Black sea bass season to start 4 days earlier

[arat]

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.

[Capt Sal]

Originally Posted by arat

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.

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!

[Capt. Lou]

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 !!!

[arat]

The rules makers clearly don't care that the stock is rebuilt because they haven't given much back in the way of regs.
the point I'm making is that clearly they won't open the flood gates on sea bass regs. And everyone is throwing the options presented out there and I'm saying all the options suck.
There is no denying that the fishing business wheather it be bait and tackle shops or party/charter boats drops off in the early fall September/ October early November why is that? Various reasons but one huge reason is there is nothing to fish for! Very few bass until at least late October usually. Bluefishing has been ok at best last few years tog is closed fluke is closed winter flounder is either closed or you are allowed 2. Many people are not tuna fishing. Porgies.... Sure what else are you catching? If it was possible to say let's swap our spring sea bass for a fall season it provides an option that people are happy to pay to fish for. And it keeps businesses going until tog and bass show up.

[the1jonc]

So should I book a Cod/Sea Bass Wreck charter for May 22?

Or do you think they will pull out the rug from me?

[tautog]

Don't do it in NJ. I doubt it will be open for landings in state. That is only a federal limit and it doesn't apply once you get within 3 miles of shore. Unless you want to cook and eat on the boat outside of 3 miles.

[the1jonc]

Thanks for the input.

Jon