Bass problem this year

[piemma]

Here's the problem. There are so many Pogies concentrated in one area in Narr Bay, any nitwit with an ounce of sense can catch a 20# fish.
I got a call from someone last night that was hammering 20#ers and this guy never caught a striper before. He said to me " this is easy! What's the big deal?"

The problem for the Bass is that if you multiply this X 1000 you can see that there are a couple of thousand 20# bass being killed everyday in Narr. Bay. This doesn't bode well for the future.

These jamokes have no concept of catch and release and kill every fish they catch.

I hope to God that the Pogies move and scatter so the Bass do the same.
There idiots can't catch there ass with 2 hands if the Pogies aren't all bunched together.

[RIROCKHOUND]

WTF.
get off the board you goober.
go enjoy Maui with Jeanne

In all seriousness, within our little fishing circle (which includes Paul and a few others on here) we've been saying this for the last two years. Huge schools of live pogies in a concentrated area is good for anglers, but terrible for the bass!

I'm not seeing any little fish where I should be seeing them. I'm seeing less small bait than I think I should be seeing, and am starting to get concerned. As a scientist, I hate to use my 'gut instinct', especially since I didn't live/fish through the bad years, but damn it sure has a pre-collapse, 1981 feel to it right now....

[piemma]

Exactly my point Bry. I lived thru this once in the late 70s.

It's too easy right now. You also know what will happen when these nitwits kill every breeder in site: They will all go back to water sking or drinking or whatever the hell they do when they are not ruining a fishery.

BTW, Maui is geologically very cool. Bringing you back lots of lava and pics. Also very, very expensive. Food is outrageous. Gas in $5.00/gal.

Great place for our 40th anniversary.

[Rockport24]

maybe for you guys it does, but not up here!
although what you say is concerning

[RIJIMMY]

Paul, is this different than any other year, or does this occur in different locations?
For example, werent the bass being hammered in Boston HArbor all last year too? I dont know enough about how many bass are kept vs. the population to know if its a problem. I havent been fishing where the schools of bunker are, I've been fishing in other areas. I've been blwon away with the amount of bunker and other bait. I've seen daily bluefish blitzes for the last 2 weeks, all on small bait. It looks like September out there!

[flyvice11787]

On the north shore of LI where I mainly fish, we have loads of small fish on 3 inch sandeels. Have to weed through dozens of dinks just to get a keeper sized fish . Even the bigger are keyed on the small bait. Because you have large bait, you're not seeing the smaller fish, which can't eat them. I'm sure if you found some smaller bait, you'll find some smaller fish .

[Flaptail]

Throw plugs like we do that will cause them to suffer humility. Pogies make any fisherman look good when bass are around. Bait is easy.

[eastendlu]

Originally Posted by Flaptail

Throw plugs like we do that will cause them to suffer humility. Pogies make any fisherman look good when bass are around. Bait is easy.

I 'm going to use this a s my sig!! Well said....

[FishermanTim]

Since bass ARE carnivores, and cannibalistic, with the large numbers of bigger fish you should expect the smaller fish to avoid the larger fish. That, of course, does not mean the 20-30 inch bass but the smaller bass. Remember that a 20-30lb. bass has no problem inhaling a 12-16 inch bunker or shad, so the smaller bass would be just as likely to be on the menu during a feeding frenzy.
(ust my 2 cents worth.)

[RIJIMMY]

Paul - BTW - been to Maui a few times. Make sure you visit a park in Wailea called Ah - hee - hee. That how its pronunced, not sure how its spelled. Loaded with sea life and an amazing place to snorkel. One of my favorite spots.

[Duke41]

it seems to me that instead og skinny starving bass with nothing in ther gut we will now have fat and healthy bass. Chock full if pogeys. Lots of googans cant afford gas so maybe the pressure will not be too great. We will see.

[JFigliuolo]

Originally Posted by Duke41

it seems to me that instead og skinny starving bass with nothing in ther gut we will now have fat and healthy bass. Chock full if pogeys. Lots of googans cant afford gas so maybe the pressure will not be too great. We will see.

Seen providence the past few weeks? It was a slaughterhouse.

Anyone could and was hammering bass. More frames than I have ever seen ANYWHERE.

Paul's right.

DZ predicted/warned about it in winter of '07. Almost EVERYONE else, could have cared less about the large bass kill.

[RIROCKHOUND]

A dead bass is a dead bass, fat or not....

[Duke41]

report the bastards whats the limit 2 per boat right call DEM on them I gaureantee I will call. I can't stand the greedy, stupid fridge stuffers. I have seen full unfilleted fash floating around a marina in Poit judith because no one wanted them. a-holes.

[Nebe]

I told you so.

[Rockport24]

ok, this is how it's gonna work, you guys tell us notherners the spot and I promise I won't keep any!

[JFigliuolo]

Originally Posted by Nebe

I told you so.

Yup, and got crucified for it.

[piemma]

Originally Posted by Nebe

I told you so.

...and you were right. The guy that called me last night had never caught a bass and had 4, 20s in the boat. It is mass slaughter out there. I just hope the water gets warm real quick so these guys get skunked a few times and give up. If it weren't for all the Pogies concentrated in one small area these guys would all be s#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&g wind. Trust me, we will pay for this down the road. Way too many breeders being killed.

