Here's the problem. There are so many Pogies concentrated in one area in Narr Bay, any nitwit with an ounce of sense can catch a 20# fish.
I got a call from someone last night that was hammering 20#ers and this guy never caught a striper before. He said to me " this is easy! What's the big deal?"

The problem for the Bass is that if you multiply this X 1000 you can see that there are a couple of thousand 20# bass being killed everyday in Narr. Bay. This doesn't bode well for the future.

These jamokes have no concept of catch and release and kill every fish they catch.

I hope to God that the Pogies move and scatter so the Bass do the same.
There idiots can't catch there ass with 2 hands if the Pogies aren't all bunched together.

WTF.
get off the board you goober.
go enjoy Maui with Jeanne :D

In all seriousness, within our little fishing circle (which includes Paul and a few others on here) we've been saying this for the last two years. Huge schools of live pogies in a concentrated area is good for anglers, but terrible for the bass!

I'm not seeing any little fish where I should be seeing them. I'm seeing less small bait than I think I should be seeing, and am starting to get concerned. As a scientist, I hate to use my 'gut instinct', especially since I didn't live/fish through the bad years, but damn it sure has a pre-collapse, 1981 feel to it right now....

Exactly my point Bry. I lived thru this once in the late 70s.

It's too easy right now. You also know what will happen when these nitwits kill every breeder in site: They will all go back to water sking or drinking or whatever the hell they do when they are not ruining a fishery.

BTW, Maui is geologically very cool. Bringing you back lots of lava and pics. Also very, very expensive. Food is outrageous. Gas in $5.00/gal.

Great place for our 40th anniversary.

maybe for you guys it does, but not up here!
although what you say is concerning

Paul, is this different than any other year, or does this occur in different locations?
For example, werent the bass being hammered in Boston HArbor all last year too? I dont know enough about how many bass are kept vs. the population to know if its a problem. I havent been fishing where the schools of bunker are, I've been fishing in other areas. I've been blwon away with the amount of bunker and other bait. I've seen daily bluefish blitzes for the last 2 weeks, all on small bait. It looks like September out there!

Paul - BTW - been to Maui a few times. Make sure you visit a park in Wailea called Ah - hee - hee. That how its pronunced, not sure how its spelled. Loaded with sea life and an amazing place to snorkel. One of my favorite spots.

On the north shore of LI where I mainly fish, we have loads of small fish on 3 inch sandeels. Have to weed through dozens of dinks just to get a keeper sized fish :wall:. Even the bigger are keyed on the small bait. Because you have large bait, you're not seeing the smaller fish, which can't eat them. I'm sure if you found some smaller bait, you'll find some smaller fish :hihi: .

Throw plugs like we do that will cause them to suffer humility. Pogies make any fisherman look good when bass are around. Bait is easy.

Throw plugs like we do that will cause them to suffer humility. Pogies make any fisherman look good when bass are around. Bait is easy.

I 'm going to use this a s my sig!! Well said....

Since bass ARE carnivores, and cannibalistic, with the large numbers of bigger fish you should expect the smaller fish to avoid the larger fish. That, of course, does not mean the 20-30 inch bass but the smaller bass. Remember that a 20-30lb. bass has no problem inhaling a 12-16 inch bunker or shad, so the smaller bass would be just as likely to be on the menu during a feeding frenzy.
(ust my 2 cents worth.)

it seems to me that instead og skinny starving bass with nothing in ther gut we will now have fat and healthy bass. Chock full if pogeys. Lots of googans cant afford gas so maybe the pressure will not be too great. We will see.

it seems to me that instead og skinny starving bass with nothing in ther gut we will now have fat and healthy bass. Chock full if pogeys. Lots of googans cant afford gas so maybe the pressure will not be too great. We will see.

Seen providence the past few weeks? It was a slaughterhouse.

Anyone could and was hammering bass. More frames than I have ever seen ANYWHERE.

Paul's right.

DZ predicted/warned about it in winter of '07. Almost EVERYONE else, could have cared less about the large bass kill.

A dead bass is a dead bass, fat or not....

report the bastards whats the limit 2 per boat right call DEM on them I gaureantee I will call. I can't stand the greedy, stupid fridge stuffers. I have seen full unfilleted fash floating around a marina in Poit judith because no one wanted them. a-holes.

