I listend to the words of the gentleman at the SBF booth at the risaa show this weekend. I am really "on-the-fence" in regard to game fish status. I was asked "how was last season for me bass fishing?". I honestly replied it had been the best ever, by far. He asked "how many small fish did you catch?". I caught none. Not one fish under legal limit, not one fish close to legal. He said there in lies the problem! All big breeders being taken , less shorts to grow-up, and in the end, a difficault rebuild (again) because of the lack of juveniles. Right or wrong I do not know. I know I have and use my commercial MA license a few times a year, I wouldn't miss it if I did not, could not renew it. I do take fish for consumption, and still would be able to under game fish status. What do you folks think?

I sat on a fence once an hurt myself really bad.
SF's Idea's are a make believe place. Like Beach X.
Forget it it is never happening.Now get off that fence 'for u rip ur draws.

I think while we continue to debate for and against Game Fish status, we neglect the most important issue impacting the striped bass fishery - Forage Fish.

If the forage fish situation were addresses, there would be alot more HEALTHY fish around for us to argue shich "User Group" should have the first (or only) crack at them...

In Therapy-
ARe you kidding? There have been more schoolies out there than I have ever seen. When/Where are you fishing? Are you only using giant plugs?

IMHO nothing but a naked fish grab.

I can honestly say there are lots of schoolies out there, more than ive ever seen. There is also a huge ammount of 17-22lbers, which are breeding fish. Im not saying the bass stocks are in great shape, theres nothing for them to eat, but i am saying that his notions about a lack of small fish is just not true.

i agree with JohnR.... protet the forage fish-

I think SF has a noble cause...but as JohnR sez...the solution isn't one dimensional.

I've also seen SF push propaganda that's blantly spun...I don't agree with their methods.

-spence

I'm not kidding about undersize fish! I am not saying there aren't any schoolies. I fish from Little Compton west to Block, in a boat, using eels and scup. From the 3rd week in May last year near warrens point to the first snow in newport, literally hundreds if fish between 24-32 pounds, not a single small fish.

Hey mako, what the he== is a naked fish grab?

I think if you use small scup and eels your not going to catch small fish. I caught tons and tons of schoolies last year.

We fished in west dennis in june and measured are catches by the dozen. Granted these fish were all 22 inches or smaller.

I am on board with John R, he seems to be on target. There are fewer and fewer forage fish for stripers to eat these days, whether it is eels, herring, pogies, or the myriads of spearing, sand eels and everything else that we have taken for granted all these years.

The bait stocks are down, bring them back and we will see stripers come back stronger than ever. There really is not an easy solution to this problem ... maybe except to use more wood, rubber and tin?:chatter

If the forage fish situation were addresses, there would be alot more HEALTHY fish around for us to argue shich "User Group" should have the first (or only) crack at them...

This is exactly right from my point of view.

I'm not kidding about undersize fish! I am not saying there aren't any schoolies. I fish from Little Compton west to Block, in a boat, using eels and scup. From the 3rd week in May last year near warrens point to the first snow in newport, literally hundreds if fish between 24-32 pounds, not a single small fish.

Hey mako, what the he== is a naked fish grab?

I think that the small fish hang out more "inshore" in order to avoid some of the predators that hang out in the deeper water you mentioned. Also, your choice of bait affects it as well. Throw a fly in the bay any time may 1 - june 30th and you can catch as many schoolies as you want tight to any structure you can find from the head of the bay to beavertail.

I am also curious as to what a naked fish grab is. sounds kinky.

_Z_

I don't agree with Stripers forever Brad Burns seems to have his own agenda? I agree that the forage is limited and there are tons of 12 to 40 inch fish around.

Well, I've only been on the Cape for three seasons now, after years of fishin Cape Ann and So. New Hampshire.

I saw more fish last year than I've ever seen in any season. Many schoolies and many large fish.

John's right - it's the forage base that's off. Maybe this River Herring Moratorium and ban of pair-trawlers inshore will help. Let's hope.

One shining light is that I've seen more Pogies in Cape waters each of the last three years.

I don't know. Maybe it's me, but Bryan and I caught large fish, small fish, in-between fish all season last year and the year before. Different places last year than the year before because the bait wasn't where it was the year before. But we caught schoolies, 15 to 20# ers, 30 lbers.
I agree on the bait thing though. If the %@#*&^% pogie boats would stop killing the Stripers main food there would be a healthier Bass population.
Don't think the Menahen Trawlers make a dent in the adult population?
Then ask youself one question. How come there are millions and millions of baby bunker and very few adults schools?

I would join a group dedicated to restoring the forage fish stocks.

If you want to catch smaller fish try the tube and worm in close to the rocks, or look in the CT River right now.

Don't forget big fish eat little fish, so don't expect to find lots of little fish in the same area that you're catching the big ones. Big striped bass do eat little striped bass.

If you want to protect the fish , take the $ off its head.

Forage fish is a separate issue. YES they need to be re-built but the game fish status is the right thing to do for the striped bass NOW. For the life of me I don't understand why many support a rec guy with a $60 permit to take 30 or 40 fish a day for money and then re-direct the discussion to a different (albeit related) subject that is not going to be fixed anytime soon. Forage fish is not considered a problem. (neither are SB for that matter) Look at the track record of DMF’s…it is not good and not getting any better. This recent herring thing will take more then a decade to play out.

And proving the DMF has lost its collective mind, is when I drove by the fish market two weeks ago and they were having a sale on Striped Bass....imported from MD or VA. Can you imagine someone buying a MD SB on MV? Now these fish don't even meet our 28" minimum but they are allowed to be imported into our state for sale. WHAT IS WRONG WITH THIS PICTURE? These are the people making the rules.

