Article on Stripers Forever plan to make striped bass a game fish

[Fisherwoman]

JohnnyD< not disagreeing that some people may not report, but if they get caught not turning in reports every month, they get a notice on non-compliance, which will revoke their permits. So they have to at least report something, if they get boarded, they better have all their permits in check as i have been boarded several time and they have gone thru to make sure they have it all in check.

As far as fish getting skinnier and that being the cause, way off base, the bass we have caught over the past 5-6 years have been healthier and heavier than any bass we have seen in a long time, weight VS lenght by far,and that is because of the pogies which are finally getting up this far north as they are the most nutrishes meal a bass can have.

Reports around Boston have nothing to do with overfishing, the fish need food and when it is removed the bass will go elsewhere to find it. There are more sand eels than ever that surround the race, and it is one forage of species we just don't get alot of in the harbor, that is why alot of bass get caught at the race and is why the bass where on the bank last year, there was a TON of sand eels to eat.

ONe fact you can not argue about is if the gillnetters had not come in last year and netted all the pogies up in the inside of Boston harbor as well as north harbors from Boston We would have had a much better season a great fall run no doubt about it.

As far as commerical catch only being by weight, an average 34 inch fish will go around 15 lbs to a max of 18 lbs and yes they are breeding fish, but the issue with fish right now is not the bigger bass my friend it is the smaller bass that are coming up short. So how can you blame a commercial guy for that!!! Yes they are breeder fish but at least they have had a chance to bread unlike a recreational fish at 28 inches.

Yes Seals need to be delbt with but in the harbor you can count on 1 hand how many seals are around, unlike the cape.

[JohnnyD]

Originally Posted by Fisherwoman

JohnnyD< not disagreeing that some people may not report, but if they get caught not turning in reports every month, they get a notice on non-compliance, which will revoke their permits. So they have to at least report something, if they get boarded, they better have all their permits in check as i have been boarded several time and they have gone thru to make sure they have it all in check.

Exactly my point. They just have to report *something*. There isn't any practical method for oversight to confirm accurate reporting. Thus, there's nothing preventing people from reporting 4 fish kept and 8 released when really the boat maxed out.

As far as fish getting skinnier and that being the cause, way off base, the bass we have caught over the past 5-6 years have been healthier and heavier than any bass we have seen in a long time, weight VS lenght by far,and that is because of the pogies which are finally getting up this far north as they are the most nutrishes meal a bass can have.

The above is the biggest issue with the "Fisherman's argument" and can be seen throughout the boards. The whole argument of "Well that's not my experience so it isn't the case." Personally, I caught my first 30# this year, and multiple 30# fish and they were all very fat. On the other hand, a lot of people I've talked to have said they are catching more and more racers. My understanding is that the old adage used to be "50 gets you 50" and I've talked to a few people that have landed 50"+ fish that didn't come close to 50#.

ONe fact you can not argue about is if the gillnetters had not come in last year and netted all the pogies up in the inside of Boston harbor as well as north harbors from Boston We would have had a much better season a great fall run no doubt about it.

Certainly wouldn't argue that the netters are destroying schools and issues with bait are probably the second biggest risk to the striped bass.

As far as commerical catch only being by weight, an average 34 inch fish will go around 15 lbs to a max of 18 lbs and yes they are breeding fish, but the issue with fish right now is not the bigger bass my friend it is the smaller bass that are coming up short. So how can you blame a commercial guy for that!!! Yes they are breeder fish but at least they have had a chance to bread unlike a recreational fish at 28 inches.

Yes Seals need to be delbt with but in the harbor you can count on 1 hand how many seals are around, unlike the cape.

How is the issue with smaller fish? According to the latest reports, the biomass of smaller fish is increasing.

I don't buy the "at least they've had a chance to breed" argument. The latest stock assessment has demonstrated that the biomass of fish over 8 years old is way down. How could that be? Because the biggest, healthiest fish are the ones being targeted. The latest assessment reports are also showing that the commercial take could be very understated. So, the commercial take is over 50% and commercials tend to target the biggest, healthiest fish. Seems like a good cause for the biomass of 8+ year old fish to be going down.

There's also no denying that as you target bigger fish, you're killing a significantly higher percentage of breeder females.

