Are Bass on the Decline

[outfished]

I'm not sure if it on the decline or on the rise, but what I do know the stocks are not where they should be compared to a few decades ago.

[Nebe]

i say yes there is a decline of large bass. I say lower the limits to one small slot and one really really big

[afterhours]

never seen as many SMALL schoolies as i've seen this year.. sounds like it may bode well for the future.( as long as they have the food to grow into biguns )

[Nebe]

how many people are fishing for bass now as opposed to 10 years ago??? if everyone keeps a fish every time the go out, thats a huge chunk of bass being killed

[outfished]

Originally Posted by Eben

how many people are fishing for bass now as opposed to 10 years ago??? if everyone keeps a fish every time the go out, thats a huge chunk of bass being killed

Not only that, add the commercial fishing, poaching, loss of habitat, loss of baitfish, pollution etc., it's a wonder we still have fish around!

[seabass]

The way I see it is 1) Historicaly the Chesapeake Bay class has been a major variable. 2)I've only been striper fishing for 8 years, but I've seen more schoolies then ever, and I've caught more fish in the 30 lb range then ever before. 3) I know for a fact the herring run in Middleboro has declined over the past four years as I watch this deligentley daily. 4)Pogies are almost extinct.5)Scup is hard to find near the Elizebeth Ilsands. 6) the inverse square of the 1998 population , intergrated with the logrithmic function of y is a direct correlation to the out put of a flux capacitor???? I DON"T THINK IT"S THAT BAD, JUST STANDARD FLUCTUATIONS.

[Bass Babe]

Haha, seabass. Up to date statistics last year showed a steady population level thru 2003, and a slight drop in 2004, if I remember correctly. Managers were throwing around the idea of stricter regulations, but were split over whether pressure needed to be reduced or if it was natural fluctuation. I don't know the outcome of the meetings, but I'm sure someone here knows. When the stats come out for this year, we'll know if they made the right choice.

[Pete_G]

Just look at the chaos off Newport for the past month. Great bass fishing despite the heat and tuna everywhere. And a LOT of baby bunker and tinker macks.

Baitfish support everything we love, and the present situation off Newport excluded, quality bait seems to be a rarity.

I think any thoughts on bass numbers is purely a guess overall. Newport has been incredible to boat fisherman that know what they're doing, yet shore anglers have struggled till the bait arrived. Boat guys would say the bass are in great health and numbers as they are catching many quality fish, while the shore angler would obviously have a very different opinion, prior to all this bait arriving.

[tattoobob]

I think not, there is a shortage of bait fish (Herring, Alewife, and menhaden) this will make for lower weights in large fish like we are seeing in the last couple of years