RI Striped Bass Meeting

[thefishingfreak]

The Gloucester hearing was an even mix of 1@28" supporters and option 3- 2 fish (1@28"-34" slot with a 40+trophy) supporters.
Nobody really wanted option 2. 2@32" for charter boats (myself included, I was in support of option 3- 40+trophy for charter boats.

If the charter boats do get the option 2. 2fish@32" they would be locked into 32 inch keepers all year long (no 28" keepers) even while out recreationally fishing with uncle bob

[JoeG@Breezy]

Originally Posted by thefishingfreak

The Gloucester hearing was an even mix of 1@28" supporters and option 3- 2 fish (1@28"-34" slot with a 40+trophy) supporters.
Nobody really wanted option 2. 2@32" for charter boats (myself included, I was in support of option 3- 40+trophy for charter boats.

If the charter boats do get the option 2. 2fish@32" they would be locked into 32 inch keepers all year long (no 28" keepers) even while out recreationally fishing with uncle bob

Sorry but I'm a NY guy interested in the whole picture. I gave up on my charter opps last year (2013) because they tended to take the legal limit and when we came dockside no one wanted the fish most of the time. I had a free ride, no pay, charter ride, because my buddy payed and when he had cancellations I got the call. Hard to beat. On this 28 or 32 size I'm puzzled. In five or six years of 2 trips per I never saw a fish smaller than 34-35 come over the rail. The whole two fish thing in any state trying to justify it is pure BS and the scientists should be ashamed of themselves. Because they are now in the sludge with the ASMFC. I have a thick skin so go ahead and take your shots but I'll be there saying "I told you so" when we go to a moratorium.

[scottw]

The RI meeting was interesting tonight...Dennis can provide more but I'd like to say that he made a very impassioned plea facing a committee that appeared quite content with their recommendation of 1@28 for recs and 2@32 for for-hires going forward. They appeared ready to sail through with this recommendation offering only a passing mention of the loud call for 1@28 for ALL recs while offering repeated justification for their recommendation...Peter Jenkins from the SWE and Dennis spoke eloquently and intelligently for the majority of the rec anglers who will fish under the 1@28 regardless and will be, in my opinion, relegated to second class citizen status as for-hires and their clients(most of whom are not RI residents by their own admission) will fish side by side or "boat by boat" with their recreational clients under an entirely different set of rules and regulations......not only will we have the spectacle of RI recreational residents fishing 1@ limits as RI for-hires with their out of state clients fishing 2@ but we will also see RI residents fishing 1@ at as out of state for-hires cross the borders and fish our waters at at 2 @......there is something wrong here.....particularly when two of the board members cited reasons for recommending the mode split to A) keep things uniform so that boats won't be fishing side by side with different regulations....and B) keep regulations uniform to make enforcement easier..............

seems that mode splits create both of these problems....what was clear to me is that these guys don't acknowledge the rec fisherman as the statements above indicate..... need to keep up the pressure