastic any time someone mentions releasing more and killing less fish. they assume you are a some kind of tree hugger if you suggest releasing fish. dont mind them, most people on the message boards love big fish and want there to be many many of them.

Re: Bass
 

Great post... keep em coming...

Re: Bass
 

Young Snapperbluefish , I'm glad to see that your gears are turning and you are thinking of something other than how many you can keep . I wish that I thought the same when I was your age . You and other young Fishermen/Women are the future of our fisheries . This is a forum so feel free to say/ask what ever you want . On whether or not to keep any legally caught fish it should be up to the person who caught it . People listen better when you are not yelling at them . A Man who I respect immensely stated his opinion recently on this very subject . He didn't yell or call anyone names . I think that people read it and some will take it to heart as people will give thought to your question . I feel that The Bass have been passing through for quite some time and only in the past few years we have had the knowledge/conditions to catch them . Just because we may not be catching them as well on the Ocean side doesn't mean that they are in trouble . Say we harvested 100 25lb and up Bass on a good day on Jersey's coast who is to say that 10,000 passed on the wrong side of the EEZ and will never be fished ?

Re: Bass
 

I appreciate the kind words greatly. I have been thinking about the +3 mile line as well. Honestly, the only way to know is put on our thinking caps and do some science. With that being said we should fish beyond the line throughout the season. We should observe, analyze, and conclude, which is the famous, fundamental, and gratifying scientific method. Fishermen are scientists. Does this course of action make sense?

SNAPPERHEAD

Re: Bass
 

I agree that Good Science should be the basis of our F&G laws .

Re: Bass
 

I think witchcraft is a more accurate science then the 1 the Gov't is using

Re: Bass
 

What they have been using is Voodoo Science .

Re: Bass
 

So true.

Re: Bass
 

I striper fished with Rick Caton back in 2011 and he was sounding the alarm then.

http://www.wavy.com/dpp/news/local_n...es-controversy

Re: Bass
 

Re: Bass
 

I think a lot of people are drawing a conclusion from one data point with that data point being the 2013 spring run which isn't over yet.

Let's look at the preceding 4 data points, 2011 spring & fall and 2012 spring and fall. 2011 both runs were strong. 2012 spring was strong. 2012 fall started strong and looked like we were headed for a great fall run then Sandy hit.

These fish live for 10 years or more. So all of a sudden we caught them all and now it is over for a decade?

Should we be a little concerned? Maybe. But, 4 strong runs in a row and then 1 weak one and we conclude the fish are all gone?

I agree that we should encourage anglers to release big cows and only take what you eat. Makes sense for all of us.

But one rough calculation that we are harvesting more than 100 fish a day in NJ so we killed them all strikes me as a big leap.

In god we trust, all others must show data. Not sure this is real data.

Re: Bass
 

Re: Bass
 

I caught a ton of fish in fall 2011. Yes, it was the "southern" bite that year. I caught 24 bass on one trip, keeping 2. Spring '12 was an early bite, caught 10 bass on a trip in march. Landed a handful of big bass last spring. This year made it out once and got skunked.

These are migratory fish, but they come home to spawn. The Hudson is a big spawning ground, but the Chesapeake is by far the the big kahuna. Nothing comes close it is striper spawning heaven.

It is estimated their are 50 million or more stripers in the ocean. But it is a very big pond. Who knows where they go, except when they spawn.

The raritan bay had a good spring. The Chesapeake had a good spring. For some reason the jersey coast sucks this year. They went somewhere else after the spawn. Who knows why. But I doubt we killed 50 million fish last year even if we caught 1000 a day. The math doesn't work and the fish showed up where they spawn in the usual numbers. Maybe sandy did something to the underwater structure, but more likely a lot of bait outside 3 miles.

In any event I am not panicking yet.

Re: Bass
 

I don't think that people are reporting many catches/releases outside the line . Chances are if the Bass are not being caught on jigs/clams inside the line then they probably won't be caught on them offshore . These Bass didn't get big being stupid . If the Bass are eating live Bunker why would a clam work ? The only good clam bite that I have ever had off Central Jersey was in the fall a few Seasons back behind an Offshore Clam Dredger .