Bass problem this year

[Nebe]

Don't hog bass: Learn to release
Al Ristori

Sunday, June 15, 2008

The ocean run of big migrating stripers has been very good this month, with enough large bass available that even casual fishermen have had a good shot at them. The only negative, in my view and that of many other striper fans, has been watching some fishermen boat every possible big linesider rather than releasing most of their catch.
There's nothing wrong with keeping a fish for dinner or putting one on the wall, but it's hard to believe that anyone in a gamefish state (where they can't be sold) could be making good use of what can often involve hundreds of pounds of fillet a day that will probably remain in a freezer until being thrown out in favor of fresh fish.
In many cases, it appears that some fishermen think they can only prove their expertise by throwing fish on the dock. Yet, striper pros such as ASA Angler of the Year Chuck Many, Big Al Wutkowski, Capt. Bryne Pieros, and Tony Arcabascio have gained their reputations while releasing almost all of their favorite fish.
Though the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission claims the striped bass population is in good shape, it takes a long time to replace the 20-to-30-pounders that dominate our present ocean fishery. If every expert angler filled a limit every trip, I have no doubt but that the results would be felt within a year or two. It's only the recycling through voluntary releasing by thousands of sportsmen that has been maintaining the fishery and preventing a return to those dark days a few decades ago when the catch of a striper of any size was a cause for celebration.
The use of lip-gripping fish scales has made weighing bass before release very easy, and weight can also be estimated quite accurately by using the formula -- length to fork of tail times girth squared, divided by 800. It is important to remember to use the fork-length measurement as the overall length will greatly exaggerate the true size of the fish.
Wutkowski got into a hot bite of bass Friday morning off Asbury Park that included a 50-incher that was too skinny to make the 50-pound mark -- though he estimated it in the forties before release.