Asmfc- striped bass stock low?-jump on any charter or head boat

[WESTWIND]

Hey ASMFC- So your evaluation of the striped bass stock states that is low and must be cut back for future generations. Well it looks to me that you have never stepped on a charter or head boat from the NY Bight area. There are striped bass in the millions from Perth Amboy, to the Far Rockaways and down to Manasquan. Visit the captain helmarea and look at his fish finder. Today we had them stacked 15 feet deep all over our area. This is the biomass you are looking for. Right before you eyes. It seem to me that you must be sampling the Jersey coast in the middle of the summer when the bass have left our area. Get real, jump on any head boat or charter boat and take a gander at the fish finders and bent rods. What a joke...

[fishunt]

Your kidding go on a boat to south jersey or delaware bay and see how many bass are being caught down their. I could probably count on one hand how many. Fish the surf and back bay and you will see not many big fish being caught. I'm sure I'll get bash for this reply. But if you think the bass aren't in trouble then I must be crazy.

[mjz157]

Originally Posted by fishunt

Your kidding go on a boat to south jersey or delaware bay and see how many bass are being caught down their. I could probably count on one hand how many. Fish the surf and back bay and you will see not many big fish being caught. I'm sure I'll get bash for this reply. But if you think the bass aren't in trouble then I must be crazy.

nope you are correct. one biomass of fish that you can see on a boat/fishfinder doesn't mean all is well. thats the type of thinking that cause things to never change until it's too late.

[hammer4reel]

Originally Posted by WESTWIND

Hey ASMFC- So your evaluation of the striped bass stock states that is low and must be cut back for future generations. Well it looks to me that you have never stepped on a charter or head boat from the NY Bight area. There are striped bass in the millions from Perth Amboy, to the Far Rockaways and down to Manasquan. Visit the captain helmarea and look at his fish finder. Today we had them stacked 15 feet deep all over our area. This is the biomass you are looking for. Right before you eyes. It seem to me that you must be sampling the Jersey coast in the middle of the summer when the bass have left our area. Get real, jump on any head boat or charter boat and take a gander at the fish finders and bent rods. What a joke...

Yep and there are millions of winning lottery tickets sold daily too .
Saw the pic in the paper .


Just having some decent days when fish are stacked up isn't showing you 1 percent of where else they should be .

And your also looking at the hudson strain in th st area which is reasonably healthy.
The chesapeake bio mass is the one that's is hurting .
No where near the amount of fish Oceanside there was even just 5 years ago .
And nothing like ten years ago .

Watch how little fish are caught all winter in VA where there used to be thousands caught a day
.

.

[AndyS]

I went numb reading this post. Used to hear about Cape May rips all the time, that was at least 10 years ago.

[WESTWIND]

Originally Posted by hammer4reel

Yep and there are millions of winning lottery tickets sold daily too .
Saw the pic in the paper .


Just having some decent days when fish are stacked up isn't showing you 1 percent of where else they should be .

And your also looking at the hudson strain in th st area which is reasonably healthy.
The chesapeake bio mass is the one that's is hurting .
No where near the amount of fish Oceanside there was even just 5 years ago .
And nothing like ten years ago .

Watch how little fish are caught all winter in VA where there used to be thousands caught a day
.

.

This reading is a sampling of what we have been seeing since NOV1 on a daily basis. There are also tons of big bass outside of the 3 mile line. Seems like the big ones have developed a new rt south. The find the bunker off shore and stay with them. Please note, I am 100% in favor of releasing all bass over 38 inches. Have been for many years. If the bio stock is different areas, develop rules reflective of those areas. The bio mass for the Raritan Bay area is outstanding. The rules should reflect that. All of the Cape May bass and Va bass are migrating in a different pattern. That should not affect areas where the stock is extremely viable. On size does not fit all .

[WESTWIND]

Originally Posted by hammer4reel

Yep and there are millions of winning lottery tickets sold daily too .
Saw the pic in the paper .


Just having some decent days when fish are stacked up isn't showing you 1 percent of where else they should be .

And your also looking at the hudson strain in th st area which is reasonably healthy.
The chesapeake bio mass is the one that's is hurting .
No where near the amount of fish Oceanside there was even just 5 years ago .
And nothing like ten years ago .

Watch how little fish are caught all winter in VA where there used to be thousands caught a day
.

.

All I am suggesting is that one size does not fit all. The regs should reflect the bio mass in each area and also investigate the different migrating patterns in recent yrs. The hudson strain is extremely health...regs should reflect that. The big bass that Cape May used to have and Va also, now go 5 miles or more on their migration. Does ASMFC investigate that? Most likely no.

[WESTWIND]

Originally Posted by fishunt

Your kidding go on a boat to south jersey or delaware bay and see how many bass are being caught down their. I could probably count on one hand how many. Fish the surf and back bay and you will see not many big fish being caught. I'm sure I'll get bash for this reply. But if you think the bass aren't in trouble then I must be crazy.

Some areas are hurting that is for sure. The Hudson strain that invades Raritan Ban and it's adjacent waters is extremely healthy. One size does not fit all. Let the regs reflect the quality of bass fishing in each area. Release all fish over 38 in.

[Togfather2530]

Fisherman lol. Have a good run or season and the act like there is no need for the restrictions. Same with the sea bass. I’ve had plenty of sub par striper fishing in the ny bight area the last few years.

[Capt Sal]

Originally Posted by AndyS

"There are also tons of big bass outside of the 3 mile line", how do you know ?

Many times we had to watch the three mile line. Coming in from tuna fishing there would be big bass on bunker pods seven even ten miles off the beach. Years ago we did not have a three mile limit and nothing to worry but. This is how we know. Many PB and charter boats are hurt by this. If you put one striped bass in the box at 7 am you are not allowed to cross the three mile line. So the inshore bass stop biting and you have 75 patrons on board and you can see the bass and blues under tons of birds but they are 100 yards past the line??? Your screwed and a bunch of unhappy customers. Walk in the shoes of a for hire capt and maybe you will change your tune.