Mass. weighs tougher protections for striped bass

[CowHunter]

Doublerunner, more than one person reported that incident....

[Jackbass]

Originally Posted by CowHunter

Doublerunner, more than one person reported that incident....

[Doublerunner]

Blues??? I only saw blues once this year. They must be getting wiped out somewhere. Oh yeah the 3 I caught killed off the stock

Seriously though. As I have said from the beginning...a multi faceted approach that has slot limits and restrictions on quantities from both rec and commercial. And also the complete elimination of dragging for menhaden

As far as the rec goes perhaps there needs to be different classifications to distinguish between charters, personal boats not chartering, and non-boaters

I personally hate all fishing tournaments whether they are from shore or on boat. All those tournaments are are fish-kills and as far as I am concerned they should be banned completely

[RIROCKHOUND]

Originally Posted by Doublerunner

Seriously though. As I have said from the beginning...a multi faceted approach that has slot limits and restrictions on quantities from both rec and commercial. And also the complete elimination of dragging for menhaden

1. Why does it have to be an F'ing slot.
Make it 1 fish. 36" and things will improve! No need to do a 20-26", alternate Tuesdays with one over 48" on a Friday slot limit. The average person, myself included is an idiot. Keep It Simple!

2. Does anyone actually drag for menhaden, or are you spouting off on what you don't know?
Ban reduction. The pogie debate is oft rehashed, and searchable here, I'm not going to waste my slow typing on rewriting the past. The controlled seining in local waters is pretty closely monitored, and there are tons of pogies in the bay after the boats leave....
go after Omega protein, not Ark Bait et al....

think about it. 1 fish @36" and I bet you cut the number of fish caught and kept by rec angers by 35% (not 50% b/c I don't think everyone keeps 2 all the time, and I don't think as many people catch "Keepers" at 36" than the would at 28".

@ 1/day 36" every 6-pack charter boat goes from being able to take 26 fish / day (assuming two charters/ day) down to 14 fish/day (assuming the capt/crew each keep a limit/day). Think about how many charters are maxed out during a season at any given place on the coast. Or, think of it this way. For 1000 charters with 6 guys keeping a limit, you go from 12000 fish down to 6000 fish (not counting captain and crew). Apply similar reduction to rec boats as well. Apply this up and down the coast. The numbers saved will DWARF the commercial harvest.

UP ENFORCEMENT! Make sure commercials are selling bass to legit dealers ONLY, and make the penalties very stiff for buyer/seller not in compliance.

Up the limit/reduce the season on pre-spawn wintering fish...

Last; I would wager that the number of rec bass caught and killed (not accounting for the release mortality of every light tackle jamoke fishing fish on 12lb gear in deeper water) in just a few weeks this year at BI was vastly larger than the entire RI quota! Lets get some good numbers on release mortality, and some good estimates of recreational fish caught and killed by itself, no estimates of mortality just # of dead fish period. If that means reporting, and a license/registry so be it, but be careful what we wish for. If it works, the rec numbers are going to jump way up IMHO!

[CowHunter]

I posted the 1 fish @36" would make a huge difference. I really have no idea where on earth they come up with a 20" slot?? You think the people that suggested a 20" slot know what they are talking about???
24"-27.99" slot was done in NJ and it was a disaster.... Va still has a slot, but its for a limited time..

[Back Beach]

The slot could be an effective tool provided there's alot of fish in the slot range. The slot size can be adjusted as needed.

1 fish at 36" is great, but it was used as the last leg of an emergency measure last time it was enacted to protect a specific year class.(1982)

As for saving the bait, I'm still of the belief that bass will eat whatever they can get in their mouths, including themselves. Scarcity or abundance of bait is more a localized issue than a coastwide issue.
Many years ago during "herring" season I landed and opened up a real fat fish...it was loaded with sea robins while there were dense schools of herring available nearby.

[numbskull]

Originally Posted by Back Beach

Many years ago during "herring" season I landed and opened up a real fat fish...it was loaded with sea robins while there were dense schools of herring available nearby.

Hah! I knew it. The effing striped bass are eating all my sea robins. Well that changes it. Give me an eel, I'm gonna go wipe the bazturds out.

