Check out 2 D,,, if the fish don’t conform to MA regs they should be kept out of MA.... WTF

Let’s go to the fish market and buy a schoolie.... dah

1. Striped Bass Conservation (322 CMR 6.07). DMF is proposing regulations to enhance striped bass conservation:
a. Gaffing. Prohibit the use of a gaff to remove or attempt to remove striped bass from the water.
b. Circle Hooks. Beginning in 2020, mandate the use of inline circle hooks by anglers fishing for striped bass with whole or cut natural baits. This circle hook mandate would not apply to any artificial lure designed to be trolled, casted and retrieved, or vertically jigged with a natural bait attached.

2. Striped Bass Commercial Fishery Management (322 CMR 6.07). DMF is proposing to adjust the commercial striped bass fishery management regulations:
a. Commercial Season Start Date. Open the commercial striped bass fishery on the first open fishing day on or after June 13th. The fishery currently opens on the first commercial fishing day on or after June 23rd.
b. Fin Clipping Requirement Start Date. If the season start date is amended the rule requiring commercial fishermen to clip the right pectoral fin of any striped bass they retain while recreational fishing will go into effect three days prior to the new season start date.
c. Open Fishing Days. Maintain the two-open-fishing-day-per-week schedule, but have these open fishing days occur on Mondays and Wednesdays, rather than the current schedule of Mondays and Thursdays.
d. Importation of Non-Conforming Striped Bass by Dealers. Allow authorized seafood dealers to import non-conforming sized striped bass from other jurisdictions year-round provided the fish are tagged and lawfully harvested in the state of origin.

3. Measures to Improve For-Hire Compliance (322 CMR 6.41). DMF is proposing regulations to enhance compliance with recreational fishing regulations in for-hire fisheries:
a. Prohibit for-hire operations from conducting commercial fishing activity while patrons are onboard, with an exception for fish taken under a federal Highly Migratory Species Permit (e.g., bluefin tuna and swordfish).
b. Implement a series of measures applicable only to head boats fishing for scup and black sea bass from May 1st to June 30th. This includes: (1) requiring the generation and maintenance of passenger lists; (2) issuing containers (e.g., bags and stringers) to all patrons; (3) having each container issued be identifiable to a patron on the passenger list; (4) mandating all patrons retain their fish only in the containers provided by the head boat; (5) prohibiting patrons from comingling their catch; (6) segregating scup catch in a container separate from all other species; and (7) prohibiting crew and captains working for the head boat from selling, bartering or exchanging any fish with patrons.

4. Scup Bycatch Limit During Small Mesh Squid Fishery (322 CMR 6.27). In accordance with changes to federal and interstate fisheries management for scup, DMF is proposing to allow draggers fishing with small mesh (less the 5” diamond) to retain up to 2,000 pounds of scup per trip during the period of April 15th through June 15th. The current rules establish a 1,000-pound trip limit from October 1st through April 30th and a 200-pound trip limit from May 1st through September 30th.

5. Commercial Trip Limit and Quota Management (322 CMR 6.22 and 6.41). DMF is proposing to strengthen commercial trip limit and quota management in the following ways:
a. At-Sea Transfer of Fish. Clarify that it is unlawful for commercial fishermen to transfer any fish at-sea that are managed by a trip limit. This will not apply to the at-sea transfer of bait fish conducted under the authority of a bait dealer permit.
b. Trip Limit Exception for Transport Vessels. Allow buy boats working on behalf of a dealer to possess multiple trip limits of all managed species provided such vessels are properly authorized by the Director, do not have fishing gear on board, and do not accept fish at-sea. This exception applies only to fluke at present.
c. Initial Sale of Fish by a Commercial Fisherman. DMF is proposing to require that the initial sale, barter or exchange of any fish from a commercial fisherman must be to a seafood dealer who is an authorized primary buyer. Commercial fishermen who are permitted as bait dealers or retail boats may continue to sell their catch to entities other than a primary buyer in accordance with the regulations governing these dealer permits.

I have lots of problems with the proposals #3. How are you going to keep a family on a head boat from commingling their catch? Requiring the use of boat provided containers is fine, if those containers are coolers full of ice (unlikely). Otherwise the smell of rotting heated fish laying on the deacon burlap bags is going to overwhelm some passengers and waste an awful lot of fish. Why keep scup separate? Just adds to the wasted fish.

What is up with the proposal to not use a gaff.......

I really do not like using nets. If your boat is small enough to reach over and lip a fish by hand that you intend to release regardless of size what is the issue.

