Mass. weighs tougher protections for striped bass - Striper Talk Striped Bass Fishing, Surfcasting, Boating

CowHunter · 12-07-2009, 12:29 PM

Thanks Bud, Ill make sure to bring my posts with me!

Doublerunner · 12-07-2009, 12:35 PM

If I saw any one, on a boat or on land, dumping fish overboard to keep another one instead, I would call and report them immediately. But then again, only people who care about the stock would do that. Those that don't are just users and abusers

CowHunter · 12-07-2009, 12:45 PM

Hey JackBass, curious this was a horrible year for bluefish for me in Mass during July and August. Last year and previous years where I was guaranteed 200-300lbs as bycatch, and countless lost cause they would just bite through the damn floro, this year I couldnt seem to put a catch together. I really never was targeting them, but the bycatch was nice. I mean, this year on a good day, Maybe 80lbs or so. some times I would go days without seeing one! Areas that were stacked with bluefish, (Quicks Hole, Gayhead, etc), were void of life! (I did happen to notice the lack of bait). I will confess, I did get top dollar, some days .50!!! I dont know why they didnt come back to the same area in stay, but I do want to know if you and your marine bioligist freinds are doing anything about it? Maybe a Bluefishforever kind of thing? I mean, here we are in December and the mass Commercial quota is only 58% filled?? This is absurd, There is definately a big problem? The recs killing all the fish or the comms?
Funny, in the Fall the rhode Island coast Had miles and miles of them from watch hill to Matuinuck, they were eating all the bait on the shoreline. In early May I did notice that there were miles of Monster Bluefish coming up the jersey coast, I couldnt get away from them, big bruisers. I couldnt imagine why big bluefish would be on Anchovies, when in another 2 weeks they can have all the bunker they want! This is all so very confusing?!??!??? Did they ever show up at ur Spot?? Anybody??

CowHunter · 12-07-2009, 12:56 PM

Numbskull, weather you understand it or not, I am both commercial and Recreational.. Im all for conservation, Hell I belong to the CCA, Have done plenty for Charity and conservation, way more than most. Ive had 50 and 40lbers released.... Ive even donated 20-30lb bass to the Norwalk Aquarium. I have live releases all but one fish in the last few tournaments I fished. Im not the one that wants only commercial or only recreational. I just dont think its fair everybody is blaming mass commercial pinhookers when the recs are more at fault. Im sorry bud, I agree with some you say, but you are wrong to blame mass commercials just because the fish arent where you want them. Hell I would love for striped bass to be in NJ from Late March through January LIKE THEY USED TOO. I would waste gas money driving to Mass or NC. I may not like it but Im not gonna sit around either and hope the patterns change to my benifit and the fish come to me...

Your Self-Certain Friend

CowHunter · 12-07-2009, 12:59 PM

Doublerunner, more than one person reported that incident....

Jackbass · 12-07-2009, 01:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CowHunter

Doublerunner, more than one person reported that incident....

Doublerunner · 12-07-2009, 01:56 PM

Blues??? I only saw blues once this year. They must be getting wiped out somewhere. Oh yeah the 3 I caught killed off the stock

Seriously though. As I have said from the beginning...a multi faceted approach that has slot limits and restrictions on quantities from both rec and commercial. And also the complete elimination of dragging for menhaden

As far as the rec goes perhaps there needs to be different classifications to distinguish between charters, personal boats not chartering, and non-boaters

I personally hate all fishing tournaments whether they are from shore or on boat. All those tournaments are are fish-kills and as far as I am concerned they should be banned completely

RIROCKHOUND · 12-07-2009, 02:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Doublerunner

Seriously though. As I have said from the beginning...a multi faceted approach that has slot limits and restrictions on quantities from both rec and commercial. And also the complete elimination of dragging for menhaden

1. Why does it have to be an F'ing slot.
Make it 1 fish. 36" and things will improve! No need to do a 20-26", alternate Tuesdays with one over 48" on a Friday slot limit. The average person, myself included is an idiot. Keep It Simple!

