Travel to MA Now?

[redlite]

I am convinced that the sea bass overpopulation is the reason that our bass fishing is almost non existent down here. They are cockroaches that have carpet cleaned the bottom of the ocean to the point that there is nothing for the striped bass to eat so they just blow on by now. Most of the sea bass my buddies were getting around here are bigger than the bass we are getting. And figure in the chase point fish trap and it feels like I am casting into an empty ocean in the middle of February. Beyond Depressing. Time to sell and move north.
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[Rockfish9]

Originally Posted by redlite

I am convinced that the sea bass overpopulation is the reason that our bass fishing is almost non existent down here. They are cockroaches that have carpet cleaned the bottom of the ocean to the point that there is nothing for the striped bass to eat so they just blow on by now. Most of the sea bass my buddies were getting around here are bigger than the bass we are getting. And figure in the chase point fish trap and it feels like I am casting into an empty ocean in the middle of February. Beyond Depressing. Time to sell and move north.
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Ain't any better here, and we have no sea bass to speak of,plenty of fish and bait, all small... we had a small slug (very small slug) of large 2 weeks ago, now we have more pogies than I have ever seen in 50 years of fishing, the only thing on them is tuna and seals and an occasional blue fish...all the schoolies you want on the sand eels.aint like old times
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[Guppy]

Originally Posted by redlite

I am convinced that the sea bass overpopulation is the reason that our bass fishing is almost non existent down here. They are cockroaches that have carpet cleaned the bottom of the ocean to the point that there is nothing for the striped bass to eat so they just blow on by now. Most of the sea bass my buddies were getting around here are bigger than the bass we are getting. And figure in the chase point fish trap and it feels like I am casting into an empty ocean in the middle of February. Beyond Depressing. Time to sell and move north.
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Dangles cut open a keeper bass from out front of u , belly full of some kind of crab.... maybe that’s all that’s left for them....

North! Screw that, too cold

[Got Stripers]

I’m not complaining, sea bass are delicious and I’m vacuum sealing as much as I can to brace myself for the next pandemic. Just finished dinner and sorry I miss big stripers, but love eating sea bass and tog.

[Clammer]

I,m rigging up for Tautog fishing ..

but surprisingly stripers is much better than I expected it to be ><><>

[tlapinski]

Originally Posted by redlite

I am convinced that the sea bass overpopulation is the reason that our bass fishing is almost non existent down here. They are cockroaches that have carpet cleaned the bottom of the ocean to the point that there is nothing for the striped bass to eat so they just blow on by now.
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How does that explain all the BSB and SB coexisting at Block?

[redlite]

Originally Posted by tlapinski

How does that explain all the BSB and SB coexisting at Block?

I have takin that into consideration and believe it is a different situation as it is a different ecosystem with deeper faster moving water over a greater area than SE mass with a larger variety of more plentiful bait. And all those fish that habitually go there haven't been killed yet so there still hope for them especially with new regs if they actually enforce them unlike still happening at canal
Guys around here saying they not even seeing or marking even bait around here. All they gettin is sea bass galore the past few nites eeling
I know that fish change their "resident" areas as I have lived through the rise and fall of the back side and the islands and know stuff cyclical, but something is seriously out of whack around here. Can't blame it on water temps as still cooler right now than past years at this time and I have pulled plenty of supa cows out of shallow 70 + degree water.
It has been a dramatic decline in size and number of fish/ resident fish down here now over that past 3 seasons. Went from crushing ( and releasing ) sizable fish to the point now where we lucky if even get a bite most nites covering a lot of real estate every tide possible. Even out snorkeling some of my spots last week that usually are an aquarium of life in the rocks is a barren wasteland. Maybe I shoulda taken marine biology in college instead of drinking and lacrosse

And I won't concede to the fact that maybe my partner and I just now suck at fishing cause we travel long ways away from here and still catch cause there are fish
One of the best pieces of advice I ever got about fishing.
" fish where there are fish, not where you wish there were fish"
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[zimmy]

Originally Posted by redlite

Maybe I shoulda taken marine biology in college instead of drinking and lacrosse


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I did take marine biology and I can assure you there are lots of factors that align with the state of the sb fishery. Black sea bass would be toward the very bottom of the list.
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[RickBomba]

Originally Posted by redlite

I have takin that into consideration and believe it is a different situation as it is a different ecosystem with deeper faster moving water over a greater area than SE mass with a larger variety of more plentiful bait. And all those fish that habitually go there haven't been killed yet so there still hope for them especially with new regs if they actually enforce them unlike still happening at canal
Guys around here saying they not even seeing or marking even bait around here. All they gettin is sea bass galore the past few nites eeling
I know that fish change their "resident" areas as I have lived through the rise and fall of the back side and the islands and know stuff cyclical, but something is seriously out of whack around here. Can't blame it on water temps as still cooler right now than past years at this time and I have pulled plenty of supa cows out of shallow 70 + degree water.
It has been a dramatic decline in size and number of fish/ resident fish down here now over that past 3 seasons. Went from crushing ( and releasing ) sizable fish to the point now where we lucky if even get a bite most nites covering a lot of real estate every tide possible. Even out snorkeling some of my spots last week that usually are an aquarium of life in the rocks is a barren wasteland. Maybe I shoulda taken marine biology in college instead of drinking and lacrosse

And I won't concede to the fact that maybe my partner and I just now suck at fishing cause we travel long ways away from here and still catch cause there are fish
One of the best pieces of advice I ever got about fishing.
" fish where there are fish, not where you wish there were fish"
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

You took those classes, too, huh?

I think I might remember when you were in college, as well.
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