Honey the Striped Bass are Shrinking...How to Recognize the Signs

[DarkSkies]

The official striped bass Biomass numbers are a lie......
How do I know this? :huh:

[DarkSkies]

I know this because I spend between 200-250 nights a year fishing for them....

Because I used to target them solely in NJ.
As little as 8 years ago, I could catch a half dozen small bass in an hour before work, getting my fix for the day.
And then go about my normal business happy, and content.

Fast forward that fishing mindset to 2012-

I have expanded my striped bass range to 5 states...
meaning I now have to fish NJ and 4 surrounding states, to get the numbers and sizes of fish that I used to catch in NJ.
This has skyrocketed my expenses to catch bass, and frankly it's killing me...don't know how much longer I can keep it up....or want to.....

Because I remember how easy it used to be to catch a few striped bass, just a few short years ago....:drool:









******
And most importantly....
Because over the last decade I have built a network of contacts all along the Striper Coast...

And these conversations, hundreds of them, with folks from all walks of life, who love to fish for striped bass, are all starting to have the same resounding themes......

[DarkSkies]

There are a number of fishermen groups out there, now trying to save the bunker.

The theory they are putting out there, is that the poor striped bass are starving.
If only there were more bunker, we could have more bass.

Why, because God will deliver them to us from Heaven, that's why....:ROFLMAO :huh:


If you want to learn more about why saving the bunker, will NOT save the bass...
here is just one of the many threads here that will help folks understand a bit better...
http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/showthread.php?8426-Why-saving-the-Bunker-will-NOT-Increase-the-Bass-Numbers

[DarkSkies]

In 1982 a striped bass moratorium was imposed on the Eastern Coastal States in which you could not target and kill striped bass....

Various measures were implemented after this moratorium, one of them being that in NJ a 36" size limit was imposed, one fish per day....

I want folks reading this to understand how bad it was.....
Back then, 30 years ago, a size limit of 36" was great because before that it was 18"......score one for the guys who were trying to bring them back.....

but the one thing I don't think many people understand, is that you could go weeks without catching a striped bass....it was so bad, that bluefish, fluke, and weakfish were the fish you targeted in the inshore waters...striped bass were an "incidental catch" because catching one, for most folks, was so rare....

[DarkSkies]

1. Commercial Fishing - was permitted then, and is arguably the biggest single cause of the decline. Recreational fishing had nowhere near the participation and numbers of folks that we have today.

2. Belief that the Resource would renew itself forever.

3. Faith in the numbers provided by the Gov't Scientists.

4. Overconfidence that the Striped Bass would survive any type of fishing pressure that we could lay on them.

5. General lack of support for any Conservation efforts, save the "Sky is Falling" messages from forward thinkers like Bob Pond and others (several threads here on that).

[DarkSkies]

It's hard for some to understand how things were 30 years ago.
Some new entrants to this sport have only been fishing 5 years or less.

Bob Pond was a guy who marched to the beat of a different drummer.
An accomplished surfcaster and plugbuilder, with many trophy bass to his credit...

Yet as he caught more big bass he began to notice the decline of the sizes and numbers.....

Many of his peers did not see what he saw,,,and back 30 years ago, if someone called you a Conservationist, they might have as well called you a Communist.....:scared:.....the label was that bad....



He spoke out for the Future, and in his mind, it was something he could see clearly, that others could not.
When folks give me credit for threads like this, I would rather point to Bob Pond from MA,

Bob from NJ :HappyWave:, and the many I have come to know, that believe the way he did....









Some background info for those who want to learn more about Bob Pond...

Bob Pond has passed...
http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/showthread.php?5595-Bob-Pond-has-passed&highlight=bob+pond


Massachusetts Custom fishing plug makers
http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/showthread.php?5556-Massachusetts-Custom-fishing-plug-makers-A-History&highlight=bob+pond


Living Legends
http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/showthread.php?5735-Legends-of-the-Salt-Living-Legends-thread&highlight=bob+pond




Moratorium, Life Without Striped Bass
http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/showthread.php?7486-Moratorium-Striped-Bass-Moratorium-Life-without-bass-Almost-a-reality&highlight=bob+pond

Why Should I care?
http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/showthread.php?5610-WHY-should-I-care-WHY-should-I-get-involved-Why-ME&highlight=bob+pond

Legends of the Salt
http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/showthread.php?5733-Legends-of-the-Salt-Saltwater-Hall-of-Fame-thread&highlight=bob+pond

Where are the bass?
http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/showthread.php?760-Where-are-the-Striped-Bass&highlight=bob+pond

[DarkSkies]

1. Everything in post 5 above, minus the commercial fishing.....





PLUS........



* M&M Theory

* Lack of Varied Year Classes

* Decline of bigger bass, the 40-60lb year classes.

* Lack of Schoolie Bass in Wide-Ranging Areas


* Professional Capts and others Hyping the bite......this does more a disservice to the reality than several of the above factors as some of these Capts should know better when they claim there more bass than ever before......

[DarkSkies]

I presented the basic outline, folks.
I'll come back to add as I get more time, and address your questions.

In the meantime, what are your opinions?
Can you add anything to help shed some light on these issues, and help raise awareness?

Thanks, folks....:thumbsup:

[jigfreak]

The theory they are putting out there, is that the poor striped bass are starving.
If only there were more bunker, we could have more bass.

