I am SOTS: MAKE STRIPED BASS A GAMEFISH!
 

RIGHT NOW...this Sat. evening, the best fish dinner in town (Falmouth) is on the blackboard "Specials" menu at the humble Falmouth Grille (the former Hearth and Kettle). It is fresh caught this morning, local waters, striped bass. I sent the waitress back, twice, to make sure that the fish wasn't black sea bass, and then again to make sure that the fish wasn't farm raised striped bass, or otherwise imported. My brother ordered it, $19.95.

I called Jim Young at Eastman's to make sure my emotioal investment in this avocation of mine wasn't otherwise clouding my judgment. Then I called the DNR, 800-632-8075, and spoke to a Boston area official on the recorded line. His response was underwhelming. He lectured me that it is perfectly legal for a restaurant establishment to misrepresent their product (as "local waters and wild caught, not pen raised"); and it is perfecty legal for a restaurant to sell striped bass, unless it was harvested from local (meaning MA state) waters. I told him that a Green Uniform should show up at this restaurant at a very minimum. Maybe they will, on Monday or so. So I also called one of our local Falmouth DNR officers whom I know personally.

Here is what I see and hear on the homefront; but first, here is what I "feel": First cast, WH, 11:30 last night. Perfect tide; about 1.2 hrs. Nobody home. Then a long snotty boatride to another venue...perfect bottom of the low tide conditions. I think, but I'm not sure, some mini fish slapping at microscopic sized sand eels; but I hooked nothing on my adult sized tackle. Result: nobody home. Back just in time to drive up to the Canal for a 4:15 AM start, skinplugging 150 yards of bank at dead slack perfect conditions water to full daylight, and then doing the standard "canal thing" like the considerable number of everybody else that was there this morning. Nothing. The five fishermen to the right of me in my view: nothing. The four to the left of me, two smalls. Across the canal from me, one lucky fisherman had two fish probably 15-20 lb. class. The myriad of others over there otherwise, pretty awful. And this is by far the HOTTEST canal I have seen in almost two weeks.

Alright, so I have a monkey on my back this season, so I am told by Dave Stiff Tip, my canal guru. But this is what I'm feeling...there just isn't a lot of fish now, for all of us, and all of the geographic water environment.

So Dr. Art C. goes boat fishing Middle Ground. He's a pretty good boat fisherman. He saw one squid jump. Then he daytime plugged a huge swatch of our Elizabeths. He hooked nothing! He and Numby have had several literally sterile boat trips so far this year in Vineyard Sound.

Capt. John C. is now turning down charters because there are no fish.

So how many of YOU, my fellow friends, are having a great season this year-- honestly?

The point I want to state after this long rant is: MAKE STRIPED BASS A GAMEFISH! TAKE THE $$$ DOLLARS OFF THE HEAD OF THIS PUBLIC RESOURCE. ELIMINAATE ENTIRELY THE COMMERCIAL STRIPED BASS FISHERY INDUSTRY, THE EXISTENCE OF WHICH DENIES AND DEFIES ANY ATTEMPT AT MEANINGFUL, RESTRICTIVE FISH HARVEST LAWS OR QUOTAS, AND MAKES IRONCLAD ENFORCEMENT OF PRESENT STRIPED BASS REGULATIONS IMPOSSIBLE. GAMEFISH!

I heard from a fellow S-B'er there are acres of bass in CC Bay!!!! I by no means am slayin' them and I have more than put my time in!!

If my 2010 season is any indication of the health of striped-bass, they are extinct.

fortune enough to have have some great outings so far this season :) i too believe that it would greatly benefit all if the stripers did'nt have a $$$ bounty on them. i contributed to the 80's decline as a comm and see it headed the same way. gamefish status in state waters is the way to go.

Hogwash!
There are plenty of striped bass, our harbor is full of em. They are rolling outside the breakwater.

