Menhaden stocks are now counted every third year,based on fecundity rates as opposed to traditional spawning rates,, biomass data increase in large part due to size, so is this management plan really effective? or is it just giving harvesters a bad name? I am not sure what to think.....

http://www.asmfc.org/speciesDocuments/menhaden/fmpreviews/07MenhadenFMPreview.pdf

A no win situation as far as I see it. The more easily bunker are available, the more easily large bass are removed from the population.

I do not believe that adult bunker have been a primary food for striped bass in the NE probably for the last 100 years. From NJ south, a different story, but in my lifetime sandeels, sea herring, squid, lobster, and finfish (scup/etc) have been a much more reliable food sources for large bass around cape cod. Witness how people have to get bunker than take them to where large fish live, the fish don't follow the bunker (and they would if it was their primary food source).

As for bait harvesting in the NE, you can see why it is such a small deal from the fishery managers point of view. Most menhaden, and lots of them, live elsewhere.

From a fisherman's point of view, you get a school in your harbor that would sustain your fishing style all summer, and some boat shows up and nets them all for bait (lobster and tackle store). So when the NE harvest increases by 50% it takes a huge bite out of your fishing opportunity. Which probably doesn't do much to the overall menhaden population, but spares the bass population mightily. I doubt the ASMFC cares one bit either way about that, it is not their job.

I do not believe that adult bunker have been a primary food for striped bass in the NE probably for the last 100 years. From NJ south, a different story, but in my lifetime sandeels, sea herring, squid, lobster, and finfish (scup/etc) have been a much more reliable food sources for large bass around cape cod.

As for bait harvesting in the NE, you can see why it is such a small deal from the fishery managers point of view. Most menhaden, and lots of them, live elsewhere.

I do not believe that adult bunker have been a primary food for striped bass in the NE probably for the last 100 years. From NJ south, a different story, but in my lifetime sandeels, sea herring, squid, lobster, and finfish (scup/etc) have been a much more reliable food sources for large bass around cape cod.

As for bait harvesting in the NE, you can see why it is such a small deal from the fishery managers point of view. Most menhaden, and lots of them, live elsewhere.

Bossman, we're under a bot attack.