You really believe that there is a significant percentage of your charters that pay the day or half day rate ONLY to catch 12 bass instead of 6 bass?

For what it's worth, I've been out. It mostly has sucked with pockets of OK fishing mixed in. Same story, lots of smaller fish...

You're on point Jay. I've had over a 100 bass in the last week from the surf in my general area, and I'm a very average surf fisherman nowadays. I've seen 1 other surf guy in that time
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[QUOTE=RIROCKHOUND;1053613]You really believe that there is a significant percentage of your charters that pay the day or half day rate ONLY to catch 12 bass instead of 6 bass?


"Significant" - not really, and I've been telling guys that are worried about that they are better taking a small short term hit (if there is one) than getting crushed long term if the fishery goes to hell. We'll lose some, but not as many as some guys are worried about.

I also do pretty well with commercial fishing, so this will effect my bottom line - but again, I'd rather the short term hit than screw things up for the longer term.

But hey, according to some jackholes on this thread, I'm some fishing killing monster out to destroy everything in my path because people pay me to take them fishing and I sell some fish as well. I wonder if some people realize how offensive they really are when they start throwing out generalizations about groups of fisherman?
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last night
 

Fished last night one tap. Water was rough too much moon but that was the first sign of a fish I have seen in a week (three fishing expeditions). I have fished this area for forty years it shoud be killer at this time. SOMETHING IS WRONG!

Just so I'm not confusing people, are you the guy that was hiring Rudy from the SWE to guide you down in Little Compton a few years ago?
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[QUOTE=big jay;1053616]
More like a fish killing neanderthal than monster....as far as I can tell!! :jump1:

What difference would that make?

[QUOTE=big jay;1053616] Jay, you have thick skin so suck it up. At least you are a full timer and respect the fishery.Haters gonna hate so don't be offended by generalizations. The part-timers have more of a negative effect on your bottom line than anybody on the computer ever will.

How about all the poor eels being killed...nobody seems to care about them.
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we should join PEW. declare the oceans MPAs and mothball our fishing gear

Not a good idea Paul, mothballs are toxic so that would be a whole other topic of discussion.....
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I know there are PLENTY of commercial guys on here.... thats part of what I like about the discussions on this board. we gotta remember to see the forest for the trees though- one area of "blitzing fish" hardly means the fishing isn't in trouble.

My first post here, so bear with me.
Short and sweet.
Recs...beach and boat
Headboats ( comm ) and patrons ( recs )
True commercials with licences to net or hook
Charters (comm ) with patrons (recs)
Charters with special tags ( different in each state )
And of course, the poachers
All of us have a stake in this getting fixed. Status quo will not get us there, nor will bogus "crumb like offerings" from ASMFC meant to appease us and not offend the commercials who have the best lobbies.
I went to my local meeting and heard a few commercials, lot's of recs and most of the charters all supportive of cutting the bag limit and quotas and increasing the size to 32". I also heard some ridiculous garbage from a few commercials who clearly don't care.
The funny thing is that the poachers did not show up to voice their opinion !
Like Bobber points out, there are too many one off occasions which the status quo guys rely on. One captain stood up a said there was a multiple acre body of large bass 45' think (down) on the Stellwagen Bank and another even larger body btween two buoys in the Race-BIS stretch. Maybe, but I have my doubts.
Everyone is catching less fish. Even the commercials are unable, through no lack of effort, to meet their quotas. Charters are simply seeing less action because no one wants to spend hundreds of dollars for a boat ride and some exercise. I have heard, second hand, that a few known poachers did not even put their boats in for the spring run. And yes a few recs can tell you they had a good night here and there, but not the usual 5-6 good nights past seasons held.
And with all the known issues affecting striped bass there is no protection being planned for the spawing periods in the Chessy or the Hudson which make up 95% of the breeding fish, not to mention that the minimum size limit in those locations are ludicrous.
All said, the plans proposed are said to have a 50% chance of success. That is scary.

You need to do a little research. There are numerous restrictions in the rivers feeding the Chessie during the spawning season. In fact in most areas it is a total closure. You are correct however, that are no restrictions in the Hudson river. As for "ludicrous" size restrictions, keep in mind that after the spawn all mature females, which are the larger fish, leave the Chessie, leaving behind only the smaller males (which don't migrate). So if the size limit in the Chesapeake was 30 inches there would be no legal sized fish to be caught. Something like 95% of the fish caught in the Chesapeake after the spawn are the smaller males.

Joe,the quota in Mass was filled in 21 days if i am not mistaken.and that was with only 2 days a week and 15 fish.iam not saying that things are fine and dandy just a fact.i know in NY that going back 7 or 8 years ago only half of the tags were filled,not because of a lack of fish. most guys that hold tags in NY are too busy with their other commercial interests too fish for bass.i know personally i will keep the same number of fish each season regardless of any changes in size or limits.if most other rec do the same will we see a decrease in the number of dead fish.? i think the only way to decrease the number of dead fish is to regulate the recreational fishery the same as the commercial fishery some how there has to be a set number of dead fish in a season

Thats funny right there.
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Yhe reason that the mass quota was filled so quickly was tha a tremendous amount of fish were taken from block and sold against the mass quota. Which is a violation of game law. According to an acquaintance who is a commercial cuttyhunk and devils bridge off the vineyard (traditional areas of heavy commercial bass fishing have been cleaned out. Yes there are some bass at those places but not the bounty that was once at cutty or the vineyard.
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We are all part of the solution and Mass is no exception. Everyone spins it there own way. If quotas are met at "illegal" locations, or outside the coastal limits then that needs correction. Thank you MakoMike for the correction on the Chessy size / spawn limitation but a 16 or 18" fish will never get into the spawn and it's one time dead when caught. They will remain locals until they reach a certain size and then join the migration. Not sure what that size is but it seems 18" it's not. I feel the pain regarding what's left post spawn in the Chessy but those fish need to move and grow and become spawners not dead fish if the population is to once again become healthy. If we have a good year class ( not great ) like 2011 is supposed to be, then how will that help long term if many are never enter the spawning bio mass ? What about 2012 and 2013 ?...not good.
Not meaning to be a pain, but it's a legitimate question and if there is some other science that I'm needing to understand please share.

the quota would still be readily met without the block/eez/off day fish. it just would last a few days longer. what percentage of the quota are you under the impression is filled illegally? it's not nearly as high as some people make it out to be. the vineyard has sucked for bass for many years in general. there were bass in spots this year that were not tradition bass spots.

What you don't seem to understand is two things. 1) Male bass NEVER leave the Chessie and 2) male bass rarely exceed 24 inches.

It is true that male bass in the Hudson river stock do migrate, but that doesn't change the point. The "problem" with getting a couple of good year classes is not that there aren't enough spawning fish, there are plenty. Many more than the SSB that brought the population back the last time. The problem is that we haven't gotten the weather required for a successful spawn/fry survival.

I think you mean the majority of male bass don't leave. The data on that isn't even conclusive. It is just known that post spawn, the vast majority of fish in the bay are males.