Are the chickens comming home to roost?

[piemma]

Originally Posted by Nebe

Well... I saw this coming a long time ago. You can only wring a wet towel so much until it's dry.
That said, it's not dry yet, but getting close
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

I believe most thought we were full of it when we said this was coming 5 years ago. Well, in my opinion, its here now. I put my boat in April 9. I found the first pogies in Narr Bay on May 2nd. I have over 100 hours on the boat this year and have had 1 real good day and 2 fair days. Nothing over 25# and most 15 to 20#.
There is no doubt the bass are in trouble again. I will now live through my second collapse of the Striper species.

[Dick Durand]

Can't wait to see what kind of action if any the ASMFC will take.

[BluesHarp]

It's like a doughnut when you start eating all meat from the edges then all you're left with is a hole.

Bass are getting harder to find on the edge of the range and fishing for them is now are less consistent in the middle part of their range MA,RI CT. Fish the surf without the electronics of a WWII destroyer and you'll see it.

[wader-dad]

Bill Wetzel posted that this is the worst June he has ever experienced in Montauk. That is a lot of Montauk years and hard fishing.

[BigFish]

Nobody in the ASMFC fishes so......they are clueless!

[scottw]

just listening and observing this season, i can't recall a more stark contrast between shore and boat folks in terms of opinion and intent...

[JFigliuolo]

Originally Posted by scottw

just listening and observing this season, i can't recall a more stark contrast between shore and boat folks in terms of opinion and intent...

dunno if that's true..... I'm a boat guy (albeit I Suck), but Piemma and clammer are both boat guys that forgot more than I will ever know. (I'm pretty sure Mike was actually born on the bay while his mother was fighting a fish) They aren't seeing any great fishing that you speak of. Some boats in SOME regions sure, but it's not the overall trend by any means.

[Slipknot]

Originally Posted by BigFish

Nobody in the ASMFC fishes so......they are clueless!

http://blog.trcp.org/2013/08/07/the-...-striped-bass/

I know this is from last year and it's one guys' blog on it but read it anyway
worth the time

[Mike P]

Originally Posted by #^&#^&#^&#^& Durand

Can't wait to see what kind of action if any the ASMFC will take.

Their history is to be reactive, rather than pro-active.

Catch reductions were on the table 3 years ago---until the YOY numbers came out in the fall. Tabled. All was well again.

For "maximum sustainable yield" 3 bad years in a row should trigger catch reductions.You can't sustain what ain't sustaining themselves naturally.

[ronfish]

Originally Posted by piemma

I believe most thought we were full of it when we said this was coming 5 years ago. Well, in my opinion, its here now. I put my boat in April 9. I found the first pogies in Narr Bay on May 2nd. I have over 100 hours on the boat this year and have had 1 real good day and 2 fair days. Nothing over 25# and most 15 to 20#.
There is no doubt the bass are in trouble again. I will now live through my second collapse of the Striper species.

I agree with you and yet a lot of fishermen are calling for doing the same thing as was done after the last collapse- increase the size of legal bass. Well this didn't work so well the last time - why not try something different. A wise man once said a fool keeps trying the same methods and expects the results to change.
I have nothing against the commercial fishermen; I just think that once they catch their targeted species any bycatch should also be counted against the quota of that species, ie., stripers caught along with menhaden or dogfish. If the fish is dead why throw it back to feed the birds but it counts against the quota for commercially caught stripers.
I'd like to see a slot limit similar to the one used in Maine, yet without the large category- take a picture and if you want a mount get one made of fiberglass- they last longer.
Just my $.02 Ron

[bassballer]

Originally Posted by piemma

Nothing over 25# and most 15 to 20#.

Not sure what this means, but there seems to be alot of fish in this size class.

[JohnR]

Soap Box

All of the screaming in the world won't work unless there is something approaching a unified voice. People need to attend the public hearings and meetings.

/Soap Box

For all of the people stating "we could walk on 'em last week over here" there are a lot less places with a lot less frequency where that is happening. Ther plethorta of less than a decade ago of this saved fish is no longer plethorus

[beamie]

Originally Posted by JohnR

Soap Box

All of the screaming in the world won't work unless there is something approaching a unified voice. People need to attend the public hearings and meetings.

/Soap Box

For all of the people stating "we could walk on 'em last week over here" there are a lot less places with a lot less frequency where that is happening. Ther plethorta of less than a decade ago of this saved fish is no longer plethorus

Very true John,

Thing I get a kick of is no one on this thread is saying thats it...I'm selling the boat, all my rods and going golfing to help protect the species. Even if you don't keep your affecting the mortality rate of all your releases.

Give me a break, life is short, go fishing and try to enjoy it. Most things run in cycles and imo we are coming down from one now.

[piemma]

Originally Posted by bassballer

Not sure what this means, but there seems to be alot of fish in this size class.

BB, 20# fish is 10 years old more or less. So what we are seeing is the fish that are left from 2004 and 2005 YOY. Both of those years were huge YOY classes.

[JFigliuolo]

Originally Posted by piemma

BB, 20# fish is 10 years old more or less. So what we are seeing is the fish that are left from 2004 and 2005 YOY. Both of those years were huge YOY classes.

And there won't be much left to take their place when they are gone.... not for quite awhile.

[piemma]

Originally Posted by JFigliuolo

And there won't be much left to take their place when they are gone.... not for quite awhile.

You are right Joe.

[bassballer]

Originally Posted by piemma

BB, 20# fish is 10 years old more or less. So what we are seeing is the fish that are left from 2004 and 2005 YOY. Both of those years were huge YOY classes.

Thanks Paul, kinda scary how many of this class of fish im seeing being kept this year.

[FishermanTim]

Soon they'll be having the "OTW Bluefish Cup" tourney, then when they get decimated, the OTW Black Sea Bass, Tautog, and Fluke/Flounder Cup tourneys.

I hate to think I'm going to have to give up salt fishing, just when I started to think I was getting good at it!