Slot Limit - Revised

[RIROCKHOUND]

FYI;
Emergency action was taken by the ASMFC today. Bass now have a slot limit of 28-31" no later than July 2nd 2023.

Why they didn't just adopt 1 at 36" when the stock started to collapse (it worked once before...) I don't know but, then again I'm a geologist not a fisheries biologist.

Discuss.

[afterhours]

I also would love to know why they didn't go with the 1 @ 36" which has a proven track record. Betcha it comes down to dollars in someone's (or some user group) pocket.

[zimmy]

Originally Posted by afterhours

I also would love to know why they didn't go with the 1 @ 36" which has a proven track record. Betcha it comes down to dollars in someone's (or some user group) pocket.

It is a fisheries based decision. The slot increases the chance that harvested fish are male. 36"+ fish will be prime breeding sized females. The fact that it isn't a full moratorium is a dollars decision.

[piemma]

WE NEED A MORATORIUM!!!

[tlapinski]

The drop in slot range protects the 2015 year class which, if I remember correctly, was the last good YOY index in the CB. There was discussion to setting a slot for commercial, but it was just that, discussion. The reason for the com regs to be as they are, from what I remember from when the slot was enacted, is to streamline enforcement as essentially any fish being harvested over 35" must come with a commercial license. Fair and equitable? Perhaps not, but if anglers could just be trusted to do the right thing in the first place, then it wouldn't be an issue

With the rec cut being in the range of 60% (I heard that number being thrown around but do not have it verified so do not hold me to it) there is good argument for commercial to take some sort of a cut in the near future, but this action does more good right now for the population. The emergency action is only in place for 180 days and therefore will be revisited at the summer meeting in August. At that time they can extend for 1 year, drop or modify it.

I am and have always been 100% recreational angler, but as is always lost in these discussions, commercial does not take the big piece of the striped bass harvest pie. It is us (or most of use in here anyway) the private recreational anglers who do the lion's share of the damage. You literally need to quintuple (multiply by 5) the annual commercial harvest to eclipse the annual recreational harvest, and even then you only do so by 4%. I know this is going to ruffle some feathers, and I am not trying to start a pissing match with anyone, I just feel there is a need to point out some facts when all the finger pointing goes elsewhere. Would a moratorium help? Sure, but it is not the magic bullet to fix all problems.

[PaulS]

Originally Posted by tlapinski

I am and have always been 100% recreational angler, but as is always lost in these discussions, commercial does not take the big piece of the striped bass harvest pie. It is us (or most of use in here anyway) the private recreational anglers who do the lion's share of the damage. You literally need to quintuple (multiply by 5) the annual commercial harvest to eclipse the annual recreational harvest, and even then you only do so by 4%. I know this is going to ruffle some feathers, and I am not trying to start a pissing match with anyone, I just feel there is a need to point out some facts when all the finger pointing goes elsewhere. Would a moratorium help? Sure, but it is not the magic bullet to fix all problems.

I agree that we, the Rec. angler do a multiple of the damage to the stocks (harvest and release mortality) but even if the multiple is 5 times, EACH Comm. does prob. 10 times more damage vs EACH Rec. angler. I just think it is silly to ignore that and compare the 2 sectors while ignore the # of fisherman in each segment.

[Nebe]

And zero changes to the commercial catch. Sad
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[beamie]

What I never understood is why not adopt a slot for comm fish too. Or the same size fish for both rec and comm. if the experts are concerned about the breeding stock.
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[ivanputski]

A 3" window to allow people to harvest!?? seems ridiculous Why is a moratorium so out of the question? Is it so the recs don't flip out because they refuse to place a moratorium on comm?

[Got Stripers]

Better have good tapes, good eye sight and patience to measure twice. GAME FISH solve the problem permanently and stop the bull, commercial guys would make more money doing charters for a full robust fishery.

[afterhours]

Originally Posted by Got Stripers

GAME FISH solve the problem permanently and stop the bull, commercial guys would make more money doing charters for a full robust fishery.

^^^^^^^^^
This.

[wdmso]

I doubt there’s there would be much revenue lost . By requiring people actually show that they use the permit to actually sell fish. Legally

maybe it would force or slow down these shadow sellers. to actually present fish to be added into the quota system

Who knows ? Maybe it will help or not
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