Striper population in trouble

[sternline]

Here's a disturbing article by Dick Russell (author of STRIPER WARS, the great book about how we saved the stripers):

http://mvgazette.com/news/2013/10/31/conservation-essential-save-striper?k=vg52798f3978bba&r=1

[Joey Dah Fish]

Thanks for the info!!! I personally practice catch and release on these fish. A beautiful fish, fun to catch and I want my grandchildren to have a chance to do the same.

[Leif]

“There is one solution . . . Stop killing the breeders,” longtime fisherman and conservationist Lou Taborey wrote recently. “Both recreational and commercial fishermen target larger fish because regulations require that practice. A slot limit similar to what the state of Florida has for most of its game fish would stop the killing of females.” Taborey points out that a one-fish-a-day, 22-to-26-inch slot limit would be ideal. If stripers from 28 to 48 inches were protected, that would mean at least eight to 10 years of freedom to spawn.

[Fishguts]

I sure hope this is not true. There is nothing better than fresh fried striper roe in the spring time. All you have to to is hang near the cleaning tables when the bunker schools are around and guys will be happy to give away giant piles off fresh roe from all the many cows they are cleaning.

[dfish28]

Yup, the gas alone I could save if I could just keep a river rat if we were allowed 2 at 18-24 inches-ideal table fare would be great, I only keep four a year to eat / smoke. Eels are better.

[kmaty]

Keep killing everything and you'll have nothing in yrs to come i do my own part as catch and release is most common kept 4 i think this yr out of god knowd how many best yr ive ever had and will be super hard to beat. This yr will be written down in a memory book eventually for me! I am guna be more involved eventually to help out more but i hope my grand kids can put a few striper trips in their books

[AndyS]

I won't kill any bass in the spring, and only take a few in the fall.

[NoLimit]

Recreational fishermen have zero impact on fish populations
If there was we would have 5 lb flounder and whiting at the seafood counter at Shoprite

[PAMonger]

Recreational fishermen have zero impact on fish populations
If there was we would have 5 lb flounder and whiting at the seafood counter at Shoprite

I won't say zero but it takes a lot of us to make the dent that one commercial boat can in one day.

[bunker dunker]

Here We Go Again!!! There Is Always Some Kind Of Fish In Trouble And
Thats What They Want You To Believe.look At The Dogfish,they Were In Big Trouble,the Fluke,the Blackfish.just Fish By The Rules And All Will Be Ok.

[JerseyCoast]

I won't say zero but it takes a lot of us to make the dent that one commercial boat can in one day.


I agree. I also am an advocate in a sense for commercial fishermen, because they are feeding families and many of them stick to the rules and are concerned about the future stocks.....

Here is a question that I have not been able to get an answer to in years......

A comm boat leaves the dock and is targeting a species. He ends up dumping tons and tons of bycatch that he is not allowed to keep.

Why do we not allow them to keep and sell everything that hits the deck? Lets face it..... 1% of the fish returned are actually surviving!! If that same boat can go out and fill the boat in a day, making enough money for 3 days of fishing, he is not going out for another 4 days. The by catch is dead anyway, why not let them keep it? Earn the money and fish less, for the same paycheck?? Is it me??? Or does this not sound right??

I may be missing something. But I k now a lot of comm guys and many of them are playing by the rules, yet feel the rules are killing off the fish quicker than we know.

[dfish28]

I'd go for something like one fish per day at 18"-24" and have a trophy tag at 1 per year... Till it gets better.

[Ol Pedro]

Here We Go Again!!! There Is Always Some Kind Of Fish In Trouble And
Thats What They Want You To Believe.look At The Dogfish,they Were In Big Trouble,the Fluke,the Blackfish.just Fish By The Rules And All Will Be Ok.
I'm with you BD. I'll be down Sunday.

[sternline]

Recreational fishermen have zero impact on fish populations
If there was we would have 5 lb flounder and whiting at the seafood counter at Shoprite

In New Jersey, it's recreational fishermen, not commercial fishermen, that have an impact on the striper population. You can't buy any stripers in NJ, at a supermarket or a restaurant, because it's illegal to sell them in NJ. Why? Because we recreational anglers got that legislation through. Check out the commercials' websites to sample their whining and their ranting at us. And uniting with conservationists, recreational anglers all along this coast got the catching of stripers in federal waters (that is from 3 miles out to 200 miles out) illegal. That's what saved stripers from virtual extinction. And that's why we have those glorious runs of those bass, most of which are migrating females. (The males stay in the Chesapeake.) Read STRIPER WARS and learn what we NEED TO KNOW about this great fish.

[Flukinator]

I agree. I also am an advocate in a sense for commercial fishermen, because they are feeding families and many of them stick to the rules and are concerned about the future stocks.....

Here is a question that I have not been able to get an answer to in years......

A comm boat leaves the dock and is targeting a species. He ends up dumping tons and tons of bycatch that he is not allowed to keep.

