Is anyone alarmed???

[fatboy]

It seems to me that over the past few seasons things have begun a decline. Is anyone else seeing this trend. Honestly this may have been beat to death but is 2 OVER 28 really a good thing. Since the end of the "slot" fish most fish kept are mature. This just isnt a NJ thing either look at the bashing they(stripers) take up and down the coast. I know a few guys on top of the game and both have noticed a slowdown both in the Deleware river, Bay and up in Raritan. Looking forward to hear some of your experiences and thoughts. i think we should limit the "big fish" to one a guy and go back to some form of slot!

[aimless]

I agree!!!:)

[Flyguy784]

Be careful Fat Boy, the last time I said anything about stock decline and maybe Barners should practice some self imposed catch and release of big hens in spring I got hammered. Yes, there is a decline, yes, more stringent regs should be put in place. It'll only get worse next year........

[fatboy]

Not lookin to get bashed just looking for a more diverse opinion. I may be off base but just throwin out there.

[Supafly]

Be careful Fat Boy, the last time I said anything about stock decline and maybe Barners should practice some self imposed catch and release of big hens in spring I got hammered. Yes, there is a decline, yes, more stringent regs should be put in place. It'll only get worse next year........

I agree! I never understood why people eat big fish anyway.

[Putem OnIce]

I can't say that I've noticed a decline, just increased competition.
Competition in the form of additional anglers/vessels, competition from increasing stocks of predator species (all competing for food, ie spiny's and increased fluke stocks.)
Also seems the "recent" weather cycle has been less than favorable on weekends, with better conditions mid-week when fewer can get out in cleaner water and ideal conditions.

There's a lot of factors at play. I can't say that declining or "troubled" striper stocks is one of them.

[Out of Bait Nate]

I assume your concern is more about the avg. size and less about the quantity. I have always been a fan of the slot fish regs. At times the MD regs are slot but mostly it's 28" +. Personally I don't keep many fish if any- I kept none the last two years but I may keep 1 or 2 this year. I don't keep the big fish, if the reg is 28" then I want one no bigger than 29". I would rather keep a 20" fish- I don't need all that meat and if you freeze it it tastes just like the stuff you buy in the grocery store.

It's impossible to change the way people look at it though- I show the inlaws a pic of a 28# fish I caught last week and they see a weeks worth of dinner. I see years worth of topwater action on a crease fly.

I hope people don't take these posts as an attack- everybody has different opinions so post them up. Afterwards we can hug it out. :)

[NJAngler Bill]

I know it's a long read, by my opinion (published in our March issue) can be found by clicking here (http://www.njangler.com/publishersblog.php?domain=&arcyear=2008&arcmonth=3).

[JoeyZac]

The "no more slot" regs only went into effect 2 years ago. Isn't it too soon to tell if the stock has declined because additional breeders have been taken out of the mix in the last 2 years?

How big are 1 and 2 year old Bass? Is there a noticeable decline in that age/size fish?

[BayTide]

I believe the decline is happening because we haven't had ice in 2 years. No ice = dirty water. Lets hope I'm wrong.

[SICcaster]

This just came out today.
Fairly relevant to the conversation...

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/fishing_dc

[fatboy]

I think we need to rethink the regs. Keep a small one and 1 over 28. Could not hurt the stocks. Is the ever expanding fishery down south in the winter helping....probably not. Catch and release is all good, but a lot of boats down there a loading the boxes with 30+ lb fish day in and out.We may be taking too many large. Just my opinion.

[fatboy]

The "no more slot" regs only went into effect 2 years ago. Isn't it too soon to tell if the stock has declined because additional breeders have been taken out of the mix in the last 2 years?

How big are 1 and 2 year old Bass? Is there a noticeable decline in that age/size fish?

There is a noticable decline in mature fish. Keep taking em out. If you could only keep one of that size you would cut killing your spawning bio-mass in half.

[waterman579]

There are more fishermen fishing longer into the season and fishing harder taking more fish than ever before its going to catch up with the stocks for sure

[fatboy]

There are more fishermen fishing longer into the season and fishing harder taking more fish than ever before its going to catch up with the stocks for sure

I agree.....

[Sir Reel]

Be careful Fat Boy, the last time I said anything about stock decline and maybe Barners should practice some self imposed catch and release of big hens in spring I got hammered. Yes, there is a decline, yes, more stringent regs should be put in place. It'll only get worse next year........

No Flyguy, THIS is the correct forum to post your opinions. Going after a guy who caught a nice fish and telling him he should have let it go is NOT welcomed.

I don't know if there is really a decline, but I do agree, as a person with a marine biology background, that there makes little sense in terms of population for 2 @28. It may increase the number of fish taken, however.

There does exist the argument that a dead fish, any time of year, is a dead fish... granted if you kill it in the fall, it won't live to spawn. But if you let it live in the fall, there is no guarantee that it will spawn in the spring either. If you catch a striper in the spawning grounds in the spring and handle it correctly, then you can have a fair guarantee that it will spawn.

I would support 1 slot fish 24-28, 1 fish over 28 for most of the season, and 1 slot fish only during april spawn. I would be open to changing the sizes somewhat to support spawning statistics.

That being said, unless its law, I don't blame anyone for keeping a large fish. I don't thinkt thank a few guys releasing big fish will really have an effect, it takes the greater population to do the same thing, and that won't happen at this point without legislation.

[THE GOOCH]

When I was in college and fished the flats and in the river we would catch and release 10-12 bass per night...some of those fish were over 60lbs and many over 50....it was insane....this year has been good but not as many big cows...over 40 lbs....but the past 2 years prior to this year have been terrible....I used to start 1st week of march and always got fish...now its the 1st week of april and doesn't get going good till the 2nd week. things are definately on the decline for sure....but there is hope....gas is going to continue to rise and rise until charters have to raise prices and when theat happens they will lose biz and close shop and the more that close their doors the better the stocks will get....do we really need to limit out everytime we fish??? I mean why not keep a 28" bass and eat it fresh..if you can afford to get out there you can certainly afford to buy fresh fish....Its crazy to see all these charter guys loading the docks with a limit of tunas...do you have any idea how much meat that is? same deal with bass..it will catch up.

[Bluewater sportfishing]

When I was in college and fished the flats and in the river we would catch and release 10-12 bass per night...some of those fish were over 60lbs and many over 50....it was insane....this year has been good but not as many big cows...over 40 lbs....but the past 2 years prior to this year have been terrible....I used to start 1st week of march and always got fish...now its the 1st week of april and doesn't get going good till the 2nd week. things are definately on the decline for sure....but there is hope....gas is going to continue to rise and rise until charters have to raise prices and when theat happens they will lose biz and close shop and the more that close their doors the better the stocks will get....do we really need to limit out everytime we fish??? I mean why not keep a 28" bass and eat it fresh..if you can afford to get out there you can certainly afford to buy fresh fish....Its crazy to see all these charter guys loading the docks with a limit of tunas...do you have any idea how much meat that is? same deal with bass..it will catch up.

Wow is that what you realy believe? The charter boats are hurting the stocks? reguardless if I was a rec or charterboat that would be the last thing coming from my mouth. Thats your opinion and thats fine, but dont look to the charter boats for the declining stocks and to be honest I dont see the stocks declining. What I do see is colder then normal water temps for this time of year. You think what you want but I would start thinking in a defferant location other then the charter boats.:rolleyes:

[Flyguy784]

Wow is that what you realy believe? The charter boats are hurting the stocks? reguardless if I was a rec or charterboat that would be the last thing coming from my mouth. Thats your opinion and thats fine, but dont look to the charter boats for the declining stocks and to be honest I dont see the stocks declining. What I do see is colder then normal water temps for this time of year. You think what you want but I would start thinking in a defferant location other then the charter boats.:rolleyes:
I agree, I'm a totaly catch and release guy. That's my choice, but to target charter Capts. is looking for a scapegoat. Sure they take a lot of fish, but the rec guys take many more. Just look at the numbers.
In my opinion, way to many big spawning hens are being removed from the system. To me it's just logic, keep killing the egg machines and pretty soon you don't have enough eggs. These huge 35-50 pound girls lay millions of eggs each spring. It'll catch up with us. It's a communal problem, lets not blame it on any one particular group, if you harvest a hen over 30lbs, you're contributing to the decline, period.

[marlinhunter]

No one is to blame at all... People take their limits. the people who keep more are the people to blame and putting a finger on them is virtually impossible and improbable that it would ever happen.

They should go back to damn slot fish and be done with it.. keep 2 fish btwe 20-28 inches.. that would be fine and then be gone with it and maybe everyone else woudl stop crying..

Do not blame a charter captain for being able to fish better than you.. What is the difference if he takes out 6 guys or you take two and fish 3 rods a pieces!?!? Come on now a little respect is due where a little respect is due..

I am going out with Kobey and other charter guys this weekend and next and next and i hope we slay them..

And put me on the cross but if i catch a 50lber it is going in the box!!


TO EAT IS OWN~!!

[Flyguy784]

No Flyguy, THIS is the correct forum to post your opinions. Going after a guy who caught a nice fish and telling him he should have let it go is NOT welcomed.

I don't know if there is really a decline, but I do agree, as a person with a marine biology background, that there makes little sense in terms of population for 2 @28. It may increase the number of fish taken, however.

There does exist the argument that a dead fish, any time of year, is a dead fish... granted if you kill it in the fall, it won't live to spawn. But if you let it live in the fall, there is no guarantee that it will spawn in the spring either. If you catch a striper in the spawning grounds in the spring and handle it correctly, then you can have a fair guarantee that it will spawn.

I would support 1 slot fish 24-28, 1 fish over 28 for most of the season, and 1 slot fish only during april spawn. I would be open to changing the sizes somewhat to support spawning statistics.

That being said, unless its law, I don't blame anyone for keeping a large fish. I don't thinkt thank a few guys releasing big fish will really have an effect, it takes the greater population to do the same thing, and that won't happen at this point without legislation.