[Mr. Sandman]

This is why the gamefish deal is the best way to go...it cuts thru all the BS and PROTECTS what needs protecting...the fish. Without added enforcement! The best thing we could do is take DMF ( and MSBA) out of the loop.... IMO They have been part of the problem not the solution. The only thing they are protecting is the status quo. At least C&R do little harm to the resource but still put a billion into the economy to catch and release them. As a group, Comm's have never shown much in the way of conservation for bass ever yet are the most vocal group and have the most influence over regulators.

It is largely a C&R fishery now. Even on Charter boats. I don't see many boats making 2 trips a day 6 days a week taking limits...haven't seen that in many years. Current reports are already suggesting that comm take / rec take was badly estimated.

Regardless of "who's at fault"...WHY ARE WE NOT PROTECTING THE FISH TODAY? Lets stop protecting the fishermen and protect the fish.

I don't care who's fault it is, we need to take ALL pressure off the fish, NOW, , improve the forage, habitat and water quality. End of story. Lets end this "user group" crap and who has the "right" to take the fish, it is sickening.

[Fisherwoman]

JonhnyD, not trying to argue the points with you. WE can all look at things in a different way depending on who we fish with, and, where we fish, and who catches what.

I do not think it is worthwhile for charter captains to falsify reports as there is no limit on what they catch EXCEPT for how many people are on board and yes I agree some of them probably are falsely reporting. Which is just as bad as people killing short fish or people taking more fish that 2 a piece, as well as commercials taking more than they are allowed.

I, like you, do not agree with it and do not do it. But there are a good percentage of charter guys out there that do do the right thing as well as recreational fisherman, because we love what we do and want it to be here for our children.

As far as the racer fish, not sure if you boat fish or only shore fish, but in all of my years of fishing for striped bass, shore and boat, I have never seen them more healthy than we are seeing them in the past several years. That is of course if there is nothing wrong with the fish. ie we had one big bass probably 47 inches weigh in around 28 lbs because a seal took a chunk out of her. But having those big baits around has made them alot bigger and healthier than they used to be between gloucester and the cape.

The little fish may be up some where but not in our area, and I am referring to gloucester to the Cape. We used to have very few big bass around and only smaller fish, up to maybe 40 inches. But mostly schoolie bass. All we did when we first started chartering was light tackle as the fish we all over the surface every day, all you had to do was look for the birds and splashing fish and you were all set.

That has changed from Boston harbor over the past 5-6 years and I hear it alot from all the recreational anglers as well, I have seen the whole fleet of light tackle charter guys in Boston Harbor have to change their fishing ways to tube and worm or try and snag live bait because they can not find those fish anymore.

We fish the cape in the spring when the 1st fish start to show and fish down there for about a month, the numbers of small fish showing up are way off!!!
You used to be able to go down there and some days catch a 100 fish a piece on light tacke and barbed hooked shads, now you do not even come close to those numbers, WHY.

I can not argue for other places where people are seeing diffent things in the fisheries because I do not fish those areas, I am just going by what we and alot of other friends of ours have experienced for years. Just like you say you hear alot of the bass are racers or that is what you have heard!!!

Where do the numbers come from for the science of Biomass, from the Chesapeak bay area??? I know they do counts there every year.
But where else are they counting all the little fish. Do you know? because I do not!!! I just hear about the numbers not how they came about them so how do any of us know what is true and what is not true just because someone says it is, especially when politics are involved in the desicions of who gets what.

One of the biggest problems we have with the fishery are lack of forage and lack of the same size and bag limits down the whole east coast. As well as BYCATCH not being COUNTED!!!

Yes JohnnyD, I agree with alot of your points as well I am just telling they way I have seen if for a very long time thats all.

[l.i.fish.in.vt]

Captmike,who says seals don't target fish over 2 pounds?maybe the seals i see with 15 to 20 lb bass in there mouths are only playing with them.i can't tell you how many 5 to 10lb bluefish i have lost to seals in the last 5 years.not to mention bigger bass.

[JohnnyD]

Originally Posted by l.i.fish.in.vt

Captmike,who says seals don't target fish over 2 pounds?maybe the seals i see with 15 to 20 lb bass in there mouths are only playing with them.i can't tell you how many 5 to 10lb bluefish i have lost to seals in the last 5 years.not to mention bigger bass.

There's a reason seals follow fishermen up and down the beach.

Also, regardless of the seals targeting the bass or not, those super-colonies like on Monomoy eat hundreds of tons of baitfish every day. As such, hundreds of tons of prey that isn't available for stripers and bluefish.