Bass problem this year

[tattoobob]

Originally Posted by fishaholic18

Ok now we're gonna fine guys for keeping legal fish..WTF!!!
You need to run for congress or senate to change the laws....

I was under the impression that they were keeping every fish they caught as it says in a earlier post, if that's not the case then there is no need for that.

[ProfessorM]

Not to be more of a ball buster than usual but it seems to me that this is what everyone wanted a few years ago. We need more big bait, where are the Pogies? Now they are here and this is what you get, large quantities of decent fish killed easily. Did you expect something different?

[RIROCKHOUND]

[QUOTE=Clammer;597992]I,ve been telling #^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^& all winter that each year the schoolie fishing is going down hill ..../QUOTE]

Mike a lot of my spots outfront have reliable schoolie spots behind them. not even seeing pops and swirls where they should be all over the place... something just isn't right....

[piemma]

Originally Posted by Nebe

I told you so.

Originally Posted by tattoobob

I was under the impression that they were keeping every fish they caught as it says in a earlier post, if that's not the case then there is no need for that.

Bob:
That's what I said and I stand by it. I'm not talking about guys like Dave (Fishaholic18), Billy, myself, RIJimmy etc. We know the score and we know what keeping every fish you catch can do to the population.
Fot the record, what I'm talking about are guys who never fished for Bass before, figured our how to snag pogies and are killing evrything they hook. It IS happening right now.

[slow eddie]

this was the worst year in a long, long time for schoolies at so.co. passed us by??? who knows. but if we do go into the cycle of the 70"s with everyone catching everything in sight and bringing them home. this could and will be trouble for you younger guys. 1 20# equals 1.000.000 eggs.

[Redsoxticket]

The schoolies are mixed in with the larger bass which are with the bait. I caught 120 bass in six outings and only four were keepers. The bass have moved on some where because I've been getting skunked last several nights.

[Saltheart]

Hopefully the fisheries management people are keeping an eye on things and will chnage the limits and maybe reduce to 1 fish per day.

Every dog has his day. For now the inexperienced guys are in heaven just pulling fish in. When it gets more difficult , they will quit and those years the fish recover some. I think over time it all works out if the bag limits are adjusted wisely based on good data. yes that is a lot to ask and maybe unrealistic since people lie a lot about what they catch but its the best system we have now.

[l.i.fish.in.vt]

not sure if the purpose of this thread is to warn of the possible downfall of bass stocks because some weekend warriors are catching some bass for once, or if you are annoyed because some other than the hardcore guys are catching bass and think it is easy.or maybe they don't know how to fish and are killing them because of inexpierence.but regardless, do you think that you and your harcore freinds that fish everyday all season long kill anyless than these guys?if you are fishing trebles as you mentioned i know the answer.unfortunatly bass will die as long as we all keep fishing for them.and yes with the big number of large bass being killed in VA,NJ, NY ,RI and it won't last long,maybe boat fishing should be banned

[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.

[numbskull]

Originally Posted by piemma

Bob:
That's what I said and I stand by it. I'm not talking about guys like Dave (Fishaholic18), Billy, myself, RIJimmy etc. We know the score and we know what keeping every fish you catch can do to the population.
Fot the record, what I'm talking about are guys who never fished for Bass before, figured our how to snag pogies and are killing evrything they hook. It IS happening right now.

Did it ever occur to you that these guys think they are following the example set by the fisherman you quoted? They see successful fisherman they admire come home with big fish every trip and are attempting to do the same. To them, a 20lb fish is as big as a 40 to you. Have you killed a 40 in the last few years? Where did the fishing ethic.....catch and kill the biggest you can.......come from? Remember, they're new to the game and just learning....who are they learning from?

[RIJIMMY]

I disagree Numby. People are keeping teh fish becasue they're big (to everyone except BassDawg), plentiful and free. Its like a sale at stop and shop, you buy a ton of stuff you dont need or want and get caught up in the moment. Its less complicated than your example. Most of these guys that Paul is talking about are not serious fisherman, but are guys that get up early to fish at 9am, a cooler of bud and go to have fun. There is nothing wrong with that, but put them in a position ot catch decent (big???) bass, they can do a lot of damage. Its human nature. I've kept 2 bass this year, 18 and 24 and only becasue I gut hooked them . I switched to circles to avoid any further guy hooks. Its about education and conservation. The issue as Paul pointed out is that the concentration of the fish is making it easy for anyone to catch them. The same thing, can, will and did happen in other spots.

[Nebe]

The biggest problem that I can see with this is the fact that many are snagging with snag hooks and simply dropping the pogies to the bottom to be inhaled by a fish. I dont think the novice would take the trouble and risk of reeling in the pogie they just snagged, and then unhook it, only to re-hook it to a big circle hook.

[schererw]

No short bass off the NJ surf for the past 40+ days. That has not happened for years and years. Don't understand that. Hundreds of boats fishing live bunker are consistently landing 20-45 pounders. Same thing goes on in Montauk with the boats in the fall--hundreds of moby bass are taken everyday. Need more of a catch and release mentality or we're going to lose this fish again.

