all these big fish being caught-

[1dozenraw]

Originally Posted by ThrowingTimber

Gamefish status and just take the price tag off the fishes head. Theyre worth more alive than they are in a market be it a fair or black market.


I think Maine's slot is the best thing going. BUT it would have to be enforced, with all the double dipping on catches etc and taking of small fish and guys who want to play commercial fisherman because they think they look cute in bibs enforcement would be key.

The new enforcement guy in southern maine hands out his card with 6 contact #'s to the good guys and he says if you see anything I dont care when it is call me. Hit every number until you get me I'll be there in 20minutes.

Enforecement with the type of dedication is what we would need in RI to enforce a slot such as maine currently has in effect.

TT... what is the slot up there.... one 26" or less or one 40" or over?? Can't remember. There is one thing about Maine... a game warden is a serious law enforcement component up there. They take the job very seriously and the state relies heavily on their abilities, especially up north on the land owned by the logging companies. I know that when I have been there, it seemed like a good way to go. I'm headed there next week actually.... Kennebunkport area.

Nevermind... did a search and found it... on this site.

STATEWIDE REGULATIONS OPEN SEASON January 1 through December 31, inclusive (except the Kennebec watershed, see below). BAG & SIZE LIMITS A person may take and possess 1 fish per day. The fish may be between 20 and 26 inches total length, inclusive, OR 40 inches or greater in total length. TOTAL LENGTH Total length is a straight line measurement from the lower jaw to the tip of the tail with the tail pinched together. DISPOSITION Personal use only, sale is prohibited. Fish must remain whole and intact. GENERAL GEAR RESTRICTIONS Hook and line only, no gaffing of striped bass.

[Nebe]

Originally Posted by 1dozenraw

STATEWIDE REGULATIONS OPEN SEASON January 1 through December 31, inclusive (except the Kennebec watershed, see below). BAG & SIZE LIMITS A person may take and possess 1 fish per day. The fish may be between 20 and 26 inches total length, inclusive, OR 40 inches or greater in total length. TOTAL LENGTH Total length is a straight line measurement from the lower jaw to the tip of the tail with the tail pinched together. DISPOSITION Personal use only, sale is prohibited. Fish must remain whole and intact. GENERAL GEAR RESTRICTIONS Hook and line only, no gaffing of striped bass.

Now those are regulations. Here in RI, its just 2@28.. because of this, people say that they are perfectly legal keeping 2 fish a day, because that is the law... however, none of that fish ever makes it into thier kitchen... but I digress..

Personally i dont think we are on a brink of a collapse, but we as a whole should have learned the lessons of the late 70's -early 80's....

[Fishpart]

Based on how few schoolies I have caught the last two years, the end is well on it's way...

[Brian L]

Originally Posted by Fishpart

Based on how few schoolies I have caught the last two years, the end is well on it's way...

This is a little over the top and alarmist, I think. I've seen quite a few schoolies around this year. I'm curious as to where you're at? Southern RI has had plenty of packs of different size fish working their way through all summer.

If I'm just lucky as to what I've seen and there truly is a shortage of schoolies around, we'd have to look somewhere else other than the Comm. and Rec. takes on bigger fish to try and understand what the future of the fishery is.

I happen to be very friendly with a lifelong (40+ years) marine biologist who has done numerous studies on fish stocks. He claims(and it makes sense to me) that there's nothing that affects year classes of fish the way that pollution of spawning grounds does. This includes not only Stripes, but Fluke, Tautog, etc.. and any other fish that spawn in shallow inland waters. He insists the pre-moratorium fishing was more due to a polluted Chesapeake than any other factor. 50 bass dragged up on the beach dead during a blitz certainly doesn't help, of course (fewer fish returning to spawn), but I'm struggling with the notion that modest commercial catches coupled with the average recreational catch and a two fish limit will be responsible for a future destruction of the fishery.

[BassDawg]

Slot Limits are great and have been proven to work
for many different species, both N and S of the Mason-Dixon.

the biggest problem is with enforcement.

FL has a Zero Tolerance hammer they can throw down on
fishery offenders that allows them to take EVERYTHING attached
to the poached fish, plus fine the offender. still, when i fished there i heard of some of the "crackers" taking as many as ten reds per person in the late 80's. these guys where oblivious to the status of the fishery, grew up with the rangers, and the rest is the seeds of corruption.

none of that goes on in RI or MA, right?

hell we can't even stop the various foreign contingents from
raping the scup, fluke, and striped bass ~yes stripers~ fisheries from NJ to NH, now!!!

perhaps a liscense and stamp system to go with a slot and gamefish status would be the FIXES we need to legislate in order insure the future health of our beloved prey. although it seems like over regulation and steep prices to pay by some of us, what is the price of telling our grandkids that they'll have to wait until they're in their 30's to catch the poundage we caught in the mid 2000's??

i also agree with JohnR, in that, by protecting the forage we will serve to protect the fishery AND ~i will add~ begin to assist the bays and estuaries in their recoveries. you can cite global warming, mass population/pollution, and the cyclical nature of our seas/earth; however, a moratorium on menhaden for 3 to 5 years would do wonders for the Atlantic food chain and could significantly impact the biostatus of our precious estaurine systems. how could it not have a more positive effect than the staus quo??

does anyone think that we'll ever see the Great Silver Balls again??
i choose to believe that it's NEVER too late, and realize that it is up to our generation to take a proactive stance towards the preservation of both the fishery and the mighty Atlantic.