You're mistaken. I didn't say shate to the guy that caught that fish, never told him a thing. If he wants to kill that fish that's his choice. The post was BGreenes opinion on keeping big fish. What struck me over that whole may-lay was that as many times as I repeated myself, "kill what you want" I was still vilafied for having a differant opinion. I'll stick with my final word on that post," By killing the biggest and best egg laying girls you ARE contributing to the decline of the breeding stock", don't delude yourself. That being said, you, yes you, kill as many breeders as you like, it's your choice. Let me repeat YOUR CHOICE.
Isn't it a shame it takes LEGISLATION for us to do the right thing?

[marlinhunter]

JOhn,


sorry bud that wasnt towards you.. it was towards previous posts. lol

Me and you are on the same page dude!!! no worries!

[Marine Tom]

My records are showing a small decrease in my striped bass catching. Last spring the run seem short and scattered as compared to previous years and the fall of 2007 was not that good for me either. It could be me as I'm no expert, but I can catch a few here and there.

Last week I got the skunk. First springtime skunk ever slinging clams for me. And the reports this spring have been short, minus a few good days.

So I agree. A minor decline.

[marlinhunter]

Tom,

I am not totally sure but i think it also has to do with this darn weather! i know it has for me.. fish are being blown all over the place! i would be sea sick if i was a fish lately! lol

[bass ackwards]

I dont know I've seen a ton of big fish being caught in spring on the bunker pods and even off the beach the last few years. The fall on the other hand has sucked for bigger fish wich I just feel is the bass just bipassing us beyond the eez. That being said I also agree with a slot size reg and using common sense when keeping fish ie dont keep a fish when you have fillets gettting freezer burned in freezer.

[Re-Bait]

I don't fish del bay, but in Beach haven striper stocks have been pretty strong, especially the bigger fish. I think i had one fish under 36" all spring in 2007.

[fshlot]

Actually the charter captins will be able to tell if theres a decrease or not.Being out there everyday all season long,i think they would know.I think the charter capt's on here will post a reply.

In my experience,I show basically NO decrease,but more and more fishermen.Sometimes you catch and sometimes you don't.Maybe we should let the same people that count the flounder count the Stripers!!;)

[NJAngler Bill]

It's WAY too early to point fingers or even discuss the possibility of regulation changes, because the management community is thoroughly convinced that striped bass stocks are in great shape. You all saw the ASMFC press release a few months back, didn't you? In fact, they're so confindent in their assessment that they voted to SKIP their formal assessment next year!!!

So here we are pointing fingers at who's to blame for a perceived decline in the quality of our striper fishing, and all-the-while the Striped Bass Board believes the stock is in great shape. Funny.

Again, for anyone interested, a link to my March column "Is a Striped Bass Storm Brewing?" is contained earlier in this thread. It explains a lot of this stuff in detail. I urge you to read it.

[Fluka Brasi]

The fish population I see declining (still) are weakfish, but no one seems to pay much attention to that. Stripers are frigging everywhere.

[fdformicola]

:confused: I do not know if there is a decline in bass stock or for that matter if there is decline if flounders (fluke) but to blame anyone other than ourselves for the decline doesnot make sense to me you certainly can not blame the charter boats because the regulations help them more than anyone else it helps to insure there is catch and release should there be slot fish with stripers absolutly yes should the season be closed in the Del river in the spring ---yes--- until the big girls have had a chance to spawn I believe all fishing seasons shouldbe opened or closed when the spawners are present I am sure they could figure something out maybe if they did this years ago when the bay was loaded with the big spawner weakies there would be a lot more around today how would the fishing be today if a lot of the big spawners were catch and release then:confused:

[c/side bill]

I fished as much in 2007 as had in the last five years....last year was pretty bad............probally bass fished 40 times only a couple of good days...............never broke 40 as many times in previous years....plus way to many bluefish,,,i spoke with a god friend-very well respected nj capt... he agreed very bad year in 2007

[Marine Tom]

Tom,

I am not totally sure but i think it also has to do with this darn weather! i know it has for me.. fish are being blown all over the place! i would be sea sick if i was a fish lately! lol

Your right on weather, water temp, wind ect all matter.

[chunk]

Not me, and I personally would hate to get more fisheries pseudoscience regulations, like we already have for fluke.

[waterman579]

Well it wasn't comm fishing this time so we're going to have something new to point a finger at! i have noticed alot of sickly looking fish over the past 2yrs than ever before while freediving i think they are having some kind of bacteria running thru the striped bass stocks right now

[Bluewater sportfishing]

Just one question,
why does everyone think the population is on the decline??

[thediehardfisherman]

To me 2 fish at 28"+ should be changed. I don't get to fish a whole lot, but there are some anglers out there that feel the need to catch their limit every time they go out, yet the regulations state 2 fish @ 28" per day and they are abiding by the rules. If I catch 2 nice fish in the fall, that is enough fish to give to some friends and family plus eough for me to have some striper dinners for almost a year (need some room for drum,flounder,tog, bluefish and seabass) -People don't realize that there are other fish out there that are good to eat also. If someone wants to catch a 50+lber and keep it I'm fine with that,(not many people will ever live to catch a 50+lb striper) I think a slot and a trophy will do, and a closed NO BAG season during the spring spawn would help out the numbers alot. I think Maryland lets you keep stripers @ 18" which is a little too small I think. I don't know what I would do if I ever caught a trophy slob, my father inlaw has a 46lb mounted on his wall and I always look and admire it everytime I go over there. I think they should reduce the size or bag limit on drum fish also-look how many people are taking an interest in drum now-the same thing will happen to them also.

[snprblue2]

Just one question,
why does everyone think the population is on the decline??

When I read this thread I think the same thing. The fishery is expanding, 4-5 years ago,you never heard of charters targeting stripers in Wilmington NC, now there are articles all over the place reporting success. I remember the early 80s in NJ reading in the sandpaper about catching the mystical stripers off the jetty in BL with eels but no pics, now they are all over the place there.

I have seen them as bycatch on G.Povermo's show when he is fishing for flounder in the CB--never ever did you see that happening until recently.

I just think it is a slow start in my opinion....

[Don C]

I know someone is going to call BS on this but I know a guy from Barneget Light who caught over 2800 fish in the bay last year. You don't have to belive me but I don't care. I'm averaging 20 to 30 fish per guy on our trips. Again you may call BS but some guys on here have fished with me so at least I can back it up. Now if there is a decline I sure would like to have seen it in it's good day's.

I've only been trying for striper for three years so I don't know what it was like before that.

Don C

[johnny d]

I have fished GP for a long time.and the last few seasons have been horrible. 1 season couldn't catch a keeper size, the last 2 seasons haven't caught a striper, not even a throw back.:confused: One thing I have noticed when we have a mild winter, the spring fishery is bad.

IMO Spring fishery should be catch and release during this critical time period because the FEMALES are spawning or at least let FEMALES spawn first and then open up the fishery to 1 keeper per day. Preferably the Slot size fish, they taste better.:D

Lastly, the Winter grounds where the Spawning fish hold over, should be protected from fishing. You don't have to be a rocket scientist to figure it out.

[johnny d]

I agree, I'm a totaly catch and release guy. That's my choice, but to target charter Capts. is looking for a scapegoat. Sure they take a lot of fish, but the rec guys take many more. Just look at the numbers.
In my opinion, way to many big spawning hens are being removed from the system. To me it's just logic, keep killing the egg machines and pretty soon you don't have enough eggs. These huge 35-50 pound girls lay millions of eggs each spring. It'll catch up with us. It's a communal problem, lets not blame it on any one particular group, if you harvest a hen over 30lbs, you're contributing to the decline, period.

Great post, couldn't have said it any better.

[BIGGESTJACK]

First I'd Like To Here Bw's Numbers For The Last 3 Years.
I Agree It's Too Early To Be Sure.
Charter And Headboat Anglers, (which I Would Think Will Be On A Decline This Year) Most Want The Most Meat Possible And If Your In The Business And Demand Them To Throw The Big Ones Back You Will Probably Not See A Fair Amount Of Them Again. All You Can Do Is Suggest.
Another Positive Development Last Year Was A Bunch Of Tiny Stripers 1 To 2" Which Fred Put In The Small Tank Till He Could Be Sure What He Had.
Also Which Was Noted Is The Freeking Wind Has Blown Since George Alguard Went To Florida In The Fall Even A Few Weeks Before.i Think He's Back And The Temp Is Suppose To Soar.
Fu Has Woke Up, Let's See What Happens Then We'll Panic.

[fatboy]

Just one question,
why does everyone think the population is on the decline??

I am not sure if it on the decline. I do know the catch rate has changed quite a bit over the years. The river at Trenton is down from people I have talked to and trust their knowledge. The past few springs including this one has been tough to put a keeper in the box. One of the guys on here who is prolific for putting up numbers has like 4 keepers this year out of hundreds of bass. The rips have been inconsistant at best the past few. Maybe the patterns have changed maybe the stocks are declining, i dont know.

[Bluewater sportfishing]

I am not sure if it on the decline. I do know the catch rate has changed quite a bit over the years. The river at Trenton is down from people I have talked to and trust their knowledge. The past few springs including this one has been tough to put a keeper in the box. One of the guys on here who is prolific for putting up numbers has like 4 keepers this year out of hundreds of bass. The rips have been inconsistant at best the past few. Maybe the patterns have changed maybe the stocks are declining, i dont know.
For starters you have to look at bait. the herring didnt have a run last year like years past. the bass chase the herring and well if the herring are not there then the bass go looking someware else. last spring I heard alot of people complaining about the lack of stripers in the lower bay, and they were right. The fish never realy came thru, on the flip side it was one of my best srpings to date, just had to find them. same thing with this past fall. It was my best yet with days of catching 30+ bass on the chunk. The fish got bigger in mid december which is not normal. tim t caught a few 50lbers in mid december while I was in Morehead City N.C. fishing for giant bluefin tuna. That is unheard of. the fish are driven by water temps and bait and last year the water stayed warm and the bass were late. When we left on dec. 11th we hugged the beach the whole way to the cheasapeke and there was bird play the whole way down in the surf and out in open ocean. This spring is starting off a little slow but will go into high gear soon. The rats that we were catching in the past two weeks is whats normal for late march not late april. Now the keepers are starting to show which is normal for early april, so in my opinion the season is starting off a little late. There is plenty of bunker in the bay and the herring run has started in fact the second run is underway so things should get good in the next couple of weeks.

