umm...

[Nebe]

Maryland striped bass reproduction hits record low - baltimoresun.com

[tlapinski]

From the source: Down Year for Striped Bass Reproduction | DNR News

Not quite time for panic IMO. As noted by the MD DNR, traditionally the year after a high YOY # is low, plus this was a very bad year weather-wise for spawning. Last year people were saying we were on the right track with the 4th highest # ever, this year it will be cries of "the sky is falling".

[zimmy]

"Last year's survey found the fourth-highest number of juvenile striped bass ever, easing anxiety about the species' sustainability. Spawning survival had been sub-par in four of the previous five years, and many adult fish in the bay have been suffering from mycobacteriosis, a disease that some have linked to a shortage of food for striped bass, particularly menhaden."

The survey has now been subpar for 5 of the last 6 years. Statisticians look for trends. The trend isn't good, and when you combine the trend with the health issues and food shortages in the bay, it is very troubling. There are still bass around, but half a decades worth of poor yoy will show up as lack of size class fish in the future. The statement that typically after a year that is high, there is a low is pretty questionable based on the data. Usually there is a typical year a year after a high not a dreadful year, but weather was a major factor this year. It has been hashed out plenty of times, but I would say listen to the oldtimers. They know where this leads.

[Raven]

there's been some heavy netting going on down that way
so i'm not to surprised....

[Rockfish9]

These numbers go up and down.. always have.. this year saw good numbers of school size ( some very small) bass all along the north shore( Mass) .. there were also medium sized fish ( 10 lbs) abundant all summer... much Improved over just a few years ago...

[MAKAI]

Get your Roberts plugs ready.............again.
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[onecastmike2003]

One of the best fall runs in years.

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[bart]

Originally Posted by onecastmike2003

One of the best fall runs in years.

Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

I agree...

[Nebe]

and block island had the best surfcasting anyone has ever seen EVER.. in 1982 and then.....

[Clammer]

tic tock

[piemma]

Originally Posted by Nebe

Maryland striped bass reproduction hits record low - baltimoresun.com

Here's another source:


Maryland officials have released information on the 2012 Young of the Year count for striped bass, and it is very bad. This LINK will take you to the full report on the MD DNR website.

MD officials blame the poor results on weather, and they say that there are normal ups and downs in the process. However if you look at the graph that appears in the link, and study the statistics a bit, you will see that spawning success over the last 5 to 10 years is about half of what it was during the 1990s before the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission allowed the commercial catch to return to levels reached prior to the crash of the 70s.

As spawning success declines, we are still fishing at levels assigned back in the 1990s - levels most of us thought were far too high back then. Clearly we have greatly reduced the size of the striped bass spawning stock biomass from levels reached in the early 2000s. The exact relationship between spawning stock biomass - combined weight of all large breeding stripers in the population - and young of the year production is not fully understood, but it is undoubtedly important over a number of seasons.

One thing is clear, and that is that just as the 2003 year class has made up most of our striped bass fishery over the last 6 or 7 years, we have only the 2011 year class to follow that up, which won't be i and legal under current size limits for another 7 years or so. Up until about 2006 we always had a number of good year classes in the pipeline. This is no longer the case.
Whether the striped bass population crashes in the near term or not, it is a safe bet that the current managment philosophy of reducing the commercial and recreational bag limits only when it is already too late will insure that the quality of recreational fishing will suffer.

Brad Burns, President
Stripers Forever

[Rob Rockcrawler]

It isn't very good on block right now
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[piemma]

Originally Posted by Rob Rockcrawler

It isn't very good on block right now
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

Indeed. The reports I have been getting are the Block is very slow.

[westhavendave]

Originally Posted by piemma

Indeed. The reports I have been getting are the Block is very slow.

Friggin Seabass have eaten all the bait, even out competing the porgies this year, even in the salt pond.

Back on topic, considering that world record and many 50's and 60's fish have come from Block Island and Long Island Sounds for the past two seasons, leads me to speculate that maybe the big cows are from the Hudson. The ocean fish from Jersey have been small in comparison, although granted the boat guys in Virginia and MD are taking MANY world class fish. It's all a cycle and the influx of southern species hopefully will head back south, they even caught a Pacu in the CT River the other day.

[likwid]

Originally Posted by westhavendave

Friggin Seabass have eaten all the bait, even out competing the porgies this year, even in the salt pond.

With the number of baby seabass around, there's no shortage of schoolie snacks.

[fishbones]

Originally Posted by piemma

Indeed. The reports I have been getting are the Block is very slow.

The fish are all in hiding and are waiting for Spence to arrive. That way, they'll know they're safe.

[zimmy]

This is what I was concerned about last year:

"Until the 2011 uptick, the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, which regulates fishing in coastal waters, was considering a proposal to reduce the striped bass harvest by 40 percent."