I you have a slob next to the boat that you intend to retain and fillet and/or sell if you are a comm what is the issue.

How about just fining an idiot that is seen gaffing small or any size fish and returning them to the ocean.

Just how often is this happening......enough to justify this proposal. When fishing alone allot easier to gaff a big fish then net. I have lost some nice fish trying to get one in a net on other peoples boats. Especially when there is a multi hook plug........the plug hangs up on the net stopping the fish from going in, then the hook pops out...........goodbye.......

LOVE THE SECTION ON #3 about getting aid to charter & also selling fish commercially .kinda sick of seeing fish being transferred to sell , also its a lot easier to limit out commercially when ya have a group of people that paid already to fish aid in getting your commercial limit ……. I see it a lot at the dealers down the point …………… they always have there Tautog limit

the Gaff one ………..I havn,t used one on a fish in a long time ………& I don,t catch 50,s so the net isn,t a issue ,40,s fit in a net ………….I only use the gaff as a aid in retrieving a rope or a tangled line /rope around the lower unit >>

What is up with the proposal to not use a gaff.......

I really do not like using nets. If your boat is small enough to reach over and lip a fish by hand that you intend to release regardless of size what is the issue.

I you have a slob next to the boat that you intend to retain and fillet and/or sell if you are a comm what is the issue.

How about just fining an idiot that is seen gaffing small or any size fish and returning them to the ocean.

Just how often is this happening......enough to justify this proposal. When fishing alone allot easier to gaff a big fish then net. I have lost some nice fish trying to get one in a net on other peoples boats. Especially when there is a multi hook plug........the plug hangs up on the net stopping the fish from going in, then the hook pops out...........goodbye.......

You’d puke on com day at the Race when the bites on and there isn’t a com fish anywhere

You’d puke on com day at the Race when the bites on and there isn’t a com fish anywhere


I don’t reach for the gaff unless fish look about 37” plus. Less gets Hand lipped. I have heard about that Guppy but haven’t seen allot of it when I’ve been there first hand. It’s not that hard to realize a comm non comm fish but I gusss that is my opinion.
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I you have a slob next to the boat that you intend to retain and fillet and/or sell if you are a comm what is the issue.

How about just fining an idiot that is seen gaffing small or any size fish and returning them to the ocean.

Agree with Beamie on this point... if you are going to keep the large fish, it's going to die, so gaffing not a prob. And, gaffing small bass is kind of silly.

Between gaffing and the circle hooks it's getting rediculous. Anybody that's done this much can tell when a fish is 34". If it's close we always land the fish by hand. Stopping all gaffing because of some idiots that gaff every fish they catch is just dumb. Make a rule to punish the idiots not the guys that do things the right way. Or eliminate it from the recreational fishery. I almost never use a gaff recreationally and we've landed more than a few big fish on my boat.
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Between gaffing and the circle hooks it's getting rediculous. Anybody that's done this much can tell when a fish is 34". If it's close we always land the fish by hand. Stopping all gaffing because of some idiots that gaff every fish they catch is just dumb. Make a rule to punish the idiots not the guys that do things the right way. Or eliminate it from the recreational fishery. I almost never use a gaff recreationally and we've landed more than a few big fish on my boat.
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MMA Feb 25, 6:00 PM.... Gona be a good one.... :lurk::lurk:

We would not be the first state to ban gaffing
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As someone who spends a lot of time fishing where the use of a gaff on a striped bass is not legal (Connecticut) I am honestly not sure why it's such a big deal to you guys up in MA.

Just speculating here, but I see the core of the issue as one of the biggest problems that WE ALL have as fishermen in New England, and that is opposition to change. Regardless of why change is proposed or enacted, or what said change is in relation to, we lose our collective minds when we are told by someone else that we can no longer do something the way in which we have been doing it for years. For better or for worse, we like to do what we do how we do it, and we don't like to be told otherwise. :smokin:

theres enough gaffing problems going on that the regulators are willing to consider banning their use... its done to benefit the fish. clearly there are enough morons out there who can't figure out how to do it the right way

I am sure these changes (gaffs and circle hooks will pass)

But if this is such an issue why is it only for the striped bass and not bluefish and every other fish?

Like was stated before it is getting crazy. What is next, an onboard stop watch to return the fish to the water in less than 30 seconds. And a fine if you are seen with a hand under the gill plate damaging the gills.

BTW you really have to look around for 'inline circle' hooks. Seems most are offset. I guess I will have to fine myself if I am out fishing bluefish with J hooks and catch a striper by accident.

Yeah, I guess I don't like change.....