Ok so how do we get it started? 1 fish 36 in sounds good. It would make a huge inroad as to the kill numbers along parts of the migration route. But how do we as a group-Striper Fishermen- get the ball rolling? 1 fish will be a step alone. Over 30 in another step.But we need to take the steps as a group get get it done.

[QUOTE=New ideas are great. Would you like to be the chair of the committee to get the ball rolling with your ideas? I'll help and so won't some others.[/QUOTE]

So, I'm definitely not the person to chair as I have no idea what would be the most effective method and as others have said, what is the message??? I am committed to putting in as much effort as I can to help.

I agree that 1 @ 36 has been the only measurably effective method of restoration and why not support what we know works.

I don't know how others feel but I would guess that most of the req guys would be happy to "donate" their current two per day quota to the comm guys to maybe avoid some staunch opposition from the guys who do rely on the fishery to provide for their families? Maybe on the license, there could be an option to "opt out" of being able to harvest.

Sounds like the first goal is to agree on the target regulations. How do we start that discussion? Maybe a survey through the local magazines, SCJ, OTW, Fisherman, F&S, handouts at shops and the big shows coming up after the new year? This could be almost like a vote where you check your box, sign and send it in. Include your fishing license number, etc. I would volunteer to distribute and try to educate at shows, etc.

There are two groups: Those that want to make a living on it and those that want to preserve it, and maybe a 3rd somewhere in between. We both have to give in order for it to not vanish and we have to find common ground and then join forces to push the terds in control to adopt what the people who pay them want them to do.

Ist you can't just ask the majority to give more to the minority to shut them up.just adds another arguement.size and number might have the most leeway for discussion.As far as user groups and those that make a livin with well it's a very broad base. From the guide to the deli all are stake holders.Commercial taking of the fish is at best a side line or a short term part time job.the gas station that sell the gas we use has a larger economic hurt by the loss of the species and it's broad base monitary affect than either tackle shops or charter businesses.But all have to kept in thought as far as the effect of what ever we choose.Most sportfishermen really don't keep a lot of fish but cumulatively the catch is huge.Like one charter boat compared to coastwide . to get the best benefit for the fish what ever is done has to be perceived by both as fair and realistic.
How about ist if we try to get a list of as many clubs,tackleshops,charters,commercial guys and groups such as CCA,RFC,Stripers Forever and so on along with the tournaments to one create a mailing list and a way to get both input and distribute questions.
On top a good computer type that has a clue in how to make both the info and the web work for the same positive goal. Keeping striped bass from going down the same path as back in the 70's an 80's.
LOL Probably one of the younger types LOL that speaks computerese.

What Jay said

seems that all existing orgs, groups, etc have their own agendas. and that the comm interests are very well financed and organized. maybe need we one that has the well being of the fishery first and foremost. first thing is to organize on a coastwide basis. it's always about the $$ we fishermen dump chitloads into the economy- there has to be a way to turn that into a voice with some thump.

I keep hearing that 1@36" worked, but wasn't that after the moratorium? Why not try the slot limit like Maine has. If it doesn't work we can change it. Ron

slot fishing is too complicated, both for fisherman and enforcement.

36" fish gives every fish a chance to reproduce more than once. Why anyone would want to take a juvenile fish is beyond comprehension.I guess the theory is ...Lets kill the babies and then we will have just big fish left...yeah but for how long?

What ever we come up with we need a centralized voice to get things going so that we work together and not come from too many angles at once. Muddy water just makes the real issue the fish harder to see. the me me mine mine issue has been used to long against any type of posetive action. Once we get around that by being focused on the fish the other issues will be easier to address.There are already plenty of fishermen LOL we really don't need to worry about conserving them. It's the fish we need to help out.

Why re invent the wheel. Change does not come easy. Regardless any plan that eliminates potential breeding fish is counter productive.
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

What we need is an online petition. Base it upon an agreeable middle ground on implementing a change to recreational take of bass with a controlled scale back on coastal commercial quota.

The petition I imagine could be easily implemented via web. (I am not a web guy so I can't speak to this). It will be easy for individuals to participate in. Anonymous and easily promoted via boards FB twitter etc.
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

I PREFER eating 28"-32" fish so it is what I choose to kill (1-2 a year). But I would without hesitation support a 36" limit.

NO. What we need is NO public input. This is the problem. We need someone to mandate this is what will be done to protect the fishery...end of story. Nothing else needs to be said. If it is a reduction or a complete shut down...fine, just do it.