So you had a bad few days, get over it. You'll hit em good some other day. I only managed hald a dozen rec keepers today when looking for large. You want bass? Try tuna fishing on Stellwagen. Nice Bass 36" to 40 pounds gourging on sand eels. This obviously empties the livewell meant for tuna allot faster.

I agree on the sound and elizabeths being surprisingly quiet this year for me. Poked around Middle round this am and it was pretty dead other than a few squid coming up here and there, no bass. Last year at this time the sound and elizabeths were loaded with fish. I'm guessing the majority of the fish are on the outer cape from reports I've gotten but there should be more fish than this around IMO.

Have to say there are more fish around my parts at this time than have been in past years. Been showing on top for the past four or five weeks, pretty regularly. And while not thirty or forties, a good mix of young to low twenty pound fish. And this is before we've even seen the pogies arrive. It is about the bait. They're on young herring and macks.

I agree with you about the restaurant though. Just be able to tell me what you are serving........

Why stop there--let's make striped bass a catch and release only species, the way some trout steams have only C&R regs. Let's eliminate tournaments. And the EPOs won't have to tape every fish they see being carried off the waters. After all we kill at least 5 times the number of bass (estimated because there are no catch reports filed or accurate records kept) than the commercials do.

Seems to me the answer is clear cut---6 million documented pounds versus an estimated 28 million pounds, season after season. Who's the bigger threat to the fishery?

You really want to take the price off the heads of the fish--and ego boosting is a cost that they pay--do the right thing.

Yes, it's intended to be over the top sarcasm--but why not? All Gamefish will do is reserve more of a species to our death warrants.

If you guys really believe that the fishery is in decline--let's eliminate the biggest threat to them---us.

mike, some of us believe there there should be no comm fishing AND cut the rec take in half. using your numbers this would reduce total take from 34m down to 14m...betcha that would help the fishery.

sounds good to me.

Well, now I know how you did yesterday.

RIJimmy and I were on Narr Bay yesterday. 2 boats, outfitted correctly. 2 guys, years of experience, overcast, live bunker and an incoming tide. ZERO fish!!

I love this Board. I love the guys on it. Unless something is done SOON, it will be the 1980s all over again and S-B.com will have no Stripers to talk about.

I am telling you I lived through the 0 Bass days and the moritorium. You guys will not enjoy it and this is EXACTLY the way it started.::wall:

I have never liked the 2 @ 28" per day here in Mass! 1 fish a day is enough for any recreational fisherman.....heck 1 a week is enough!

Sad thing is that no one wants to listen. Either they're tainted with a commercial ticket and won't give up the play money or the fight is too much to do so they would rather give it lip service. I just spent a week on the Cape. Between the Tri-State Tournament-catch an release= and my own fishingI saw only 170 fish landed and another possible 75 to 100 landed by several hundred anglers to include 5 exscursions along the canal,which on swveral day showed no fish landed. When Bell rd and Freindlies is MT of hard cores by 7am and only has a couple fishermen at anytime tells the story.Yes there are a couple huge schools of stripers sitting on the sandeels and spearing out at Stellwagon and some fish in the Bay where are all the other fish that are normally around. There are hardly any small fish in their normal haunts ,blues are scarce and loaners on rock piles don't exist.Those that want to keep their heads in the sand will one day find the morratoriums back in place cause it was either too easy to ignore it all or the money was too good for the toys and fishing trips it bought.Your right Larry 1 fish is enough.Ron

Wow. You guys sound like me 3 years ago. :hihi:
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It's sad to see but it is the nature of fisheries. Fisherman for the most part always say there are plenty of fish. The govt never does the right thing.

In some ways I have had my best spring ever, over 60 fish 34"or larger. 90% of those fish came in 5 outings. I have only gotten 20 fish less then 28". The downside is that 3 out of 4 trips you don't catch anything.

Most of the action is while it is light. Only 2 night bites.

It's a different game. It seems you are targeting big migrations of fish. You get a few booms but a lot of busts. No resident fish. Very hard to find a pattern one day or night to dial in the next outing.