2. Does anyone actually drag for menhaden, or are you spouting off on what you don't know?
Ban reduction. The pogie debate is oft rehashed, and searchable here, I'm not going to waste my slow typing on rewriting the past. The controlled seining in local waters is pretty closely monitored, and there are tons of pogies in the bay after the boats leave....
go after Omega protein, not Ark Bait et al....

think about it. 1 fish @36" and I bet you cut the number of fish caught and kept by rec angers by 35% (not 50% b/c I don't think everyone keeps 2 all the time, and I don't think as many people catch "Keepers" at 36" than the would at 28".

@ 1/day 36" every 6-pack charter boat goes from being able to take 26 fish / day (assuming two charters/ day) down to 14 fish/day (assuming the capt/crew each keep a limit/day). Think about how many charters are maxed out during a season at any given place on the coast. Or, think of it this way. For 1000 charters with 6 guys keeping a limit, you go from 12000 fish down to 6000 fish (not counting captain and crew). Apply similar reduction to rec boats as well. Apply this up and down the coast. The numbers saved will DWARF the commercial harvest.

UP ENFORCEMENT! Make sure commercials are selling bass to legit dealers ONLY, and make the penalties very stiff for buyer/seller not in compliance.

Up the limit/reduce the season on pre-spawn wintering fish...

Last; I would wager that the number of rec bass caught and killed (not accounting for the release mortality of every light tackle jamoke fishing fish on 12lb gear in deeper water) in just a few weeks this year at BI was vastly larger than the entire RI quota! Lets get some good numbers on release mortality, and some good estimates of recreational fish caught and killed by itself, no estimates of mortality just # of dead fish period. If that means reporting, and a license/registry so be it, but be careful what we wish for. If it works, the rec numbers are going to jump way up IMHO!

maddmatt · 12-11-2009, 10:41 AM

"Seriously though. As I have said from the beginning...a multi faceted approach that has slot limits and restrictions on quantities from both rec and commercial. And also the complete elimination of dragging for menhaden

As far as the rec goes perhaps there needs to be different classifications to distinguish between charters, personal boats not chartering, and non-boaters"

we can't enforce the rules we have now and your gonna enforce this??

Back Beach · 12-07-2009, 01:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CowHunter

I just dont think its fair everybody is blaming mass commercial pinhookers when the recs are more at fault.

Thats not what anyone here is saying. We're saying the regulations, collectively, need tweaking in order to sustain and improve things longer term.

Half the time Numbskull doesn't even have hooks on his plugs, so don't go by what he says...

CowHunter · 12-07-2009, 01:10 PM

Back Beach How can you say that?? Its exactly what its about Stripersforever is attempting to shut down Mass commercial. Refer to first post......Its write there in the article, go to the website... They want to shut down mass commercial fishing entirely and give the recs one guy? How would you like if it was both, make mass just like the eez??? Comon...

CowHunter · 12-07-2009, 01:11 PM

http://www.striped-bass.com/Stripert...eb1809-001.jpg

CowHunter · 12-07-2009, 01:14 PM

Thats not what anyone here is saying. We're saying the regulations, collectively, need tweaking

Posted by BackBeach - above

Guess Tweeking is banning commercial harvesting in Mass??

Half the time Numbskull doesn't even have hooks on his plugs, so don't go by what he says...

(I didnt want to say anything but I have heard this from a few people - Said hooks hurt the poor fish)

Back Beach · 12-07-2009, 01:27 PM

"Tweaking" to me would be lowering the recreational daily bag to one fish and implementing a slot limit or larger minimum size if its deemed necessary. This can be accomplished without introducing game fish status and banning commercial sale.

"Tweaking" could also include more restricive measures such as a lower commercial quota and larger minimum size if its deemed necessary. Although I dislike some of what takes place as a result of having a commercial season, it does provide income for some who honestly rely on it.

Back Beach · 12-07-2009, 01:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CowHunter

(I didnt want to say anything but I have heard this from a few people - Said hooks hurt the poor fish)

That's not the reason, he just doesn't want shleps like me accusing him of depleting the local stocks...

Jackbass · 12-07-2009, 01:40 PM

Cowhunter the Quota was in fact increased coast wide for Bluefish and Spiny dogfish I believe last spring maybe that had something to do with it. I did see large blue fish this year. However in General it was down in quantity of fish. The Blues still did the traditional morning Run at Race Point and I saw plenty of them along the Rocks in Rhody, but the blues were not as prevalent in the past through the dog days. No doubt.