Quote:
Originally Posted by jmac
The subject of mycobacteriosis always seems to come up in any discussion of the state of the striped bass fishery. I do not dispute the claims of scientists and others when this discussion comes up. My thoughts are the following.
I have been fishing for striped bass for a long time (commercially AND for the fun of it also...in the spring-plugs, plastics, flies). I would say on the average, I catch upwards of 500-1000 bass a year, i.e., sell what I can legally, let the rest go. I may have seen 2 or 3 cases of fungus affected fish in all the years I have been fishing. All others are healthy, clean, great coloring, etc. The past couple of years most of the fish are fat (not racers like a few years ago)....all these fish have been caught in MA, RI. Most of the fishermen I know are as productive as I am (if not more)...and in all cases, they agree with my observations.
What I would like to know, is if anybody else is seeing mycobacteriosis in the fish they are catching....I am not being cynical, I would like to know what others are seeing....
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I'll show my ignorance here.....always learning. To the question: While I spend far less time on the water than you do, consequently not catching as many as you do, I do usually catch. For the past 6 years that I've been fishing hard, I have not seen the signs of the disease. The bass that have the high percentage of infection are Chesapeake bass, yes? Are the chesapeake bass the fish we see here all season, part of the season, never? Art