Mass. weighs tougher protections for striped bass

[CowHunter]

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]

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

[CowHunter]

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]

"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]

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]

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.

[Jackbass]

Originally Posted by CowHunter

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

[Doublerunner]

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]

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!

[CowHunter]

I posted the 1 fish @36" would make a huge difference. I really have no idea where on earth they come up with a 20" slot?? You think the people that suggested a 20" slot know what they are talking about???
24"-27.99" slot was done in NJ and it was a disaster.... Va still has a slot, but its for a limited time..

[Back Beach]

The slot could be an effective tool provided there's alot of fish in the slot range. The slot size can be adjusted as needed.

1 fish at 36" is great, but it was used as the last leg of an emergency measure last time it was enacted to protect a specific year class.(1982)

As for saving the bait, I'm still of the belief that bass will eat whatever they can get in their mouths, including themselves. Scarcity or abundance of bait is more a localized issue than a coastwide issue.
Many years ago during "herring" season I landed and opened up a real fat fish...it was loaded with sea robins while there were dense schools of herring available nearby.

[MAKAI]

I am completely convinced now that this whole thread is just a money issue.

[Doublerunner]

Regarding the slot sizes I think the size for boat fishermen for rec and for commercial should be different than shore fishermen. Let's face it boats have the technology and ability to get onto large schools and stay on them as they move. Shore guys can not. But if they're all lumped together then that's okay as well. If it's a slot then all fish need to be measured which means ( hopefully ) getting rid of nets because nets would kill too many fish that would not be appropriate size

1 fish at 36" is not bad but I don't know that that is the best solution. It doesn't have to be an "F'ing slot". A regular old "slot" all by itself is okay with me.

Menhaden is a huge industry. Ever seen the ocean bottom before and after seining? it goes from a robust living city to a desert....like an atom bomb wiped it out. With no structure and weeds the baitfish do not return and without baitfish no predators return. Menhaden also gobble up a lot of the pollutants in the ocean. I believe it's a huge problem and one that should be banned

Up enforcement...agreed

Up the limit on pre-spawn and wintering fish....no. Should be banned

Accurate numbers for mortality from rec fishermen. Definitely

[numbskull]

Originally Posted by Back Beach

Many years ago during "herring" season I landed and opened up a real fat fish...it was loaded with sea robins while there were dense schools of herring available nearby.

Hah! I knew it. The effing striped bass are eating all my sea robins. Well that changes it. Give me an eel, I'm gonna go wipe the bazturds out.

Cowhunter, I can't figure this all out. I agree that dead fish are dead fish and recreational anglers kill more fish than commercials. Of course commercials kill a lot more fish per angler than the recs but then the nonfishing public benefits so who is "right"? I don't claim to know. Likewise, you have got me confused.
On one hand you paint yourself as a mighty chief of bass killers and relish flaunting that in the face of those less well endowed, then you turn around and paint yourself as a conservationist, altruist, philanthropist, and true friend of all God's small creatures (other than bunker).
All I can say is that I'm sure you are a good fisherman, smart guy, and interesting person. Best of luck in your tournament.

[jmac]