I am glad it was a good year, but the fact that it influenced policy so much is bad for the longterm status of the fishery. There too many paltry year classes to keep up with the way we are killing and the stresses of pfisteria and mycobacter.

[paradoxjim]

As rec guys, do we really need a 2 fish bag limit? Seriously, 1 legal fish provides more than a couple of meals for my family (only 3 of us) and I don't need to keep too many fish over the course of a year to stock my freezer. I'd be good with a 1 fish limit; I never harvest more than 1 at a time.

[piemma]

Originally Posted by paradoxjim

As rec guys, do we really need a 2 fish bag limit? Seriously, 1 legal fish provides more than a couple of meals for my family (only 3 of us) and I don't need to keep too many fish over the course of a year to stock my freezer. I'd be good with a 1 fish limit; I never harvest more than 1 at a time.

We have been saying exactly this for years. 1, 36" fish. Think of all the 28 to 34" fish that would breed once or twice or 3 times. Personally I caught well over 300 fish that are what is called "keepers" this year. So far, I have kept 3. One more for New Years eve dinner and that's it. I see people at the canal kill 2, 28" fish and walk away thinking they are heros. They didn't live thru the moratorium nor do they remember the late 80s when if you caught 3 schoolies (on the mainland) it made news everywhere.

I think we are headed down hill. Not as rapidly as in the last disaster as there are more regs in place but we are seeing a repeat of the pattern. Less little fish. More big fish.
I am working on an article that talks of making the Striper a game fish. The State of Florida did it with Snook as they were almost wiped out. Now there is an extremely healthy population of Snook that yield millions of dollars in recreational fishing. It wasn't popular when it was enacted and I'm sure that if the Striper were to be made a game fish with no netting or commercial rod and reel season there would be an uproar. Never the less, in the long term, it may be the right thing for the survival of the species.

[BatesBCheatin]

Originally Posted by piemma

I see people at the canal kill 2, 28" fish and walk away thinking they are heros. They didn't live thru the moratorium nor do they remember the late 80s when if you caught 3 schoolies (on the mainland) it made news everywhere.

I see that, and I also see the old timers (who were part of the reason of the 80's decline) do the same thing which makes it all the more despicable IMO.
I see them with dual keepers to 30lb+ fish especially during the spring run - every day riding around with bass on their bikes looking for recognition. Selfish aholes the lot of them! Who knows what they do with these fish... Sell them, give them away, throw them away - I have no idea. Whatever they do with them, doesn't change the fact that these guys suck at life.

[piemma]

Young or old, it doesn't make any difference. Killing 2 fish a day is just plain stupid.

[bobber]

not sure how anyone can say that fishing is worse now than it was 10 years ago..... the trend is clear. add to that the fact that LARGE fish are seemingly more abundant leads me to believe that there are fewer smaller fish competing for the same food.....

my .02

[JohnnyD]

Originally Posted by bobber

not sure how anyone can say that fishing is worse now than it was 10 years ago..... the trend is clear. add to that the fact that LARGE fish are seemingly more abundant leads me to believe that there are fewer smaller fish competing for the same food.....

my .02

I don't think anyone is saying that the fishing is worse now than 10 years ago. I think many people's sentiments (mine included) is that reckless regulations are irresponsibly leading us down the same path that was seen during the moratorium.

[zimmy]

I think Bobber meant that one CAN'T say fishing is better now.
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[LINESIDES]

I don’t pay too much attention to these surveys.
Although I do believe that back when they were in danger in the 80’s when the panic did take hold in fear of loosening the species do to over fishing I have to tell you I saw no decrease in the stock where I fish during this time.
In fact I saw more large and juvenile fish than normal when everyone was seeing a shortage.
I still don’t think they have a handle on this yet.
To me the numbers going up and down is part of the natural cycle these days.
I don’t believe the shortage is an over fished situation like the 80’s.
Looks to me to be a weather situation.
They are also spawning in other areas today not being watched.
The migration of large fish is much later this year than most folks think.
A mentor of mine once said, they have tails and will swim where ever they want.

At a club meeting years ago in the 80’s Mass. Fish and game came to our club looking for some help on large stripers.
They said they saw a decrease of bass in the 50 pound class from year to year.
When some folks in this club seemed to be able to catch them.
He said they seem to disappear completely from the planet then show up in abundance the following year.
He then went on to ask does anyone know or have an idea where one thought these fish were going when they don’t show up where they do there survey.
My mentor stood up and said I do!
The warden’s turned and said where do you think they are going.
He then said I’m not going to tell you and sat down.

[xyzs]

now can we get them too stop takeing their food away so they get bigger that is our next job to get these companies that fish them for their omegas ect.
lets hope things will turn around......