Case in point: I had 8 fish over 20 one day last week. I put 7 back as I needed one for a graduation party. I was way down the Bay and there were 2 guys in a boat 50 yards from me catching an occasional 20" fish. They were "SCREAMING" at me everytime I put a 20# fish back. Called me every name you can think of. Begged me to give them a fish. I finally just moved. They had no concept of catch and release. I have actually switched to live lining using a singe Gami 7/0 eel hook so I don't hurt the fish. Live lining with a treble can be a sure kill. Literally!!!

[Nebe]

It appears to me that the fish are starting to trickel out of the bay now. my usual gansett skunking trips are starting to become fruitful, but its not like it was 3 or 4 years ago...

Paul, lets face it. If you look at everyone who is fishing now, I bet 15% of them know about the moratorium. Also, hardly anyone has a clue that these fish take almost 30 years to be come a 50 lber. They think that like anything, they can help themselves and the supply will always be there for them.

[vanstaal]

'm not seeing any little fish where I should be seeing them. I'm seeing less small bait than I think I should be seeing, and am starting to get concerned. I agree with OAK !!
this is byfar the worst I Narr. in a long time

[RIJIMMY]

Originally Posted by vanstaal

'm not seeing any little fish where I should be seeing them. I'm seeing less small bait than I think I should be seeing, and am starting to get concerned. I agree with OAK !!
this is byfar the worst I Narr. in a long time

Im struggling a little with the points in the thread. One point is that there are so many fish that any goog can catch them, the other point is that there are no fish/bait in Narragansett. I feel the response to the second point is obvious, there are no fish in NArr, because they are for the most part keyed in on the bunker schools. If you think like a fish, which we all must do, why would I be in Narr? Scrounge the rocks for a lobster or a crab? I've found fish in Narr, no where near a bunker school over the last few weeks, but from a boat, however right along the shorline in 5ft of water. As far as bait, there have been acres and acres of small baitfish out there - not sure what they are and the blues have been all over them.
I think bluefish play a large role in the bait activity. The bay is loaded with blues and I tink they have chased the bay farther up than normal.

As far as the problem Paul brough up, what is the solution?

[RIROCKHOUND]

Originally Posted by RIJIMMY

As far as the problem Paul brough up, what is the solution?

1 fish, 36"
good enforcement...

[Skitterpop]

Originally Posted by piemma

Here's the problem. There are so many Pogies concentrated in one area in Narr Bay, any nitwit with an ounce of sense can catch a 20# fish.
I got a call from someone last night that was hammering 20#ers and this guy never caught a striper before. He said to me " this is easy! What's the big deal?"

The problem for the Bass is that if you multiply this X 1000 you can see that there are a couple of thousand 20# bass being killed everyday in Narr. Bay. This doesn't bode well for the future.

These jamokes have no concept of catch and release and kill every fish they catch.

I hope to God that the Pogies move and scatter so the Bass do the same.
There idiots can't catch there ass with 2 hands if the Pogies aren't all bunched together.

Sportfish

[RIJIMMY]

I agree w/you Bryan.

[Pete F.]

I need to find an article from the late 70s in the Fisherman. It has a lot of similarities to this thread, in fact way too many. Trouble is I'll have to look thru a couple of hundred issues, but maybe I'll get lucky.

[ProfessorM]

Not to be more of a ball buster than usual but it seems to me that this is what everyone wanted a few years ago. We need more big bait, where are the Pogies? Now they are here and this is what you get, large quantities of decent fish killed easily. Did you expect something different?

[slow eddie]

this was the worst year in a long, long time for schoolies at so.co. passed us by??? who knows. but if we do go into the cycle of the 70"s with everyone catching everything in sight and bringing them home. this could and will be trouble for you younger guys. 1 20# equals 1.000.000 eggs.

[Redsoxticket]

The schoolies are mixed in with the larger bass which are with the bait. I caught 120 bass in six outings and only four were keepers. The bass have moved on some where because I've been getting skunked last several nights.

[Saltheart]

Hopefully the fisheries management people are keeping an eye on things and will chnage the limits and maybe reduce to 1 fish per day.

Every dog has his day. For now the inexperienced guys are in heaven just pulling fish in. When it gets more difficult , they will quit and those years the fish recover some. I think over time it all works out if the bag limits are adjusted wisely based on good data. yes that is a lot to ask and maybe unrealistic since people lie a lot about what they catch but its the best system we have now.

[l.i.fish.in.vt]

not sure if the purpose of this thread is to warn of the possible downfall of bass stocks because some weekend warriors are catching some bass for once, or if you are annoyed because some other than the hardcore guys are catching bass and think it is easy.or maybe they don't know how to fish and are killing them because of inexpierence.but regardless, do you think that you and your harcore freinds that fish everyday all season long kill anyless than these guys?if you are fishing trebles as you mentioned i know the answer.unfortunatly bass will die as long as we all keep fishing for them.and yes with the big number of large bass being killed in VA,NJ, NY ,RI and it won't last long,maybe boat fishing should be banned