I Don't Care What Anyone Says........

[Flaptail]

Originally Posted by Tagger

I remember a day in 1996 we were catching schoolie bass at the west end of the canal every cast .. We worked are way east trying to catch larger fish . Couldn't do it . The whole canal loaded with these fish all plainly visible . Then we worked are way up the coast all the way to Hull ocean side .. (still every cast school fish). Finaly quit on the bay side of Hull to the sight of a bay loaded with small fish . The Class of 93 , Where are you now .. Does seem to be drying up North working its way south .. When it was 36" we'd catch 35" bass very frequently? nightly if thats a word ? . I think Larry's observations have merrit . We'd always have a month of stupid fishing in the fall .. Didn't matter what you threw in the water . Alot the northern fisherman are making there way south (canal area) seeking fish . This year wasn't my best effort due to family stuff ,,but I've been noticing it for years . I knew where Flap was but I left it alone ,, just one spot .

Thanks Eddy but it was a combination of three spots actually, Mr. Striper, BiteMe, Numby, Sauerkraut and Labrador1 will attest. they all were witness on different occasions as was BigFish for 2 nights at least.

[jimmy z]

I agree Larry. While it wasn't a total disaster, it was a far cry from what was.
What I see is the pickin's getting progressively less and less each year.

[fishgolf]

dinks last evening on Duxbury Beach all by myself and the three seals that went by that could have been pushing the little ones through.

Fished SoCo RI and SoShore Ma and Mashpee this season and it was a bit goofy.
No peanuts last year. Just a few this year. Lot's of adult menhaden (relative to past years) and no fish with them.

I always think Nov. is the best RI fishing, but it closed down early last season and may do the same this season.

My best move was stocking up on AH swimmers and needles! Get to use them again next year

[flyben24]

On MV it has been a very poor fall run... the winner for shore bass in the derby was just 34#, the smallest winning bass in a while, i think that explains things over here

[Tagger]

Question .. do you belive the fishery is as strong as its ever been ?
or do you believe its as strong as its ever been just becoming an off shore fishery as some have stated.. or just an I'm good ,,you suck at fishing,, kind of thing ..

[Flaptail]

Originally Posted by Tagger

Question .. do you belive the fishery is as strong as its ever been ?
or do you believe its as strong as its ever been just becoming an off shore fishery as some have stated.. or just an I'm good ,,you suck at fishing,, kind of thing ..

I believe that the fishing is hurting inshore. Reports of all kinds of bass in the EEZ and on Stellwagen make me think that the stocks might not be as endangered as others think but something drastic is definetly taking place inshore to alter thier historic seasonal habitations. Seals? Water quality? Bait availablity? I think all may be contributing but not being a research scientist it's purely speculative on my part.

One thing is for sure they are defintely as litoral as they always had been. Something is going on. What I do not know.

[ecduzitgood]

I was not thrilled with the fishing this year but think it was because the moon phase in relation to the time and tides and location were not favorable. To put it another way the tides I like for daybreak occured on days when the moon was in a phase that I have never found productive for the areas I like to fish.

[Got Stripers]

Terrible weather, terrible fishing (bass), far too quick a season for my taste; was the season that wasn't.

[ridler72]

Originally Posted by BigFish

Sure there are a few who have done well but from surf or boat I think this has been the worst season in recent memory for many!

You forgot to add kayak.

My one disappointment for the spring run was Joppa. It turned on then shut off after the rain. Back to the Harbor. The spring run was great for me in and around Boston Harbor. Juvenile Herring everywhere, action mostly every day. The Mackerel rolled in and the big bass came with em. I abandoned the kayak and went into my friends boat and cleaned up live lining. When the macks were out of reach in the outer Harbor area I cleaned up in the rocks with Dannies and weightless Sluggo's. Some trips I would go through one bulk pack of 9" white sluggos fishing weightless in the rocks.

For the 1st part of the summer season I had a good time in the boulder fields from Winthrop to Manchester. July in Manchester and Gloucester areas has consistency with occasional night runs around Winthrop produced good bass. Not a lot of bass, but good bass. I had shutouts. It's part of the experience. Funny thing about July, Jumbo's came during the Full Moon week. New moon was bust from Nor'easters.


August! August never fails in and around Boston Harbor! I don't care how bad the season goes August is a special time in and around Boston Harbor. Why wait for the fall? Get bass in the rocks from shore when they are scrounging. No one was out fishing. Most were hungover from a spotty spring. It was a %$%$%$%$ show. The big squid came in the middle of August, bass were gobbling lobsters there was two weeks of epic bass fishing before the motherload of blues rolled in and made it impossible to get to the bass. Dog fish didn't even show up. It was great with everything working, eels, Habs needles, Sluggo's, Ronz, Sampson's Rubber Lobster, tubes during the days and bucktails bounced on the bottom.........Then my phone rang..."Jeff, the Albies are in."....and I left the Bass for Albies.