[bloocrab]

People are keeping teh fish becasue they're big (to everyone except BassDawg), plentiful and free. Its like a sale at stop and shop, you buy a ton of stuff you dont need or want and get caught up in the moment. Its less complicated than your example. Most of these guys that Paul is talking about are not serious fisherman, but are guys that get up early to fish at 9am, a cooler of bud and go to have fun. There is nothing wrong with that, but put them in a position ot catch decent (big???) bass, they can do a lot of damage. Its human nature. I've kept 2 bass this year, 18 and 24 and only becasue I gut hooked them . I switched to circles to avoid any further guy hooks. Its about education and conservation. The issue as Paul pointed out is that the concentration of the fish is making it easy for anyone to catch them. The same thing, can, will and did happen in other spots.

A spot I've been fishing lately that has been producing 20# fish consistently, has had more people fishing it day after day after day. I stopped the count at 40 people on Saturday night. - I have NEVER seen that many people at that spot.NEVER-EVER-NEVER. ...and I drive by that spot on a daily basis, the pogies are easy to spot, and once one person see's how the other person is catching them, it's history. It's like Jimmy said, easy fishing attracts more people. When the combination of easy access and easy to catch come together, it's called "Stupid" fishing. Unfortunately, it always seems to attract "Stupid" fishermen. People who do not know HOW nor CARE about properly releasing a fish.

What can we do about it?

When it's done legally - There isn't much we can do. The best thing we can do is talk amongst the people fishing, share what knowledge we have in speaking about why we think the Striper has rebounded, and what we can do to keep it strong. (While at the same time, properly releasing a Striper without sounding or seeming like a "know-it-all") If you become friends with the enemy without them knowing, they will listen to reason. When you come off sounding like a "know-it-all ...I'm going to call the D.E.M." type of person, you will not get any cooperation. ...and by the time an officer shows up (if they do at all)...the guilty party will be gone. Use your senses when fishing at night amongst strangers.

When it's done ILLEGALLY ? - - - >

[piemma]

Originally Posted by numbskull

Did it ever occur to you that these guys think they are following the example set by the fisherman you quoted? They see successful fisherman they admire come home with big fish every trip and are attempting to do the same. To them, a 20lb fish is as big as a 40 to you. Have you killed a 40 in the last few years? Where did the fishing ethic.....catch and kill the biggest you can.......come from? Remember, they're new to the game and just learning....who are they learning from?

Numbskull:
You missed my point. These are guys that don't frequent this board or any board, for that matter. These are guys, as Nebe pointed out, are snagging pogies and just dropping it to the bottom. These guys are slaughtering large quantities of 20# + fish.
They don't know me or Bill or Dave of Jimmy. They don't know about conservation, the moratorium in the 80s, catch and release.
Now maybe you have a problem with me taking a large fish and killing it every now and then. Sorry if I offended your sense of conservation because I killed a 40.
My point was simply to inform the members of this forum that this was happening right now. It cannot be stopped or controlled because it's not illegal. If you think that the guys who have caught large for 40 years are to blame for this, you are entitled to your opinion. I can't take responsibility for someone elses actions just because I caught a big Bass sometime in the past and kept it. In my opinion, your logic is flawed.

[Saltheart]

Everyone is entitled to the legal limit. Expert , beginner , doesn't matter. No years of working at it makes anyomne more entitled to the fish.

I think if you are an expert , the burden is actually on you to talk to some of the newbies when you can. Explain ways to have fun pulling on the fish without killing them.

I understand that for some guys fishing is just a way to get out of the house with a cooler of bud and now fishing for stripers is easier than fishing for largemouth at their local pond. Let them enjoy themselves but try to bring them up to speed on techniques and a conservation awareness.

Yes , easy fishing brings more new fisherman and hurts the fishery but new fisherman also means more votes , etc. When the time comes , we may need their votes so why not nuture them a little and get them solidly on the conservation side of the issue.

[Nebe]

I think most of you did not understand Piemma's point.

What he is saying is that there are a lot of inexperienced people snag and dropping bass, keeping 2 fish (which is fine) but then they continue to fish and kill many fish because they dont know any better. lets face it, the legit way to do this act is to use 2 rods... snag with one, reel the pogie in and stick it on the other rod which is rigged with a large circle hook.. then let it swim to its death....

many do not understand this. they might as well all be yo-yoing...

[Saltheart]

Yes , I understand his point and that is part of the knowledge that needs to be passed on to the newcomers.


Also , newbies are not the only ones snagging and catching with the same hooks. Many meat fisherman do the same and have for more years than I can remember. Might be a good discussion to have with all levels of fisherman to raise awareness.

This comment is not aimed at anyone in particular but I think if you really are an expert fisherman who believes in conservation , you need to give something back to the sport by passing knowledge and conservation awareness on to future fisherman. Believe it or not , I bet half the people fishing for stripers today do not even know that at one time there was a moratorium do to the fishery collapse.Believe it or not , some fisherman have no idea that a fish can die hours or days after what looks like a safe release.

They need to be told.