Why do we not allow them to keep and sell everything that hits the deck? Lets face it..... 1% of the fish returned are actually surviving!! If that same boat can go out and fill the boat in a day, making enough money for 3 days of fishing, he is not going out for another 4 days. The by catch is dead anyway, why not let them keep it? Earn the money and fish less, for the same paycheck?? Is it me??? Or does this not sound right??

I may be missing something. But I k now a lot of comm guys and many of them are playing by the rules, yet feel the rules are killing off the fish quicker than we know.

Because not every boat will stay home for those 4 days. A lot of boats will say, "Well, I made all that money in one day, so now I can do that every day and make MORE money." That's the gritty reality of just leaving conservation up to the "free market" regulation. To many people would just say, "Well, I made enough to survive in one day, so maybe I'll just fish one more day to make a little extra. Hmmm, my car is a few years old and needs some work, if I just work another day and haul more fish, I can get a new one. Oh the kids are in college now...I can just haul another couple of days and pay for it..."

I mean, you could then say they're only allowed to fish 2 days a week, or something, but how are you going to enforce that?

[NoLimit]

You just proved my point
It's the commercial industry that destroys fisheries but we get blamed
Recreational fisherman are self regulating
We would NEVER consider killing 100 fish to keep one and that is how the commercial industry is set up thanks to politicians

[sportfishingusa]

Can Everyone Find Something Better To Do With Their Time?

[HydraSportsPT]

Va md do the slot fish, seems like what is of popular opinion here as well, 2 under 28 i believe

[dakota560]

Can Everyone Find Something Better To Do With Their Time?
It's a message board, people share opinions. If you don't like the subject matter, go to the movies or do something you consider useful. The point is there will come a time, not maybe, will absolutely come a time when the bass stocks tank again if we continue throwing 30 and 40 lb fish on the docks for show. These are trophy fish which 10 to 15 years ago you couldn't find a trophy much less a striped bass. The fishery then like it will again collapsed. And when that happens, the recreational guys will point the finger at the commercial guys and the commercial guys will point the finger at the recreational guys or say it's life's cycle. The point is the resource, especially the breeders, need to be managed and given a chance to do just that. The smaller fish are better eating and for the size of a big bass you don't get much meat off of them anyway. Catching a 40 or 50lb bass is everyone's dream of a lifetime. Seeing these fish tossed on the dock so everyone can take their hero shots is an absolute shame and as I said when the stock tanks, you'll be looking at those pictures and saying remember when!

It's interesting how short lived everyone's memories are. Just this year everyone was crying the blues early when the blues did a no show. Night party boats coming in June and July with no keeper bluefish! Insane...never seen probably in our lifetime. Late summer / fall the blues show up and as was posted on this web site how many people were gaffing bluefish and tossing them back to die. Point is people never learn and where I once also thought regulations were harsh and onerous, without them there wouldn't be a healthy fish stock in the ocean. We've come too advanced with technology and equipment and without management all these fisheries will succumb to the pressures of both commercial and recreational.

Personally I would take a 24 to 28 slot bass any day in the hopes of maintaining the fishery for my kids and grand kids and the hopes of landing that 50 or 60 lb cow and watching her swim away.

You simply can't have that kind of year round pressure on a coastal resource and think there won't be consequences down the road. And without changes the end of the road in my opinion is a lot closer than anyone cares to believe.

Dakota

[Pennsy Guy]

Look what happened to the Cod up north 50+/- years ago--Commercial fisherman interviewed on 20/20 said they caught 'em all--said if he got 3-6 a day he was lucky!!!

[sternline]

It's a message board, people share opinions. If you don't like the subject matter, go to the movies or do something you consider useful. The point is there will come a time, not maybe, will absolutely come a time when the bass stocks tank again if we continue throwing 30 and 40 lb fish on the docks for show. These are trophy fish which 10 to 15 years ago you couldn't find a trophy much less a striped bass. The fishery then like it will again collapsed. And when that happens, the recreational guys will point the finger at the commercial guys and the commercial guys will point the finger at the recreational guys or say it's life's cycle. The point is the resource, especially the breeders, need to be managed and given a chance to do just that. The smaller fish are better eating and for the size of a big bass you don't get much meat off of them anyway. Catching a 40 or 50lb bass is everyone's dream of a lifetime. Seeing these fish tossed on the dock so everyone can take their hero shots is an absolute shame and as I said when the stock tanks, you'll be looking at those pictures and saying remember when!

It's interesting how short lived everyone's memories are. Just this year everyone was crying the blues early when the blues did a no show. Night party boats coming in June and July with no keeper bluefish! Insane...never seen probably in our lifetime. Late summer / fall the blues show up and as was posted on this web site how many people were gaffing bluefish and tossing them back to die. Point is people never learn and where I once also thought regulations were harsh and onerous, without them there wouldn't be a healthy fish stock in the ocean. We've come too advanced with technology and equipment and without management all these fisheries will succumb to the pressures of both commercial and recreational.