The second week of September I started bass fishing again back home. Played with bass and poagies in the Harbor. Time to put on the hard hat as combat fishing was now in effect. Seiners and gill netters did a number on the poagies. There was some bright spots and after that West Wind blow with no response from the east wind to warm it back up it was all down hill from there. Bait was tough to find and bass were not showing.

My fall had some quality bass on live poagies. Find the poagies good bass were not far away. After Columbus Day, it was tough to find poagies. I was hoping that some day blitzing would fill the void but nothing happened for me. It got cold and made night runs in the kayak impossible for my toes....now I'm just trying to find something salty to give a tug...lately it's been smelt. ...take the good with the bad.

The reports coming in lately from my network of anglers has been alarming.

[ANY LUCK?]

I'm driving 3 hours to the RI shore tonight ...

It best not be over.

[JFigliuolo]

I had a GREAT summer from the Yak... In ONE area. That's the point some people are missing. Guys that had a great season got lucky/fortunate enough to find one of the small pods of decent fish. Those pods are getting few and far between. Is it fish moving offshore? Damned if I know. I do know it's the fringes that will suffer the most first in a collapse, and that appears to be happening now. Echoing Ake's post, Maine has absolutely SUCKED the past 2 years. I used to be VERY good... with little shore pressure compared to what we have down here. I used to look forward to fishing up there on vacation since it was easy and NEVER had trouble catching fish into the teens, not cows but nice solid fish for a relaxing night. Past 2 years I've worked my @$$ off up there for little to nothing. So bad in fact I question even bothering bringing up my gear next year.

[bassballer]

1 @ 36.. it worked before, it should work again. Why not just keep it there.

[RIJIMMY]

I had a good season and I fished less than the past 2 years due to family issues. I got a new PB and had nights where I boated a dozen fish, most over 20lbs. Alsmot all on eels at night and in different areas. Best time was end of June through first week of August. Spring was fantastic for small bass on lures, great daytime fishing.
Im a little puzzled by the "blind casting" comments. Even in a boat, I never blind cast, I'm always fishing "something", a rip, bar, rock, etc. Sometimes I get one cast in before I have to move back to the area I am targeting. I reposition my boat constantly. I think about each cast and where I need to place my eel or plug. Maybe I over think it. All and all a good year for me. I never do well in the fall so I cant say this year is any different.

[Sea Dangles]

Bass are in trouble if you ask me.I caught fish, some of which were quality, but the bass are in trouble.Look at how long comm season lasted,look at the numbers from the Derby.I have eyes from M to CC bay and nobody I know could stay on the fish with any consistancy.Sure,Team Striper won the Cup again but the majority of our anglers have the same sentiments as most of us.This could be a fluke or a strange year for bait patterns but I am of the opinion that the rec angler is destroying the sb fishery. 1 fish over 36" along the coast would be a good start in helping sustain or stabilize the fishery.Like others have noted,some had good years, or found fish in the fall but the BIG picture looks grim.

[Back Beach]

Originally Posted by Sea Dangles

Bass are in trouble if you ask me.

I would concur with you if we had only one size of fish(all real large) present, which we clearly don't. The 70's crash should have been easy to spot as there were all jumbo fish and no smalls. Given the size distribution of fish present right now, I can't envision a crash coming soon under any scenario. Harvest rates may be higher than replacement rates right now for all anyone knows, but there's still plenty of breeder sized fish out there.
The recs keeping 2 fish per day is very wasteful though. I'm not sure anyone can eat that many fish. Those who keep 2 a day in many cases do it simply because they can...therein lies the problem... its a "tragedy of the commons."

[Back Beach]

Can anyone answer this?

How many stripers do we need to have in order to keep everyone happy? 50 pounders every other cast? 60 pounders every third cast? On what do you base your opinion of the fishery?

I think there's a lot of ego involved too. You have a less than stellar year and suddenly the fishing stinks.

[Flaptail]

Originally Posted by Back Beach

Can anyone answer this?

How many stripers do we need to have in order to keep everyone happy? 50 pounders every other cast? 60 pounders every third cast? On what do you base your opinion of the fishery?

I never thought I would say this given my romantic reminisscence of the 70's and early 80's and the dropping ooff of a lot of bass at Old Harbor fish market but:

#1, bring back the 36 inch one fish a day limit.

#2, stop the commercial sale of Striped Bass along the entire coast, you want to eat one then catch it yourslef or go hungry.

