So get your Seacraft in! Seriously, is that project still moving forward? Or taking a summer hiatus?

Whether the situation is exaggerated by the presence of pogies or not.
I look at charts like these as scary.

1fish
36"

Couple that with certain recent year classes hit hard with Mycobacteriosis, and I am worried... FWIW, the 1996 year class would be ~38-39" now, and the 2001 year class is ~28-30"...

1fish
36"

There was no rec data available from before 1982; I dont think it is nearly as high as today....

1fish
36"

I didn't live through the before years, but I remember the mid-late 80's as a kid well. Bluefish were the main game in town....

1fish
36"

I can live with a few slow seasons in local surf due to a shift in bait patterns. I am worried about 5 years from now....

1fish
36"

Dont forget to add the ~8% release mortality to the the landings.....

The only reason you are catching fish is because you bought a boat, and boat fishing is easy

This link has the explanation of how it is done.
Simple explanation is they net in the same places every year and quantify the results (sort of like keeping a fishing log) After a while you can see the trends.

http://www.dnr.state.md.us/fisheries...dex/index.html

when I go out at 3:30am, my marina is full, when I come in, my marina is mostly full. The reason I am catching fish is because I am trying. There are lots of boat guys not catching squat.

RIJIMMY I agree with you all the way and boat fishing is not as easy as everybody thinks. I am not going to start a controversie on that but I will say the same get the bait and go snag for two hours get bait keep alive in tank find fish control boat look out for others not crashing into you etc. That is alot of the reason I fish at night. Live pogies rule. I am glad they are back anad yes they are breaking up also not all the bunker were in the big city all year it just appeared that way.

Peace
DR3

Where'd the bloody ell did my post go? state the truth and get :cens::huh:

I agree with 1 at 36. However, I hate to see anyone( including #^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&) get skewered for taking the legal limit. I don't care if it's for fertilizer.

Dar3 is correct. Boat fishing for bass with bunker is not as easy as every one thinks. Some are better than others. Billy is an outstanding bass fisherman who does decidely better than most whether he is in a boat or the surf. In a boat he does well with eels after dark when he goes, but why bother because he does so well during the day.

By the way, live eels after dark , surf or boat, is effective as bunker just not as visual. Nobody complains about live eelers.

Quote; eels are just as effective at night as bunker


Steve you hit that nail right on the head. I love hearing the truth. Peace

Dr3

You really don't care about the fishery do you?

:doh:

Maybe they catch fish while you are gone and come back before you?
:laughs:

JF:
I agree with you that it was that way a month ago. It's no longer easy to find bass. The water is over 70 degrees in the Bay and the bass have headed for deep water. You can still get good fish but it's no longer a sure thing.
I am glad the bass spread out. I was fed up with them jamokes snagging and dropping. Now you need to get your pogies and then figure out when the big girls are hiding.
....and another thing. I am sick and tired of hearing all this whining about live lining is cheating. If it is (and IT ISN'T) then live eels are cheating and chunking mackeral is cheating and Tube and worm is cheating and clam bellies are cheating. Come on give it a break. It's all fishing. If you don't like it, don't do it.

My original comment was a sarcastic joke, that it was ALMOST like cheating, due to the thrill this particular type of fishing gives me..... bunker goes down, then realizes he is on bottom of food chain, surfaces like a submarine in an emergency, chase, swirls, pops, jumps, then drag screams like it's hooked to a freight train! Just my take on it. And the hunt for the bunker are just as important and satisfying. All this before work!


Might be coming to a quick end up here though. Two more pogie boats in th harbor today, both from Gloucester, trawling or seining as much in aone set as the local guy was doing in a month...... sux.

Fun while it lasted, but it will be time to change gears within a couple of days. Back to fooling them with plugs and rubber!

Ross:
My commets were not directed at you. I know you well enough to be able to read "tongue in cheek".
Sounds like you are having a great year. Us also. You get to little RI, ping me. You know you are welcome on my boat anytime.