Personally I would take a 24 to 28 slot bass any day in the hopes of maintaining the fishery for my kids and grand kids and the hopes of landing that 50 or 60 lb cow and watching her swim away.

You simply can't have that kind of year round pressure on a coastal resource and think there won't be consequences down the road. And without changes the end of the road in my opinion is a lot closer than anyone cares to believe.

Dakota

Let's hope Dakota's great message and the other thoughtful comments start waking a lot of people to the reality in the water. I just got from Norfolk, VA, where many people are worried about the scarcity of female stripers returning to the Chesapeake. And 70 percent of the resident males in the Bay are already starving from lack of bunkers.

[1captainron]

I agree. I also am an advocate in a sense for commercial fishermen, because they are feeding families and many of them stick to the rules and are concerned about the future stocks.....

Here is a question that I have not been able to get an answer to in years......

A comm boat leaves the dock and is targeting a species. He ends up dumping tons and tons of bycatch that he is not allowed to keep.

Why do we not allow them to keep and sell everything that hits the deck? Lets face it..... 1% of the fish returned are actually surviving!! If that same boat can go out and fill the boat in a day, making enough money for 3 days of fishing, he is not going out for another 4 days. The by catch is dead anyway, why not let them keep it? Earn the money and fish less, for the same paycheck?? Is it me??? Or does this not sound right??

I may be missing something. But I k now a lot of comm guys and many of them are playing by the rules, yet feel the rules are killing off the fish quicker than we know.
Obviously this makes too much sense, keep what you catch which goes towards your poundage (regardless of size)...No dead fish floating, he has his quota for the day and all are happy.....But NO, Rules are Rules and we all suffer in the end. 1 fish in 2015 is gonna be the straw that broke the camels back for the Party boat fishery as well as the recreational fishermen.
For some of us, this is all we have left. After 35 years, 1 fish will certainly put the last of us out of business, for what? To prove a point, to save the fish?? BS. They estimate the Bio-Mass of Striper to be at 10 million fish.......for the short season we have to catch them, are we really doing damage to the stock? We still deal with catching crap many day's due to conditions, the few days when they are "Banner days" are limited. Think I'm going back to " Save the Whales" at least those people have their shit together! :) Capt. Ron

[dakota560]

Obviously this makes too much sense, keep what you catch which goes towards your poundage (regardless of size)...No dead fish floating, he has his quota for the day and all are happy.....But NO, Rules are Rules and we all suffer in the end. 1 fish in 2015 is gonna be the straw that broke the camels back for the Party boat fishery as well as the recreational fishermen.
For some of us, this is all we have left. After 35 years, 1 fish will certainly put the last of us out of business, for what? To prove a point, to save the fish?? BS. They estimate the Bio-Mass of Striper to be at 10 million fish.......for the short season we have to catch them, are we really doing damage to the stock? We still deal with catching crap many day's due to conditions, the few days when they are "Banner days" are limited. Think I'm going back to " Save the Whales" at least those people have their shit together! :) Capt. Ron
Capt. Ron,

I've always respected your opinion. I'm not suggesting one fish limits are necessary, make it three fish but in my opinion the breeders need to be protected and it's a shame to kill all the big girls for bragging rights. I think the trophy tag is a good idea for that reason but to have all these 30 and 40 lb fish taken for a picture back at the dock isn't going to help the fishery or the future of your business. Who knows if the bio mass is 10 million, 15 million or 2 million but instinctively I don't believe any coastal fish can take the kind of beating year round that bass do and think there won't be negative consequences on the stock at some point when it's too late. Then when a 1 fish season becomes a closed season like with flounder, it's too late and you're right you might as well put the Going Out of Business sign out.

Dakota

[paulyfish]

http://www.onthewater.com/assets/Landings.jpg

[fishcounter]

The latest estimate I could find estimated the total population at 56 million fish. That is all ages. Harvest around 3.6 million per year or 7% annually.

That is a lot of bass. Hard to believe rod and reel fisherman can really dent the population. Seems like commercial fisherman have to be taking the most.

Not saying releasing big cows doesn't make a lot of sense, but there are a lot of fish out there.

[NoLimit]

That's right
The ocean and bays we fish are huge
The few fish we kill is a drop in the bucket

[Capt Sal]

The bass 3 miles out are protected.The bunker need protecting.They are the main fish in the food chain.No matter what the recs will take the blame as usual!

[Captain Rich]

Protect the bunker or Sal is going to have to use eels ....Yuch !!!! :D

[kmaty]

[QUOTE][/QUOTEWe've come too advanced with technology and equipment and without management all these fisheries will succumb to the pressures of both commercial and recreational.

This is to true

[tautog]

Plenty of bass in the ocean. I would like to see a 24"-34" slot to keep more big fish in the ocean, but it is not necessary to keep up the population.

[Solemate]

Slot fish is the answer for fluke as well. Stop all these bragging rights tournaments and do what is best for the fisherman and the fish.