I told you so. :faga:

Here's the problem. There are so many Pogies concentrated in one area in Narr Bay, any nitwit with an ounce of sense can catch a 20# fish.
I got a call from someone last night that was hammering 20#ers and this guy never caught a striper before. He said to me " this is easy! What's the big deal?"

The problem for the Bass is that if you multiply this X 1000 you can see that there are a couple of thousand 20# bass being killed everyday in Narr. Bay. This doesn't bode well for the future.

These jamokes have no concept of catch and release and kill every fish they catch.

I hope to God that the Pogies move and scatter so the Bass do the same.
There idiots can't catch there ass with 2 hands if the Pogies aren't all bunched together.

Sportfish

ok, this is how it's gonna work, you guys tell us notherners the spot and I promise I won't keep any! :rotflmao:

I told you so. :faga:

Yup, and got crucified for it.

I told you so. :faga:

...and you were right. The guy that called me last night had never caught a bass and had 4, 20s in the boat. It is mass slaughter out there. I just hope the water gets warm real quick so these guys get skunked a few times and give up. If it weren't for all the Pogies concentrated in one small area these guys would all be s#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&g wind. Trust me, we will pay for this down the road. Way too many breeders being killed.

Case in point: I had 8 fish over 20 one day last week. I put 7 back as I needed one for a graduation party. I was way down the Bay and there were 2 guys in a boat 50 yards from me catching an occasional 20" fish. They were "SCREAMING" at me everytime I put a 20# fish back. Called me every name you can think of. Begged me to give them a fish. I finally just moved. They had no concept of catch and release. I have actually switched to live lining using a singe Gami 7/0 eel hook so I don't hurt the fish. Live lining with a treble can be a sure kill. Literally!!!

It appears to me that the fish are starting to trickel out of the bay now. my usual gansett skunking trips are starting to become fruitful, but its not like it was 3 or 4 years ago...

Paul, lets face it. If you look at everyone who is fishing now, I bet 15% of them know about the moratorium. Also, hardly anyone has a clue that these fish take almost 30 years to be come a 50 lber. They think that like anything, they can help themselves and the supply will always be there for them.

'm not seeing any little fish where I should be seeing them. I'm seeing less small bait than I think I should be seeing, and am starting to get concerned. I agree with OAK !!
this is byfar the worst I :eyes: Narr. in a long time

'm not seeing any little fish where I should be seeing them. I'm seeing less small bait than I think I should be seeing, and am starting to get concerned. I agree with OAK !!
this is byfar the worst I :eyes: Narr. in a long time

Im struggling a little with the points in the thread. One point is that there are so many fish that any goog can catch them, the other point is that there are no fish/bait in Narragansett. I feel the response to the second point is obvious, there are no fish in NArr, because they are for the most part keyed in on the bunker schools. If you think like a fish, which we all must do, why would I be in Narr? Scrounge the rocks for a lobster or a crab? I've found fish in Narr, no where near a bunker school over the last few weeks, but from a boat, however right along the shorline in 5ft of water. As far as bait, there have been acres and acres of small baitfish out there - not sure what they are and the blues have been all over them.
I think bluefish play a large role in the bait activity. The bay is loaded with blues and I tink they have chased the bay farther up than normal.

As far as the problem Paul brough up, what is the solution?

As far as the problem Paul brough up, what is the solution?

1 fish, 36"
good enforcement...

I agree w/you Bryan.

I need to find an article from the late 70s in the Fisherman. It has a lot of similarities to this thread, in fact way too many. Trouble is I'll have to look thru a couple of hundred issues, but maybe I'll get lucky.

1 fish, 36"
good enforcement...
I think Maine has a better idea, one fish in a slot 20-26 or over 40, but I'd bump the large up further. And no silly exclusions for charters.

