Does anyone know when the new MA SB regs take effect? The web site said they were going to try by Memorial Day weekend (which is when me and my buddies will be making our annual canal trip), but I don't seem to see anything definite. Any info would obviously be helpful for me, and also other folks here.

Easy! Just don't kill anything. Then you don't have to worry about size or limits . Put everything back. You want fish, go to the fish store.

Hopefully its in place before the next set of breaking tides!

Regs in place or not, without enforcement, nothing will change. My old fishing buddies tell me that poaching was rampant on the last set of minus tides, with guys running fish well over 35" back to their vehicles at the usual places.

Regs in place or not, without enforcement, nothing will change. My old fishing buddies tell me that poaching was rampant on the last set of minus tides, with guys running fish well over 35" back to their vehicles at the usual places.

Yup, saw it repeatedly both minus tides I was there. A lot more than 1 or 2 guys also.

Regs in place or not, without enforcement, nothing will change. My old fishing buddies tell me that poaching was rampant on the last set of minus tides, with guys running fish well over 35" back to their vehicles at the usual places.

If the regular places are know, why aren't they nailing these poachers, is this just about time of day and man power?

In Ct. The date is May 26
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If the regular places are know, why aren't they nailing these poachers, is this just about time of day and man power?

I spoke to an EP in my area who basically said there’s like a 100 of them state wide and add in days off vacation and sick time you might have 40 active daily.

And I blame leadership if we know the times and places these people operate so do they .. Just having a EP truck in the parking lots or a an officer on the bike path. Wouldn’t stop it completely but it would help

That’s 2 officers in a small area of known poaching it’s not Rocket science

I spoke to an EP in my area who basically said there’s like a 100 of them state wide and add in days off vacation and sick time you might have 40 active daily.

And I blame leadership if we know the times and places these people operate so do they .. Just having a EP truck in the parking lots or a an officer on the bike path. Wouldn’t stop it completely but it would help

That’s 2 officers in a small area of known poaching it’s not Rocket science

So let me tell you, 50 guys at the RR Bridge on the breaking tides last week. Pure insanity. Crossed lines, killing fish like they were stocked trout.
I was East of the bridge and hung a really good fish at dawn. 36# on my Manley scale and back in. I'm resuscitating this big girl and a "gentleman" of a differnet culture came over to me and said "give me that fish" to which I told him to shove it up his A$$. I also told him that as a Veteran I would have no problem killing him if he didn't get the &^&%$$ away from me. He understood! Absolute zoo!:nailem:

It's only a matter of time until someone gets killed over a fish, and then the Feds will shut down the Canal to fishing.

Fat dude pulls a knife during an argument:

https://youtu.be/vWhVdc9Kidc

Does anyone know when the new MA SB regs take effect? The web site said they were going to try by Memorial Day weekend (which is when me and my buddies will be making our annual canal trip), but I don't seem to see anything definite. Any info would obviously be helpful for me, and also other folks here.

The only date set in stone for when the new slot must be implemented for each state is "by July 2, 2023." Other than that, it's at each state's discretion. Maryland (5/16), Maine (5/18) and Connecticut (5/26) each already set their dates. Of those three, only Maine had any sort of public hearing/meeting on the subject so MA might not even do so. New Jersey had a public hearing last week and decided to hold off and reconvene some time in June for final action.

There are public virtual hearings being held 5/17, 5/22, 5/23 and 5/31 which are not state-specific.

I spoke to an EP in my area who basically said there’s like a 100 of them state wide and add in days off vacation and sick time you might have 40 active daily.

And I blame leadership if we know the times and places these people operate so do they .. Just having a EP truck in the parking lots or a an officer on the bike path. Wouldn’t stop it completely but it would help

That’s 2 officers in a small area of known poaching it’s not Rocket science

There are 2 really bad areas. Everyone knows them. The EPOs know it as well. They could assign a Bourne cop as back up in case some a-hole tries to get rough with an EPO. I saw how they worked together about 15 years ago when they busted 2 lobster poachers.

ri IS THE 27TH ><><>
:humpty::humpty::humpty:

Got it. May 26th in MA.

Ma EP was at my ramp at noon reminding people of the new size requirements

I told him he needs to go to the Fall River side of the brightman st bridge and remind them of the new limit and only 1 fish.

He said he was going there next.

I doubt it
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Here is Patrick's post on FB:

Proud of the advocates up and down the coast (including myself) who worked behind the scenes on getting this regulation passed at the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission. Also PROUD Massachusetts one again lead the charge to make sure the future of Striped Bass Fishing is protected. Striper Fishing is great right now but there are nothing but below average year classes behind the fish we are currently catching and if we dont make sure the spawning stock is healthy; the future of Striper Fishing could be in real jeopardy.




May 24, 2023


Striped Bass Regulation Change Effective Friday, May 26

On May 26, 2023 the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries will enact emergency recreational regulations to change the maximum length limit for keeping striped bass in Massachusetts. The new recreational slot size is 28" to less than 31", and anglers will still be permitted to keep one fish per day. DMF will host a virtual public hearing on this action on June 21, 2023 at 6PM (see Notice). The regulation reflects changes to the coastwide management of striped bass. The Division of Marine Fisheries has published a Frequently Asked Questions document to help anglers understand what the new regulations are, why action was taken, and what can be expected for striped bass in the coming years.



For the past several years, the recreational length limit has been 28" to less than 35". In 2022, the recreational harvest of striped bass nearly doubled, making it necessary for the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) to immediately change regulations to conserve striped bass and meet rebuilding goals. On May 2, 2023 the ASMFC Striped Bass Management Board voted to take an Emergency Action to change the regulations in the hopes of reducing harvest on an especially important group, or year-class, of striped bass that were born in 2015.



The 2015 year-class is critically important to the future of striped bass because it is one of the few large year-classes that has been produced in the past two decades. Striped bass are long-lived and can reproduce more than 20 times over their life span. This reproductive capability evolved to compensate for years when the weather or other factors would lead to low survival of their young. Since 2005, survival of newborn striped bass has been mostly below average, including the past four years which are among the lowest recorded. With fewer surviving striped bass born in the years before and after 2015, it is important for as many bass from the 2015 year-class to grow to spawning size and have as many opportunities to reproduce as possible.



The reduced slot limit should help protect fish from the 2015 year-class. The increase in striped bass recreational harvest that prompted the rule change was a result of the 2015 year-class growing to a size where they could be harvested. Based on Division of Marine Fisheries sampling, this group of striped bass composed more than half of the recreationally harvested fish in Massachusetts in 2022. In 2023, striped bass born in 2015 should have an average size of about 31 ½" in length. Data suggests that the new 28" to less than 31" slot along the coast will protect more than half of the 2015 year-class from recreational harvest in 2023 (compared to zero protection with the 28" to less than 35" slot). This level of protection will increase in future years as these striped bass continue to grow.



The ASMFC Striped Bass Management Board also voted to initiate a new rule-making process that could bring more changes to recreational and commercial fishing for striped bass in 2024. For further information, please contact marine.fish@mass.gov.