We NEEEEEED the numbers in from ASMFC. It's not perfect, it might not even be good, but it is loosely consistent.

And we need to cut back on all take - not just commercial (I don't have a commercial ticket). Cut the whole coastwide take back by 40% but we need to fix the forage as well.

Bill thats what a few guys are saying....not just lack of fish but lack of small fish!:confused:

You can tell just how frustrating the fishing is getting. look at how many of us are here to even post on a cloudy Sunday morning.LOL At least I have loads of gear to tinker with and a bunch more plugs to make LOL Ron

Larry, ....and that's how it started in the first massive crash in the early 80s. We were catching nothing but COWS. A 40 didn't even get noticed. Schoolie? What the hell is a schoolie? Then it was fewer big fish and NO small fish (like this year). And then there was nothing. If I remmber correctly 92 was the year of 1 36" fish.

When we had the moriotium and I was in the surf, one morning I caught 6 fish about 12 to 15". There was a bait store in narragansett call Top of the Dock. I went in there after fishing Deep Hole and catching these fish and told the owner. The store had it's regulars of which I was not one. They were all hanging around and they looked at me and called me a liar and that I should be ashamed for fabricating such nonsense.

That's how rare Bass got. Makai remembers, Back Beach remembers. The young guys on the Board might think I am crazy but there were NO bass. A 30 got written up in the newspaper. I won 2nd place inThundermist Striper Club in 92 with a 32# and most of these guys were the high hooks of legends.

During the moritorium (thanks to Sen John Chaffee, I think) it was keep nothing for 3 years, to keep 1, 36", to keep 1, 34". To this stupidness of 2, 28".

There are fish to catch. It is slower than years past and the trend is disturbing.Some may have to change their tactics but the fish are there.I have listened to those who catch for a living lay claim to the best spring ever in lower Buzzards Bay.Sauer,try to be sweet.The first place you tried has given up some cows recently.The fishery of convenience has subsided but those who are determined and dedicated will be rewarded.

zero fish my arse, while fluking later in the day I foul hooked a scup! I am a master! :devil2:

How was the fluking ? I can't catch a bass or blue so I'll be looking for scup and fluke.

For fluke, I had no clue what I was doing, just drifted aimlessly under the Jtown bridge for a few hours. Got nothing and didnt see anyone get anything.
On a side note, I just think that its an off year for N. Bay. I did see thousands of bass on worm spawns - one in a harbor and another in a S. Count pond. Tons of healthy stripers. Just none on my line. It is odd that I have fished many hours the last 3 weeks with live bunker and have only 2 fish to show for it. Pretty sad. I look forward to fishing nights w/eels and hope things turn around.

Maybe before canyon season I can join you for a lesson....

did you try the southern spot I mentioned?

there are definitely less fish around this spring, however we have very little bait around local waters as well....

I am pretty dedicate to a certain area in the month of May and early June. I live for this period of time each year fishing at least 3 day a week. I fish from a tin boat so I get to access and chase these fish around, not being stuck on land. I had no problem finding the fish this year and the pattern was the same as in many years past. It was quite impressive what I saw, size and quantity, all month and plenty of smaller fish too. The problem this year was getting the fish to eat. To see wave after wave of large fish move past you on the tide and not get a hook up was very disappointing. Thinking the next time out they will be hungry and eat but it just never materialized. No interest. What I threw the last several years, plugs that several fish at a time would fight over, would not trigger a response this year. They followed to the boat time after time but when they noticed me or the anchor rope they just wandered off. I would get a few to bite and I think it was more I was aggravating them, but compared to the last several years the hook up rate was way, way off. Plenty of quality fish but not much catching. I was not alone in this result. Heard the same thing over and over from some very accomplished fisherman. They were there in numbers, but just not interested. Still really don't understand why. That is the mystery of fishing. Eventually everyone gave up and the place is barren of boats now, very unusual this time of year, which actually is a good thing. Hopefully these newer guys, because of some loose lips, will go back to where they usually fish thinking all the raves were overrated, at least that is what I pray for.
I recently read Striper Wars while on vacation, truly a must read for any striped bass fisherman, and it really made me think about how I fish and what we are doing to my favorite hobby. I am thinking real hard about renewing my comm. license any more. Still up in the air. Deep down I would really luv to see all keeping of bass be done with and the taking of their food be a thing of the past too.

