Striper Season Closures - Immediate Action Needed

[Duffman]

Originally Posted by WhaleFart

I’m all for no harvest and trying to make a better future for this fishery. No targeting will be a huge gut punch. I’d support some additional restrictions like prohibiting bait fishing, or putting a no target on bass let’s say until 4/15 in breeding waters.

Hope they do something to firm things up, there are a good amount of bass today, no doubt, but there aren’t a lot of fish existing to support future generations of equal fishing per the reproduction data.

As unpopular as it sounds I agree. Although I’d like to see the for hire industry to still be able to fish for stripers.

What goes on in the Sandy Hook/Raritan area during the spring run is disgusting to say the least. Close it during the spawn can only help.

Here’s the question tho…..who will enforce it?

[AndyS]

No one is going to enforce it, just more scare tactics like circle hooks. They will patrol the densely populated fishing areas like Sandy Hook bay and that will be about it. Fish at night, do what ever you want to do.

[RU fan]

Death by a thousand cuts. Slowly but surely, we are giving up our rights to a resource we are entitled to. We do it in the call for saving a fishery!!! They tell us it's for the good of everyone...well it's not. It's for the good of the commercial interest. I watched 60 years of fishery management. What I've learned is they take it away claiming to do it to restore the fishery. What I've also learned is they never give it back. Look at todays; regs....are you happy with 3 fluke for a few months, one to two stripers, one blackfish here and there. How about seabass..(a fully recovered fishery plus). Ok ten for a month over the spring, then one fish over the peak summer season. Then you get to chase them offshore for a few months. Go look at the commercial regs. They fish for seabass 12 months a year....no big decreases month to month. They even get to pick the number of days QOUTA they will fish for. Can we claim we're fishing today for our 5 day quota?
Sadly, over time regulations will put charter and party boat operations out of business. Where do we go then.... their answer is the fish store.
I'm not for breaking laws to keep something we are entitled too, but I get the frustration.. I'm tired of bad science...but what do we do. I appreciate Gerry making it easy to voice our opinions.

[Gerry Zagorski]

Originally Posted by RU fan

Death by a thousand cuts. Slowly but surely, we are giving up our rights to a resource we are entitled to. We do it in the call for saving a fishery!!! They tell us it's for the good of everyone...well it's not. It's for the good of the commercial interest. I watched 60 years of fishery management. What I've learned is they take it away claiming to do it to restore the fishery. What I've also learned is they never give it back. Look at todays; regs....are you happy with 3 fluke for a few months, one to two stripers, one blackfish here and there. How about seabass..(a fully recovered fishery plus). Ok ten for a month over the spring, then one fish over the peak summer season. Then you get to chase them offshore for a few months. Go look at the commercial regs. They fish for seabass 12 months a year....no big decreases month to month. They even get to pick the number of days QOUTA they will fish for. Can we claim we're fishing today for our 5 day quota?
Sadly, over time regulations will put charter and party boat operations out of business. Where do we go then.... their answer is the fish store.
I'm not for breaking laws to keep something we are entitled too, but I get the frustration.. I'm tired of bad science...but what do we do. I appreciate Gerry making it easy to voice our opinions.

Exactly and it’s time the public took back what is a public resource!