what would u do - Striper Talk Striped Bass Fishing, Surfcasting, Boating

likwid · 05-05-2009, 06:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CanalMike

depends on what time of day or night it was and where. Within an inch or so of legal, in the deep of night, fillet and keep it, making sure nobody was around, and only one. I had a situation last year where i had about 3 out of around 10 schoolies in about 30 minutes die on me in broad daylight. I felt terrible about it, stopped fishing and watched the others fisherman catch for another 30 minutes til they moved on.

Get caught with a filleted fish before going home and you'll be fined the same as if you kept a short fish.

Bend your barbs if there's schoolies.

Mike P · 05-05-2009, 08:03 PM

How close is close, Dave? 27-1/2"? I think most EPOs would give you the half inch.

I think if it was even 27" I'd leave the plug where it was, and keep it. Maybe it won't matter to a real hard-ass, but a reasonable EPO might understand when he or she saw the plug buried like that.

On the other hand, I've put back 24 or 25" fish that I knew were goners. You're not getting any leeway from an officer there

Nebe · 05-05-2009, 08:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by likwid

Get caught with a filleted fish before going home and you'll be fined the same as if you kept a short fish.

Bend your barbs if there's schoolies.

not if your meat is over 28"

HESH2 · 05-06-2009, 06:55 AM

i don't have this happen too often and when it does i release the bleeder and feel bad about it cause its going to be a dead fish.couple years ago our boss man john r posted up by catch dead stripers from ocean boats getting herrings and it was alot of dead stripers so i stopped feeling so bad about it.

piemma · 05-06-2009, 07:19 AM

This is defintely a problem. It's the main reason I stopped fishing for schoolies some time ago. I know a lot of people have a problem with us fishing bunker but I didn't have one sub leagal fish live lining. In fact, I can honestly say that in all my years in the surf I rarely had a schoolie on an eel. It may be where I fish, I don't know, but usually I fish big eels and you know the old saying "big bait, big fish".

Mike P · 05-06-2009, 10:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nebe

not if your meat is over 28"

Not in Mass:

4) Bass must be kept whole, with head, tail and body intact - no mutilation permitted (other than evisceration).