Mass. weighs tougher protections for striped bass

[CowHunter]

Pete G.... If the fishery changes and the fishery stays offshore there are no regulations you can impose to bring the fishery inshore. It may be decades if ever for that to happen, you never know. How the hell can you force the fishery to come inshore? Whipe out the bait offshore? I may be in the boat more, even though Ive spent thousands of hours over the years on the surf, but I know alot more than you think as to what is going on with the shoreline fishery in more than just one state. The guys may want a blitz, everybody does, especially comm guys! Truth of the matter is times change. The guys in the northeast are complaining about the surf, look at VA and NC. Imagine seeing Miles of gannets diving but the fish dont come onshore, EVER. That is the reality. The surf bites of VA, MD, NC are a thing of the past. What if the same holds true for new england. Off course you always get the stragglers. I will always adapt and change weather I like it or not? You think I like paying $4. a gallon, what about $5 or $6. Seee if you will make it a catch and release only gamefish coast wide. It will look like Kiptopeke VA in January...

[CowHunter]

Pete G.... Would Saltwaters edge business Begin to Boom if the Made striped Bass a gamefish only. Catch and release only??? I seriously doubt it...

[CowHunter]

http://www.nefsc.noaa.gov/sos/spsyn/...es/fig40_2.gif

[Pete_G]

Originally Posted by CowHunter

Pete G.... Would Saltwaters edge business Begin to Boom if the Made striped Bass a gamefish only. Catch and release only??? I seriously doubt it...

I don't have any interest in a no-take fishery. Just a healthy, accessible fishery for fisherman (rec and comm). That's what's good for MY interests.

Anyways, I'm arguing your cause, indirectly.

It just struck me that you took the classic "divided we fall" type stand; an everyone's against me and the commercials when I just don't see it that way.

I just think there's a LARGE middle of the road that is the average fisherman that has nothing against commercial fishing. Not many people would claim to understand ALL the issues, very few if any do.

My point was I wouldn't want to push that guy into a camp against what you want by basically telling him he's an idiot if he can't adapt. Or maybe explain more clearly why their view or point doesn't hold water instead of assuming they are "rich yuppies", "can't adapt".

For example, I feel the Stripers Forever "fish are more valuable alive then dead" doesn't hold water if the shore fisherman around here can't get at them. I wish they'd use their clout to help understand why baby bunker seem so scarce in the fall.

Just a tactical observation, take it for what it's worth.

Too bad there isn't a "Stripers Foreveryone" to get behind.

[numbskull]

So why is what is left of the striped bass population offshore?

Well, gee, what happened to the fish genetically ingrained to feed inshore............eaten for pleasure and profit.
What happened to the menhaden they eat.........taken commercially.
What about the squid.....taken commercially.
What about the scup.......taken commercially.
What about the lobsters......taken commercially.
What about the herring.....killed as commercial bycatch.

As for why there is bait explosion offshore.....well what happened to the fish that eat it?

Cod...........wiped out commercially.
Pollock........hammered commercially.
Tuna......nearly wiped out commercially.
Halibut........wiped out commercially.
Haddock........they're coming back because the enviro's got a judge involved.

Between wiping out codfish and creating an offshore niche full of sand eels......... hammering any breeding size bass that take an inshore route year after year.........and wiping out anything for bass to eat inshore......is it any mystery that what left of the striped bass population is offshore.

The public's demand for seafood and the commercial interests that benefit from that demand (with fishery management in their pocket) has GREATLY diminished the quality of the inshore fishing for all species targeted by recreational fishermen. Nothing wrong with that in general if you don't like to fish. Still, doing so has diminished the quality of the recreational fisherman's lives, and hurt the livelihood of those who depend on them.

Sadly, fishermen (recreational or commercial) are never going to fix this, too much stupidity and greed to put fishery recovery first. As the codfish situation has shown, the best hope are the enviro's and legal system (read CLF).........which is where this is headed soon. We'll live to see the restrictions, but not the benefits.