Comercial rod striper season

[zimmy]

I thought I posted on this earlier, but I don't see it... Anyway, if you are really concerned you should recognize and address the fact that according to the 2002-2004 numbers, including adjustments for bycatch for comms and release mortality for recs, recs take roughly 70% of the catch by numbers and total weight. One can argue that comms take bigger fish, bycatch is greater than calculated etc, but there is really no denying that the rec impact is dramatically, awesomely greater. Get rid of all commercial bassing and you still have huge #'s of bass killed. I have the same general concerns about the fishery as you, but believe we (recs) are the ones who may need greater restraints and asmfc and nmfc needs its ashstesh arranged for the pathetic bunker limits and other actions. Blaming it on the comms, let alone rod and reel comms will do nothing to fix a huge ecological problem.

[riverrat55]

Wow!!!
Nothing like inviting new members to post on this site???
And you wonder why with all these members that only a few post comments?

[Squid kids Dad]

Hi Ron...Didnt see you this year on MV.....

[piemma]

Listen to what is being said. IT'S THE BAIT!!!

For the first time in 20 years plus we had large bunker in upper Narragansett Bay late in the season. If you snagged a few and knew where to go you could catch 25 to 30 pound fish till your arms fell off.
Now the bunker have migrated out of the Bay and down the Coast and everyone is saying that the Bass are in trouble.
There are tons of Bass. I caught more 30 pound fish this year than ever in my life because I found the big bunker. If we get the Ark Bait boats out of the bay there will be more and more large Bass. You can't support a large bio-mass on peanut bunker. A 40# fish needs a lot of food to sustain itself and Bunker have the highest protein and fat content of any forage available in the NE. It's just common sense.

The Bass will go to where the food is. BI is close to dead this Fall...at least from shore... because there is no large bait present. We use to have the Blueback Herring in the Fall all around the Island. Now the Russian trawlers have suck all of them up. Thus no bait...no bass.
Look at the Outer beaches. Worse season in years. WHY??? The Seals have scooped up all the bait. Common thread here. BAIT BAIT BAIT!!!! Solve the bait problem and the Striper population will take care of itself. The commercial fishing community has virtually no affect on the Bass population.

[Back Beach]

[JohnR]

Ron - read what Piemma said - Bait = Bass. In RI for a while it was dead unless you had the bunker, NJ had unbelievable fishing (I'm told) for far longer than normal because they had tons of bait. Boston had mediocre fishing because of lack of bait, Block, lack of bait, Cape lack of bait. \

THAT is the trend. These guys hit the nail with the fact that the overwhelming take is from Rec fishing. If you reduce / remove the comm fishing of large fish (Mass) you will slightly improve that stock. If you REALLY want to reduce the culling of larger bass put on a 40% reduction of take to COMs AND Recs.

If you REALLY Want to fix the fishery - FIX THE BAIT...

Hi all, see Ron a few times a year, at shows, fishing somewhere, out at The Derby. He is as passionate about bassing as any of us. So give him a little break (not too much though ). I don't think he has been through this exhaustive drag out battle before....