I have been a commercial rod and reel fisherman since 1972. I have held licenses in RI and MA since licensing was instituted in both states. I file income taxes on all sales of fish. As an aside, I fish recreationally for stripers when they can’t be sold (with a fly rod/light bait-casting I might add). I care deeply for the welfare of ALL fish. I participated in all the striped bass discussion/ forums, etc., in the early 80’s that led to the current regulations promulgated by the AFMSC.
The commercial striped bass fishery has been held to a fixed cap (poundage allowed) for at least 8 or 9 years; it has not increased and is monitored factually. The recreational catch has increased exponentially during that period. People whose job it is to monitor/ regulate the fishery are well aware of that. In MY view, there are several reasons for the recreational increase. Other fish aren’t as “glamorous”, i.e., bluefish, scup, tautog, etc. Another factor, striped bass are a great tasting fish.
In the 70’s, most people I knew were selling bass…..a lot of people did, so they could support their boats, slips, and fondness for fishing. Nowadays, I know few people who fish commercially in both states (they’re just aren’t that many, i.e., licensing procedures, socio-economics, etc). Back then, bluefish, weakfish, tautog, fluke, winter flounder, cod, Pollack, took up the slack. Most of the charter boat industry was trolling rag mops and umbrella rigs for bluefish, chunking for tuna…rarely was the day that the bulk of the charter industry was targeting bass. There were a few at the Rip at Block, the Race in LI Sound, and probably a more dedicated fleet at the Pigs, Chatham, etc.
Nowadays, because the striped bass fishery is in such better shape than it was in the 70, 80’s, more and more recreational fisherman dedicate their effort towards them. Look at spots like SW Point, Ledge, Block Island on a weekend…or Valiant Rock in LI Sound, or Montauk. The East Coast charter industry has dedicated most of their efforts on striped bass…again, take a look at the SW side of Block, Montauk, the Race ( also the proliferation of small boat chartering in inshore bays and sound), Peaked Hill in P-Town, Monomoy…The pressure on striped bass is far greater than anything I saw “back in the old days”….I don’t have any problem with this, the fishery is a resource for ALL fishermen…just don’t blame the commercial rod and reel fisherman (as in MA) for all that is wrong with striped bass. In my eyes, the current situation looks like a ”fish grab” by a certain segment of the fishing community.
I do not see the catastrophic shortage of bass that is discussed in this and other threads….granted, ups and downs in the total biomass are part of the overall fishery. I see a lot of small bass in the early spring in Narragansett Bay (light tackle) and also with pogies during the commercial RI season (in Narragansett Bay). While fishing in MA, I caught a large amount of undersize (commercial limit) bass during the season. If anything, the problem for me and others was the difficulty in finding bait (menhaden).
What baffles me is the utmost disdain that a certain fragment of the recreational sector has for the commercial striped bass fisherman (and sometimes ALL commercial fishermen). Most fishermen I know do it part-time to support their income…just as the part-time carpenter, plumber, landscaper, tax preparer, etc. do, to support their way of life. That is how our capitalistic system works. Also, those who call for half their income come from commercial fishing, would be putting the bulk of the commercial fisherman out of business.
I hate to be long winded, but I had to offer my take on this issue. I did my part for conservation in the early 80’s when the moratorium was in effect (as ALL of us did)- because of that and because we now have laws and commissions which oversee the fishery, we have reached this point where there is a free for all over who gets the biggest share of the pie. All this, because of a well-managed fishery ,that was brought back from near disaster.

-jmac

[jmac]

I have been a commercial rod and reel fisherman since 1972. I have held licenses in RI and MA since licensing was instituted in both states. I file income taxes on all sales of fish. As an aside, I fish recreationally for stripers when they can’t be sold (with a fly rod/light bait-casting I might add). I care deeply for the welfare of ALL fish. I participated in all the striped bass discussion/ forums, etc., in the early 80’s that led to the current regulations promulgated by the AFMSC.
The commercial striped bass fishery has been held to a fixed cap (poundage allowed) for at least 8 or 9 years; it has not increased and is monitored factually. The recreational catch has increased exponentially during that period. People whose job it is to monitor/ regulate the fishery are well aware of that. In MY view, there are several reasons for the recreational increase. Other fish aren’t as “glamorous”, i.e., bluefish, scup, tautog, etc. Another factor, striped bass are a great tasting fish.
In the 70’s, most people I knew were selling bass…..a lot of people did, so they could support their boats, slips, and fondness for fishing. Nowadays, I know few people who fish commercially in both states (they’re just aren’t that many, i.e., licensing procedures, socio-economics, etc). Back then, bluefish, weakfish, tautog, fluke, winter flounder, cod, Pollack, took up the slack. Most of the charter boat industry was trolling rag mops and umbrella rigs for bluefish, chunking for tuna…rarely was the day that the bulk of the charter industry was targeting bass. There were a few at the Rip at Block, the Race in LI Sound, and probably a more dedicated fleet at the Pigs, Chatham, etc.
Nowadays, because the striped bass fishery is in such better shape than it was in the 70, 80’s, more and more recreational fisherman dedicate their effort towards them. Look at spots like SW Point, Ledge, Block Island on a weekend…or Valiant Rock in LI Sound, or Montauk. The East Coast charter industry has dedicated most of their efforts on striped bass…again, take a look at the SW side of Block, Montauk, the Race ( also the proliferation of small boat chartering in inshore bays and sound), Peaked Hill in P-Town, Monomoy…The pressure on striped bass is far greater than anything I saw “back in the old days”….I don’t have any problem with this, the fishery is a resource for ALL fishermen…just don’t blame the commercial rod and reel fisherman (as in MA) for all that is wrong with striped bass. In my eyes, the current situation looks like a ”fish grab” by a certain segment of the fishing community.
I do not see the catastrophic shortage of bass that is discussed in this and other threads….granted, ups and downs in the total biomass are part of the overall fishery. I see a lot of small bass in the early spring in Narragansett Bay (light tackle) and also with pogies during the commercial RI season (in Narragansett Bay). While fishing in MA, I caught a large amount of undersize (commercial limit) bass during the season. If anything, the problem for me and others was the difficulty in finding bait (menhaden).
What baffles me is the utmost disdain that a certain fragment of the recreational sector has for the commercial striped bass fisherman (and sometimes ALL commercial fishermen). Most fishermen I know do it part-time to support their income…just as the part-time carpenter, plumber, landscaper, tax preparer, etc. do, to support their way of life. That is how our capitalistic system works. Also, those who call for half their income come from commercial fishing, would be putting the bulk of the commercial fisherman out of business.
I hate to be long winded, but I had to offer my take on this issue. I did my part for conservation in the early 80’s when the moratorium was in effect (as ALL of us did)- because of that and because we now have laws and commissions which oversee the fishery, we have reached this point where there is a free for all over who gets the biggest share of the pie. All this, because of a well-managed fishery ,that was brought back from near disaster.