Cowhunter, I can't figure this all out. I agree that dead fish are dead fish and recreational anglers kill more fish than commercials. Of course commercials kill a lot more fish per angler than the recs but then the nonfishing public benefits so who is "right"? I don't claim to know. Likewise, you have got me confused.
On one hand you paint yourself as a mighty chief of bass killers and relish flaunting that in the face of those less well endowed, then you turn around and paint yourself as a conservationist, altruist, philanthropist, and true friend of all God's small creatures (other than bunker).
All I can say is that I'm sure you are a good fisherman, smart guy, and interesting person. Best of luck in your tournament.

[MAKAI]

I am completely convinced now that this whole thread is just a money issue.

[Doublerunner]

Regarding the slot sizes I think the size for boat fishermen for rec and for commercial should be different than shore fishermen. Let's face it boats have the technology and ability to get onto large schools and stay on them as they move. Shore guys can not. But if they're all lumped together then that's okay as well. If it's a slot then all fish need to be measured which means ( hopefully ) getting rid of nets because nets would kill too many fish that would not be appropriate size

1 fish at 36" is not bad but I don't know that that is the best solution. It doesn't have to be an "F'ing slot". A regular old "slot" all by itself is okay with me.

Menhaden is a huge industry. Ever seen the ocean bottom before and after seining? it goes from a robust living city to a desert....like an atom bomb wiped it out. With no structure and weeds the baitfish do not return and without baitfish no predators return. Menhaden also gobble up a lot of the pollutants in the ocean. I believe it's a huge problem and one that should be banned

Up enforcement...agreed

Up the limit on pre-spawn and wintering fish....no. Should be banned

Accurate numbers for mortality from rec fishermen. Definitely

[RIROCKHOUND]

Originally Posted by Doublerunner

Menhaden is a huge industry. Ever seen the ocean bottom before and after seining? it goes from a robust living city to a desert....like an atom bomb wiped it out. With no structure and weeds the baitfish do not return and without baitfish no predators return.

Menhaden also gobble up a lot of the pollutants in the ocean. I believe it's a huge problem and one that should be banned

Up the limit on pre-spawn and wintering fish....no. Should be banned

It's an F'ing slot b/c w/ bass I haven't seen a study that really shows it is the best thing.
Just up the size back to 36" and there will be less fish killed, which is the goal, right?

You are confusing seining and dragging. In my other life I worked in a small part of a study on the impacts of gear to the bottom, and you're right in some bottom types it is very detrimental. that's dragging, though, not seining.

The ocean pollutant argument was bad science RISAA tried to pass off. If people read the menhaden symposium report, THE pogy experts talked and put most of those claims to rest. very interesting conference a year or so ago.

I meant make the limit tighter on pre-spawn fish, not more allowed to be caught.

[maddmatt]

"Seriously though. As I have said from the beginning...a multi faceted approach that has slot limits and restrictions on quantities from both rec and commercial. And also the complete elimination of dragging for menhaden

As far as the rec goes perhaps there needs to be different classifications to distinguish between charters, personal boats not chartering, and non-boaters"

we can't enforce the rules we have now and your gonna enforce this??

[Doublerunner]

Originally Posted by maddmatt

"Seriously though. As I have said from the beginning...a multi faceted approach that has slot limits and restrictions on quantities from both rec and commercial. And also the complete elimination of dragging for menhaden

As far as the rec goes perhaps there needs to be different classifications to distinguish between charters, personal boats not chartering, and non-boaters"

we can't enforce the rules we have now and your gonna enforce this??

Well if rules can not be followed by responsible adults then maybe it needs to be shut down.

Someone said it earlier...money is at the root of all the problems. Get rid of the greed. There are those that care about the stock and those that care about how much they can make off it

[Saltheart]

Originally Posted by Doublerunner

Get rid of the greed.

Yep , if we could do that we could solve about 90% of all the worlds problems. The tough part is how?

[numbskull]

Originally Posted by Saltheart

Yep , if we could do that we could solve about 90% of all the worlds problems. The tough part is how?

Crafty is on to the answer. Reread what he said, it is, I think, the most intelligent thing that has come out of this thread.

Originally Posted by Crafty Angler

Money, as we all know, is at the root of all evil - although at this point in my life I've come to realize that ego and a deep-seated need for external validation is a pretty frigging close second

So let's have a group hug, , somebody lock this thread, and all get back to bashing people from Franklin.