Food for thought. Every striper is part of the breeding process so the only way to stop the counter productive process is to make it catch n relase totally ie gamefish-release. not ever gonna happen and that issue just keeps us devided.
Question does an online petition have the legal teeth needed due to the almost impossebility to verify it to force the political hand working against the striped bass?

I appreciate and understand that but how does one get the ear of the management. By showing there is a concentrated group of people a large number of them that feel we need this type of change. Other wise 2015 is going to show up and this board is going to make a decision for all of us. The decision will happen regardless. If we can put something in front of them that they can look at and digest well we at least gave it a shot
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

Well question Jim. How does that get done with out input ist and 2nd in the corrupted political enviorn that exist today?

The only thing anyone can do is to write to the members of the striped bass board and make your views known. Having said that, it probably won't make much of a difference. You guys have no idea what impact any of these proposals would have on the harvest. The technical committee will work up the numbers, and the board will adopt whichever proposals they deem appropriate that will bring the harvest down to the required level.

One thing I can agree with Sandman about, this is NOT A DEMOCRACY! nor should it be.

The only thing that will have any legal teeth is a proposed amendment to the management plan. Which will be made available for public comment. We know how wildly popular going to the input hearings is. If someone were to present 100000 signatures or e signature to the board they would take notice
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

The problem is Mike is that the numbers they keep using have shown to be flawed so often that all they've done so far is make things worse not improved things.we need to change the process. This isn't about what won't work we need to do something that will. ASMFC has shown it's self to be not just inefective but biased against the fish not just one user group or another.If we just sit on our hands and do nothing instead of working towards action that is posetive than we might just as well all give it up.I don't buy it.1 there are way too many of us to just say we don't count.2 all these appointees work for us it's time we show them that.I don't mind someone makeing a decision when voted or appointed to do so but time n time again they have shown that they're not up to doing the job. to continually ignore all of us time and again and for us to keep being proven right then it's time we changed this process or make them fix it.

The balls in our court and ther's way more than enough of us to prove the point and fix it.

Ok then forget it we can simply sit on our hands and throw blame around for ever. Let the technical committee do the job they are doing while the managers are influenced by lobbies etc. Which will sway their thinking on the subject with out a doubt.

Well I guess we can just hope when management action happens in 2015 we see a change to 1 a day.
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

Hey..... there's also some wicked pissa new health plans out there done by committees and boards that completely know what we need.
To put blind faith in any government " committee " is to have your head so far up your ass you could re-eat yesterday's lunch.
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

:claps:

So again what ARE WE GONNA DO TO FIX WHATS BROKEN.

we need to organize...i for one can donate some of my time. we need an org. from the ground up.oh makai- thanks! i just spit up coffee everywhere :)

Very nice Makai. Love it.insurance anyone LOL

We need a computer guy that's under 50 LOL . Most of old farts just break the damn things or use them as a deck of cards.

can't stop laughin LOL

To the contrary, the numbers they have been using have proven to be correct. None of us on here are "fishery Scientists" and that is what the managers are required to us, e.g. the "best available science." Like many here, you would like the fishery to be managed to maximize the population, but that is not the legally mandated requirement they have to work toward. As I have said before, if you want to change the system you have to use the legislative process, and with the Magnesson-Stevens act up for renewal now is you chance.

FWIW - based on the numbers that I have heard tossed about going to a one fish per day creel limit is a virtual certainty, but that alone won't be enough to do the job. They will also have to take other measures to reduce the harvest.

Yes Comments on any proposed addendum or amendment would be noticed and be appropriate. But that would require people to actually read and understand the public information document that the board puts out. And that is an effort a lot of people refuse to make.

Double M.... being blinded by science often ends up as a fools errand. Silly stupid humans do it all the time.
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

But its the law as to how U.S. fisheries should be managed. Would you like to back to the days when the "science" didn't matter and the councils set harvest level waaaay above the scientific recommendations?

Depends whose sheets the scientists are in between. Unfortunately government agencies just don't fill me with confidence.
There's no way anyone knows the status of the fisheries. Way too many variables. ( ie cod . fair amount of science behind that one )
So excuse me if I prefer to err on the side of caution.
I did talk to a couple of fisheries ( at a meeting ) scientist regarding the Chesapeake watershed. They told me that it now takes 3 times the spawning biomass to produce the same YOY as it did 20 yrs ago. That's pretty telling science to me.
It's obvious science is important, but I don't find it the be all that ends all.

