Yikes, that's quite a reply and I WISH I COULD complain about catching 75-100 fish per day. That was last year and last year was kind of a freak, in light of all the bait late in the summer. Yesterday, I fished long and hard for 17 and yes Clammdigger, I am a little spoiled
. But since you took so long to reply, I will take a minute to respond to your closing points.
a)establish striped bass as a game fish and prohibit all commercial fishing efforts.
I personally would like to see a better effort made at coast wide limits, and a management effort that addressed the resource as a whole; rather than state by state as the migrate.
b)encourage mixed management fishery strategies in keeping with genetic integrity as well as diversity of all striper stocks.
Certainly, the stripers are only "part" of the food chain and what happens to the bunker, mackeral or even the lowly eel; all have an effect on them. Clearly, they all need to be balanced for it to work.
c)work long for much more extensive preservation of striped bass spawning habitat.
I think the waters I fish are cleaner than they have ever been, so I would think this should continue absolutely.
d)promote more reasonable access for shore-based fishermen.
What, those long rod, big reeled, code spouting barbarians? I guess we could do that
. All kidding aside, it's not just the shore bound angler that's feeling left out. I do a lot of fresh water bass fishing and some of my best water I can't even fish anymore.
e)develop legislative initiatives aimed at 100 percent fund allocation for and from salt water licensing programs --- Arghhhh – I know, I know – calm down though – this does have merit.
I'd have no problem forking over 15-25 bucks for a salt water license or a combined license, if the money were earmarked properly. The problem is, who has control of that?
f)suggest research efforts more in keeping with uniformity of the species throughout its natural range while also considering culture supplements maintaining that genetic integrity of isolated stocks that contribute to the mixed fishery.
I'm not quite sure what that means and I'm not up to speed on what the current state of genetic diversity is, as it applies to stripers. I can't really comment on that one.
My thrust would be a range wide 36" limit, ban commercial netting, get control of what might be ailing the bunker fishery and maybe even close down entire areas to striper fishing if it would benefit the fishery. Look what closing down entire sections of the banks has done for the cod/haddock fishing, maybe we need to look at something similar for stripers. Maybe move that Federal limit in a mile and put some stricker limits on the rec's and comm's.
I'd support a broad range of efforts, I value the resource that much. I'd put back the few I keep every year, if that's what it would take, but I truly feel those three 30 inch keepers I took this year for the table, plus one large that didn't make it; aren't contributing to the stripers downturn.