I,ve been telling #^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^& all winter that each year the schoolie fishing is going down hill ....this is the worse I,ve seen in 20 years ;; I talked to jim white today @ he echoed the same thing ;;
when we had the old commercial fisherie >.i fished schoolies .. better price / less work & had fun .. when that dropped dead ...we were forced to join the commeercials guys that were fishing large >>> it didn,t take long until there was none >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>the best striper fishing I ever had /was when the moritum {SP} was in effect ><.,

I don't know guys, you are talking about a very specific spot here, is this happending all over the coast? I guess I really don't know, but it seems everyone chiming in on this thread is fishing the same spot.
Based on what I've read about the moratorium, there were ONLY big fish being caught everywhere, including a ton of 50's. Plus, weren't a lot of guys rod and reel commericals and keepers only had to be 16 inches? Seems like 20 or so years of that would destroy the population without a question. Sure, more people are fishing now, and there is more pressure on big fish, but I think you guys just happen to be sitting on one of the few pods of consistantly big fish.

I would call the area EP's and have a talk with them,
maybe they can give a few fines out to curve this problem

High gas prices and fines hardly makes a couple of fish worth the time

I would call the area EP's and have a talk with them,
maybe they can give a few fines out to curve this problem

High gas prices and fines hardly makes a couple of fish worth the time
Ok now we're gonna fine guys for keeping legal fish..WTF!!!:wall:
You need to run for congress or senate to change the laws....

Ok now we're gonna fine guys for keeping legal fish..WTF!!!:wall:
You need to run for congress or senate to change the laws....

I was under the impression that they were keeping every fish they caught as it says in a earlier post, if that's not the case then there is no need for that.

Not to be more of a ball buster than usual but it seems to me that this is what everyone wanted a few years ago. We need more big bait, where are the Pogies? Now they are here and this is what you get, large quantities of decent fish killed easily. Did you expect something different?

[QUOTE=Clammer;597992]I,ve been telling #^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^& all winter that each year the schoolie fishing is going down hill ..../QUOTE]

Mike a lot of my spots outfront have reliable schoolie spots behind them. not even seeing pops and swirls where they should be all over the place... something just isn't right....

I told you so. :faga:

I was under the impression that they were keeping every fish they caught as it says in a earlier post, if that's not the case then there is no need for that.

Bob:
That's what I said and I stand by it. I'm not talking about guys like Dave (Fishaholic18), Billy, myself, RIJimmy etc. We know the score and we know what keeping every fish you catch can do to the population.
Fot the record, what I'm talking about are guys who never fished for Bass before, figured our how to snag pogies and are killing evrything they hook. It IS happening right now.

this was the worst year in a long, long time for schoolies at so.co. passed us by??? who knows. but if we do go into the cycle of the 70"s with everyone catching everything in sight and bringing them home. this could and will be trouble for you younger guys. 1 20# equals 1.000.000 eggs.

The schoolies are mixed in with the larger bass which are with the bait. I caught 120 bass in six outings and only four were keepers. The bass have moved on some where because I've been getting skunked last several nights.

Hopefully the fisheries management people are keeping an eye on things and will chnage the limits and maybe reduce to 1 fish per day.

Every dog has his day. For now the inexperienced guys are in heaven just pulling fish in. When it gets more difficult , they will quit and those years the fish recover some. I think over time it all works out if the bag limits are adjusted wisely based on good data. yes that is a lot to ask and maybe unrealistic since people lie a lot about what they catch but its the best system we have now.

not sure if the purpose of this thread is to warn of the possible downfall of bass stocks because some weekend warriors are catching some bass for once, or if you are annoyed because some other than the hardcore guys are catching bass and think it is easy.or maybe they don't know how to fish and are killing them because of inexpierence.but regardless, do you think that you and your harcore freinds that fish everyday all season long kill anyless than these guys?if you are fishing trebles as you mentioned i know the answer.unfortunatly bass will die as long as we all keep fishing for them.and yes with the big number of large bass being killed in VA,NJ, NY ,RI and it won't last long,maybe boat fishing should be banned

