Plenty of Striped Bass...

Yeah - down south. Bleep em. They were decimating the striped bass #'s for decades while we were fighting for scraps. Wait until the Chessy gets a crazy size limit next summer. Their "industry" relies on small schoolies. . . . which are the next generation's spawners. Seems stupid to be hunting small fish. They're in for a "George's Bank Shutdown" type of paradigm shift.
 
Seals are hammering the outer cape beaches, this has forced all the fish on the cape to travel the canal and it has been an absolute blood bath for them the last few seasons. This has seriously hurt the breeding population.

Tons of illegals are fishing there keeping undersized fish and or taking large breeders without a care about what the size limits are. The canal fishing has been so hot that their has been violence along the canal over fishing spots including brandishing of firearms. If you think I’m wrong or stereo typing go down on a Friday full moon and see for yourself.

The EPO should be posted at the canal 24/7 along with ICE.
 
Yeah - down south. Bleep em. They were decimating the striped bass #'s for decades while we were fighting for scraps. Wait until the Chessy gets a crazy size limit next summer. Their "industry" relies on small schoolies. . . . which are the next generation's spawners. Seems stupid to be hunting small fish. They're in for a "George's Bank Shutdown" type of paradigm shift.
+1, IMO we need gamefish status for striped bass. No more commercial slaughter.
 
Actually, I think recreational anglers take 90-something % of all striped bass each year. It is the lone fishing industry that is not dominated by commercial fishermen.

And yeah, I'd love to see F&G and ICE on the canal all summer.
I stopped fishing the canal long ago. Absolute shit show.
 
Not duh pwitty seawwwzzzz!!!!! Dey so PWITTTTYYYY!!!!!!!!!

(These are the same ilk that think deer are so cute on MV/Tuck and end up having the highest Lyme disease rates in the world.)
 
It's time to bring back the 36 inch or greater one per day limit and make that federal. Never mind slot limits and this 2 per day crap. Thirty six inches at one per day worked. I would fish for shad below the Essex dam in the 90's and would get annoyed at how many stripers I caught. That was likely because of the moratorium then strict length limits.

You know that if the limit is 28 guys are taking 26 or even 25 inch fish. At least at 36 it's less likely they will get one near that size. Enforcement needs to be there as well. I use to see "third worlders" at plumb island cutting up 12 inch schoolies for bait.

I know some won't like this but hooks should be barbless. If you fight the fish correctly you won't lose that many fish and it does so much less damage to the fish. Especially if you catch and release a lot of them.

It did???? I don't think it did. I don't think any more people were keeping just one fish versus going for 2 or 3 or 8. (Current is ONE fish, not 2. ONE.)

The slot limit allows the HUGE fish - the massive spawners - to survive.

Do people still take over-sized fish? Yes. Do they take more than they are allowed? Yes. Again, I'd station 2 F&G agents on the canal - 4-6 during full moon. I'd prosecute people to the fullest extent of the law. As far as I'm concerned, those who "skirt" the striper limits are like the a-holes that chuck their empty McDonald's bag out the window on the highway after finishing their "meal."
 
It did???? I don't think it did. I don't think any more people were keeping just one fish versus going for 2 or 3 or 8. (Current is ONE fish, not 2. ONE.)

The slot limit allows the HUGE fish - the massive spawners - to survive.

Do people still take over-sized fish? Yes. Do they take more than they are allowed? Yes. Again, I'd station 2 F&G agents on the canal - 4-6 during full moon. I'd prosecute people to the fullest extent of the law. As far as I'm concerned, those who "skirt" the striper limits are like the a-holes that chuck their empty McDonald's bag out the window on the highway after finishing their "meal."
At least someone can pick up the trash on the side of the highway. There is no getting that illegally killed fish back into the fishery.
 

That's utter crap. It just is. It's sensationalist news sold to sensationalist people for no reason than to rile them up.

