I am SOTS: MAKE STRIPED BASS A GAMEFISH!

[RIJIMMY]

If my 2010 season is any indication of the health of striped-bass, they are extinct.

[nightfighter]

Have to say there are more fish around my parts at this time than have been in past years. Been showing on top for the past four or five weeks, pretty regularly. And while not thirty or forties, a good mix of young to low twenty pound fish. And this is before we've even seen the pogies arrive. It is about the bait. They're on young herring and macks.

I agree with you about the restaurant though. Just be able to tell me what you are serving........

[Mike P]

Why stop there--let's make striped bass a catch and release only species, the way some trout steams have only C&R regs. Let's eliminate tournaments. And the EPOs won't have to tape every fish they see being carried off the waters. After all we kill at least 5 times the number of bass (estimated because there are no catch reports filed or accurate records kept) than the commercials do.

Seems to me the answer is clear cut---6 million documented pounds versus an estimated 28 million pounds, season after season. Who's the bigger threat to the fishery?

You really want to take the price off the heads of the fish--and ego boosting is a cost that they pay--do the right thing.

Yes, it's intended to be over the top sarcasm--but why not? All Gamefish will do is reserve more of a species to our death warrants.

If you guys really believe that the fishery is in decline--let's eliminate the biggest threat to them---us.

[afterhours]

mike, some of us believe there there should be no comm fishing AND cut the rec take in half. using your numbers this would reduce total take from 34m down to 14m...betcha that would help the fishery.

[Nebe]

sounds good to me.

[piemma]

Originally Posted by RIJIMMY

If my 2010 season is any indication of the health of striped-bass, they are extinct.

Well, now I know how you did yesterday.

RIJimmy and I were on Narr Bay yesterday. 2 boats, outfitted correctly. 2 guys, years of experience, overcast, live bunker and an incoming tide. ZERO fish!!

I love this Board. I love the guys on it. Unless something is done SOON, it will be the 1980s all over again and S-B.com will have no Stripers to talk about.

I am telling you I lived through the 0 Bass days and the moritorium. You guys will not enjoy it and this is EXACTLY the way it started.:

[BigFish]

I have never liked the 2 @ 28" per day here in Mass! 1 fish a day is enough for any recreational fisherman.....heck 1 a week is enough!

[RIJIMMY]

Originally Posted by piemma

Well, now I know how you did yesterday.

RIJimmy and I were on Narr Bay yesterday. 2 boats, outfitted correctly. 2 guys, years of experience, overcast, live bunker and an incoming tide. ZERO fish!!

I love this Board. I love the guys on it. Unless something is done SOON, it will be the 1980s all over again and S-B.com will have no Stripers to talk about.

I am telling you I lived through the 0 Bass days and the moritorium. You guys will not enjoy it and this is EXACTLY the way it started.:

zero fish my arse, while fluking later in the day I foul hooked a scup! I am a master!

[scottw]

Originally Posted by piemma

I love this Board. I love the guys on it. Unless something is done SOON, it will be the 1980s all over again and S-B.com will have no Stripers to talk about.

:

I hope you released it

[SAUERKRAUT]

Incidentally, I started this Thread being P.O.'d coming out of the Falmouth Grile restaurant here in Falmouth where they were illegally engaging in the commerce of serving "fresh, local waters, wild caught, striped bass", and I reported this to the DNR. So far, the DNR locally has rec'd no communication, notice or action followup on my complaint. How absolutely typical and predictable!

This is just great. Now, I risk the poisoning of my 90 year old wheelchair bound mother or myself when we return (it's Mom's favorite spot).