Striper Talk Striped Bass Fishing, Surfcasting, Boating - View Single Post

Got Stripers · 02-06-2001, 09:03 PM

I disagree and don’t think things are the same. Yes there are numbers of fish out there; in fact my catch per trip has gone up since I started out years ago. A lot of that has to do with the fact that time on the water is the best teacher and everyone’s numbers should go up to a point. I'm not sure you ever stop learning, but at some point you reach a point where more time on the water isn't going to gain you all that much in number of fish caught. That plays a role in the numbers game certainly and should really show results in the quantity of larger fish.

I would expect my catches of big bass to go up if things were still the same. I'm catching more 15 lb or larger bass than I did back in the eighties, but not numbers of 30’s & 40's. I know 15 lb+ totals for 1999 would include a much higher percentage of fish in the 20's & teens and some in the lower 30's. I'm fishing more, my ability has improved 10 fold, and my understanding of the fish has improved; yet the numbers of big ones are declining, even if the total number of keepers is increasing.

My habits haven't changed much, still pull out of the driveway around 3am and am usually dragging an eel and casting some plastic well before 4. Doesn't matter that I'm not fishing exclusively after dark, because I never did and my habits are the constant in the equation. All things considered, I should be catching more 30's and 40's if the quality of the fishery hasn't changed. The reverse is true; I see more 20's & teens, with some fish in the low 30's. I didn't even see a fish in the 40's last year and only two 40's came on board the year before. Don’t give me the argument that I need to fish at night and sling eels, because I’ve caught plenty of large in the early morning, late morning and smack dab in the middle of a hot August sun. If my habits haven’t changed, I’m fishing more hours, I’m more skilled and I previously caught a fair number of 30 & 40 lbers each year, than where did they go if things are the same? Now if I never caught keepers and could catch nothing but schoolies, than I might buy the argument that I need to change my fishing habits and/or locations.

Don’t get me wrong either, like others have stated I’m quite content to catch the good numbers of 5-10-20 lb fish, with a shot at a bigger fish or two each day thrown in for good measure. My comment is not about size preferences, because let's be honest BIGGER IS BETTER. It’s that I do see things being much different than they were even 10 years ago.

Now these fish are cyclical in nature, as are their prey species, so maybe better times are ahead. I agree with Slipknot and I wouldn’t get too warm a feeling about the state of the striper fishery. Man is the great destroyer. Every second of every day species are added to the extinction list and the cause is MAN. I'm not saying the striper is in jeopardy, because the species as a whole seems healthy, but I think the "trophy" fishery kind of parallels what happened with the increase in popularity of Largemouth Bass Fishing. The pictures posted here the past couple days aren’t any different than the same thing I’ve seen for Largemouth bass catches from the “heyday” back in the 60’s and 70’s. There are still numbers of largemouth bass to be caught, but go try to find that same trophy fishing.

That’s my 2 cents for what it’s worth, tight lines.

02-06-2001, 09:03 PM	#5
Got Stripers Ledge Runner Baits iTrader: (0) Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: I live in a house, but my soul is at sea. Posts: 8,620	I disagree and don’t think things are the same. Yes there are numbers of fish out there; in fact my catch per trip has gone up since I started out years ago. A lot of that has to do with the fact that time on the water is the best teacher and everyone’s numbers should go up to a point. I'm not sure you ever stop learning, but at some point you reach a point where more time on the water isn't going to gain you all that much in number of fish caught. That plays a role in the numbers game certainly and should really show results in the quantity of larger fish. I would expect my catches of big bass to go up if things were still the same. I'm catching more 15 lb or larger bass than I did back in the eighties, but not numbers of 30’s & 40's. I know 15 lb+ totals for 1999 would include a much higher percentage of fish in the 20's & teens and some in the lower 30's. I'm fishing more, my ability has improved 10 fold, and my understanding of the fish has improved; yet the numbers of big ones are declining, even if the total number of keepers is increasing. My habits haven't changed much, still pull out of the driveway around 3am and am usually dragging an eel and casting some plastic well before 4. Doesn't matter that I'm not fishing exclusively after dark, because I never did and my habits are the constant in the equation. All things considered, I should be catching more 30's and 40's if the quality of the fishery hasn't changed. The reverse is true; I see more 20's & teens, with some fish in the low 30's. I didn't even see a fish in the 40's last year and only two 40's came on board the year before. Don’t give me the argument that I need to fish at night and sling eels, because I’ve caught plenty of large in the early morning, late morning and smack dab in the middle of a hot August sun. If my habits haven’t changed, I’m fishing more hours, I’m more skilled and I previously caught a fair number of 30 & 40 lbers each year, than where did they go if things are the same? Now if I never caught keepers and could catch nothing but schoolies, than I might buy the argument that I need to change my fishing habits and/or locations. Don’t get me wrong either, like others have stated I’m quite content to catch the good numbers of 5-10-20 lb fish, with a shot at a bigger fish or two each day thrown in for good measure. My comment is not about size preferences, because let's be honest BIGGER IS BETTER. It’s that I do see things being much different than they were even 10 years ago. Now these fish are cyclical in nature, as are their prey species, so maybe better times are ahead. I agree with Slipknot and I wouldn’t get too warm a feeling about the state of the striper fishery. Man is the great destroyer. Every second of every day species are added to the extinction list and the cause is MAN. I'm not saying the striper is in jeopardy, because the species as a whole seems healthy, but I think the "trophy" fishery kind of parallels what happened with the increase in popularity of Largemouth Bass Fishing. The pictures posted here the past couple days aren’t any different than the same thing I’ve seen for Largemouth bass catches from the “heyday” back in the 60’s and 70’s. There are still numbers of largemouth bass to be caught, but go try to find that same trophy fishing. That’s my 2 cents for what it’s worth, tight lines.