Just ask the rocket scientists at JPL after they crashed or lost contact with 3 out of 4 multi billion dollar probes to Mars. .... Oops
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

Mako , There are loads of laws out there that are tweeked and improved all the time. when one doesn't do as it's supposed to you fix it.you like many of us spends loads of time on the water. Sad part is we never see any of these so called science advisors or scientist out there. we know more than many of them ever could as we see whats there and not just from a computer screen.LOL we have fisheries law an a lisence yet I've seem 1 DEM 0fficial in 12 yrs.
As far as public information documents well -LOL- many are intentionally set up so that most couldn't understand them. Almost like lawyers have done to our legal system with legalise.The system needs to be fixed . IT IS NOT WORKING AS IT WAS SET UP TO DO.We need to fix it before someone in an office that has never walked a beach at night and seen the comercials pull up to draggers and off load striper during the com seasom to sell and split the money.Or been on the Canal and watch the xtra trips taken home with fish to keep multiple catches in the same day.The numbers are a sad guess at best. No where's close to being close to real.
Look at the Derby this year. Over 3000 entrants. 32 or more weigh in slots between shore,boat,fly rod and juniors and mini's a day for striped bass. 487 stripers weighed in for the whole 30 day plus Derby.Ms Tourney over 100 anglers and only 13 fish including blues over the weekend.These numbers are not listed as they weren't tabulated by scientist. They only use what numbers justify the political ajenda of the poletician in charge wants.I work for the state of Maine we see it all the time. Figures lie and liars figure.they read the fishing reports and use those numbers . LOL we all know how accurate those are.The system needs to be fixed. The fishing coastwide proves it not what a couple sharpies see hear n there.
Our fisheries laws have all but destroyed one fisherie after another. Time to fix it.

Mako has the right idea..... the way to fix this is to work to change the system- and work to bring a change in language in Magnusen/Stevensen Act; to affect the mandate that the commisioners are required to work with- now its "maximim sustainable yield". Under those guidelines, they are required to keep catching (killing) levels at the highest possible without the stock collapsing. that is THE GOAL of MSA

the StripedBass Management Board can only work within that framework.... amendments to the Plan will only bring about changes to achieve the exact same goal.
IF YOU WANT THE GOAL TO CHANGE- then you need to change the basic rules they operate under

Ok . So what do we need to do to get the language changed? Then how do we do it ? Some of you out there know way more about this stuff that I could ever dream.I just know what I see. How do we fix it?

Sorry, I just have to say it, you have no effin idea of what you are talking about. There, I feel better now. :)

Ding, Ding, Ding! Give that man a cigar, at least someone understand what I have been preaching here for at least the last six months!

How many times to have to type "write to your congressman and senators"? Sitting on you ass and typing on internet forums isn't going to get anything done!

LOL Yup your right I don't have a clue LOL. Done the writing as many of us do. Phone calls never are returned and the 1-800 report numbers seem to be a waste. Funny being that i have a cell have most of the numbers in it . Call frequent. When the site ask us to contact poletician we do. Broke is still broke. You have an idea . Good. How do we do it. how do dummie like myself that have no idea an have no clue get it fixed. You seem to have an opinion and hate hearing what others see an deal with so why don't you Quote get off your butt and help do something rather than just keep putting others IDEAS DOWN AND SLAMMIN THEM.Every year we see the same with guys slammin every idea instead of helping get something done.
Our rep is a freind of mine. We talk a bit. his frustration is that we don't have the numbers showing at the meetings to make a difference. The few of us that are trying keep getting sucker shotted by guys that don't want change till it's too late.
As far as not havin a clue well what i wrote I saw ist hand.I reported it along with boat numbers. Nothing was done.I fished almost 4 weeks of the Derby and saw charter guys and hard core chasing Black fish and sea bass due to so few stripers. I saw one of the hardest core fisherman I know go 3 weeks with out a striper at one of the top spots on the coast.But your right guys like me that take the time to argue don't have all the answers and when we ask for help we take sucker shots from those that don't want things to chang. but that's ok.We'll fix it with out your help if you just want to be negative.
Oh by the way my rep said if we can get some stuff going to get it to him. LOL That was just from sittin on my butt an not havin a clue LOL. Sorry had to.

I'm just fine with the way the ASMFC board is handling it, and I see no reason to change. What I was trying to do was to point those, like you who don't like the way things are, as to how to change things. If you don't know how to write a letter to your congressman or Senator, that ain't my fault. :) If "your" ASMFC rep wants to take measures that restrict the harvest more than what is scientifically required, he's going to feel like he was hit by a freight train. :)