Fyi - Striper Fishing- Season To Date Report

[finchaser]

CONSERVATION UPDATE






Striper Fishing- Season To Date Report
By Brad Burns, President Stripers Forever

Photo: ? 2013 Dean Clark








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Most of us have the limited perspective of the quality of fishing in our own area, but stripers do range up and down the coast. With all the concerns raised last year about the latest striper population estimates and the effectiveness of the reduced bag limits, Stripers Forever decided to survey some folks we know along various parts of the coast and find out their impression of how striper fishing is going this season. Here is what we found.

Read More (http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=7IqtI&m=3maMINnio8oV6WG&b=NQKvL.xCIGnbdTP6vEBvMQ)





An Uncertain Future for Our Living Blue Planet
World Wildlife Fund
Photo: ? 2013 Jim Levinson







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A new report on the health of the ocean finds that the marine vertebrate population has declined by 49 percent between 1970 and 2012.


WWF?s Living Blue Planet Report tracks 5,829 populations of 1,234 mammal, bird, reptile, and fish species through a marine living planet index. The evidence, analyzed by researchers at the Zoological Society of London, paints a troubling picture. In addition to the plummeting number of marine vertebrate species, populations of locally and commercially fished fish species have fallen by half, with some of the most important species experiencing even greater declines.


The new Living Blue Planet Report provides a comprehensive view of the health of the ocean and provides fresh, new evidence on why we need to act on marine conservation.



Read More & Access the Full Report (http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=7IqtI&m=3maMINnio8oV6WG&b=5zL3K6KrmGHzU834YL5ULQ)





Council to Hold Scoping Hearings for Action on Unmanaged Forage Species
Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council
Photo: Round Herring (Source: NEFSC)







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Forage species are small, low trophic level fish and invertebrates that play an important role in sustaining the productivity and structure of marine ecosystems. Many forage species in the Mid-Atlantic are not currently subject to significant directed fishing, but increasing global demand for fishmeal, fish oil, and bait could encourage the development of new fisheries for these species. With this action, the Mid-Atlantic Council is taking a proactive approach to conserving unmanaged forage species and the ecosystem services they provide.


The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council has scheduled a series of scoping hearings to gather public input for a proposed action to protect unmanaged forage species. The proposed action would consider a prohibition on the development of new, or expansion of existing, directed fisheries on unmanaged forage species in the Mid-Atlantic until adequate scientific information is available to promote ecosystem sustainability.


Eight hearings will be held between September 15, 2015 and October 1, 2015 in locations throughout the Mid-Atlantic region. A Webinar will be conducted on October 1, 2015 and written comments may also be submitted through October 2, 2015.



Read More & View Full Hearing Schedule (http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=7IqtI&m=3maMINnio8oV6WG&b=BuW1XitGP5gCZBYJktu4jg)






Stripers Forever Release A Breeder Club





Join the Stripers Forever Release A Breeder Club (http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=7IqtI&m=3maMINnio8oV6WG&b=v9rAGWlmNe33dUt.kc1vCA)! Fall fishing season is now upon us! Do your part to help saved breeder sized striped bass and be entered to win great prizes from our sponsor Cheeky Fishing (http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=7IqtI&m=3maMINnio8oV6WG&b=wH_838UgEHjMD_SDcpk6.A).



This program is designed by Stripers Forever to promote the release of large ?breeding size? stripers which are mostly female fish. Current striped bass management practices have targeted large striped bass. The result has been a considerable decrease in the number of these large, old fish found in the population. Nature never intended it that way. Striped bass are the top predator in their inshore range, and historically it was not uncommon for individuals to live more than 20 years and spawn each year. This long spawning life is needed because conditions are often not suitable for the production of good year classes. The older fish produce many eggs, and when conditions are favorable to produce young stripers a robust spawning stock biomass insures that the waters will be well seeded with eggs. If conditions aren?t good the long lives of these fish and low natural mortality insure that there will be good spawning potential the next season. Unfortunately for the striped bass we have knocked this system seriously out of balance.










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[seamonkey]

Thought this was the most interesting part. Thanks for posting it.



In a few words, the striper fishery can be summed up as inconsistent at best and continuing to trend downward. Northern New England – north of Cape Cod – has a fair number of small fish. Some folks are regularly catching small stripers, but it is a faint shadow of the school bass fishing 10 years ago. One guide from the North Shore of Boston area had a couple of solid days in June on the school bass he specializes on catching with light fly rods, but then has had tiny catches and even blank trips the rest of the summer.

In Massachusetts waters, a couple of momentary hot spots excepted, large stripers are very hard to come by. Stripers, though, are a school fish, and if you happen to be where they are right now then you have good fishing. One very experienced fisherman from MA reports that what was once a Cape-wide summer fishery for large bass has been reduced to one good-sized school showing here and there unpredictably, and being pursued frantically by highly-mobile, opportunistic fishermen getting upwards of $6.00 per pound! A regular Cape Cod outdoor writer reported recently that some commercial permit holders he was talking to had given up because even with the high prices they just can’t find enough fish to make it worthwhile to go out.

Fishery managers have placed much of their hope for the future in the 2011 year class, which this summer represents fish in the 18” to 24” range. Most of the reports I got were that these fish are showing in decent numbers here and there. They are actually said to be more numerous than the smaller fish, which is not the way it is supposed to be. Still, the number of these 2011 fish, which are supposed to represent one of the biggest year classes of modern times, just doesn’t live up to the billing.

Things aren’t any better down in Jersey where one crack, lifetime surf and boat striper man said this: “I fish from the shore and from my boat in central NJ and the fact that I caught one striper over 20 lbs. this year as compared to 125 over 20 lbs in 2011 about sums it up. For me this was the worse it has been in about 30 years.”


The brightest report I have is from a friend in Maryland who also knows his striper fishing. Admittedly my friend works for the Maryland Dept of Natural Resources, but he tells me that while larger fish are lacking in the Bay, that sub 20-inch stripers – these would come from what are officially quite small year classes – are quite numerous, and that while the charter boats aren’t happy the light tackle anglers are having a ball. He also said that while there is nothing official yet the young of the year for this year appears to be looking up.

[jigfreak]

X2. Striper fishing SUKS in jersey now. By this time in the fall I would of had about 150 fish and I think I have about 10 since august. That includes the 4 I got tonight.

[hookset]

I agree the most head scratching time was the late spring. Bunker were all over and there were only a few bass in the bay and inlet areas. You can't look at that food day after day, see no stripers on it, and not think something is off.