-jmac

[RIROCKHOUND]

Originally Posted by Doublerunner

Menhaden is a huge industry. Ever seen the ocean bottom before and after seining? it goes from a robust living city to a desert....like an atom bomb wiped it out. With no structure and weeds the baitfish do not return and without baitfish no predators return.

Menhaden also gobble up a lot of the pollutants in the ocean. I believe it's a huge problem and one that should be banned

Up the limit on pre-spawn and wintering fish....no. Should be banned

It's an F'ing slot b/c w/ bass I haven't seen a study that really shows it is the best thing.
Just up the size back to 36" and there will be less fish killed, which is the goal, right?

You are confusing seining and dragging. In my other life I worked in a small part of a study on the impacts of gear to the bottom, and you're right in some bottom types it is very detrimental. that's dragging, though, not seining.

The ocean pollutant argument was bad science RISAA tried to pass off. If people read the menhaden symposium report, THE pogy experts talked and put most of those claims to rest. very interesting conference a year or so ago.

I meant make the limit tighter on pre-spawn fish, not more allowed to be caught.

[Pete F.]

The part that I don't understand about commercial fisheries management is how trawling is regulated and the effect of bycatch on the fisheries. This seems like it has way more impact and is far less visible than any of the other methods of commercial fishing. Some frieds kid spent a year or two as a fisheries observer and said that the waste was incredible. What that means in the big picture I don't know.

[numbskull]

Just to stir the pot, most recreational fishermen struggle to catch a 36" fish.....many have never even seen a 36" fish. Letting a casual fisherman have a realistic chance to take home a fish to feed and poison his family with is every bit as valid a management goal as lining the pockets of the guys who sell lots of 40 lb fish to feed and poison the public. Granted, it would mean implementation of a recreational season to control catch numbers.....but what good is an open season to a guy who only catches 26" fish? I'm not advocating it, but what is the rational against it?

[RIROCKHOUND]

Originally Posted by numbskull

Just to stir the pot, most recreational fishermen struggle to catch a 36" fish.....many have never even seen a 36" fish. Letting a casual fisherman have a realistic chance to take home a fish to feed and poison his family with is every bit as valid a management goal as lining the pockets of the guys who sell lots of 40 lb fish to feed and poison the public. Granted, it would mean implementation of a recreational season to control catch numbers.....but what good is an open season to a guy who only catches 26" fish? I'm not advocating it, but what is the rational against it?

Numby:
my argument is the fish are that much older (8" = 4 years if memory serves) so that's 4 more spawns before they can be taken out of the spawning biomass... make it 36" rec and commercial....

[numbskull]

Originally Posted by jmac

All this, because of a well-managed fishery ,that was brought back from near disaster.
-jmac

Jmac, your post is a reasonable and good one but it presupposes that the fishery is in fact "well-managed". Right or wrong, the people pushing this bill do not agree that is the case and fear another collapse unless something changes. Forcing the ASMFC to change priorities is what they are after. Throwing commercial fisherman under the bus to get it is the best way they see of accomplishing that change. It is much more (I think) about getting rid of MA's commercial bias in their representation to the ASMFC (and thereby changing the balance of the whole board) than a "resource grab". The people I know who are active in SF (and probably the membership in general) are not interested in keeping fish.....their goal is MORE fish. Selfish? Yup, but not in the way most commercial voices paint it. If the commercial lobby could agree that more fish for everyone is a good goal I suspect the bill/issue would disappear.

