Comercial rod striper season

[Mike P]

Didn't you have the same discussion over on SOL a few months ago? You'll get the same answers here--why start it again unless it's just to stir the pot?

When I, in my other identity as Ditch Jigger, threw some facts up there, you seemed to accept them as valid. Go back and read them--I don't have the patience to rehash this stuff.

[ProfessorM]

Lack of big fish the last 2 years during comm. season wasn't due to me. I suck.

[beamie]

Like John R said this arguement comes up every year.

I believe, but don't take this as fact, I have heard that if you do the research gathered from the State that the average size commercial bass sold is not that "large"...I believe it is around 20 pounds.

What I really can't stand is when the arguement comes about only comm fisherman should have a license etc.....lots of people have more than one source of income whether it is 50% 10% or 2%. Lots of comm fisherman say have a plow on the truck in the winter. This is like saying only true plow drivers can plow. That arguement just doesn't hold water.

[Flaptail]

Dear Ron, Maine is such a nice place, why not stay the %$%$%$%$ up there and mind your own house instead of coming on this board and starting trouble. Are you a StripersForever plant or informant? Like the Recreational Fishing Alliance who based all thier scinece (junk science) on a supposed "expert" who was found to have falsefied his resume' and never ever actually observed on any boats, by his own admission a week ago, is actually a phony.

Now, get this right for once and for all, then go back to browsing the LL Bean catalogs for the winter, commercial harvest of striped bass in this state no where near mirrors or exceeds the recreational take and poaching done by certain ethnic groups. Our problem is not bass it's bait. No herring, minimal large Menhaden, lack of sand eels inshore on the outer Cape and seals.

Now, I beg you, from now on post constructively or shut the %$%$%$%$ up.

I can't type anymore my hands are too cut up from catching bass from dawn to midnight yesterday.

Sincerely, Steve Shiraka, Falmouth Ma.

[Mike P]

Here's the Cliff's Notes version of my reply to you on SOL:

1) The Mass commercial season starts on the second Tuesday in July.

2) Few, if any, of the fish taken will be migrating to Maine after mid July.

3) The Mass fishery is rod and reel only and has a 34" minimum. Every female fish harvested has spawned at least once.

4) Assuming a 20 pound average, about 50,000 bass are harvested during the Mass commercial season.

5) Estimates put the current striped bass biomass at somewhere between 40 and 50 million, coast wide.

6) The Mass commercial season has a negligible effect, if any, on the numbers of bass in Maine.

[Clammer]

Flap ::

I see your off to a wonderful f $%^&*( day ::