Don't hog bass: Learn to release
Al Ristori

Sunday, June 15, 2008

The ocean run of big migrating stripers has been very good this month, with enough large bass available that even casual fishermen have had a good shot at them. The only negative, in my view and that of many other striper fans, has been watching some fishermen boat every possible big linesider rather than releasing most of their catch.
There's nothing wrong with keeping a fish for dinner or putting one on the wall, but it's hard to believe that anyone in a gamefish state (where they can't be sold) could be making good use of what can often involve hundreds of pounds of fillet a day that will probably remain in a freezer until being thrown out in favor of fresh fish.
In many cases, it appears that some fishermen think they can only prove their expertise by throwing fish on the dock. Yet, striper pros such as ASA Angler of the Year Chuck Many, Big Al Wutkowski, Capt. Bryne Pieros, and Tony Arcabascio have gained their reputations while releasing almost all of their favorite fish.
Though the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission claims the striped bass population is in good shape, it takes a long time to replace the 20-to-30-pounders that dominate our present ocean fishery. If every expert angler filled a limit every trip, I have no doubt but that the results would be felt within a year or two. It's only the recycling through voluntary releasing by thousands of sportsmen that has been maintaining the fishery and preventing a return to those dark days a few decades ago when the catch of a striper of any size was a cause for celebration.
The use of lip-gripping fish scales has made weighing bass before release very easy, and weight can also be estimated quite accurately by using the formula -- length to fork of tail times girth squared, divided by 800. It is important to remember to use the fork-length measurement as the overall length will greatly exaggerate the true size of the fish.
Wutkowski got into a hot bite of bass Friday morning off Asbury Park that included a 50-incher that was too skinny to make the 50-pound mark -- though he estimated it in the forties before release.

Bob:
That's what I said and I stand by it. I'm not talking about guys like Dave (Fishaholic18), Billy, myself, RIJimmy etc. We know the score and we know what keeping every fish you catch can do to the population.
Fot the record, what I'm talking about are guys who never fished for Bass before, figured our how to snag pogies and are killing evrything they hook. It IS happening right now.

Did it ever occur to you that these guys think they are following the example set by the fisherman you quoted? They see successful fisherman they admire come home with big fish every trip and are attempting to do the same. To them, a 20lb fish is as big as a 40 to you. Have you killed a 40 in the last few years? Where did the fishing ethic.....catch and kill the biggest you can.......come from? Remember, they're new to the game and just learning....who are they learning from?

I disagree Numby. People are keeping teh fish becasue they're big (to everyone except BassDawg), plentiful and free. Its like a sale at stop and shop, you buy a ton of stuff you dont need or want and get caught up in the moment. Its less complicated than your example. Most of these guys that Paul is talking about are not serious fisherman, but are guys that get up early to fish at 9am, a cooler of bud and go to have fun. There is nothing wrong with that, but put them in a position ot catch decent (big???) bass, they can do a lot of damage. Its human nature. I've kept 2 bass this year, 18 and 24 and only becasue I gut hooked them . I switched to circles to avoid any further guy hooks. Its about education and conservation. The issue as Paul pointed out is that the concentration of the fish is making it easy for anyone to catch them. The same thing, can, will and did happen in other spots.

The biggest problem that I can see with this is the fact that many are snagging with snag hooks and simply dropping the pogies to the bottom to be inhaled by a fish. I dont think the novice would take the trouble and risk of reeling in the pogie they just snagged, and then unhook it, only to re-hook it to a big circle hook.

No short bass off the NJ surf for the past 40+ days. That has not happened for years and years. Don't understand that. Hundreds of boats fishing live bunker are consistently landing 20-45 pounders. Same thing goes on in Montauk with the boats in the fall--hundreds of moby bass are taken everyday. Need more of a catch and release mentality or we're going to lose this fish again.

People are keeping teh fish becasue they're big (to everyone except BassDawg), plentiful and free. Its like a sale at stop and shop, you buy a ton of stuff you dont need or want and get caught up in the moment. Its less complicated than your example. Most of these guys that Paul is talking about are not serious fisherman, but are guys that get up early to fish at 9am, a cooler of bud and go to have fun. There is nothing wrong with that, but put them in a position ot catch decent (big???) bass, they can do a lot of damage. Its human nature. I've kept 2 bass this year, 18 and 24 and only becasue I gut hooked them . I switched to circles to avoid any further guy hooks. Its about education and conservation. The issue as Paul pointed out is that the concentration of the fish is making it easy for anyone to catch them. The same thing, can, will and did happen in other spots.