As for your point about people hating all commercial fishing in general, I think again you are mistaken. Most people like to buy and eat fish. It is the mismanagement of the fisheries (based on short term commercial profit) that results in long term stock collapses and high cost that people resent.

[numbskull]

Originally Posted by RIROCKHOUND

Numby:
my argument is the fish are that much older (8" = 4 years if memory serves) so that's 4 more spawns before they can be taken out of the spawning biomass... make it 36" rec and commercial....

I suspect it would help greatly by reducing the recreational catch, but probably less so with the commercial catch. Now if they created a commercial/recreational slot limit, say 34-42", then I could see it.

From my perspective, I feel the large female bass are too valuable as breeders, carriers of genetic traits for size, and important to the quality of the recreational fishery to be eaten. But surely that is because that works for me (I like letting them go more than eating them). If my family and I liked bass, probably I'd see it differently. If I needed to earn extra money from fishing I'd see it differently as well.

[MikeToole]

Does everyone here understand that in Maryland and Virginia the size limits for recreational stripers is 18-28", two fish a day most of the season. They do limit the taking of large fish using seasons and limit of one fish a day. Just think how many small fish are being kept in these two prime striper states.

The main justification for the slot limit is to use more of the male fish resource.

Now that a license system is being put in place I would like to see a tag system, something like the one used for deer in many states. When you buy your license you get 5 tags that allow you to keep five fish over 36". Then the daily limit would be one fish a day 26-32" or the one tagged fish. You would need to put the tag on the fish immediately in a way that destroys the tag for a second use.

[JohnR]

Originally Posted by MikeToole

Now that a license system is being put in place I would like to see a tag system, something like the one used for deer in many states. When you buy your license you get 5 tags that allow you to keep five fish over 36". Then the daily limit would be one fish a day 26-32" or the one tagged fish. You would need to put the tag on the fish immediately in a way that destroys the tag for a second use.

I don't think that could be implemented. Too impractical. Too many people would ignore or just not get trained.

[trapperpierre]

......and...... a major reduction of the recreational catch would drastically reduce the amount of fish (striped bass) killed....furthermore, when I proposed the creation of a "new" fishing user group of the the striped bass pie at ASMFC meetings a number of years back...a new sector"Charter Commercial"(by the way a huge group-as indicated by JMac and Cow Hunter that kill numerous fish in large numbers)-the huge charter boat lobby did not approve......it is so obivous .......the recreational and "charter commercials" are decimating the stripers......just open one's eyes...take a look at the nearly 24 7 hit on the stripers taking place along the East Coast..........these sectors are out of control..remember the commercial cap has been frozen for years........the recreational/charter commercial catch have skyrocketed to new heights......and let us all user groups share the resource.........and....the resource grab that is circulating....is in total disgregard for multiple use wise use of the striped bass resource.........everyone involved should be concerned that this excessive disharmony among striped bass resource users...is perfect cannon fodder for extremist enviro groups............we careful, the doors that might open will slap all striped bass fisherman in the face...........share the resource..don't sqauander it................................................ .....................................

[Doublerunner]

It's time to put Omega protein and others like them out of business. They purse seine off shore and of course they are taking all the Menhaden to make millions of dollars off of. As they work in groups with their huge nets they take in all sorts of other fish...like stripers...that are feeding on the menhaden. The stripers get crushed under the weight of tons and tons of menhaden and die. The dead fish are tossed back in the ocean as a by product of the menhaden catch

We need to send letters and emails to our state's legislators to get this practice to stop.

[CowHunter]

