Menhaden/Bunker Quota in 2013

[Capt.Yasar]

There's a news that bunker are showing up, that brings to my mind the seiners who usually catch them all. But there is a hope this year with new quota limits. Wondering how it's going to impact bluefish/Stripers fishery in Raritan bay? I'm thinking out-of-state seiners won't be allowed to catch bunker without prior permission and have to comply to quota limits. What you think?

[bulletbob]

Seiners catch them all?,, Not from what I saw... I was shocked at the massive schools of BIG bunker in Raritan Bay from its confluence with the river to out beyond the Hook.. Schools that were blackening the surface in solid bt fluidly moving masses almost unbroken for miles through the length of the bay.. I have never seen anything like it, especially in mid summer
[ August]the last time I was in Raritan Bay.

[SaltLife1980]

Last year i saw more bunker that i had seen in a long time in raritan bay.. They were think for miles.. Everyday trip i netted more bunker then we could use in 5 trips.. It was crazy.. Net so heavy i needed help to pull it up.. So if they keep on cutting back on the bunker boats there will be more and more.. Helps the bass and blue fishing a lot.. they follow the food so when its so think more and more come in to follow

[Michael82929]

For the acres of bunker that were in raritan bay last season - they should have been more bass on them - but there wasnt in my opinion...

Sometimes passed 1/4 mile stretch of bunker just chilling / not being harassed to go down a couple miles to see all out madness.

these fish always have you thinking....

[Capt Sal]

Originally Posted by Michael82929

For the acres of bunker that were in raritan bay last season - they should have been more bass on them - but there wasnt in my opinion...

Sometimes passed 1/4 mile stretch of bunker just chilling / not being harassed to go down a couple miles to see all out madness.

these fish always have you thinking....

Warm water early in april.They bit early and left.This spring will be better with a normal winter pattern.May is bunker time and april is clamming as a norm.See what happens.It is around the corner.Capt.Ron will be the early bird and have the Fisherman out doing his thing!

[SaltLife1980]

Originally Posted by Michael82929

For the acres of bunker that were in raritan bay last season - they should have been more bass on them - but there wasnt in my opinion...

Sometimes passed 1/4 mile stretch of bunker just chilling / not being harassed to go down a couple miles to see all out madness.

these fish always have you thinking....

I think the issue was there was so many blue fish that u could not get through them to the bass..

[paulyfish]

Originally Posted by wonderfulfishing

There's a news that bunker are showing up, that brings to my mind the seiners who usually catch them all. But there is a hope this year with new quota limits. Wondering how it's going to impact bluefish/Stripers fishery in Raritan bay? I'm thinking out-of-state seiners won't be allowed to catch bunker without prior permission and have to comply to quota limits. What you think?

@ Wonderful-
Hi. I am thinking the "out of state seiners" that are "grandfathered" into the system will most likely be fishing jersey waters until the bunker population increases in there own home waters.
The ultimate goal in implementing the annual catch limit is to have adult bunker from Maine to Florida thick as thieves.. and for it to be a self sustaining population. I see no reason whatsover for a trucker to have to haul bunker 400 miles north.

Here in Jersey we are definetely sitting right on the mother load of the population. Really sucks to have so many bunker with no predators under them so often though.
Now that there is a state based quota in place, I am wondering how long the true jersey based seiners are going to put up with out of state guys landing bunkers here in NJ, especially when the quota is close to being met.
Majority of these boats we see seining are feeding the New England Lobster bait market. The lobster guys all took a serious beatdown last year when lobster prices went into the dumps. This will be a big factor this year.

Anybody out there ever see any "out of state" boat inside Raritan or Sandy Hook bay? I only see the Belford based bunker boats fishing inside.
Paul

[SaltLife1980]

I saw bunker boats from all over the place last season in Raritan bay..

[Gerry Zagorski]

We saw a lot of boats in Sandy Hook bay as well. Not the big reduction boats but the seining bait boats.

Just like in Raritan Bay there were loads of Bunker all through the summer but nothing harassing them.

[GDubya07]

Last year I saw a ton of bunker and that is great in my opinion - did not see as many reduction boats - but there were seining bait boats

Hey they stuck around all fluke season which was awesome and I just hope they come back and arent slaughtered like years past

G-