MSBA's role in Striper Hearings?.....and a proposal.

[numbskull]

Along the same lines, it strikes me that NOAA or MA also now has the ability to survey recreational fishermen during the license renewal/license survey process. Rather then these inane theoretical questions on the current survey, why not ask things like,

What 3 species are your primary targets?
What do you estimate you spend on fishing each year?
Do you also hold any commercial permits?
Would you support a reduced limits if any quota reduction was conservation directed coast wide?

Seems to me this sort of information is crucial to making better management decisions.

[fishsmith]

Striped bass catch limit bills draw crowds, encounter resistance - Rockport, MA - Wicked Local Rockport


I don't favor stripers being designated a game fish, and agree with the words of this charter captain.

Peter Kelly, a charter captain from Marion, said he has been fishing in Massachusetts waters for more than 45 years. He theorized that the warmer water in the past few years was driving more fish further off the coast. That is why recreational fishermen, who cannot afford to fuel boats to go further out, may be seeing less fish, he said.

“As fuel keeps going up, recreational catches are going to keep going down,” Kelly said.

[Alhbg]

Originally Posted by fishsmith

Striped bass catch limit bills draw crowds, encounter resistance - Rockport, MA - Wicked Local Rockport


I don't favor stripers being designated a game fish, and agree with the words of this charter captain.

Peter Kelly, a charter captain from Marion, said he has been fishing in Massachusetts waters for more than 45 years. He theorized that the warmer water in the past few years was driving more fish further off the coast. That is why recreational fishermen, who cannot afford to fuel boats to go further out, may be seeing less fish, he said.

“As fuel keeps going up, recreational catches are going to keep going down,” Kelly said.

I thought fishing for stripers in the EEZ was illegal.

[numbskull]

Originally Posted by Alhbg

I thought fishing for stripers in the EEZ was illegal.

Most of the fish caught in MA this year came from a single school off Chatham that hung 1/2 to 3 miles out.

As for global warming being the culprit, I'd think Maine and NH would be the beneficiary but that is not happening.

It doesn't really matter, however, this thread is not about what is happening to the fish, it is about what MSBA could or should do in order to speak more accurately for all the recreational fishermen in the state if that is in fact how they have represented themselves. Again, as a club they have an ideal opportunity to survey recreational fishermen on this hot topic issue (as admission tickets are turned in) and doing so certainly would be helpful to clarifying just exactly how recreational fishermen really do feel.

It is so simple to do, why not do it?

[JohnnyD]

Originally Posted by fishsmith

I don't favor stripers being designated a game fish, and agree with the words of this charter captain.

Peter Kelly, a charter captain from Marion, said he has been fishing in Massachusetts waters for more than 45 years. He theorized that the warmer water in the past few years was driving more fish further off the coast. That is why recreational fishermen, who cannot afford to fuel boats to go further out, may be seeing less fish, he said.

“As fuel keeps going up, recreational catches are going to keep going down,” Kelly said.

Sounds like just another unsupported claim. Tens of thousands of square miles of ocean, one person's or a few people's experience isn't valid.

It's like looking at the stars through a pinhole in a piece of paper and claiming that you can make valid estimates about the cosmos based on that pinhole view.

[fishsmith]

Originally Posted by JohnnyD

It's like looking at the stars through a pinhole in a piece of paper and claiming that you can make valid estimates about the cosmos based on that pinhole view.

We all have our opinions. I second the belief that the fish have moved offshore based on my own experience, and if my opinion is a pinhole in a piece of paper, so be it. but my pinhole view is becuase I've focused more on tuna fishing fishing than bass fishing. While dropping butterfly's or sluggos looking for tuna on many days has led to bass on every drop. If using live pogies on these same days, it's torture, what would normally be a 'best day ever' landing 30+lb bass is disappointing because your $5 pogie is not getting hit by a BFT and you're landing bass on 50wt gear.

Counting fish is no where near accurate, if it was, why was there a moratorium on dogfishing (another topic, but I think those things are big reason for poor cod stocks)? Dogs can regularly be seen finning on top from p-town to cape ann.

[JohnnyD]

Originally Posted by fishsmith

Counting fish is no where near accurate, if it was, why was there a moratorium on dogfishing (another topic, but I think those things are big reason for poor cod stocks)? Dogs can regularly be seen finning on top from p-town to cape ann.

If counting fish is no where near accurate, then how can anecdotal stories of a few people that saw a lot of bass be any more valid?

[fishsmith]

Originally Posted by JohnnyD

If counting fish is no where near accurate, then how can anecdotal stories of a few people that saw a lot of bass be any more valid?

Good we agree.

Let's work on that world peace issue next.

Fisherman for Romney in 2012

[big jay]

Originally Posted by JohnnyD

If counting fish is no where near accurate, then how can anecdotal stories of a few people that saw a lot of bass be any more valid?

Anecdotal stories and innuendo is the only thing you've brought to table for the last 2 weeks of this conversation.

I guess that's
only allowed if the person agrees with you.
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

[JohnnyD]

Originally Posted by big jay

Anecdotal stories and innuendo is the only thing you've brought to table for the last 2 weeks of this conversation.

I guess that's
only allowed if the person agrees with you.
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

The last two weeks? Mostly.

Before that? I've brought up the pathetic YOY numbers relative to the spawning stock size, the very significant risk that Myco is creating with 70+% of the bass in the Chesapeake, the close relationship between widespread reports before the last crash and recent seasons, the widespread slaughter of big bass in the EEZ down south, not to mention the blatant poaching that's met with a slap on the wrist... not much innuendo in any of those points.

Yet the counterargument to any of the above by those blinded by dollars is "there was a huge school off Chatham all season" or "from what I saw, the bass are fine" or my favorite "well that one survey shows that the bass stocks haven't reached critical levels yet."

[MikeToole]

Originally Posted by fishsmith;924086I don't favor stripers being designated a game fish, and agree with the words of this charter captain.

[I

Peter Kelly, a charter captain from Marion, said he has been fishing in Massachusetts waters for more than 45 years. He theorized that the warmer water in the past few years was driving more fish further off the coast. That is why recreational fishermen, who cannot afford to fuel boats to go further out, may be seeing less fish, he said.

.[/I]

If the stripers are looking for cooler water filled with bait why aren't we seeing more up here in NH and Maine. Also how come many of the recreatonal fisherman up here are switching to ground fish. Remember there running normally out 20 miles so gas isn't that big an issue.

Thanks to just about no blue fish and a lot less stripers we've had tons of macks, sandeels, silver side and in the fall sea herring.

[fishsmith]

Originally Posted by MikeToole

If the stripers are looking for cooler water filled with bait why aren't we seeing more up here in NH and Maine. Also how come many of the recreatonal fisherman up here are switching to ground fish. Remember there running normally out 20 miles so gas isn't that big an issue.

Thanks to just about no blue fish and a lot less stripers we've had tons of macks, sandeels, silver side and in the fall sea herring.

Maybe that water is to cold ???

Those macks are great for tuna, until the stipers return, I'd shift gears and hang them under a kite for the bigguns.

Good luck and tight lines