The comm fishery in this state is poisoned by $.

I see game fish status as protecting the fish more and getting it out of the hands of the DMF for comm. regulation, not harming the fish. The sooner the better.

Sure they can still regulate recs size and limits but the plan is not to stop you from fishing or taking them. Many of you see it with what I call “NRA glasses”...take our armor piercing bullets away and next you take our guns...just say no to everything!! I think you need to see what game fish status has done for other species. It would be a positive step for SB and one that would have positive benefits right away…not 20 years from now.

Another thing, you all moan about OTW's contest on how it will kill too many fish...but in the next breath you support recs with a cheap permit the right to take 30-40 fish per day and sell them for "gas money". I think you need to re-visit your perspective on things.

:soon: :jump: POGIES FOREVER!! :angel:

:soon: :jump: POGIES FOREVER!! :angel:


:rotfl:

All I know is that I was the schoolie king last year.My only consistant month for keeper size fish was May.Caught a bunch in the 30"-33"
range but none were particularly heavy.

This past year was the worst for finding forage fish off of Southern Mass. Few sand eels and little else. First year in a while I didn't get albies in the westport river in september.

Billk

I'm not kidding about undersize fish! I am not saying there aren't any schoolies. I fish from Little Compton west to Block, in a boat, using eels and scup. From the 3rd week in May last year near warrens point to the first snow in newport, literally hundreds if fish between 24-32 pounds, not a single small fish.

Hey mako, what the he== is a naked fish grab?

Um, whats the scup limit, 10.5 or 11"?? Not too many small fish are going to take a 10+" scup. They are all legal aren't they ??

BAIT FISH FOR EVER """"" sign me up

I think while we continue to debate for and against Game Fish status, we neglect the most important issue impacting the striped bass fishery - Forage Fish.

If the forage fish situation were addresses, there would be alot more HEALTHY fish around for us to argue shich "User Group" should have the first (or only) crack at them...

I agree John... Destruction of the larger forage species (menhaden, herring, etc.) is a major, if not the major problem for the bass fishery today.

I agree John... Destruction of the larger forage species (menhaden, herring, etc.) is a major, if not the major problem for the bass fishery today.

Exactamundo - many of the breeder areas of these fish are suffering with fish facing several diseases. Much of the "reports" cite a lack of nourishment is as much a factor as polutants and "dead zones". All of the major fish along the eastern seaboard feed primarily on one forage - the menhaden.

I am not a commercial fisherman and don't make a dime off of it but in my opinion, we would be better with a healthy stock of fish with a reduced commercial and rec pressure with plenty to eat than to have more fish divying up a smaller piece of the forage pie...

saw more small schoolies han ever last year.

[QUOTE=Mr. Sandman]If you want to protect the fish , take the $ off its head.
QUOTE]


Bingo, Now dream on if u think this will ever happen.An hook an line guys aren't even the tip of the iceberg i have no problem wit hook an line guys they can only catch what wants to eat.Its the big sweaping nets that are the biggest threat nevermind the bycatch.

POGIES FOREVER!!

Thanks for all your thoughts and I've made up my mind. Firstly, Mr. Sandman what's up with "support a rec guy with a $60 permit to take 30 or 40 fish a day... and sell them for "gas money". Who's asking to be supported? I am simply asking abut SBF. If times were so tough that I needed gas money, I'ld sell the twin engine gas sucker and downsize. I have absolutely no qualms selling 5 fish on Sundays. I do it because I can. Secondly, I could care less about catching schoolies. I know there are tons of small fish. I fish where I do and how I do because I do not want to catch smaller fish. My comment about the lack of smaller bass was to repeat what the gentleman at the SBF booth had used as rationalle to justify game fish status. Thirdly, to answer your question Diggin "Um, whats the scup limit, 10.5 or 11"?? Not too many small fish are going to take a 10+" scup. They are all legal aren't they ??" Thanks for making me aware that the RI scup limit is 10 1/2". I wouldn't want to break the law with the 9" scup from MA on my $30.00 scup permit "that I use for gas money." And your right, small fish don't eat jumbo scup, or legal fluke, or legal seabass, ( dare I even mention tautog ), but big bass do! Lastly, I will be sending my $ to Stripers Forever. Maybe all those Stripers Forever members on this board can meet at Foxboro banquet for a few whiskeys.

POGIES FOREVER!!

U would probably have a better chance of seeing a striped bass as a game fish than a moratorium on bunker netting.Omega has power in all the right places.an way more money than u can imagine to grease the way where they don't.Plus health benifit's of the byproduct to justify there cause.

I think while we continue to debate for and against Game Fish status, we neglect the most important issue impacting the striped bass fishery - Forage Fish.

If the forage fish situation were addresses, there would be alot more HEALTHY fish around for us to argue shich "User Group" should have the first (or only) crack at them...

Bingo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I fish from shore mainly for schoolie and there were alot last few years.Keep in mine that i'm using smaller plastics etc. so sometimes i get a keeper fish,and i release everything i catch.Another issue is commercial gill nets in ct.I have been ib bait stores were they sell bunker they caught and someone asked what else did they catch.gill netter said 46 weakfish he was trying to sell to fish markets,and some stripers which he slit their bellies so they would sink and not float so stripers fishermen woul'nt see and cut his nets.Alot of issues regarding all above posts and issues.hopefully my grandkids will have fish when there time comes to fish.