Hi all, Some of you know me an some don't. I'm the Stripermaineiac from up in Maine-- Ron . I was wondering if there is gonna be any movement to shut down the comercial rod -n-reel striper season or not. Ever since it started back up in the mid 90's the numbers of large stripers around has been getting fewer an fewer each year. It's gotten so bad that few people are finding them an up here in Maine they have become almost non existant.
The small number of big bass being seen all up and down the coast is a bad sign. Between all the by catch killing huge numbers of big bass an the comercial rod n reelers selling 30 fish apiece every day well the toll is becoming huge with big fish being wiped out. The sad part is the majority of those doing the comercial rod n reel have regular jobs an often brag about all the new toys they have gotten with the money they make from the sales.
I remeber all the steps an sacrafices we made back in the 80's to bring these great fish back from the brink an here we are again back on the same road so a small few can make a quick buck. at least we should look at doing as Florida does. If you aren't providing 25 percent of your income from it you don't get a liscence to do it.
Either way something needs to be done about the control that the comercials have over fisheries in Mass. Shut down the scup season to non-comercials an give comercial fishermen a longer season. Extend the squid season 2 weeks because the comercials can't fill their quota. Good idea when there is a shortage of them to extend the season. Then the damage being done to the herring by the pair trawlers an other netters so shut down the taking of herring to sportfisherman. MMMM then tell the comercials they can have a 2500 lb per day by catch. Do we even use that much herring for bait for most of the season what they have as a weekly bycatch.
Well for my 2 cents its time to start pushing for action before things get too bad again. I'm for gamefish status yes but I'm also for smarter management an tell the greedy no a little more often before there's nothing left to fish for. Tight lines all., Ron
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