Striped Bass Size Limits

[Billfish715]

Virginia Setting Max Size for Striped Bass! This appeared on another state's message board. Search around and you'll find it. I didn't think Gerry would want me to post the site but if you like striper fishing and check other "online" sites, you'll find it.

Anyhow, Virginia evidently will implement a mandatory maximum size limit to protect their (our) future striped bass fishery. Mind you, Virginia is the only state to mandate a maximum size limit.........so far. The message board is lighting up with comments from Virginia fishermen. Needless to say, the "minimum" size limits in neighboring Maryland are much different.

It's an interesting concept especially since Virginia takes pride in its "citation" striped bass fishery. I think the program was just dumped on the fishermen by the Virginia secretary of Natural Resources. It's causing quite a stir. Keep an eye on it. It might be coming to a state near you!

[Jigman13]

Slot 'em! Let the big girls go!

[WhaleFart]

This is one step in the right direction, we must protect this resource and fishery

[tjd24]

Originally Posted by Jigman13

Slot 'em! Let the big girls go!

Couldn't agree more....take a pic & let 'em go.

[Skolmann]

Step in the right direction IMHO.

[june181901]

I am all for it! Want my great grandchildren to be able to catch them.

[Billfish715]

If I read the Virginia information correctly, it applied to striped bass over 36 inches. There were comments about the higher quality of eggs produced by "trophy" bass since the eggs were larger, thicker and more likely to have a better chance to develop. Allowing anglers to take a couple of smaller slot fish, a dozen or more years ago, has gone a long way towards restoring a healthy fishery. Some will disagree. However, just because everyone is not catching them or that they only hang around for awhile along the beach doesn't mean the bass population is not healthy. Many stripers pass by N.J. far beyond the three mile limit on their way north and south. We do need to be cautious of how many cows we harvest and how we release the rest or we will see a steady decline of any striped bass. It's a lesson the Federal Regulators can learn about the fluke we catch. Encouraging the harvest of too many big fish can only hurt the situation.

[Billfish715]

Social Media got ahead of this one. Here's an article which explains it further.
There is an affirmation of the decline in the striped bass stocks and that the decline is a coastal concern and not localized to Virginia.



Home Sports Outdoors

Outdoors
Where are the rockfish? Virginia looks to enact tighter striped bass regulations

By Lee Tolliver
Staff writer
Jan 11, 2019 Updated 1 hr ago


After years of chatter about the declining population of striped bass in the Chesapeake Bay, the state is looking at tightening its regulations for upcoming seasons.

At Wednesday's Finfish Management Advisory Committee, it was announced that the Secretary of Natural Resources has suggested looking at alternatives to current length and bag limits for one of the state's most popular gamefish.

During the recent Chesapeake Bay fall season, anglers could keep two fish a day between 20 and 28 inches, although one fish could be longer than 28. Dozens of fish longer than 40 inches, considered prime breeding stock by biologists, were harvested last fall — far fewer than previous seasons.

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission "striped bass committee will look at the stock assessment and consider any changes to regulation when it meets in February, but those changes wouldn't come into play until 2020," said Secretary of Natural Resources Matthew J. Strickler, a recreation angler with a master's degree in marine science from the Virginia Institute of Marine Science.

"We think we should be more proactive and get something in place that will help this tremendous fishery recover."

The commission's preliminary stock assessment for a fishery that extends well up the northeastern coast isn't good. It appears the species is being overfished by commercial and recreational fishermen. So the agency likely would implement tighter restrictions. A couple decades ago, the fishery had been depleted to the point where the agency issued a moratorium on fishing for striped bass.

At Wednesday's advisory meeting, there appeared to be some misunderstanding as to what the secretary was asking for, and social media blew up with talk that he had ordered the Virginia Marine Resources Commission to make changes.

"That is totally incorrect," said Steve Bowman, commissioner of the VMRC. "The secretary and I have talked about striped bass because, obviously from what we're seeing and hearing, the population isn't what it should be.

"Has he ordered a directive? Absolutely not."

A major point of concern for Virginia's anglers would be to have the state work with Maryland fisheries managers so that regulations are equal between the states that share the bay's rockfish population. Bowman gave assurances that the conversation would begin soon. In the meantime, the advisory committee was tasked with coming up with the best possible solution pleasing the most anglers while still meeting the call for changes.

One idea being supported by anglers on Facebook is to adopt size and bag limits similar to those that prevent the taking of big red drum. Since new rules were enacted a couple decades ago, the species has made a remarkable comeback and the population of big trophy fish easily could serve as a benchmark for regulatory success.

Anglers in Virginia can keep three drum a day between 18 and 26 inches. All others must be released. Anglers can earn an award in Virginia for released fish measuring longer than 46 inches. Last year, Virginia waters produced 864 reds that met that standard. In contrast, state waters produced only 192 striped bass that met a 40-pound keeper minimum last year.

The last really good striper season was in 2012, when 906 fish of 40 pounds or more were caught, and 425 measuring at least 44 inches were released.

"We want our pros and the advisory committee to give us some ideas so that we can present them to the angling public to help this fishery," Bowman said. "We want to be proactive and protect this very important fish."

[WESTWIND]

Many who release the big bass don't take the time to fully revive them. If caught on light tackle can take up to 10 minutes. A few yrs back when there was an incredible bite in the Seaside Heights area, a diver told me the bottom was littered with large dead bass....