Jack as far as my numbers for the last three years, I dunno... alot I wouldnt think there was a decline at all.

[fatboy]

For starters you have to look at bait. the herring didnt have a run last year like years past. the bass chase the herring and well if the herring are not there then the bass go looking someware else. last spring I heard alot of people complaining about the lack of stripers in the lower bay, and they were right. The fish never realy came thru, on the flip side it was one of my best srpings to date, just had to find them. same thing with this past fall. It was my best yet with days of catching 30+ bass on the chunk. The fish got bigger in mid december which is not normal. tim t caught a few 50lbers in mid december while I was in Morehead City N.C. fishing for giant bluefin tuna. That is unheard of. the fish are driven by water temps and bait and last year the water stayed warm and the bass were late. When we left on dec. 11th we hugged the beach the whole way to the cheasapeke and there was bird play the whole way down in the surf and out in open ocean. This spring is starting off a little slow but will go into high gear soon. The rats that we were catching in the past two weeks is whats normal for late march not late april. Now the keepers are starting to show which is normal for early april, so in my opinion the season is starting off a little late. There is plenty of bunker in the bay and the herring run has started in fact the second run is underway so things should get good in the next couple of weeks.

Jack as far as my numbers for the last three years, I dunno... alot I wouldnt think there was a decline at all.

This is what I am looking for good educated opinions. Kobey how do feel about the regs and keeping two larger fish? Just curious. What are your feelings on the "slot"?

[Bluewater sportfishing]

This is what I am looking for good educated opinions. Kobey how do feel about the regs and keeping two larger fish? Just curious. What are your feelings on the "slot"?
Honestly I like the two at 28 because its good for me. I target bigger bass with my charters and when I'm out by myself I release whatever I catch.
Just because the limit is set at two over 28 doesnt mean you have to keep 30lb fish, I have caught plenty that were in the 30 inch range along with bigger fish so I dont buy that argument. people can self police themselvs, some choose too, some dont. As far as the slot fish they way I look at it the fish never had the chance to spawn and if allowed to live has many years ahead to spawn, a 50lber has had many years of spawn, and is nearing her life cycle and theory is the eggs of a old bass are un fertil, the jury is still out on this and I think more research needs to be done to clarify this myth. when the slot fish was allowed it helped other people such as surf and rips fishermen and thats why they were in favor of that size limit, at least they were able to go home with a fish. if all they caught were 30 and 40 lbers they would reject the slot fish. I truly believe it doesnt make a differance what the size limit is set at, you wont get complete aggreiance with the regs. I also see alot of people saying the spring season should be c&r. thats lame as the females are up in the rivers where it is all c&r geting ready to spawn and when the big fish come down they did their dead. There are a lot of fish out there sad part is we dont realy get to see them as they are past the three mile limit and not to many paople are out there. but on a nice day out at the bank whether you are togging or trolling for GBFT or whatever you will see acres and acres of stripers.

[Chris Gatley]

Yes I am home once again as I gave my customers the option to try and target delaware river stripers or hold off till they come in. Fishing in the upper river stinks right now. When I look/talk with 5 guides on the water everyday and countless boats from the burlington bristol to the yardley areas of the river and noone is even getting run-offs, something is going on. Is it a late run? Is it that the temps are off? Is it that tons of bait are keeping the fish in the bay and when conditions are right, they'll make a quick migration to spawn? Not sure. What I can say is that when it comes to the Delaware River, we have a great herring run. In all the years going back to 1985, when we even had some herring in the river, we had bass - no matter what the water temps were. That is going back to when there were basically no stripers stocks along the coast. Now, I have been consistently marking herring for over a week. Some of these bait clouds are 8 feet thick. All the herring you want on certain portions of the tide. Bass should be here but they are not and have not been for a week or more. I am hoping that the run is off and that this moon phase on Sunday changes it all in conjunction with water temps. I don't want to be an alarmist but my eyes are open.

As for stock depletion, maybe it is sliding since everyone has been pounding away at all sizes of stripers for over 10 years. Of course a toll will be taken but to what extent is the question. Maybe in 10 days here, the bass will show up along the coast where they are suppose to be and all is good!

[Bluewater sportfishing]

Yes I am home once again as I gave my customers the option to try and target delaware river stripers or hold off till they come in. Fishing in the upper river stinks right now. When I look/talk with 5 guides on the water everyday and countless boats from the burlington bristol to the yardley areas of the river and noone is even getting run-offs, something is going on. Is it a late run? Is it that the temps are off? Is it that tons of bait are keeping the fish in the bay and when conditions are right, they'll make a quick migration to spawn? Not sure. What I can say is that when it comes to the Delaware River, we have a great herring run. In all the years going back to 1985, when we even had some herring in the river, we had bass - no matter what the water temps were. That is going back to when there were basically no stripers stocks along the coast. Now, I have been consistently marking herring for over a week. Some of these bait clouds are 8 feet thick. All the herring you want on certain portions of the tide. Bass should be here but they are not and have not been for a week or more. I am hoping that the run is off and that this moon phase on Sunday changes it all in conjunction with water temps. I don't want to be an alarmist but my eyes are open.

As for stock depletion, maybe it is sliding since everyone has been pounding away at all sizes of stripers for over 10 years. Of course a toll will be taken but to what extent is the question. Maybe in 10 days here, the bass will show up along the coast where they are suppose to be and all is good!
Not for nothing but you just stated that you had bass with the herring when the stocks were at their lowest, (1985) well the stocks are not at their lowest and as a matter of fact the stocks are doing quite well compared to the 80's. Now the stocks have quadrupled over the past twenty years but you say no bass this year with the herring, so your eyes are wide open, I ask to what? to be honest I would say they are a little late.

[Chris Gatley]

Bluewater-

I meant that the stocks were at or near the lowest back in the 80's or mid 80's. Catching bass back then in NJ anyway was tough back then

[always fishing]

The next couple of years should be real interesting........:o

[marlinhunter]

Just one question,
why does everyone think the population is on the decline??



Because i know how many damn fish we going to be catching tomorrow morning! lol

[always fishing]

Just one question,
why does everyone think the population is on the decline??
What goes up, must come down....:D

[RodFather]

My logs show a definite decline in bass caught over the last couple seasons, but not because they are not there, rather I am too busy chauffeuring my 11 YO all the Tri-State area to play baseball :D
I enjoy that just as much however. I tend to agree with Capt. Kobey, every year is different, the bait moves in and out with differing patterns and the weather is not the same. All this means to me is that you need to try different locations and new techniques some times. Be patient and flexible, you'll catch 'em.

[CCC]

I think they got hammered in a 15 mile area off virginia this year......

[Old-guy]

I am another of those anglers that was disappointed by the removal of the slot fish. I mostly surf fish and I admit that my reasons are selfish. I haven’t caught a keeper off the beach in two years. I don’t take many fish but I really did enjoy taking one for my 75 years old mother and one for myself each year. I even occasionally took a third fish. Not any more. I know I either suck at fishing or my luck has just been very bad.

Any way this is how I see it.

The spawning biomass is in decline!
That means the mature fish are being over harvested. This isn’t new information because ASMFC said two years ago that they believed too many of the mature fish were being harvested. So why remove the slot in NJ? So why were they trying to open the EEZ? So why haven’t they made any attempt to protect the wintering grounds?
Do they even know what the hell their doing? I have my doubts!

The problem is that ASMFC has themselves mismanaged the fishery. I give them credit for the resurgence of the striped bass but I think they have been too busy patting themselves on the back that they just haven’t seen what is happening.

If I were king!
Bring back the slot in NJ. (That’s for me and the others that can’t fish)
Keep the EEZ closed to commercial fishing.
Create a slot limit and a creel limit of (1) one fish in the wintering grounds. This may be the most important thing. Those big cows are full of ripe eggs and they are very vulnerable because they are eating with reckless abandon so they will have the energy to travel to the spawning grounds.
Maybe all the fish should be C&R until June. I know that won’t be popular!

[JoeyZac]

If I were king!
Bring back the slot in NJ. (That’s for me and the others that can’t fish)
Keep the EEZ closed to commercial fishing.
Create a slot limit and a creel limit of (1) one fish in the wintering grounds. This may be the most important thing. Those big cows are full of ripe eggs and they are very vulnerable because they are eating with reckless abandon so they will have the energy to travel to the spawning grounds.
Maybe all the fish should be C&R until June. I know that won’t be popular!

Sounds good to me, with one modification - Let people keep 1 slot (slot only) until June.

Gotta give people something for the table for their time, effort, and gas.

[always fishing]

Sounds good to me, with one modification - Let people keep 1 slot (slot only) until June.

Gotta give people something for the table for their time, effort, and gas.

In a way, I feel that's the attitude that's gotten us here. Why is it always about brining meat home? Well there alot of them so we should just take from this group,well then what do you take from when there gone too?

[JoeyZac]

In a way, I feel that's the attitude that's gotten us here. Why is it always about brining meat home? Well there alot of them so we should just take from this group,well then what do you take from when there gone too?




If you are not taking meat home, then you are harrassing the fish via catch and release just for the sport of it. Some of those fish die no matter how careful you are, so you are killing the fish (unintentionally) just for fun.

How many breeders do you stress out when you make them fight for their lives and then release them? What effect does that have on them breeding? Do we know?

I would suggest that the guy who takes 1 slot and leaves for the day does far less harm to the fish stocks than the guy who catches and releases 50 fish in a day.

We think we know that those released fish are ok, but we don't know for sure.

[Flyguy784]

In a way, I feel that's the attitude that's gotten us here. Why is it always about brining meat home? Well there alot of them so we should just take from this group,well then what do you take from when there gone too?


