Re: Black sea bass season to start 4 days earlier
 

Option 3 looks pretty good. Even 14inches would be a better size limit for Sea Bass. To me there is not a crap load of meat on 12.5" fish, and I like eating sea bass whole, the larger the fish, the larger the feast...

Any thoughts? It would be sensible for us on a party or charter boat to not have all of our fish filleted and keep a majority of our fish whole. Get more bang for ya buck.

Ben

Re: Black sea bass season to start 4 days earlier
 

We don't need a spring season. Bass and fluke cover that we need a September and October season to bridge the gap between the end of fluke season and the start of striper season. That will help b&t shops and party boats alike

Re: Black sea bass season to start 4 days earlier
 

Who is we? Certainly not us. Get real!

Re: Black sea bass season to start 4 days earlier
 

Wirked at a B&t shop for the last ten years. The boats and shops never had trouble in the spring because of the bass bluefish start of fluke and ling fishing. But what do you fish for in September and October..... Let's see very bass around tog season....... Closed fluke........Closed bluefish???? Not the last two seasons really a few but not enough. Cod or pollock like in early spring? I think not
ling? Maybe I know that business drops like stone in September and October because not only are you dealing with a lack of viable options you are also dealing with kids going back to school. Parents who used many of their vacation days over the summer etc.
It's not even in question that business in the fishing industry I.e. b&ts and party boats and charter boats suffer in September and October. Unless you plan on tuna fishing last I checked 90% of head boats don't
so yes YOU Joe. along with every other person in the recreational fishing business need a alternative to fish for in the early fall. Sacrifice the spring to gain the fall and winter months. May,June,July & August for September,October, December and January.
That's it

Re: Black sea bass season to start 4 days earlier
 

Ridiculous to sacrifice anything when the stocks are not in trouble. Like Capt. Joe said "who is we''?

Re: Black sea bass season to start 4 days earlier
 

"so yes YOU Joe. along with every other person in the recreational fishing business need a alternative to fish for in the early fall."

Kindly take your podium and bullchit speech to some one else. I dont need the lecture

"Sacrifice the spring to gain the fall and winter months."
More nonsense

Re: Black sea bass season to start 4 days earlier
 

According to NOAA Black Sea Bass stocks rebuilt and not over fished. Yet every winter they shut down the best party boat fishing of the winter, now the shell game continues.

Re: Black sea bass season to start 4 days earlier
 

Clearly the the powers that be will not give the rec. Fisherman what they want full access year round with liberal limits. So unfortunately yeah sacrifices will have to be made. I am not saying I like or agree with it but what are you gonna do. The rule makers clearly don't care what you I or anyone else has to say on the matter. They clearly don't care that they are making it harder and harder to make a living through rec. Fishing. so a hard choice has to be made. And the logical choice is to forgoe a season with plenty of options and save it for a time of the year when options are limited.
And "we"is all recreational fishermen all people who love this sport all bait shop owners.
Sal how often do you really sea bass fish in the spring? Do you do 20 sea bass trips all spring? Or are you clamming chunking live linning the bass like the majority of other Fisherman in our area.

Re: Black sea bass season to start 4 days earlier
 

Yes I am a striper fisherman. The problem is if every boat targeted stripers the bass would be in trouble. It is a catch 22. We do not want to give up anything at all. In the back of the bay we flounder fished since I was a kid. That was taken away. The early trips in late March and April paid my slip and my insurance. Before I started bass fishing I was in the black. Bottom boats do not want to run from PT. Pleasant to Raritan Bay and bass fish. Remember that 25 years ago the bass population sucked and mthe head boats were doing there normal thing with ling, sea bass,boston macks. and flounder. No head boats were going for stripers!

Re: Black sea bass season to start 4 days earlier
 

What Sal said , target one in deference to another & pretty soon ur out of business ! If stocks rebuilt why the reluctance to increase fishing access ?
We paid the price to rebuild but now we do not benefit , u can see motives involved here & certainly not in R favor !!!:mad: