Is Something Wrong?

[BigFish]

Well aware of the doldrums as I mentioned in my initial thread......there are other factors at play! The night fishing has been horrible for a couple years now!

[Finaddict]

Larry - Bait is a huge factor, not just that they are offshore but their main breeding grounds in the estuaries are being compromised more and more by coastal development and run-off both along our coasts and down in the major estuary systems up and down the coasts ...

... in fact, I remember reading an article in the AFTMA newsletter (American Fishing Tackle Manufacturers Association - the predecessor to today's American Sportfishing Association) in which Norville Processor - spelling? - reported on a study conducted in Chesapeake Bay where the young of the year were netted in the estuaries feeding the bay ... only one river system had young, but they were so plentiful in that one location that the study reported that the bay as a whole had a healthy population ... Mr. Prosser was trying to refute that claiming it was bogus ...

... the run-off down there includes a lot of agricultural run-off that has pesticides, etc., but also every day run-off from society getting closer to the water and getting more pollutants including raw sewage into the water than ever before ... and I feel it is starting to have an impact ...

... and on top of the coastal estuary degredation, commercial fishing for bait fish from eel elvers to smelt to pogies, herring ... the list goes on, but what's happening is that bait is depleted and not coming back. We can't point all of the fingers at the commercial group, as we all play our part in it ...

... and of course the same estuaries that the bait breeds in are the estuaries that stripers breed in and those are not as favorable to striper reproduction ...

... then throw in the recreational limit ... there was mention above of the stripers being kept in New Jersey ... it's the same up here, no different, there's just more down there now and more visible ... during the blitz of 25 years, one shop had something like 66 fish weighed in during a four-hour span and all fish were above the 30-pound mark. But who are we to tell someone who fishes hard that they can't take their legal limit? It would be nice if everyone practiced catch-and-release to a degree, but if they are within their limit ... they are doing nothing wrong ... no add in New York and CT and RI, Mass., NH and ME, Del, MD, VA, NC ... that's a lot of recreational harvesting ... on top of a large commercial harvest as well.

There's no one reason and no one solution, but there are a lot of factors contributing to the demise of our fishing ... and if commercials are staying within their legal limits, let them have their day ... let's just hope that everyone is having equal success ... which none of us are whether we are commercials or recreational anglers.

Boy that was a mouthful.

[Raider Ronnie]

For me,
Bass fishing has been so so, but i have not put much effort in the bass in a while.
But,
The Tuna fishing has been Red Hot for me for atleast 7 weeks !
And to be honest, the bass fishing has not been too appealing to me because of the tuna!

[irlnd32]

I agree about the Menhaden. They are around even in the bays in NY NJ. Why leave, plus the water has cooled off with the S winds.

[emgred]

I read this with great interest. As a Long Island surf caster a can attest to the change in the bait pattern. Over the last few years we have seen way more adult bunker that are holding in our area for the whole season. I have seen more and bigger Shad earlier this year then ever. As we all know, stripers are lazy. Large are lazier. Why should they leave where the food is. I don't know enough about the RI bunker/commercial fishing issues, but I do know that if they can't get to the bays and breed then you guys won't have the peanuts to hold the bass. Or even attract them in the first place.

Just my 2 cents

[Karl F]

Yes.. there is something wrong, and we have touched base on this before, and here in this thread.

A local tackle shop owner in town and I talked of this the other day.
He told me there is all the bass you want, not that far off shore, just out of the seals cruising range.. plentiful squid, sand eels, and even some healthy bunker, and macks.. I have said this in years past.. Why would the bass leave an all you can eat buffet, to risk running past the sea rats, for slim pickings near shore?

Seals.. push the bait and fish off shore.. because the seals cruise along the beachfront, so they can haul out and rest.. they have wiped out the inshore bait, and flounder and dabs and the like.. they have adapted and become oppurtunistic.. they recognize the surfcasters shape, a human carrying a long stick, and follow him, for a free meal.. they even target our plugs now....

Lack of access.. I know..a dead horse.. but when we can only access a limited portion of the outer beach by vehicle.. it hinders our attempts.. YES,, we can walk... but can't cover the ground as quickly or with the ease of a buggy.. and cannot access the miles and miles that were once free range.. here on the cape.. but.. that time is gone

MUNG.. another thing that is tough to dodge without the access to cover a large area, to find open water..

Inshore Bait migration to off shore.. See Seals

Some say that a fish caught from a boat says something about the individuals surfcasting skills.. well.. it ain't the 70's anymore..

Fish can still be found inshore, but you have to think different places..
estuarys, harbors, rivers, etc... follow the winds and tides.. and the bait.

Slip.. you could be right.. everything goes in cycles.. I hope I am alive for the next cycle of what was here in 77-81

Doldrums... I don't know... the daylight issue makes sense.. but... is it also a factor that a lot of folks just "quit fishing" for a few weeks in the summer?... take a break as it were?.. .. admitedly, I have not put in the time this year.. but.. my last two attempts.. not another soul (human, that is), could be found in the areas I fished....

Things to ponder....

[BigFish]

We all know those issues with the Cape Karl.....I am speaking of the broader issues.....the total lack of bait primarily! This is a problem all over Mass. The biggest question is why all of a sudden, the last 2-3 years, is the bait remaining offshore????

[Karl F]

Originally Posted by BigFish

We all know those issues with the Cape Karl.....I am speaking of the broader issues.....the total lack of bait primarily! This is a problem all over Mass. The biggest question is why all of a sudden, the last 2-3 years, is the bait remaining offshore????

See Seals.....

[piemma]

Originally Posted by BigFish

We all know those issues with the Cape Karl.....I am speaking of the broader issues.....the total lack of bait primarily! This is a problem all over Mass. The biggest question is why all of a sudden, the last 2-3 years, is the bait remaining offshore????

I don't think it's staying offshore, it's staying in Narragnsett Bay. I was out yesterday morning, found a school of pogies and there were 20# bass and 15# Blues all around the school. I caught fish till my arms were tired. And I was in 74 degree water, way up the river almost in Providence.
I know that the mung, seals, commerial guys in NC all are a contributiing factor to the poor Mass fishing. The fact of the matter is that the fish stay where the food is and right now RI has the bait.