People fish for many differant reasons. It is inate in man to harvest from the wild his sustinance. I respect that many who fish enjoy the pleasure of "bringin home the bacon". Hey, who doesn't enjoy a nice fresh slab of striped bass, broiled with butter and lemon. A thick Tuna steak, grilled to perfection. I do. By the same token, many who fish find just as much pleasure from going out and being able to catch 30 nice bass in a day. Without bringing any thing home other than a thinner wallet and some good memories. Nobodies wrong or right in this matter, just different. What is needed is a cooperative effort to accomodate both groups.
I'm not a scientist, but it seems to me and I don't know all the charts, graphs, dates and studies. I started fly fishing for stripers when you would be hard pressed to find one. Restrictions were put in place, commercial limits, the sesation of haul siening off long island, recreational limits and the striped bass population rebounded, big time. Then we got fat dumb and happy, started dropping restrictions like the slot limit. Plenty of stripers, right, harvest what you want, any size, even the big breeders on thier way to make more stripers. Now we're starting to debate why the numbers are down, as we continue to harvest the most critical part of this waning population. Yes, in my opinion, the numbers are down. I fish striped bass 50 trips a year, from CBBT to Montauk. I've not become less of an angler and my catch numbers are down, period.
A slot limit is the perfect way to address the needs of both groups, it leaves the most productive part of the bass population to perpetuate this great fishery, and rewards the harvesting angler for all his efforts. I don't quite understand why it was ever changed. I guess the fishing just got to good, huh?

[always fishing]

I just feel we have a great back bay fishery for small bass. And now people are complaining about number's being down and taking a smaller one is gonna help this? I think if were not in anyway going to protect the big spawners why not protect a fish long enough for it to spawn 4 or 5 times before we kill it? Sorry, just having a hard time understanding the logic.

Wow, Joey I must kill a sheet load of fish every year. Maybe this year I learn how to take a hook out.:D

[JoeyZac]

I just feel we have a great back bay fishery for small bass. And now people are complaining about number's being down and taking a smaller one is gonna help this? I think if were not in anyway going to protect the big spawners why not protect a fish long enough for it to spawn 4 or 5 times before we kill it? Sorry, just having a hard time understanding the logic.

Wow, Joey I must kill a sheet load of fish every year. Maybe this year I learn how to take a hook out.:D

I think the logic behind putting more emphasis on saving the big spawners is that not only are they producing more eggs than younger fish, but the fact that they have made it to that age shows health and good genes.

Save a cow today, and it will breed a lot next Spring.

Save a runt today, and it may breed a lot some year down the road.

As for you killing those you release, it's not so much that they die as much as I wonder what effect the "fight for their life" has on their spawning.

I hear people talk all the time about the thrill of catching and releasing a cow bass or a beautiful tiderunner weakfish, and how off they go to spawn.

How does your girlfriend react to spawning after a big fight and stress? I know how my wife reacts, and it ain't good.

So we catch a fish that is ready to spawn, make it fight for it's life, stress it out, let it go "unharmed", and then off she goes to happily lay all her eggs, right?

OK, if you say so. I guess I believe you, but do ya really know?

[always fishing]

How does your girlfriend react to spawning after a big fight and stress? I know how my wife reacts, and it ain't good.


Oh, well if female stripers are 100% Italian them boyzs might have problems, but at least make-up whoopies good.:D

Joe, think where the only two on here, gotta run. Hold the fort down!;) :D

[JoeyZac]

Oh, well if female stripers are 100% Italian them boyzs might have problems, but at least make-up whoopies good.:D




Yes, makeup whoopie is quite good.

I did notice however, that you forgot to comment on my thoughts on what catch and release does these breeders................

[always fishing]

Couldn't answer that, females start growing there eggs in early fall so with that said if it stresses them that much I don't think there'd ever be a spawn, considering how many get caught in the months leading up.....

[Old-guy]

JoeyZac, I’ll comment on the C&R theory.

First can you hook me up with that guy that’s catching 50 stripers a day?

If I’m not mistaken the guys that are out there for the meat “fishing legally” are not just taking their quota but also doing the catch and relies thing.
That being said are you trying to tell me that those guys are really killing far more then we think?

If an angler plays the fish like he should (not playing them to exhaustion) the fish won’t die. Some guys try to fish for the cows with bass rods. Some of those fish will be played too long and die. That’s the same for both the C&R guys and those taking fish.

Simple fact!
If I catch two fish and one goes in the box the other back into the water which one has the best chance to live and bread?

I have no problem taking fish for the table but I expect those that make to rules to make sure I can’t over harvest the fishery. After all remember how wonderful the striper fishing was in the 80s? I don’t ever want to see that happen again. As stated earlier ASMFC “the experts” are telling us that the numbers of breading age fish is declining. No mater how restrictive I will obey what ever rule changes is made to reverse that trend. I care! I care a lot and when I hear that the number of big fish is declining I am concerned that my kids may have to relive the 80s again.

The way I think is how can we stop the loss of big fish not “I better get out there and kill my share.”

I know I’m being an ass but it comes naturally to me. Sorry!

[Old-guy]

I’m done for now. I think I’ll take the youngest out for some C&R on the flats this afternoon.

Old Guy

[JoeyZac]

..................The way I think is how can we stop the loss of big fish not “I better get out there and kill my share.”

I know I’m being an ass but it comes naturally to me. Sorry!

Old Guy,

First off, I am the last person that anyone need apologize to for being an ass. I reap what I sow.

I wasn't really picking on the C&R guys, just pointing out that it's not just the "meat in the box" guys that are killing fish. (just like it's not all the comms, or charters, or recs, or any one group).

I also wanted to bring up the C&R by it's very nature is disturbing the natural behavior of these fish. To what extent I can't say.

As far as how to best protect the cows, how about a limit of 2 fish per day, 1 between 20"-28" and 1 at 40+ so that you can keep the true trophy fish? Leave all fish in the 30s alone.

I know there is no perfect formula, but the key is how to protect the spawners, both current and future.

[shark teezzr]

Your Right About That.

[luv2fish]

I don't catch fish so there must be a problem with the striper population, blame all the bass eaters. :( Such whiners, you just can't find the fleet and load the box, OMG call the game warden in. Maybe you all should do some due diligence and learn to hunt the bass down, and actually look for where they feed, which might not be with all the other boats you all rely on, better yet take up golf.:D

[fatboy]

I don't catch fish so there must be a problem with the striper population, blame all the bass eaters. :( Such whiners, you just can't find the fleet and load the box, OMG call the game warden in. Maybe you all should do some due diligence and learn to hunt the bass down, and actually look for where they feed, which might not be with all the other boats you all rely on, better yet take up golf.:D

This is way off base. No one especially me is complaing about not catching fish. It is about the trend in population. I fish my own boat, with Timmy T of the Clean Sweep regarded by some as the best Striper guy in Cape May, I fish with Chris Gatley up in Raritan who has a stellar reputation for cathing numbers and quality fish. I talk to guides like Chris who before Raritan fish the river evry day. Timmy, Chris, Paul have a major network of knowledgable guides. All in the past year or so have mentioned to me how "off" the fishery has been, or how it is markedly different from a few years ago. I am just posing a point as Bill Donovan did in his article which I didnt know existed. My point is keeping two large eventually shooting ourselves in the foot. Where are you at BZL I am I-18. Honestly there is no whining, just wondering about this great fisheries future.

[NJAngler Bill]

This is way off base. No one especially me is complaing about not catching fish. It is about the trend in population. I fish my own boat, with Timmy T of the Clean Sweep regarded by some as the best Striper guy in Cape May, I fish with Chris Gatley up in Raritan who has a stellar reputation for cathing numbers and quality fish. I talk to guides like Chris who before Raritan fish the river evry day. Timmy, Chris, Paul have a major network of knowledgable guides. All in the past year or so have mentioned to me how "off" the fishery has been, or how it is markedly different from a few years ago. I am just posing a point as Bill Donovan did in his article which I didnt know existed. My point is keeping two large eventually shooting ourselves in the foot. Where are you at BZL I am I-18. Honestly there is no whining, just wondering about this great fisheries future.

You are right on! Nobody is saying the sky is falling. The run is just late this spring and it'll heat up soon, for sure. By historical standards, the striped bass stock is still in pretty good shape.

But I can tell you this. Back in February I attended the ASMFC Striped Bass Board meeting in VA as the Vice-Chair of the Striped Bass Advistory Panel. Before going, I conducted an informal survey of 20 anglers who I consider to be some of the best striper fishermen in the state. Not all high-profile guys...just folks that I know are on the water all the time and know their stuff. Some own boats, some are surf guys, some fish the rivers, etc. I tried to select the most representative cross section that I could and folks who I could trust to be honest and objective.

I was very surprised by how many of them expressed serious concern about the status of the stock, particularly with respect to bigger fish. Only 2 of the 20 thought the fishery was as good as it was back in the late 90's/early 00's.

Then, I went to the meeting and learned that Spawning Stock Biomass had dropped 25% in the last 4 years, and that angling mortality had spiked to its highest level since the pre-moratorium days. But, since the overall numbers are still inside what ASMFC effectively considers the "safe zone", there was absolutely no concern expressed whatsoever by the Striped Bass Board.

No, the stock is not taking a nosedive, and we certainly have adequate time to make adjustments to make sure that it doesn't. But we won't have a stock assessment for 2 years and I am really, really concerned about what will happen to this fishery between now and then.

[Steve T]

I'm for bringing back the slot...and releasing the big ones.
I'll say this though...fished on the Adam Bomb Saturday morning and there is no lack of nice healthy Stripers in these locals.
And you guys that have a penchant for blaming charter captains for taking too many fish....Captain Adam measured one yesterday that was a C*** hair away from legal, I would have said it's a keeper...back in the drink it went released healthy.
If everybody practiced conservation like these guys do, the Bass stocks will be fine.
The weather has been funky this Spring at that's what I think is causing alot of consternation with the stocks.
I'ts either that or your fishing in the wrong spots..or maybe with the wrong people!
Good luck to all the Sportsmen on the Barn this Spring.

[seabear]

A couple of things to keep in mind about the management process, fisheries management is not an exact science, (not even close). Unfortunately, we do not manage in real time, If we act on info from the previous year that is quick. Usually it's more like two years. We do get catch numbers quicker, commercial which is more accurate and MRSS which isn't so accurate. Bycatch numbers are anybody's guess. Bottom line is that what we see happening now (antedotal info) usually takes about 2 years to get into the management process. Not too good.

[Old-guy]

NJAngler Bill,

I agree the sky isn’t falling but let us not close our eyes either. If there is an issue then the powers to be need to be making plans to correct the problem before it comes down to something that will be painful for us all.

Seabear,

First I give full credit to those that addressed the problem of the striped bass decline and turned it all around. KUDOS!

All I blame on the rule maskers is being little dysfunctional like most of us. As I said earlier how can you say that the spawning biomass is in decline and in the next sentence say that the EEZ should be opened to commercial fishing? I’m no genius but to me these opinions are in conflict?

All,

This Old Guy does fish, I practice C&R and I kill a few for the table too. Nothing wrong with any of that. I do also believe in protecting the fisheries and I don’t believe there is anything wrong with that. I only threw myself into this because I miss the slot and it was taken away at the same time that I started hearing that the number of larger fish was in decline.

Keep after them!
Old Guy

[BUCKTAIL WILLIE]

STRIPERS FOREVER SURVEYS for past 3 years have indicated a downward trend in the numbers and size. Survey covers the entire East Coast
Personally I have seen a significant down turn in size. 2004 average size of my tagged bass was 27", 2005 av size 25.5" ,2006 av 24.5" 2007 av size was 22"
This while tagging 2004-436 tagged --2004 414, 2005- 404, 2006 -389, and 2007 was 379
Days/hours fishing for bass was basically the same evey year ,didn't vary more than 5 days any year
In addition the young of the year surveys have deteriorted the past 3 years in Cheasapeake and Delaware,only Hudson has seen steady YOY
Clearly there is a downward trend,probably no need to panic YET but I can tell you my logs from late 60's into early 70's showed a similar trend and that led to disaster due to a host of reasons
In my opinion we are clearly removing too many of the best spawners which scientist say are bass between 28-38"
so far this Spring it is the poorest in 7 years for me ,could be related to a late run we will just have to wait and see
just my 2 cents

[Flyguy784]

Old Guy,

First off, I am the last person that anyone need apologize to for being an ass. I reap what I sow.

I wasn't really picking on the C&R guys, just pointing out that it's not just the "meat in the box" guys that are killing fish. (just like it's not all the comms, or charters, or recs, or any one group).

I also wanted to bring up the C&R by it's very nature is disturbing the natural behavior of these fish. To what extent I can't say.

As far as how to best protect the cows, how about a limit of 2 fish per day, 1 between 20"-28" and 1 at 40+ so that you can keep the true trophy fish? Leave all fish in the 30s alone.

I know there is no perfect formula, but the key is how to protect the spawners, both current and future.

JZ, I'm serious here. I'm not condeming or condoning. A fish caught over 40 is a true trophy, no question. I believe the meat on larger, older fish is more dangerous (heavy metals etc.), doesn't taste as good as a younger fish, my question is, and again I'm serious, why would you want to take a 40 + lber ?

[always fishing]

STRIPERS FOREVER SURVEYS for past 3 years have indicated a downward trend in the numbers and size. Survey covers the entire East Coast
Personally I have seen a significant down turn in size. 2004 average size of my tagged bass was 27", 2005 av size 25.5" ,2006 av 24.5" 2007 av size was 22"
This while tagging 2004-436 tagged --2004 414, 2005- 404, 2006 -389, and 2007 was 379
Days/hours fishing for bass was basically the same evey year ,didn't vary more than 5 days any year
In addition the young of the year surveys have deteriorted the past 3 years in Cheasapeake and Delaware,only Hudson has seen steady YOY
Clearly there is a downward trend,probably no need to panic YET but I can tell you my logs from late 60's into early 70's showed a similar trend and that led to disaster due to a host of reasons
In my opinion we are clearly removing too many of the best spawners which scientist say are bass between 28-38"
so far this Spring it is the poorest in 7 years for me ,could be related to a late run we will just have to wait and see
just my 2 cents

Can't say your finger isn't on the pulse! Welcome back!:)

[fatboy]

STRIPERS FOREVER SURVEYS for past 3 years have indicated a downward trend in the numbers and size. Survey covers the entire East Coast
Personally I have seen a significant down turn in size. 2004 average size of my tagged bass was 27", 2005 av size 25.5" ,2006 av 24.5" 2007 av size was 22"
This while tagging 2004-436 tagged --2004 414, 2005- 404, 2006 -389, and 2007 was 379
Days/hours fishing for bass was basically the same evey year ,didn't vary more than 5 days any year
In addition the young of the year surveys have deteriorted the past 3 years in Cheasapeake and Delaware,only Hudson has seen steady YOY
Clearly there is a downward trend,probably no need to panic YET but I can tell you my logs from late 60's into early 70's showed a similar trend and that led to disaster due to a host of reasons
In my opinion we are clearly removing too many of the best spawners which scientist say are bass between 28-38"
so far this Spring it is the poorest in 7 years for me ,could be related to a late run we will just have to wait and see
just my 2 cents

This speaks volumes

[In Depth]

Well ,i finaly have time to hit this thread, so hear it goes.

Although i fish up and down the coast i'm going to limmit my response to the Delaware river only.

For 5 years now there have been subtle changes in both numbers ,quality, and range. The first 2 years i think i was in denial because i was still into serious numbers only the average size droped and i blamed a lot of that on some extreme weather that we had at the time and the fact that we had realy been spoiled by previous years. Starting 3 years ago those changes became not so subtle. Numbers and size have droped steadily .
Some folks i talked to at the time agreed with me and others thought i was on crack , i told them no ! that was normal, but that there was definately something up.
I then noticed a patern , that being all the people who agreed with me were the guy's who have been fishing the river for bass long enough to remember the days of the moritoium or before. And the guy's who disaggreed with me were the ones who have only been doing it a few years.
I thought about that for a while and came up with a theory that i think at least has a bit of merrit. Some people who have said to me they didn't think the bass in the river were in trouble because every year for the last few they have done well . I agree they have but quite frankly what happened is they became better fisherman over the course of time were talking about. They put some time in and were rewarded for it.

Because of this i feel some folks may be misguided in there perception of what is realy happening.

And the obvious trend that i have seen over the last 3 years and most probably a couple more then that is drastic. I have been at this as long as anyone and let me be very clear. The changes in the river in the areas that i frequant are so obvious that a blind man can see it.
And this year while a few fish have been had the best way to describe the run is non existant up to this point .

It's now the third week of april and it's a full moon .

Is the run late ? hell yea , as late as i have ever Ever seen it.

[bass ackwards]

We should all be concerned with size and number regs but I feel the most important aspect of preserving bass and other fisheries is their habitat. I dont care what kind of regs you have in, if the waters are destroyed by runoff and pollution all the C&R will be in worthless.

[JoeyZac]

JZ, I'm serious here. I'm not condeming or condoning. A fish caught over 40 is a true trophy, no question. I believe the meat on larger, older fish is more dangerous (heavy metals etc.), doesn't taste as good as a younger fish, my question is, and again I'm serious, why would you want to take a 40 + lber ?

I would have no problem setting up regs that preserve EVERY Striper that is considered to be a "big breeder" and at the same time a "poor eating" fish. Same opinion for Fluke, Tog, whatever.

However, I realize there are many who would protest such regs and I am trying to come up with something that would/could be accepted by the masses. People are going to have a very hard time throwing back the fish of a lifetime, even if they are keeping it for a pic only.

I personally won't keep it unless I eat it, but at the same time, I like a picture of me with a nice fish, so I'm just being honest here. But I could bring myself to throw those bigger ones back.

I feel the fish in the 20" - 30" range are the best eating, so let us keep/eat them and then come up with something that protect the bigger breeders, be they the 30+", 40+", whatever.

I just want something that makes sense, that would work, and that would be accepted.

[eelball]

JZ, I'm serious here. I'm not condeming or condoning. A fish caught over 40 is a true trophy, no question. I believe the meat on larger, older fish is more dangerous (heavy metals etc.), doesn't taste as good as a younger fish, my question is, and again I'm serious, why would you want to take a 40 + lber ?

OOO!!OOOH! Can I answer this? Because the law says I can. Have you eaten a 40lber? How do you know how they taste if your a c&r PREACHER. I have, and it tasted very good.
I agree that the law needs to be changed, and a slot limit would be benificial to the stock. Until the powers that be change it though, I will continue to play by the rules that are set for me.

I feel like we did this before;)

[bgreene]

Based on my experience, I agree -I fish from Del Bay to Sandy Hook, NJ and I caught fewer bass last year than the year before.

[GetReel]

You're mistaken. I didn't say shate to the guy that caught that fish, never told him a thing. If he wants to kill that fish that's his choice. The post was BGreenes opinion on keeping big fish. What struck me over that whole may-lay was that as many times as I repeated myself, "kill what you want" I was still vilafied for having a differant opinion. I'll stick with my final word on that post," By killing the biggest and best egg laying girls you ARE contributing to the decline of the breeding stock", don't delude yourself. That being said, you, yes you, kill as many breeders as you like, it's your choice. Let me repeat YOUR CHOICE.
Isn't it a shame it takes LEGISLATION for us to do the right thing?

There is a real anti-conservation mindset among many on this board. The striped bass fishery is in decline, no doubt about it. Just ask the guys fising in VA this winter -- this winter's season (as good as it was by NJ standardss) was a mere shadow of prior seasons, especially for fish over 50 pounds.

[Flyguy784]

OOO!!OOOH! Can I answer this? Because the law says I can. Have you eaten a 40lber? How do you know how they taste if your a c&r PREACHER. I have, and it tasted very good.
I agree that the law needs to be changed, and a slot limit would be benificial to the stock. Until the powers that be change it though, I will continue to play by the rules that are set for me.

I feel like we did this before;)
No, I've never eaten a bass that big. Only going by other species that I have eaten and what I've heard other guys say about them.
"Simply because you have the right to do something does not neccasarily mean it's the right thing to do"

"Do the right thing"

This is how it starts, we see a problem and start a dialogue. The powers that be hear these murmurs and start to take a closer look at the situation.
I think you read me wrong EEL, I have nothing against harvesting fish, nothing at all. Unless it starts to look like it's effecting the health of the population.
I'd just hate to see this fantastic bass fishery deteriorate to where it was pre moritorium. I think we're seeing the early stages of that now. Let's not wait till all bass fishing is restricted, again.
So as not to go where we went before. Keep what you legaly can, I'm not telling anyone what to do. I'm merely stating that I see a downward trend. I predict that if this trend continues, all of us C&R guys that enjoy going out for the sport of fishing and taking a couple reasonably sized bass in a given year, will be listening to the same guys saying, " I was out all day and didn't get but one keeper". I'd hate to see you guys not be able to go out and harvest a nice catch of striped bass, but I think that's what's going to happen. Simply because we can't control ourselves. Oh, and have the right by law to do so.

[marlinhunter]

I would like to say thati fished the bay saturday and the ratio on private boats to charter boats was about 5:1 in favor of private boats...

For everu 5 private boats there was one cvharter boat..


Now if you do not believe me come into the deleware and see for yourself...

[Striper101]

It seems to me that over the past few seasons things have begun a decline. Is anyone else seeing this trend. Honestly this may have been beat to death but is 2 OVER 28 really a good thing. Since the end of the "slot" fish most fish kept are mature. This just isnt a NJ thing either look at the bashing they(stripers) take up and down the coast. I know a few guys on top of the game and both have noticed a slowdown both in the Deleware river, Bay and up in Raritan. Looking forward to hear some of your experiences and thoughts. i think we should limit the "big fish" to one a guy and go back to some form of slot!

I also think that they should bring back the slot fish! Timmy and I both had a great 2007 fall run! One of our best in years! We caught fish into late Dec. which isn't the norm! I think if the slot was in effect it would be better for the Bass. Taking 1 slot & 1 over 28, in my IMO is just plain better for the population.

As for a decline, I think the spring run has to do with the weather. It is only a couple weeks off from last spring. I check my logs and every year is different, some years the Bass are early,some are late! This year happens to be a little late. It won't be long!

[insomniac]

I also think that they should bring back the slot fish! Timmy and I both had a great 2007 fall run! One of our best in years! We caught fish into late Dec. which isn't the norm! I think if the slot was in effect it would be better for the Bass. Taking 1 slot & 1 over 28, in my IMO is just plain better for the population.

As for a decline, I think the spring run has to do with the weather. It is only a couple weeks off from last spring. I check my logs and every year is different, some years the Bass are early,some are late! This year happens to be a little late. It won't be long!

Agree & Agree.

[TrentonMakes]

Yes I am home once again as I gave my customers the option to try and target delaware river stripers or hold off till they come in. Fishing in the upper river stinks right now. When I look/talk with 5 guides on the water everyday and countless boats from the burlington bristol to the yardley areas of the river and noone is even getting run-offs, something is going on. Is it a late run? Is it that the temps are off? Is it that tons of bait are keeping the fish in the bay and when conditions are right, they'll make a quick migration to spawn? Not sure. What I can say is that when it comes to the Delaware River, we have a great herring run. In all the years going back to 1985, when we even had some herring in the river, we had bass - no matter what the water temps were. That is going back to when there were basically no stripers stocks along the coast. Now, I have been consistently marking herring for over a week. Some of these bait clouds are 8 feet thick. All the herring you want on certain portions of the tide. Bass should be here but they are not and have not been for a week or more. I am hoping that the run is off and that this moon phase on Sunday changes it all in conjunction with water temps. I don't want to be an alarmist but my eyes are open.

As for stock depletion, maybe it is sliding since everyone has been pounding away at all sizes of stripers for over 10 years. Of course a toll will be taken but to what extent is the question. Maybe in 10 days here, the bass will show up along the coast where they are suppose to be and all is good!



The shad and herring are / been strong this year, herring run has been very good every year. I haven't been able to figure the river out this year, yet, bass are being caught but not like they should be.

Most I have caught and heard caught were smaller sized fish from shorts to 30 plus inches 30-38, which is still a pretty nice fish! But when you are used to catching 30-40 plus pound fish it is definitely off.

The bait is in the river now, right now!, and normally so are the cows, but not this year. IMHO most of the bass bein caught are resident bass, heard of good catches down river around the bay and Commodore barry, which has me thinking that fishing pressure may be playing a role.

Last year started about the same, I really didn't get into big fish, consistently, until this coming weekend, but i wasn't getting into the herring like I have been doing this year already. ???

Right now I have a wait & see attitude going till the end of the week, if nothing changes it will go to a frantic Hope & Pray, and will be hitting the shore early this year.


As far as the decline and slot topic....... UNDECIDED

I mainly catch and release, they say a picture is worth a thousand words.
What i do keep i plan to eat, and like / rather eat the smaller fish, and let them big fish go do their thing and hopefully catch 'em again, bigger.

Last summer got into a good number of walleye, and in good sizes too. Many over 25 inches.I did keep a number of eyes as they are excellent eating but they were 18-20 inches, rest were all let go and unharmed.

Not sure about a decline, still feel there are more guys/gals out targeting them now and as previously said getting better each year. The most importatnt thing IMO, especially with many new anglers tartgeting bass is proper handling when releasing big fish. Makes no sense to release 'em if they are just going to die anyways. Some of the things i see are amazing, but i believe there are alot of people out there who just don't know any better.

[CaptBob1966]

There was a push last year to get a slot fish back in NJ waters. The idea however was shot down due to certain organizations did not agree with the slot fish methodology.

The breeders are the larger fish but yet we kill the breeder fish and let the juvenilles grow to maturity size and then kill them. That makes alot of sense. :confused:

The stock is deemed healthy, however if we keep killing the large breeders the numbers will at some time go down. If the fish is deemed a game fish now then change the size limits to allow it to truly become a game fish. Give the mature fish a chance to spawn and then kill them.

There should be a slot of 1 fish @ 20" - 26" & 1 trophy fish over 36".

Just my opinion.:eek:

[SteveW]

...we kill the breeder fish and let the juvenilles grow to maturity size and then kill them. That makes alot of sense. :confused:

There should be a slot of 1 fish @ 20" - 26" & 1 trophy fish over 36".

I agree. I'd even go so far as to limit the trophy fish to two or three per year, with a "bonus card" system required.

[Timmy T]

OOO!!OOOH! Can I answer this? Because the law says I can. Have you eaten a 40lber? How do you know how they taste if your a c&r PREACHER. I have, and it tasted very good.
I agree that the law needs to be changed, and a slot limit would be benificial to the stock. Until the powers that be change it though, I will continue to play by the rules that are set for me.

I feel like we did this before;)

LOFL! The law says you can do a lot of things that might not be the best idea!

[Twisted28]

I dont know what all the fuss is about, limit the fish or limit the fisherman.. seems the fuel prices are going to work in the fish's favor this year. That will be fuel imposed limits..

[luv2fish]

If your not a marine biologist please stop making up theories about the bio mass of striped bass, leave it to the experts. As far as bass in the bay, it varies every year, and thank God for that, keeps the 10% who know how to find them away from the 90% followers out there. The breeders here last year aren't here this yr, they don't breed every yr. I'd love it if the satelites for GPS were down for month of May and Nov, most boat fisherman wouldn't venture out far, let alone find fish.
Yes the same spots every boater here has logged in to their neat little GPS plotter are gonna have different results for fishing seasonally. I hear all time marked fish at my spot but they would'n bite. Gee maybe they don't feed there now, OMG you might have to find your own spot instead of ankering with the fleet.

BTW there is no taste difference between 40lbers and a slot from my experience, just more meat for the family, oh I do remove all the red fattie meat with all the pcb's, just eat the white meat only. I discard all the scraps, head and carcus in my garden and the tomatoes, peppers and eggplant love it.

If you C&R guys want go after somebody, here are the 3 culprits that will wipe out any fish stock: #1 Netters, #2 pollution, and #3 destruction of breeding grounds. Also C&R guys seem to be more inclined to post big numbers for fish caught, well your throwbacks die too, so 100 throwbacks equate to 5 man limit of keepers. I personally fish for large bass only, not how many, but how big, my goal is 80lbs, not 80 fish.

back to work.

[B Daley]

Bring back the slots & the fuel should help too:D

[Flyguy784]

If your not a marine biologist please stop making up theories about the bio mass of striped bass, leave it to the experts. As far as bass in the bay, it varies every year, and thank God for that, keeps the 10% who know how to find them away from the 90% followers out there. The breeders here last year aren't here this yr, they don't breed every yr. I'd love it if the satelites for GPS were down for month of May and Nov, most boat fisherman wouldn't venture out far, let alone find fish.
Yes the same spots every boater here has logged in to their neat little GPS plotter are gonna have different results for fishing seasonally. I hear all time marked fish at my spot but they would'n bite. Gee maybe they don't feed there now, OMG you might have to find your own spot instead of ankering with the fleet.

BTW there is no taste difference between 40lbers and a slot from my experience, just more meat for the family, oh I do remove all the red fattie meat with all the pcb's, just eat the white meat only. I discard all the scraps, head and carcus in my garden and the tomatoes, peppers and eggplant love it.

If you C&R guys want go after somebody, here are the 3 culprits that will wipe out any fish stock: #1 Netters, #2 pollution, and #3 destruction of breeding grounds. Also C&R guys seem to be more inclined to post big numbers for fish caught, well your throwbacks die too, so 100 throwbacks equate to 5 man limit of keepers. I personally fish for large bass only, not how many, but how big, my goal is 80lbs, not 80 fish.

back to work.

By the anger in your post it sounds as though you might be missing some of that red fattie meat. It's a disscussion, nobody's going after anybody. Have a bad day?

