Shouldnt there be...

[fishaholic18]

Originally Posted by Clammer

I don,t think I,ve been skunked 3 times in the spring in the last 50 years ><><<><

U said that last year....Plenty of fish here,,,

[Clammer]

PETE G

that,s it exactly >>>>>>>> keepers are coming >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> NOT true schoolies ..

HISTORY repeats itself ;;



BE careful Dave >>>>> ya get me down there next fall / If I can get some tail inline /add to the fishing & ya might have me there longer than ya think ><><><><

[Clammer]

IF ALL WERE TOO KNOW ><><>><


SMOKE & MIRRORS

[Circlehook]

I was in Virginia Beach last weekend, left on their "Trophy Season Opener", or "Large Breeder Massacre" however you see it.

Anyway, all the locals down there said that all the large where still way up in the Potomac waiting to spawn as the water was still too cold down there. Apparently they won't spawn until the water hits a certain temperature.

Should be anyday by now, I am sure the deed is done and the fleet are sailing north after the past weeks weather.

[piemma]

I am probably wrong. I'm not a fish biologist. But I know that I hear this same stuff every year and every year by June 1 everyone is smiling. It only April for God sake and we had a long cold winter, as almost all of the country did. If we are not catching fish by mid May then I'll start to worry.

[Raven]

i mean the reproduction rate due to pollution in the Chesapeake bay and subsequent disease
is having an undesirable affect on numbers....

but the cold temps hanging around has changed ....dramatically

every two years .... spring has moved up by 1 week

i used to be able to plant my peas every year on Saint Patrick's day
not any more....

there's a 30 day difference now

or roughly 4 weeks for spring to arrive

for ground temps and water temps...
so ADJUST YOUR CALENDER

[RIJIMMY]

Originally Posted by piemma

I am probably wrong. I'm not a fish biologist. But I know that I hear this same stuff every year and every year by June 1 everyone is smiling. It only April for God sake and we had a long cold winter, as almost all of the country did. If we are not catching fish by mid May then I'll start to worry.

Paul, just my experience that by now people are nailing 50+ schoolies all over the place, you know the spots. It seems like Pete G is seeing fish so that makes me feel a little better. Who knows, bait moves, things change.
2 years ago I caught so many bluefish in Sept and Oct, it was disgusting, last year less than a dozen. I'm not worried about the bluefish pop, things changed. Clammer and others have been preaching doom and I was curious to see how this spring went and so far seems slow for the dinks. I have no clue, but it worries me.

[Mike P]

Originally Posted by RIJIMMY

Paul, just my experience that by now people are nailing 50+ schoolies all over the place, you know the spots. It seems like Pete G is seeing fish so that makes me feel a little better. Who knows, bait moves, things change.
2 years ago I caught so many bluefish in Sept and Oct, it was disgusting, last year less than a dozen. I'm not worried about the bluefish pop, things changed. Clammer and others have been preaching doom and I was curious to see how this spring went and so far seems slow for the dinks. I have no clue, but it worries me.

Don't you think that the people catching 50+ schoolies a day might be as big a problem as the seals and cormorants? Even with the best handling, there has to be some release mortality.

I've never targeted schoolies in huge numbers in the spring. Holdover or fresh, they've either spent a stressful winter or undertaken a long migration. I know that everyone is itchy to go after a long dry period, but the bigger fish will be along soon.

[Crafty Angler]

Originally Posted by piemma

I am probably wrong. I'm not a fish biologist. But I know that I hear this same stuff every year and every year by June 1 everyone is smiling. It only April for God sake and we had a long cold winter, as almost all of the country did. If we are not catching fish by mid May then I'll start to worry.

Hey, Paul - I'm old and old people are notoriously impatient...besides being grumpy...

[turkeyslayer]

Nobody can look up a bulls rear end any farther than the next guy. speculation doesn't solve a thing. Every year is different from the last; you just enjoy what you get and adjust your style and location to fit that change. One year theyr'e on this side of the rock and the next year they are on the otherside at a different tide. Guys get spoiled and forget how to work for fish. I bet if we looked at the minutes from surf clubs in the early years they were also speculating about the end of all things to come.

Get a grip here fellows!

[piemma]

Originally Posted by Crafty Angler

Hey, Paul - I'm old and old people are notoriously impatient...besides being grumpy...

Chuck, it will be OK, I think.
Jim White has a post up on his site and it's real gloom. He may be correct. I lived through the moratorium and maybe we are getting ready for another collapse. I have a huge amount of respect for Jim and what he knows but I am still thinking I will wait and see what's happening about May 15th. if I'm not getting into decent fish by then well we all should start worrying.

[Crafty Angler]

Originally Posted by Clammer

PETE G

that,s it exactly >>>>>>>> keepers are coming >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> NOT true schoolies ..

HISTORY repeats itself ;;

What Clammer said.

The numbers of small bass appear to be dwindling from the highs I remember in the last dozen years or so -

While there are some school fish around - notably in That Spot Pete referred to - they aren't elsewhere yet.

There are still seals out on the Drive as of a few days ago on Seal Rock (hence the name), and cormorants by the hundreds.

I dunno, maybe the answer is a seal hunt using cormorants as a club - probably wouldn't get a lot of popular support though, I guess

Water temps are above what I always considered the trigger point locally

Beats me - but historically speaking, a dearth of small bass and a glut of larger fish parallels the two biggest crashes - the one in the late 1800's that caused the closure of the great striped bass clubs of that era and the more recent moratorium


Yeah, I'm concerned - and Clammer is right about fisheries management dropping the ball again - 2 fish a day at 28" has been sheer stupidity.

You've gotta ask yourself, what would we all do without a bass fishery?

God knows I don't have the temperment or social skills for golf. The people you run into golfing are the ones I go fishing to avoid, anyway...

So who's gonna be the next Bob Pond this time around?...

You know, if I am completely wrong, I'd rather have erred on the side of caution.

[DZ]

Originally Posted by Crafty Angler

There are still seals out on the Drive as of a few days ago on Seal Rock (hence the name), and cormorants by the hundreds.

Lot's of cormorants means bait and there is tons of small bait around - I'm seeing it while togging and it has drawn mackeral into the harbor. When you have lots of bait the bass can be anywhere - and they probably are. Just give it time as Piemma says.

DZ

[JFigliuolo]

I would love the bass dispersed with a ton of bait... Not so great for us fisheman, but great for the bass. It saddens me when bass are schooled in tight in a predicatable location. IE bunker, in the bay... Makes for an easy killing spree/massacre.

I've always thought that a LOW/MODERATE amount of bait was a bad thing. Concentrates allot of bass in a small area. A nice even spread of bait is what I'd like to see.

[Crafty Angler]

Originally Posted by DZ

Lot's of cormorants means bait and there is tons of small bait around - I'm seeing it while togging and it has drawn mackeral into the harbor. When you have lots of bait the bass can be anywhere - and they probably are. Just give it time as Piemma says.

DZ

Still real thin in the squid department, Dennis - have yet to see a single ink stain at the GIC -

Glad to hear you're seeing macks - the big question is, are you seeing any blackfish...

Feel free to answer via PM...I'm gonna go sight-fishing for 'em tomorrow...