#3 In other words, it's time to realize the greater importance of this fish and it's economic impact and make it a gamefish.

#4 The menhaden fishery needs to be stopped. No harvet for commercial nees and no harvest for supply to bait shops either.

There I said it, I have come out of the Gamefish for Striped Bass closet.

Let the persecution begin.

[Sea Dangles]

Originally Posted by Back Beach

Can anyone answer this?

How many stripers do we need to have in order to keep everyone happy? 50 pounders every other cast? 60 pounders every third cast? On what do you base your opinion of the fishery?

I think there's a lot of ego involved too. You have a less than stellar year and suddenly the fishing stinks.

How many??? Next question.
50's or 60's??? What are you smoking?
My opinion is based on the reports of my friends who fish. Both the comm's and rec's who, in most cases, had subpar years.
Ego? Yeah it sucked for me but my observations are not based solely on my experiences.
I hope I am wrong but I don't think I am.

[Nebe]

I told all of you so 3 years ago. Remember? Most of you thought I was delusional.
There are way less fish around than 5 or 8 years ago... Way less. Until everyone wakes up and embraces catch and release, the trend will continue on a downward spiral.

I don't mean to sound doom and gloomy, but 80% of people fishing now didn't live the moratorium years..
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

[RIJIMMY]

I'm with Flap.

[JFigliuolo]

To say you contribute to the decline of in-shore stocks and that you don't feel too bad about it is pretty telling. I'm not making a personal attack, just saying...

Yeah, i know that I sell crack... and it's probably ruining some lives, but I really don't feel bad about it at all. If I couldn't sell crack I'd be fine.

[RIROCKHOUND]

Crack is illegal, selling bass w/ a license is not.

Big difference.

[JFigliuolo]

Originally Posted by RIROCKHOUND

Crack is illegal, selling bass w/ a license is not.

Big difference.

I don't have any issues with him selling. That wasn't my point and I know the crack analogy was stretching.

My point is that he is doing something he knows/suspects is hurting the fishery and really could care less about it.

The "if I don't do it someone else will" argument. If you think it's hurting something, but do it anyway for $$$ it just shows what is important to him.

I don't know redlite, I'm sure he's a great guy, but I doubt he needs to fish to put food($$$) on the table.

[beaver]

I wasn't alive for the moratorium but I bet it sucked. Lets not have another.

Grew up fishing in the 90s and boy was it fun. I'd like something done to help protect the bass but I don't know how practical making it a gamefish is. I don't fish commercially, but a lot of guys do and the last thing that this government is going to do now is put more people out of work.

I vote for gamefish status, slot limit, 36" / 1 fish, or anything that will help.

[eskimo]

just my 2 cents.

I've had a good fall run. numerous 20# fish with the highest being 35# and some in between but mostly stuck in the 20's. ALTHOUGH, I fished EVERY SINGLE night since sometime in september where I didn't make it out for a few days. a lot of hours. I'm sure my odds aren't too good but that's ok.

The majority of my fish did not come from my usual spots. After countless dead nights at each one of my usual's I moved and occasionally checked back.

Sometimes your old haunts are just that.


On the not so good end, the fleet at the islands just keeps getting bigger and most of their fish just meets comm size. multiple times this year I asked the local markets that a lot of the fleet use what largest of the day was and usually it was a high 30's fish. not good.

On the OK (still not good end), but a little relief since I've wondered all year. I've seen more schoolies (massive amount of 15 inch fish) in the last week then I've seen in a couple of seasons put together. The lack of schoolies was something I've been thinking about all year.

this is just what my season and what I've noticed, not disagreeing with anyone, not fact, just opinion.

[piemma]

Originally Posted by eskimo

just my 2 cents.

I've had a good fall run. numerous 20# fish with the highest being 35# and some in between but mostly stuck in the 20's. ALTHOUGH, I fished EVERY SINGLE night since sometime in september where I didn't make it out for a few days. a lot of hours. I'm sure my odds aren't too good but that's ok.

The majority of my fish did not come from my usual spots. After countless dead nights at each one of my usual's I moved and occasionally checked back.

Sometimes your old haunts are just that.


On the not so good end, the fleet at the islands just keeps getting bigger and most of their fish just meets comm size. multiple times this year I asked the local markets that a lot of the fleet use what largest of the day was and usually it was a high 30's fish. not good.

On the OK (still not good end), but a little relief since I've wondered all year. I've seen more schoolies (massive amount of 15 inch fish) in the last week then I've seen in a couple of seasons put together. The lack of schoolies was something I've been thinking about all year.

this is just what my season and what I've noticed, not disagreeing with anyone, not fact, just opinion.

really good sensible post. Kudos!!

