i'm done and not just for this season

[Mike P]

Originally Posted by zimmy

You think he should judge his perspective on the status of the fishery based on a 7 mile stretch of water on a select number of days? I think we went down a similar road 30 years ago.

Closer to 40, now.

[SAUERKRAUT]

Originally Posted by zimmy

You think he should judge his perspective on the status of the fishery based on a 7 mile stretch of water on a select number of days? I think we went down a similar road 30 years ago.

I will add my "miles stretch of water and a select number of days", to the consensus that this fishery is stressed and over harvested, at a minimum.

Furthermore, I bet a thousand other hard and experienced fishermen could add their water, and their "select number of days" to the consensus.

May I offer that the MV Derby is probably an unwilling contributer to the consensus also:
1. Largest beach bass for the Derby to 10/10/17: 29 lbs. Are you
kidding?
2. Largest daily beach bass for yesterday, 10/10/17: 13 lbs. Are you
kidding?

This fishery needs to be managed as a sport fishery...NOT as a commercial fishery. When is the MV Derby going to eliminate the "kill" Daily Prize for striped bass?

[piemma]

Originally Posted by SAUERKRAUT

I will add my "miles stretch of water and a select number of days", to the consensus that this fishery is stressed and over harvested, at a minimum.

Furthermore, I bet a thousand other hard and experienced fishermen could add their water, and their "select number of days" to the consensus.

May I offer that the MV Derby is probably an unwilling contributer to the consensus also:
1. Largest beach bass for the Derby to 10/10/17: 29 lbs. Are you
kidding?
2. Largest daily beach bass for yesterday, 10/10/17: 13 lbs. Are
kidding?

This fishery needs to be managed as a sport fishery...NOT as a commercial fishery. When is the MV Derby going to eliminate the "kill" Daily Prize for striped bass?

The answer is they won't. There's too much money involved with the fishermen visiting the Island during the Derby. C&R would reduce those numbers to a fraction of what they are.

[puppet]

Originally Posted by piemma

The answer is they won't. There's too much money involved with the fishermen visiting the Island during the Derby. C&R would reduce those numbers to a fraction of what they are.

Why? Are the fisherman in the tournament focused on meat or the competition and prizes?

I have never entered the tournament, but it seems to me the motivation is the competition itself. The prize money...etc. I guess it can be argued that it is harder to run a catch and release that is not partially based on the honor system, but even the kill tourneys suffer from cheating.

[l.i.fish.in.vt]

Too bad BO ,but one less guy fishing isn't a bad thing.my fishing expierence isn't dictated by how many or how big,but did i enjoy myself,not many days that i can say that i fished and didn't have a good day.for myself the number of fish i catch hasn't changed much over the last 20 years,the size has .get use to small fish we have a few more years left before we can eat them

[zimmy]

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

get use to small fish we have a few more years left before we can eat them

And after that? Six of last eight Chesapeake yoy were below average and five of them way below. Better hope some 2011 and 2015 fish get to be big breeders or it isn't gonna be good.
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

[l.i.fish.in.vt]

after that i will be more than likely 6 feet under

[Slipknot]

Hi John
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

[greenmeanie]

I am guessing we should base it off of a couple of you guys not catching fish?

Originally Posted by zimmy

You think he should judge his perspective on the status of the fishery based on a 7 mile stretch of water on a select number of days? I think we went down a similar road 30 years ago.

[RickBomba]

Originally Posted by Guppy

Trailer, trailer, trailer
Chase anything that swims (smaller than your boat ) :-)
The catch is a bonus for a day on the water in a new or old spot IMO

Yup, Ray and I would go fishing in a puddle if we had the tackle. Being out there is what is really the fun part.

[zimmy]

Originally Posted by greenmeanie

I am guessing we should base it off of a couple of you guys not catching fish?

I think you are confused about who initiated that line of thinking.

[zimmy]

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

after that i will be more than likely 6 feet under

I am thinking ahead for my kids, too.

[l.i.fish.in.vt]

unfortunetly mother natures plans are differant then ours

[bart]

Originally Posted by Duke41

I fish primarily around Newport, Brenton Reef around Jamestown and off of Ocean Drive, Seal Rock etc. In the early 2000's I could always find fish doing a little spot hopping. The bay was full of acres and acres of blitzing bluefish. Over the years it has been more difficult to find stripers and most of the blues I see are smaller. Have not seen those types of huge blitz's in 10 years at least. Fishing in the fall we have had some excellent days fishing albies. A couple of times I found mixed schools of allies, bonito and stripers. Those days will go down as the best fishing I have ever had. The bay does seem to be full of bunker and anchovies I figure that has got to bode well for the future. Whales and dolphins off of Narragansett Beach, must be a good sign. Holding on for the future. I will tell you this. I started treating stripers like the valuable game fish they are and releasing 100%. I feel better doing my small part. No judgement though. They do last good for sure.

Only small bait (small sand eels, bay anchovies) in the Lower Bay throughout the year now. No reason for big fish to hang around, except maybe that jumbo loner feeding on small tog. Come Fall, when the pogies do finally drop out of the Bays /estuaries, the biomass of big bass has already passed by.

Those fish that go ballistic for 3 weeks in the canal...that IS the fall run for MA and most of RI. Once those fish blast through it's a crap shoot where they'll make landfall again, if they even do. Only one push now and then you're targeting small pods of stragglers until the end. It was nice 10 years ago when you could count on at least 2-3 major pushes of fish

It does make for great albie fishing, though, but I want bass from the rocks...

[Fish On]

Originally Posted by Clammer View Post
for many years ,,,,,,,,,I felt that there was only one fish in the sea ...the Striped Bass.
I was so wrong ..I,ve been having a ball catching a varity of fish ,if you adjust your gear . then you have a whole new ballgame of trying to figure out the habits & patterns of other fishes ....For me it have been a great learning & humbling experience ......IMO ............. don't let the whole fishing adventure be consumed by the STRIPER ><><

Great advice! Just curious, in your case does that include bluefish? ;-)

[Clammer]

The fish gods have granted my fish wish ,,,,,,I can honestly say that I have not caught a 1/2 bLOOOOOOOfish this season ><><

[piemma]

Originally Posted by zimmy

And after that? Six of last eight Chesapeake yoy were below average and five of them way below. Better hope some 2011 and 2015 fish get to be big breeders or it isn't gonna be good.
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

Interesting statistic from the Maryland DEM. This years YOY is the highest it has been in 64 years. It was 13.2

[zimmy]

Originally Posted by piemma

Interesting statistic from the Maryland DEM. This years YOY is the highest it has been in 64 years. It was 13.2

No, I am guessing you read that wrong.64 year average is 11.7. 2017 came in at 13.2, which is slightly above the 64 year average. Good news for sure, but not the highest in 64 years. That was 1996 with around a 59.

[Mike P]

Originally Posted by zimmy

No, I am guessing you read that wrong.64 year average is 11.7. 2017 came in at 13.2, which is slightly above the 64 year average. Good news for sure, but not the highest in 64 years. That was 1996 with around a 59.

The great spawning years of the 1990s raised the YOY average from 8.0 to 12.

[bogey]

Don't know about boats but the surf has been going down for at least 10 years, I've talked to fisherman from four states, NY, CT, RI, & MD and all agree. It's not one or two places gone bad but a steady decline everywhere.