:agree:

A spot I've been fishing lately that has been producing 20# fish consistently, has had more people fishing it day after day after day. I stopped the count at 40 people on Saturday night. - I have NEVER seen that many people at that spot.NEVER-EVER-NEVER. ...and I drive by that spot on a daily basis, the pogies are easy to spot, and once one person see's how the other person is catching them, it's history. It's like Jimmy said, easy fishing attracts more people. When the combination of easy access and easy to catch come together, it's called "Stupid" fishing. Unfortunately, it always seems to attract "Stupid" fishermen. People who do not know HOW nor CARE about properly releasing a fish.

What can we do about it?

When it's done legally - There isn't much we can do. The best thing we can do is talk amongst the people fishing, share what knowledge we have in speaking about why we think the Striper has rebounded, and what we can do to keep it strong. (While at the same time, properly releasing a Striper without sounding or seeming like a "know-it-all") If you become friends with the enemy without them knowing, they will listen to reason. When you come off sounding like a "know-it-all ...I'm going to call the D.E.M." type of person, you will not get any cooperation. ...and by the time an officer shows up (if they do at all)...the guilty party will be gone. Use your senses when fishing at night amongst strangers.

When it's done ILLEGALLY ? - - - > :call:

Did it ever occur to you that these guys think they are following the example set by the fisherman you quoted? They see successful fisherman they admire come home with big fish every trip and are attempting to do the same. To them, a 20lb fish is as big as a 40 to you. Have you killed a 40 in the last few years? Where did the fishing ethic.....catch and kill the biggest you can.......come from? Remember, they're new to the game and just learning....who are they learning from?

Numbskull:
You missed my point. These are guys that don't frequent this board or any board, for that matter. These are guys, as Nebe pointed out, are snagging pogies and just dropping it to the bottom. These guys are slaughtering large quantities of 20# + fish.
They don't know me or Bill or Dave of Jimmy. They don't know about conservation, the moratorium in the 80s, catch and release.
Now maybe you have a problem with me taking a large fish and killing it every now and then. Sorry if I offended your sense of conservation because I killed a 40.
My point was simply to inform the members of this forum that this was happening right now. It cannot be stopped or controlled because it's not illegal. If you think that the guys who have caught large for 40 years are to blame for this, you are entitled to your opinion. I can't take responsibility for someone elses actions just because I caught a big Bass sometime in the past and kept it. In my opinion, your logic is flawed.

Everyone is entitled to the legal limit. Expert , beginner , doesn't matter. No years of working at it makes anyomne more entitled to the fish.

I think if you are an expert , the burden is actually on you to talk to some of the newbies when you can. Explain ways to have fun pulling on the fish without killing them.

I understand that for some guys fishing is just a way to get out of the house with a cooler of bud and now fishing for stripers is easier than fishing for largemouth at their local pond. Let them enjoy themselves but try to bring them up to speed on techniques and a conservation awareness.

Yes , easy fishing brings more new fisherman and hurts the fishery but new fisherman also means more votes , etc. When the time comes , we may need their votes so why not nuture them a little and get them solidly on the conservation side of the issue.

I think most of you did not understand Piemma's point.

What he is saying is that there are a lot of inexperienced people snag and dropping bass, keeping 2 fish (which is fine) but then they continue to fish and kill many fish because they dont know any better. lets face it, the legit way to do this act is to use 2 rods... snag with one, reel the pogie in and stick it on the other rod which is rigged with a large circle hook.. then let it swim to its death....

many do not understand this. they might as well all be yo-yoing...

Yes , I understand his point and that is part of the knowledge that needs to be passed on to the newcomers.


Also , newbies are not the only ones snagging and catching with the same hooks. Many meat fisherman do the same and have for more years than I can remember. Might be a good discussion to have with all levels of fisherman to raise awareness.

This comment is not aimed at anyone in particular but I think if you really are an expert fisherman who believes in conservation , you need to give something back to the sport by passing knowledge and conservation awareness on to future fisherman. Believe it or not , I bet half the people fishing for stripers today do not even know that at one time there was a moratorium do to the fishery collapse.Believe it or not , some fisherman have no idea that a fish can die hours or days after what looks like a safe release.

They need to be told.