I am encouraged to hear that you are seeing schoolies.

[CaptMike]

Personally I had a bettert year than the last two but a far cry from 8-9 seasons ago. We can definitely argue about what's to blame (seals, commercial fishery, bait, weather, regulations, fishermen taking steroids (If I don't the next guy will!)) but I really see very little reason not to do something. Why not go to 1 @ 36"? Worst case scenario we improve a healthy fishery, what a bummer that would be! I don't know what constitutes a healthy or ideal fishery but I do know that a lot of experienced anglers share my feeling that the striper fishery is not what it was a few years ago.

[onecastmike2003]

The worst season I ever had... 1 30 lber from shore and from the boat we killed them top bass was 49.05
Its not over yet.... 54 water temp down here...

[Striper_Haven_03]

Wasnt the best season I have had but its wasnt the worst either. Someone mentioned earlier that unless you were on patrol 4-7 nights a week you could have missed out. I have to agree. Had only a handful of fishless nights and 5 or so nights out of probably 30-40 trips this year that was surfcasting at its finest yeilding many,many fish on those outings in the 25-35lb class and a few low 40s mixed in. There was a huge lack of bait in my area compared to years past but think its different every year is.....next it could be loaded.

The amount of time I put on the water only yielded 2 40+lb fish. I was a bit dissapointed as we logged over 200 hours surf casting the boulder fields this year from June-Oct.

Games almost over...1 more week and I am calling it. My wife is starting to wonder if she is still married.

Fireman

[BassDawg]

first, i am for 1 @ 36", Striper gamefish status, AND an ACMenhaden inshore moratorium for 5 yrs.
and they must be done together, since by themselves yer only pissing in the wind, imho.

for me this year was an ODDD year,,,,,,,,,,,,,

wet spring conditions, tide times not aligning with moons,
GLASS at the right times/right moons, funky fishing ALL year.

for the last three years~~~ my go-to's, were unwaivering!
down to the days/hours based on conditions that had repeated.
hell, they even "felt" like the same pods of fish, migrators and residents alike. consistently stacking up, varying in size and fight, maintaing a realizable "pattern" from June to November with regard to size and amount gathered~~ but nonetheless THERE, right where they were "supposed to be" according to the best lawgs intel i have been able to compile.

and then there is 2009, to wit, the rub of which we are speaking.

a couple of things occurr to me as i review my three spots that i have documented the most in that short 4 year span, to include '09. this year was MOSTLY much slower and something completely DIFFERENT! this year i had schoolies earlier, and more often, and more of them, from NH to RI. one spot has been typically absent of schoolies and notable for lahhhge. this year it was the reverse, where schoolies were the norm and 25#-30# fish were fewer and farther between, not nearly as many, and NOTHING over 30#??? at the same NShore haunt for 4 months, this year only, it was schoolie central. specifically, there was one night that cookie cutter 19" stripers were landed 7 of 10 casts,,,,,,,,,,come to find out after talking to some locals~~~they bailed 9 40#'s in a three week period, no less than a beach and two coves away. so that tells me that they WERE there, just NOT on my exit ramp. and as an aside~~i did move around quite a bit more than years past, introduced myself to two areas, and got led to a couple more,,,,,,,,,,,,,,to a VERY slow and significantly SMALLER season, overall.

the second thing is this,,,,,,,,,,,,,,this year was loaded with glass-like conditions. for many of the "optimal dark tides" there was absolutely ZERO surf!!! there were bumps, ghost takes, swim-bys, short takes, tail slaps, big/med/sm swipes, and man-hole cover swirls. basically, all the signs of skiddish predation towards offerings that have slayed in the past when given the same time/tide/moon/place. could've been me, as i know i missed several(4 BIGGUNS) takes this year; yet, something was "missing" within the surf this year. primarily, i think that it was the surf itself. glassy, gin clear, firey water certainly favors our quarry.

lastly, i'll close with this. don't blame me, i got rained out today ~so what else is a bruthah to do? having read ALL of the above, could we not simply be in a YOY lull? the spike years were '89-28, '93-42, '96-60, '01-52. if it takes 6-8 years to reach 27"-35" and a reasonable growth rate is 1"/yr up to 12 years old, then are we not about where we should be sizewise based on the science? 2002 was well below the mean average of 11.7, 4.6 roughly.

so, is it safe to ascertain that we've experienced a not so stellar year based on stock patterns and changes in paths of migration, rather than the END is near? certainly we need change, please see the top, but i don't think that we are in the middle of a crash~~~more like the preventable outer edges should we enact proactive measures, NOW!