ASMFC is looking to increase the commercial catch by up to 50%. They are now accepting public input on addendum II until 10/1/2010. They will also be having public hearings. Now is the time to be heard. Send the letters and attend the hearings. Below is a list of the locations and dates of the hearings.

8/16 (6 PM):
Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries, Holiday Inn, 55 Ariadne Road, Dedham, Massachusetts. For more information, please contact Jared Silva at (617) 626-1534.

8/17 (6 PM):
Rhode Island Division of Fish and Wildlife, URI, Narragansett Bay Campus, Corless Auditorium, 215 South Ferry Road, Narragansett, Rhode Island. For more information, please contact Mark Gibson at (401) 423-1935.

9/13 (7 PM):
New Hampshire Fish and Game, Urban Forestry Center, 45 Elwyn Road, Portsmouth, New Hampshire. For more information, please contact Doug Grout at (603) 868-1095.

9/14 (6 PM):
Maine Department of Marine Resources, Town of Yarmouth Log Cabin, 196 Main Street, Yarmouth, Maine. For more information, please contact Terry Stockwell at (207) 624-6553.

Almost makes me glad I've had to work all this weeks

Maine is also having ANOTHER slow year....3rd in a row for us....save some for us up here guys

Chris, no argument. I have gotten my usual share of fish. I am not talking about a specific, I am speaking in general. Take a look at the board and you will see that the majority of the guys are having a bad year. Is it an anomoly? I don't know as I am not a fisheries biologist. Does everything point to a down turn OVERALL? Yes, no question about it. The bass fishery is off. I hope to God I am wrong but this is just so reminisent of the last crash.

It was interesting before the moritorium. i was doing pretty good as far as size an number of fish but I was mostly out in the boat. But from the surf it was getting harder an harder to find fish.I'd fish the Grave Yard and Fortunes Rocks and get some nice fish.Bob Pond would tell us that there was a big problem with the number of small fish and the spawning grounds were being contaminated with pesticides. at the hearings and meetings you'd hear all the comercial guys telling the same stories we hear now. Like back then the fisheries managers would only listen to the commercial interest with there high paid experts with fancy degrees tell the panels that the sportfishermen were greedy and didn't know what they're talking about and people like Bob Pond just wanted to save more fish so he could sell more plugs to sportfishermen and didn't really care about the fish.Few knew that most of the money atom lures made went right back into research and action to help save the striped Bass.I wish i had had a tape recorder back them because I could play back almost word for word what we hear today.Don't listen to the selfish sportfishermen and give the commercials more of the resourse. Well history does sure repeat itself. The difference this time is now we have to register to fish which will cut down the numbers of us fishing and give a larger voice to the commercial interest.There is no compromise as they won't give up anything till things get bad. Look what happened to the cod,halibut and haddock .Take till nothing left to take then switch to another species and do it again. Sad part is our infighting will help them. We were stupid enough to beleive they gave in on rod n reel commercial because they were being fair. LOL now we are fighting amoung ourselves instead of working together to fix the problem. The past has a way of coming around again. Ron

:claps:
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The bass will still be swimming out there in great numbers when all of us and our kids kids are in boxes rotting away or in urns filled with our ashes !

More history on regulation meetings when the 2 fish at 28" decision was made. I was living in CT at the time. I made up a survey petition and left it in all the tackle shops from the CT river to The RI border. Got like 500 opinions and signatures from rec anglers. Like 5% wanted the change. At the meetings you know who wanted the change. Charter boat capts. Cap after cap got up there and said unless they had 2 fish at 28" they would not be in business. No offense intended to any Caps just saying that money changes everything and no one does the right thing till it is too late. Short term thinking rules.

for what ever its worth....

my buddy had a career day off the beach sunday

over 40 fish

all keepers

at least 20 would have been comm fish

not another person in sight

agreed

so will the plovers!

