Striper Talk Striped Bass Fishing, Surfcasting, Boating - View Single Post - Article on Stripers Forever plan to make striped bass a game fish

Fisherwoman · 02-09-2010, 04:41 PM

JonhnyD, not trying to argue the points with you. WE can all look at things in a different way depending on who we fish with, and, where we fish, and who catches what.

I do not think it is worthwhile for charter captains to falsify reports as there is no limit on what they catch EXCEPT for how many people are on board and yes I agree some of them probably are falsely reporting. Which is just as bad as people killing short fish or people taking more fish that 2 a piece, as well as commercials taking more than they are allowed.

I, like you, do not agree with it and do not do it. But there are a good percentage of charter guys out there that do do the right thing as well as recreational fisherman, because we love what we do and want it to be here for our children.

As far as the racer fish, not sure if you boat fish or only shore fish, but in all of my years of fishing for striped bass, shore and boat, I have never seen them more healthy than we are seeing them in the past several years. That is of course if there is nothing wrong with the fish. ie we had one big bass probably 47 inches weigh in around 28 lbs because a seal took a chunk out of her. But having those big baits around has made them alot bigger and healthier than they used to be between gloucester and the cape.

The little fish may be up some where but not in our area, and I am referring to gloucester to the Cape. We used to have very few big bass around and only smaller fish, up to maybe 40 inches. But mostly schoolie bass. All we did when we first started chartering was light tackle as the fish we all over the surface every day, all you had to do was look for the birds and splashing fish and you were all set.

That has changed from Boston harbor over the past 5-6 years and I hear it alot from all the recreational anglers as well, I have seen the whole fleet of light tackle charter guys in Boston Harbor have to change their fishing ways to tube and worm or try and snag live bait because they can not find those fish anymore.

We fish the cape in the spring when the 1st fish start to show and fish down there for about a month, the numbers of small fish showing up are way off!!!
You used to be able to go down there and some days catch a 100 fish a piece on light tacke and barbed hooked shads, now you do not even come close to those numbers, WHY.

I can not argue for other places where people are seeing diffent things in the fisheries because I do not fish those areas, I am just going by what we and alot of other friends of ours have experienced for years. Just like you say you hear alot of the bass are racers or that is what you have heard!!!

Where do the numbers come from for the science of Biomass, from the Chesapeak bay area??? I know they do counts there every year.
But where else are they counting all the little fish. Do you know? because I do not!!! I just hear about the numbers not how they came about them so how do any of us know what is true and what is not true just because someone says it is, especially when politics are involved in the desicions of who gets what.

One of the biggest problems we have with the fishery are lack of forage and lack of the same size and bag limits down the whole east coast. As well as BYCATCH not being COUNTED!!!

Yes JohnnyD, I agree with alot of your points as well I am just telling they way I have seen if for a very long time thats all.

02-09-2010, 04:41 PM	#7
Fisherwoman Registered User iTrader: (0) Join Date: Apr 2000 Location: Sea or Sand Posts: 1,947	JonhnyD, not trying to argue the points with you. WE can all look at things in a different way depending on who we fish with, and, where we fish, and who catches what. I do not think it is worthwhile for charter captains to falsify reports as there is no limit on what they catch EXCEPT for how many people are on board and yes I agree some of them probably are falsely reporting. Which is just as bad as people killing short fish or people taking more fish that 2 a piece, as well as commercials taking more than they are allowed. I, like you, do not agree with it and do not do it. But there are a good percentage of charter guys out there that do do the right thing as well as recreational fisherman, because we love what we do and want it to be here for our children. As far as the racer fish, not sure if you boat fish or only shore fish, but in all of my years of fishing for striped bass, shore and boat, I have never seen them more healthy than we are seeing them in the past several years. That is of course if there is nothing wrong with the fish. ie we had one big bass probably 47 inches weigh in around 28 lbs because a seal took a chunk out of her. But having those big baits around has made them alot bigger and healthier than they used to be between gloucester and the cape. The little fish may be up some where but not in our area, and I am referring to gloucester to the Cape. We used to have very few big bass around and only smaller fish, up to maybe 40 inches. But mostly schoolie bass. All we did when we first started chartering was light tackle as the fish we all over the surface every day, all you had to do was look for the birds and splashing fish and you were all set. That has changed from Boston harbor over the past 5-6 years and I hear it alot from all the recreational anglers as well, I have seen the whole fleet of light tackle charter guys in Boston Harbor have to change their fishing ways to tube and worm or try and snag live bait because they can not find those fish anymore. We fish the cape in the spring when the 1st fish start to show and fish down there for about a month, the numbers of small fish showing up are way off!!! You used to be able to go down there and some days catch a 100 fish a piece on light tacke and barbed hooked shads, now you do not even come close to those numbers, WHY. I can not argue for other places where people are seeing diffent things in the fisheries because I do not fish those areas, I am just going by what we and alot of other friends of ours have experienced for years. Just like you say you hear alot of the bass are racers or that is what you have heard!!! Where do the numbers come from for the science of Biomass, from the Chesapeak bay area??? I know they do counts there every year. But where else are they counting all the little fish. Do you know? because I do not!!! I just hear about the numbers not how they came about them so how do any of us know what is true and what is not true just because someone says it is, especially when politics are involved in the desicions of who gets what. One of the biggest problems we have with the fishery are lack of forage and lack of the same size and bag limits down the whole east coast. As well as BYCATCH not being COUNTED!!! Yes JohnnyD, I agree with alot of your points as well I am just telling they way I have seen if for a very long time thats all.
	fisherwomen & baitcaster