Trapperpierre, You are correct Charter / Guide / Headboats do not have their catch reported and they should be on a seperate category or under recreational with a reporting system that is documenented. I am a charter Guide and it is recs that I take out. I think that number should be knocked down to one fish at 36" per person. I know that stripersforever has no clue what the catch is, none whatsover. They do make sure they know the Comm catch...
MikeToole, I am very aware that MD, and VA have a slot limit, mentioned that VA has one in one of the posts, and NJ used to. Do you have an idea how many shore fisherman have acces to em??They keep the bay open in the fall for basically November and december, got 6 weeks to get em BY BOAT then they shut down the entire chesapeake bay til May, alot of fish are up north by then. MD is a bit different. Its open now in VA, your allowed one slot and one over 28". (The ocean fish you are allowed 2 at 28") Slots kill way more fish, way more, the tonage doesnt change the amount of fish do. Numbskull would get his wish and way more people than now, The average Joe, would be killing these fish like they did here in NJ, its a big mistake.
Guys attack me as a mass commercial guy, I just see things from all views because I do charters, and fish recreationally. I see what goes on up and down the coast and Im saying what I thing is going on and what I think is wrong. No Offense DOUBLERUNNER, but I fished the Surf up and down the coast and pulled fish off the Surf in every state from Maine to NJ, I put in way more time then you ever did. You cant learn at your club and books what you can learn from experience.
There are extreme views for rec guys, such as STRIPERSFOREVER, which clearly state to ban all commercial Harvesting for striped bass. Shame on them! On the other end of the Spectrum we have the diehard commercials who wants to kill everything in the ocean by any means necesarry and Sell it! You just have to have a balance, These extreme views are WRONG.
Makai stated this thread is all about money.... Well Yeah...Am I so different from Pete G - Saltwaters Edge??? Who profits from mostly rec guys with some comms Im sure...How would he react if they were closing down the shoreline / waters of newport, prohibiting targeting of striped bass??? How many surf guys would be up in arms? Alot of people make money off striped bass, plug builders, book writers, tackle shop owners, the list goes on and on. Some are fortunate to go out and just have fun..

Water must be getting to me....Ill stop rambling...I fish striped bass from March through January...

[Canalman]

The thing I don't get, is why do you need to supplement your salary with commercial fishing? There are plenty of legit commerical fishermen out there who rely on the ocean to provide for their families. And they can't fall back on writing speeding tickets if they need a push, so why should you be able to sell their fish?

If all states made it necessary to provide proof that commercial fishing made up more than %50 their income, this debate would be moot.

-Dave

[Doublerunner]

I do agree that the rec needs to do their share as well. Thinks about this....if commercial is banned completely how many of those guys will make up for it with charter businesses? And if those are not regulated then it could be worse.

I think some of the wording can be mis-leading to some. A lot of people think when you use the term "rec" fisherman all they think of is the guy taking his kid and fishing from the shore. All the party boats and charter boats are considered rec as well. So separate classifications may be needed to spell it out a bit more specifically.

But regardless of that, as I have stated from the beginning, we all need to do our part. This should not all come off the backs of the commercial guys and I think if the commercial guys worked together with the "on shore" rec guys then we could also limit what the "boat" recs take in

Also, by establishing the license registry and more people having to pay to fish the monies raised should go to more enforcement.

And we really need to get rid of the netting of menhaden. This is a huge problem and if we can't eliminate it then there should be tighter restrictions on amounts and also how they are caught so that there is no by-product kill offs and/or damage to the oceans eco-system

[Doublerunner]

from another forum

You have some really nice fish up there...and about this time of year they migrate down towards us, here in Virginia, thankfully for you most of them stay miles and miles offshore safe from my treble hooks...however...


This picture was taken 9-11 miles offshore, approximately 13-19 vessels and their tenders were in the process of harvesting tens of thousands of pounds of striper forage...


Quote:

I witnessed a rape!
Today, me and Tim did a little bit of work at the boat and decided to take her out and stretch her legs for a minute. For about the past two weeks, there has been a very large area of menhaden, stripers, and blues out off Virginia Beach. Me and Tim figured that since we were out anyways, we might as well see if we can C&R some blues and stripers on light tackle- with blues being our primary target.
When they first showed up, they were 25 or so miles out. The large schools have been inching their way closer and closer to legal fishing grounds since their arrival from the north and I would have expected to see stripers and blues in legal waters this weekend, IF I hadnt seen what I saw today.
This photo does not do it justice. 7-9 miles straight out of Rudee there was the entire omega fleet RAPING the ocean. The entire horizon was loaded with net boats. I counted somewhere between 13 and 17 of the big boats and a whole bunch more of the tenders. Spread over about two miles, nothing was safe. Thousands of birds feeding and so much death in the water that four miles downcurrent, there was still a scumline of menhaden slime on the water.
I will bet that our school of stripers and blues, which days ago were so thick you couldnt keep a bait in the water, will be gone- and I think you can probably imagine where they went.
Why is this legal?
Thanks again Omega. You suck.
Omega is slaughtering them...they feed on our offshore schools of menhaden and end up trapped in miles of purse seines and end up being crushed and suffocated under millions of pounds of menhaden in OMEGA PROTEINS nets, then released dead to sink to the bottom after OMEGA has suctioned out all the menhaden from their nets... PISSED OFF? SO ARE WE...CONTACT YOUR CONGRESSMAN/SENATOR...put pressure on Virginias Legislature to shut down OMEGA PROTEIN and cease this raping...