You sure about that? How much of my life and my kids life will it be like the mid to late 1980's? Where are the cod? Can't seem to find them from shore on the cape these days.

Some thoughts:

The problem is not the amount of Striped Bass but where they are located.
and
The problem is not that the fish are not here but that they are wicked hard to catch because they are transitioning to forage that is hard to mimic.

I suggest the problem is that we have multiple crisis regarding forage species.

Some Examples:

The reason Buzzards Bay is spotty with big areas of bad fishing and a few good is because the Menhaden have been a target by rec and commercial operations for over a month.

I was recently speakign with Throsing Timber who informed me NArragansett was great fishign until the Menhaden operations went to work. After that, collapse of fishing.

The reason MV Sound/middleground/falmouth have all been sllllooooooww is that there have been very very little squid. Why? Commercial overfishing?????

Why is there a monsterous body of fish between Chatham and Ptown? Why have there been blitxes of twenty pounders on Race Poing for the first time in many years? The answer is the presence of sea herring. The seals are not the problem with back side fishing nor is it a lack of striped bass. The availability of bait is the problem. Right now the back side is loaded with micro to large sea herring and the stripers are there big time.

Why is there reports of great fishing in CC Bay. We appear to be off to a good start for sand eels.

Why no fish off the coast of Maine? It's a fact that the State lets every possible commercial operation beat the snot out of every possible species that can be used for lobster bait.

Why no fish off NC in January? Industrial trawlers work the three mile line off the NC coast for the full month of December and decimate mullet, menhaden, shad and all the other forage. The fishgin we keep hearing aobut in the EEZ dow there is a result of no bait inside 3 miles.

Why is there a major problem with shore fishing all over in late May and early June? I think the lack of River Herring might have something to do with it.

Besdies the bait problems...

Of course a commercial increase is insane and I continue to predict that once ASMFC scientists give an updated number for natural mortality caused by the evidence of mycobacteriosis in the coastal migrating population AND and increased number for fishing mortality that includes some estimate of eez poaching during the winter than we will get our cut back to one fish.

I do want to correct the miguided assumption that a cut to one ifsh at 28" will cut the amount of the rec catch by 1/2. In fact it does not cut that catch by much at all.


Please come fight for the bait...it's our key to a healthy Striped Bass Fishery

How can you know that? Consistently, it seems as though scientists' estimates on biomass are terrible at best. A couple of large schools of fish in CC Bay and a couple of other areas doesn't make up for what seems like a lack of fish in many other areas.

I completely agree with you that cutting the rec take to 1 @ 28" would be ineffective. That's why I think at a minimum, both the commercial take should be reduced (instead of the nonsense opinion by ASMFC that it should be increased) along with the Recs being limited to 1 @ 34".

On these boards and especially during the SF bill, you harped on the idea that we should trust ASMFC and that they will make the right decisions when it comes to managing Striped Bass. However, they have consistently demonstrated and continue to demonstrate that they either manage through the best interests of the commercial industry or are completely incompetent.

If ASMFC approves an increase to the commercial bass quota, it should be the final nail in the coffin of confidence in ASMFC ever effectively managing any species. Should that occur, MSBA should really re-evaluate their support of the regulating body, else there won't be any more stripers to have an association for.

I am despondet
 

I am at the point where I say uncle. The commercials you know the ones who kill everything they can will eventually kill the striper. Literally every fish that has been commercially fished for is in bad shape. Look at the halilbut: up untill the late 1800's when had halibut on the east coast that were bigger than Alaskan halibut.... gone. Money wins over whats right finish off the bass and go on to the next species. Pretty soon we will be like england fishing for sand sharks and conger eels if any of them are left.