Striped bass busts gone wild !!

[AndyS]

Dense concentrations of migrating striped bass began their way past southern New Jersey in early December. This year, the majority of the population took a more easterly route and traveled through the Exclusive Economic Zone waters where fishing for and possession of striped bass is prohibited. This did not stop many anglers from pursuing these fish unlawfully as Conservation Officers from District 8 apprehended a total of 21 recreational fishing vessels in possession of striped bass in EEZ waters during a two week period. As an example of the blatant disregard for the EEZ prohibition, one of these vessels was apprehended by CO'S Harp and Nicklow with one fish in possession and was apprehended later the same day by CO's Harp and Tomlin further inside EEZ waters with four fish in possession. Officers observed hundreds of recreational vessels illegally fishing for striped bass in EEZ waters as striped bass stayed well offshore. The cases were turned over to National Marine Fisheries Service for enforcement action. The fine for possession of striped bass in the EEZ is $500.00 per fish
Since the unlawful striped bass fishing effort in the EEZ was so rampant this year, District 8 Conservation Officers joined forces with the Delaware Department of Natural Resources, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Office of Law Enforcement and the US Coast Guard. A force of 5 patrol vessels from these various law enforcement entities conducted and focused EEZ striped bass patrol off southern New Jersey on December 11. Several additional apprehensions were made of recreational fishing vessels with striped bass in possession including charter boats.

[Pennsy Guy]

That's just total and blatant disregard of the law. I should think EVERYONE, especially charters would know that the catching of, and even possession of striped bass is illegal beyond the three mile limit---and that's where the EEZ starts---Federal waters. That has been in effect for several years...I don't own a boat but even I know that!!!And no, that doesn't make me special, just one of the in-the-know multitude(on that point, anyway)...

[hammer4reel]

According to the Captain of FG that spoke at the council meeting last week , there was actually 30 different boats ticketed for possession of striped bass.

Not even the tip of the iceberg .

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[AndyS]

I think this whole EEZ thing has ran it's course. I'm all for conservation but gawd forbid some one wants to go out in the ocean and catch some fish using a rod and reel. Nothing like drawing imaginary lines in the ocean.
FastEddie said it best. There are people dropping dead in the streets from heroin overdoses but we have to call out the US Coast Guard because some caught and kept a fish using a rod and reel.

[hammer4reel]

Originally Posted by AndyS

I think this whole EEZ thing has ran it's course. I'm all for conservation but gawd forbid some one wants to go out in the ocean and catch some fish using a rod and reel. Nothing like drawing imaginary lines in the ocean.
FastEddie said it best. There are people dropping dead in the streets from heroin overdoses but we have to call out the US Coast Guard because some caught and kept a fish using a rod and reel.

I respectfully disagree.
Stripers get crazy pressure on their whole yearly migration.
The get hammered from Thanksgiving till seasons close in April in their wintering grounds.
Smashed again when they get here May through July.
Then beat on again In RI , MASS, ANd NY from July till October.
Everyone only wants to fish for them when they are like shooting fish in a barrel.
Its nice their is an area where they get a little bit of a break .
While I think not legally being able to C/R out there is beat im sure its because the feel too many guy would take advantage of it and be running back inside the line when their coolers are full of fish


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[AndyS]

Tell that to the commercial fishing industry.

[hammer4reel]

Originally Posted by AndyS

Tell that to the commercial fishing industry.

only a handfull of states have commercial fishery for stripers.
And we are not one of them .

Killing bass in the EZ is like killing trout in the upper Delaware

[bigfishbob]

Obviously intently fishing for stripers in Federal waters is WRONG. However in Northern Jersey it is common place for the fleet to move north along the coast in search of feeding fish. Once up around the sandy hook area that search sometimes continues on East to the Rockaway NY area. Then at days end rather than taking a GPS heading for home the entire charter, party, and pleasure boat fleet needs to head for Staten Island, and then South along the Jersey coast. Effectively taking two sides of the triangle, all because of law enforcement patrols on the pretense of National security. I am sorry but when a party boat with a hailing port on her stern reads Point Pleasant, Belmar or Brielle and has posted hours of 7AM- 3PM is stopped and boarded at 2:30 PM and then issued summons's for having stripers in federal waters that is TOTAL B.S. in my book! So one needs further information to condone some of these incidents which completely disregard common sense.

[Abrasion]

A guy taking an extra striper or a guy fishing 3.1 miles out is not the problem. If any of you actually believe that you are delusional.
The state needs to do a better job policing the commercial guys. A private guy catches say 250 stripers s a season. Commercial guys do that per day, 6 days a week. See example below. That's 1 commercial boat on 1 day.

https://youtu.be/VGnqSD9V8Pg

Here's another one for you..... http://www.onthewater.com/striped-ba...d-in-maryland/

[hammer4reel]

abrasion, with most of the other fisheries commercial fisherman put way more pressure on them than the recreational guys do.
But that is NOT the case with striped bass. there are very few states that allow commercial fishing . ( And NJ doesnt allow it) we put 95% of the pressure on those fish.
a look at any marina fishing for stripers when they are in that spots core area will show you we POUND them hard.
Look at the slaughter boards in Virginia when the bass are stacked up there all winter.
Then again here when the move up the coast.
There are 100 times the boats fishing for them than did 10 years ago.
Mid December there were days there were hundreds of boats bassing along 5 miles of beach.
Just simple math of 4 guys fishing on even just 200 boats is 800 bass at 1 fish per angler when fishing is good a low average of say 16000 pounds of bass.
ADDS up quick.
and actual numbers are probably 5 times that up and down Just our coast here in NJ.

apples to apples how many recs catching 250 bass per season , against 0 fishing comercially in NJ. Who is delusional

Just take 1 charter boat fishing 2 trips a day. catching just 1 fish per angler
12 bass, 7 days a week for 3 months( and most years between spring and fall we get well more time than that)
thats 1080 bass at 20 pound average is over 20000 pounds of bass.
Do you even realize how many charter boats and head boats fish for these fish BESIDES the rest of the recreational fleet ????????




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