[eelball]

No, I've never eaten a bass that big. Only going by other species that I have eaten and what I've heard other guys say about them.
"Simply because you have the right to do something does not neccasarily mean it's the right thing to do"

"Do the right thing"

This is how it starts, we see a problem and start a dialogue. The powers that be hear these murmurs and start to take a closer look at the situation.
I think you read me wrong EEL, I have nothing against harvesting fish, nothing at all. Unless it starts to look like it's effecting the health of the population.
I'd just hate to see this fantastic bass fishery deteriorate to where it was pre moritorium. I think we're seeing the early stages of that now. Let's not wait till all bass fishing is restricted, again.
So as not to go where we went before. Keep what you legaly can, I'm not telling anyone what to do. I'm merely stating that I see a downward trend. I predict that if this trend continues, all of us C&R guys that enjoy going out for the sport of fishing and taking a couple reasonably sized bass in a given year, will be listening to the same guys saying, " I was out all day and didn't get but one keeper". I'd hate to see you guys not be able to go out and harvest a nice catch of striped bass, but I think that's what's going to happen. Simply because we can't control ourselves. Oh, and have the right by law to do so.

It's definatly on the decline. And my personal opinion is that i will release more fish. I will never tell anyone fishing with me to do the same. As ususaul, I will tell them it's there decision. I will not try to sway them one way or the other with my opinion. Unless I'm asked.
I think it's inevitable, the stock will crash again. The cards have been dealt.

[sunnydaze]

oh I do remove all the red fattie meat with all the pcb's, just eat the white meat only.

Mercury Bioaccumulation Rates in Striped Bass and Tautog in Narragansett Bay, RI, and Potential Implications to Human Health
Piraino, Maria N./Taylor, David L., Roger Williams University
http://www.erf.org/cgi-bin/conference07_abstract.pl?conference=erf2007&id=899

Mercury varies in fish tissue as a function of diet, age, body size, and location. Consumption of contaminated fish is a human health hazard.
[snip].
Mercury concentrations increased as the size and age of tautog and striped bass increased; however, the rate of mercury bioaccumulation was greater in striped bass than in tautog.

------------

Methylmercury Concentrations in Fish from Tidal Waters of The Chesapeake Bay
http://www.csa.com/discoveryguides/mercury/abstracts-f.php

Robert P. Mason, Deborah Heyes and Auja Sveinsdottir.

Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology, Vol. 51, No. 3, Oct 2006, pp. 425-437.
Total Hg and MeHg concentrations in striped bass increased with fish size, and large fish (>7.5 kg wet weight) tended to have MeHg concentrations of 300 ng g super(-1) or greater. On average, the striped bass MeHg concentration was 120 plus or minus 100 ng g super(-1) and the fraction of the total Hg as MeHg was 65 plus or minus 22%.

[Flyguy784]

It's definatly on the decline. And my personal opinion is that i will release more fish. I will never tell anyone fishing with me to do the same. As ususaul, I will tell them it's there decision. I will not try to sway them one way or the other with my opinion. Unless I'm asked.
I think it's inevitable, the stock will crash again. The cards have been dealt.

Very well said Mr. EEL.

[fatboy]

How about this year????? It is a little scary if you ask me....

[Bluewater sportfishing]

How about this year????? It is a little scary if you ask me....
its scary but I think for some unforeseen reasons. I know I am scratching my head the same as someone else;) but there are other things at work here.
this spring has been nothing short of putrid. With all the rain we have had I believe that run off from the farms on the del and N.J. side has lowered the levels of oxygen in the lower water column and either A, causing the bass to stay put or go where the oxygen is or B, they are still up in the river on their way down. I do however rescind on my former beliefs on 2 over 28, I think the regs need to change to 1 slot and 1 over 28 for every state from R.I. to N.C. The bass are seeing a lot of pressure almost year round now and they just cant handle that kind of pressure. One thing that struck me was the yoy that stripers forever did and they said the del and chesapeake had the lowest. Could that be from pollution? The hudson stock is the second biggest stock with the chesapeake being the first and we are third but bot the del and chesapeake are lined with farms on both sides, and the hudson has been getting cleaner and cleaner over the years. Just some food for thought. I also look at it like this, we had a great fall in 2008, the fishing in V.A. was piss poor due to weather, but yet so far the spring season has be bad, I cant believe all the fish were caught during a winter so to me only time will tell.

[roctheboat aka pigpen]

the problem with your statement if you harvest a hen over thirty pounds you are contributing to the incline. Plus everyone who says don't keep any big fish is the fish don,t start out at thirty pounds. before they became thirty pounds. They where much much smaller. So when we keep a smaller fish who is to say we are not killing a potential world record . Plus cutting that particular fishes spawning life way short. Talk to the netters they are the ones who really know what is going on. The guys who are catching the bunker it is unfortunate but they catch a lot of stripers in those nets. Most of them go back into the water alive , but some do die. With out those guys most of us would have a tough time going fishing. or crabbing. So I am not against the netters. someone said it eirlier the water is colder than normal last year it was warmer than normal. It 5/21/ 09 when i am writing this. The striper are going to explode this coming weekend and be good for the next three weeks. maybe a little longer.

[barrell]

The slot should be a true slot. Like redfish down south. They have come back strong because you cant keep any big cows. Id like to see two fish between 22 and 36. Everything else goes back forever to breed. Alberts record will be safe forever and the quest to top his record will be gone which I beleive drives alot of the slaughter and frenzy which is just starting off the beaches.
Big fish are full of lead, plbs, and mercury and should not be eaten. You wouldnt blow cigarette smoke in your childrens face so why feed them toxic chemicals.

[boatliftman]

depends how you look at it guys,i think there are too many bass, they eat everything in site crabs, baby weakfish, small flounder, there needs to be a balance, i say save a weakfish kill a bass:D

[fdformicola]

slots for stripers and close down the weakfish to EVERYONE for at least 2 years from Florida to Maine before they are totally gone:please:

[jimmijacks]

I must be in an alternate universe, last spring I put more and larger bass in the boat than ever and last fall i my arms were so sore that i left them biting. When id call my buddies last spring alot of em broke personal best records in size, some were released some were kept. Me when i get my 50lber its not going back in the suds, its going on the wall. This year it has been admittedly slow as i have only caught 1 fish in 3 trips, however the first trip the water was only 47 degrees.The water is colder this year and IMHO thats whats holding the fish up. I like the 2 at 28 limit, and i never kept a fish i didnt eat. thats my 2 cents

[CaptG]

Yes, there has been a decline, alot of it is due to increased fishing effort for bass. The lack of regulations on the rec industry is part of the problem also.

[bdubbs]

ive only kept 2 keepers out of the dozen or so keepers i have had this year :thumbsup:

i think they should make it a strictly slot limit 23-27 inches 2 fish. not 28 that way all thos schoolies that are currently 27 (50% of my fish this spring have been 27inches ) which will be 28 by next year will be off limits and have a chance to get bigg and make babys:D

[hyperstriper]

Personally i feel it should be 1 fish at 36" but that won't fly for the majority out there. 1 @ 36" will yield you quite a bit of meat to take home with you and will probably feed you for a week. Charter/party boats get customers who want to fish for a day and take some fresh fish home, and that is understandable, so 2 @ 28" works for them. For me i fish the fun and sport of it and rarely take fish home. I don't usually get involved in these conversations as everyone has their opinion on what works for them so there will never be an agreement. There is the camp that is all C&R, the other that wants the slot fish, one that wants 2 @ 28", and than the other that includes some variety of the above. I think what goes on up and down the east coast in the spring and the amount of large fish taken every may/june/july is increasing and we will see the impact of that in the years to come. I used to keep a lot of what i caught when i was younger but soon realized i enjoy fishing for these fish so much that i would rather put them back. I caught a ton of big fish from the boat the last few years and still am seeing the good numbers, so i guess i'm not noticing a decline but i can be sure there will be one occuring in the not so distant future if something doesnt change.

[njbasspro88]

I'm c&r unless its a paticularly delicious looking fluke. I dont have as much experience as some of the guys here, but i've been fishing my whole life and the only decline in fish stocks i have noticed is weakfish. I agree bass are becoming harder to catch, but look at it this way. If you were to fish one of the popular largemouth lakes/trout streams, you would likely have to work hard to catch fish. Right rod, right line, right lure, right conditions. Now picture yourself in a lowly farm pond where the bass have never seen a lure and sure as hell hadn't thought about passing one up. In my opinion fish are getting smarter, schooling tighter, and feeding at more specific times. Angling pressure has alot to do with it, as well as the shift in normal weather patterns the last few years. To be a good fisherman in my opinion means learning how to take every possible variable and turn that into a plan. This could mean moving from the back to the inlet due to a sw wind that dirties that water, not to mention that warms the front of the bay. And vice versa, you may want to run to the back because of warm water which concentrates bait. This does not mean that i think fishing is math and 1+1 always equals 2, cause we all know that isn't true lol, just that with a little research and a quick scan of the conditions and an open mind you will greatly improve your odds of hookin up. :thumbsup:

[JAT11]

I liked 1 28" or more, 1 slot 24"-28". the stipper fishing has gotton better IMO....due to the large increase in bunker in our area....the bunker / bait is the key.

[CapeMayRay]

Look at the year or the young survey. I believe it was Bucktail Willie that posted them on a forum earlier this month. They take a survey of how many young stripers are in a certain area each year and the numbers of young that they get is going down. This means the numbers of bass are not being produced to replace those larger fish or all sizes taken out of the system. I think it was stated that last year survey showed the worst count in 17 years and it has been down for three years in a row. Down the road if production is not up the numbers of fish available to catch have to be down.

[bornband]

Be careful Fat Boy, the last time I said anything about stock decline and maybe Barners should practice some self imposed catch and release of big hens in spring I got hammered. Yes, there is a decline, yes, more stringent regs should be put in place. It'll only get worse next year........

If you got hammered that really sucks. If people got mad at you for your view on this then they are definitely looking at the striped bass and its life through rose colored glasses because anyone that knows anything can see that we are declining. Everyone needs to do their part even charter captains!! Does the entire boat REALLY need to take home a limit? I would think not. I am sure I will get hammered now, but it is obvious that people on this site love the striped bass so let's keep them around for years to come.:)

[bgreene]

My observations from fishing Del Bay over approx 10 years - absolutely in decline overall:

Weakies - forget it, huge decline.
Croaker - size and volume decline
Flatties same
Stripers some good early spring and fall, but spotty after brief flurries
Drum not so good so far this year
Blues spotty, used to feature a nice run of fall biggies

Mid to late summer bite - boring, and dull for many.

[Ohana]

This seems to come down to the "not in my backyard" argument. People want better fishing, and they want regs imposed on everyone but themselves. How many people truly have self-imposed limits that are more stringent than current regs? Most recs. take the attitude of "I'm only one person" it's everyone else who is the problem: comms, charters etc.
In order for the Striped Bass fishery to continue to thrive more consistent limits need to be set-up and we need to take a hard look at the impact of the bunker reduction fishery has on not only bass pop. but also on water quality etc.

Another thing that has to change is the general attitude of fisherman who want to fill their boxes every time they go fishing. Take a look at some of the posts on this site. A while ago a guy gave a 3 day bottom fishing report. Between the people fishing they caught (their numbers) over 1500lbs of fish. I believe there were 5 people fishing. What can you possibly do with 300 lbs of fish? You end up giving it away or freezing it until it has gone bad.
How about all the cheesy pictures of guys holding the jaws of a 100 lb mako open on the dock?

If you want a perfect example of how fishermen end up screwing things up take a look at the offshore tile fishery. Tilefish are slow growing, slow reproducing fish that will not stand up to increased fishing pressure. Instead of considering this and imposing some self-regulation people are going to continue to fill up on every trip until the fishery collapses and the gov't has to step in. With the increased charters targeting tiles if this fishery maintains it's current level for 2-3 more years I'd be surprised.

[TheSpaniard]

We are in decline and even the scientists know that and show us that with their data. No alarm though, we'll just wait til this becomes a real problem. That's why skipping next years assessment is so important. It will let us keeping taking 2 fish and will keep all the monetary interests happy for at least 2 years plus the time it will take to do another assessment. Is that actually 3 years?

[Moparornocar]

I think taht to some extent, the stocks are cyclical, and vary form year to year. htere have been times in the past, with every species when they were very abundant, and then tiem when they were hard to catch. hat being said some regulations DO need to be enforced more, or modified. Look at the winter flounder stocks look at weakfish! look at blackfish! we are running out of game fish and its a shame. 1 fish a day if over 28 inches is MORE then enough to feed you family!! Id be happy with a 1 fish slot limit, maybe 28-34. I dont understand why people keep 30 + lb fish! the meat that you get after cleaning and removing teh dark, fatty meat is not to much more then a fish os smaller size. and it doenst taste as good!. Feh.... I just hope that in 10 years we arent all anxiously awaiting the spring robin run!

[Ohana]

Personally I like the idea of slot fish with a reduced size limit. For instance 2 fish between 20" & 36" or something similar. Not only are the smaller fish better eating they also represent a larger proportion of the population. If you want to keep a large bass you can set up a trophy tag program.

I also think this style of regulation would work on flounder. Instead of 6 @ 18" why not make it 4 @ 16'? This would allow people to catch fish to eat and protect the stock. It would also still be 2" larger than the 14" limit commercial guys have.

[BUCKTAIL WILLIE]

OHANA-- could not agree more on the possibility of a Striped bass slot. At the last ASMFC meeting an admendment was passed and given to Technical committee for review of possible returning to a slot. Admendment had several different options for Tech Committee to review
IN New Jersey and changes must come throught the legislature so it would appear to me IF admendment is approved by Tech committee it will take NJ politicians 2-3 years to pass a slot bill
As far as Flounder are concerned IF there was a slot for Flounder it would have to be Coast wide or in a Regional situtation, either way NJ allocation which today is 39% of total would be cut severly
Under every option for a slot that I've seen would also result in a shorter season
The objective must be to INCREASE the allocation
Commerical regs at 14" still is max out at their given poundage ,their season is also broke down into quarters with so much each and once that is hit season closes
I would rather see commercial NOT have a size limit and report everything once target is hit season closes for them instead of them throwing back dead fish under 14

[Striper101]

I would rather see commercial NOT have a size limit and report everything once target is hit season closes for them instead of them throwing back dead fish under 14

I absolutely agree and have been saying this for years. I've talked with some commercial vessels and they agree with this also.

I'd also like to see a slot come back for Bass. When we chunk bunker for them we really don't catch anything under 25 lbs. so, if the slot would be back in place our customers wouldn't be taking home all big fish so I think the stock would grow more significantly. But for some reason it's hard to get that thru their heads.
I'd like to see 1 between 20 to 28 in. and 1 over 30 in. And if there has to be a trophy fish that can be 1 over 36 in.

[chunking]

I still believe the worst thing that can happen to a fish is to get caught and killed. The next worst thing is to get caught and released. Untouched by human hands is the very best thing that can happen. I'm a firm believer that slots just give us pieces of a puzzle to catch. One has to be between this number and that number. Then one has to be over a different number. To me it makes sense that we get two fish at say 22 inches and then we are done. We stop fishing. Hard to do but we need to leave them alone. We stop sticking hooks in them after we catch our two and fish should stay healthy. Think of it this way. You get your deer and your done. You don't stay out there just wounding them for sport. Hooking a fish, fighting the fish, boating the fish is wounding them. Holding or hanging a big striper for photos then releasing has got to hurt. We release them and they swim away and we have a clear conscience. You can rip all the guts out of a fish and release it and it will swim away but it's dead. the fewer fish we touch the more there will be around for our kids to play with.

[fdformicola]

I could not agree with you more about touching fish, even if it is only to release them, but what do you do when you are driving 150miles round trip to fish and catch your limit in the 1st hour, how do you pack up and go home? it is hard when you are only getting out 1 day a week. You only have a limited amount of time to fish and you want to make the most of it. I do not have an answer, I just try to be as gentle and careful as I can. I do not keep any weakfish and release 95% of the bass I get, I do keep flounder.

[chunking]

I could not agree with you more about touching fish, even if it is only to release them, but what do you do when you are driving 150miles round trip to fish and catch your limit in the 1st hour, how do you pack up and go home? it is hard when you are only getting out 1 day a week. You only have a limited amount of time to fish and you want to make the most of it. I do not have an answer, I just try to be as gentle and careful as I can. I do not keep any weakfish and release 95% of the bass I get, I do keep flounder.

I know it would be difficult and probably impossible especially if you make a trip and want a day of fishing. In a perfect world it would probebly work. Restraint is difficult when the fish are biting.

[mattlist]

I get my chops busted about wearing gloves when I'm taking the hook out. I don't know if it helps keep human scent off em or if it takes less slime coat off but i'm trying. I'm the same as FD I pretty much only keep flatty at this point I release everything else unless i'm using them for bait. If you look close I have a halo above my hat in my pics.

[striper2278]

Go to VA beach during the winter...you'll see why there is a decline!

[33pounder]

Go to VA beach during the winter...you'll see why there is a decline!


or pirates cove and oregon inlet fishing center for that matter they load the docks every day they can get out and they are some very nice LARGE fish

[JFinny]

Know decline here in the upper hudson very strong spring run with loads of herring

[fdformicola]

I have a tiny devil on 1 shoulder and a angel with a big stick on the other, so the angel wins 95% of the time:thumbsup::wave:

[Pandion]

Go to VA beach during the winter...you'll see why there is a decline!

How about Cape May in the Fall & Spring?

Just too much pressure on the big breeders,it's not how anglers handle fish.

[JackStraw]

We kill our share in Cape May/Del Bay and now off central Jersey for the next few weeks...look in the striper thread and see how many 20-40 pounders are kept and that's just what is reported.....only a matter of time before this all goes bye-bye.

[Ohana]

I would rather see commercial NOT have a size limit and report everything once target is hit season closes for them instead of them throwing back dead fish under 14

I agree completely. Unfortunately the govt, is often long in reach and short in common sense.

I really think we need to look a more holistic view in our regulations. Consider not only the target species but also other predator & prey species in the ecosystem.

[mattlist]

I have a tiny devil on 1 shoulder and a angel with a big stick on the other, so the angel wins 95% of the time:thumbsup::wave:


lol!!! My angel is still stuck in traffic on 55 I think. Did not mean that as a bust, I really do fish the same way.

[2dogs]

We all hear the stories of the big bass being caught all winter in the Carolinas, the netters, the commercial guys not reporting their catches accurately. C&R in the Chesapeake on the flats and at the same time catch and keep in mid bay. Trolling 18 rods and 17 go down at the same time. Talk about stress on a fish. A released fish has a 50/50 chance of reproduction, a fish in the box has ZERO. When I was growing up, we all kept everything we caught. Taking home 40 or 50 flounder was normal.
Bluefish trips with huge tubs full of fish. I was guilty as was everyone else at that time. A release was a fish that got away. We are more educated, have lived through the declines, have our own records to look at, like Willie has. If the stripers go away, what will we fish for??? A few flounder maybe some seabass. To me, the striper is at the center of recreational fishing. If we piss it away, it's our own fault. Slot limits, trophy fish, I don't know the answer. I know when I was a jetty jock back in the late 70's, if you caught 6 bass in a season, you had a good year. We have seen the rebound and maybe we are to quick to forget how long it took to get here. It will go away alot quicker than it arrived.

[Supafly]

I get my chops busted about wearing gloves when I'm taking the hook out. I don't know if it helps keep human scent off em or if it takes less slime coat off but i'm trying. I'm the same as FD I pretty much only keep flatty at this point I release everything else unless i'm using them for bait. If you look close I have a halo above my hat in my pics.

Depending on what type of gloves you wear they could actually take more slime off of a fish.

[Supafly]

We kill our share in Cape May/Del Bay and now off central Jersey for the next few weeks...look in the striper thread and see how many 20-40 pounders are kept and that's just what is reported.....only a matter of time before this all goes bye-bye.

Yup, the problem is everywhere up and down the coast. Whats that quote? "Those that have not learned from the past are doomed to repeat it"