The reality is that RECREATIONAL fishing accounts for over 80% - and likely 90% when you consider they are guessing the reporting rate - you realize that if they maxed out the quota in each state, it would be a drop in teh bucket. As I said last year, teh biggest enemy to stripers at this point is illegal recreational fishing.
 
It did???? I don't think it did. I don't think any more people were keeping just one fish versus going for 2 or 3 or 8. (Current is ONE fish, not 2. ONE.)

The slot limit allows the HUGE fish - the massive spawners - to survive.

Do people still take over-sized fish? Yes. Do they take more than they are allowed? Yes. Again, I'd station 2 F&G agents on the canal - 4-6 during full moon. I'd prosecute people to the fullest extent of the law. As far as I'm concerned, those who "skirt" the striper limits are like the a-holes that chuck their empty McDonald's bag out the window on the highway after finishing their "meal."
They should bring back this commercial
But pretty sure they would complain cultural appropriation since he was Italian.


View: https://youtu.be/yBZ3Zpk034E?t=54
 
We need more sharks to eat the seals that are eating Striper so I can eat them

Holy sentence structure! Are you eating the stripers, sharks or seals??? ;)



And stopping Cousin Andy from buying and 8-ball is a lot harder than finding a 60-120' fishing boat as it comes into New Bedford harbor to sell it's catch. Sure a commercial fisherman may not be seen on the water with so many water out there. But they gotta sell that fish somewhere.
 
Holy sentence structure! Are you eating the stripers, sharks or seals??? ;)



And stopping Cousin Andy from buying and 8-ball is a lot harder than finding a 60-120' fishing boat as it comes into New Bedford harbor to sell it's catch. Sure a commercial fisherman may not be seen on the water with so many water out there. But they gotta sell that fish somewhere.
I was referring to the damage draggers do, not commercial striper guys although I think what sizes they can keep should be on the table to preserve the best breeders, if it's necessary. I also understand not trusting the people making these decisions because they aren't always competent. Supposedly recreational fishing, which includes party boats, causes a lot of the mortality in the stock. IANAMB
 
Understood.

Our oceans are getting the S kicked out of them. It's sad. Currently, Stripers are like ducks after a decade or two of DU. Selectively being cared for while other areas are getting creamed.
 
On May 2, 2023, the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) Striped Bass Management Board (Board) voted to take emergency action to implement a 1 fish at 28″ to less than 31″ size slot limit for all ocean recreational striped bass fisheries coastwide.
This action responds to the unprecedented magnitude of 2022 recreational harvest, which is nearly double that of 2021, and new projections indicating that the stock has a very low chance of rebuilding if the higher 2022 fishing morality rate continues. The 31″ size restriction is designed to reduce harvest on the 2015 year-class, one of the last strong year-classes in the population, and a major factor in the recreational fishery’s increased harvest in 2022.
States must implement compliant measures as soon as possible and no later than July 2, 2023— or risk being found out-of-compliance and having a full harvest moratorium enacted. The emergency action will be in place for 180 days but could be extended by the Board. See the ASMFC press release for more information. The ASMFC will be holding informational webinars later in May on this action; details will be released as soon as possible.
Please note, until the new regulation is formally adopted in Massachusetts, the current striped bass regulations remain: 1 fish at 28″ to less than 35″. However, in order to maximize the conservation benefit, anglers are encouraged to release all fish 31″ or greater immediately. DMF is working with other New England states to align our implementation date to the extent possible and have rules in place later this May. The public will be notified once the new regulation is formally adopted.
The Board also voted to initiate an Addendum to examine additional measures for 2024 if needed to meet the 2029 deadline to rebuild striped bass. This Addendum will be a fully public process and consider changes to both the recreational and commercial regulations.DMF will be providing further information on the Emergency Action, regulatory timeline, and Addendum in the coming days.​
 
"This action responds to the unprecedented magnitude of 2022 recreational harvest"

How do they arrive at that data? Last season was by far my worst yet since I began fishing for them (2013, from shore). My observation last season was that there wasn't much bait in near proximity to me, in shore.
 
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