Why, because God will deliver them to us from Heaven, that's why....:ROFLMAO :huh:


The real tragedy is there are a lot of guys who believe this. Good thread, dark.

[storminsteve]

I have been fishing the salt regularly for around 20 years.
Here's my opinion. In that time I have seen the rise of the bunker blitzes. This has enabled surf guys to get fish beyond their wildest dreams. In that time it also seems like speaking of NJ we have a hot spring season culminating in the bunker blitzes. Then the water gets hot and the fish move North. They come back around Oct and from Oct to Nov we have more consistent action on our beaches.

This is hard to wrap my head around. 2 solid months of great, fantastic action, supplemented by other months of sporadic action. Dark I remember when it was more consistent. I think that was about 8-10 years ago. We had fish in March, April, May, June (in the ocean), and then Sept, Oct, Nov, and Dec.

So we traded 8 months of regular action for 2 months of insane beat your chest action.
I would rather have the 8 months of regular action back. Unfortunately I do think the reason for this is all the beating of the chests,, tackle shop heroes and pics on the internet. You aren't a man unless you are weighing in and taking a video of a 40lb fish. When did that become a prerequisit for manhood in NJ? Seems pretty silly to me but if you ask me that is where all the bass went - all the internet heroes. I mean, how many 40lb bass can you eat anyway? Heard they taste like a** anyway.

[DarkSkies]

Thanks for your opinions, guys.
Some good perspectives, and solid evidence you have provided.

I have started a yearly stock assessment, addressing each area, on a twice a year basis.....

For those who want to read more....
http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/showthread.php?7784-StripersandAnglers-yearly-coastwide-fish-stock-assessment-state-of-the-fishery&p=59637&posted=1#post59637

[cowherder]

This is eye opening. Thanks for posting.

[jigfreak]

Dark I think you're wasting your breath, but thanks. People won't see the train wreck until there are no fish. The signs are already on the wall, what more do they need to see?

[DarkSkies]

Jigfreak, good point, but the vast majority of anglers fishing today, were not fishing during the moratorium. Hence, education is needed to show those who doubt, what the trends are showing.

[crosseyedbass]

I really think they should do something about the commercial netters. Can't keep filling the nets like that every year down south and not expect it to take a toll.

[buckethead]

In 1982 a striped bass moratorium was imposed on the Eastern Coastal States in which you could not target and kill striped bass....

Various measures were implemented after this moratorium, one of them being that in NJ a 36" size limit was imposed, one fish per day....

I want folks reading this to understand how bad it was.....
Back then, 30 years ago, a size limit of 36" was great because before that it was 18"......score one for the guys who were trying to bring them back.....

but the one thing I don't think many people understand, is that you could go weeks without catching a striped bass....it was so bad, that bluefish, fluke, and weakfish were the fish you targeted in the inshore waters...striped bass were an "incidental catch" because catching one, for most folks, was so rare....


I remember that, dark. Was just a kid then. Would go out with my grandpa or dad, and catch bluefish and weakfish. When I got my first striper I didn't know what it was thought it was a weakfish without the front teeth. It was far different than it is today. One thing I have seen mentioned here several times is a slot limit. That makes sense to me. And cut down the allowable catch from 2 to one. One fish a day between 28-36".

Also No bonus tag. Maybe in some way they could tie the bonus tags to tournaments instead of giving them back to the commercial lobby. My .02.

[DarkSkies]

Link to the Saltwater Sportsman Article, sent by Fin, thanks!

http://www.saltwatersportsman.com/species/conservation/bad-news-striped-bass

[lostatsea]

William "Doc" Muller on bass in the Chesapeake and Hudson. Doc has written a few books and knows his ****.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QoljiwS2puI

[nitestrikes]

Muller lays it out in no-nonsense language. The ASMFC knows its true but doesn't want to do anything about it. thanks for posting that.

[DarkSkies]

Thought some might have some comments to the Doc Muller video, or maybe some of ya's haven't yet seen it and might like to take a look....
Comments welcome, both positive and negative.....all opinions welcome here....:HappyWave:

[cowherder]

How about this for a sign. It's June and there have been very few bunker blitzes. Some for the boats but not many. You read about more guys who say they are having bad luck every day. The guys in the surf don't seem to be doing that well either. Heard of some blitzes but don't we usually have more by this time? I'm no pro but remember in the past few years it was on by mothers day and lasted until past fathers day. Where are the bass now? On vacation in Busch Gardens? Or are they really dead like finchaser says. I tend to believe finchaser and some of the other people who have been fishing for them for a long time. I can't add much except to say if there were so many of them a lot would be hooting and hollering now, and they arent.

[DarkSkies]

How about this for a sign. It's June and there have been very few bunker blitzes. Some for the boats but not many. .

^ Yep, in NJ even the bunker blitzes weren't that frequent this year. Noteworthy point, cowherder, thanks for making it.



***************

Something I posted today.......
To further that thought, there is some science that should be accepted, such as YOY stats. These are taken in the same manner and areas each year. They are actual counts from seine samples, hard data.



What I like to call the "end result data", the stats that are used by the NOAA and ASMFC to calculate the entire size of the biomass, is where the problems lie. This is partly because they are taking a small sample size, and extrapolating it to cover an estimate of a whole population of bass. Anyone who has ever taken statistics knows that the smaller the sample size relative to the population of fish, the smaller the confidence interval will be, and the larger the potential statistical error will be,




**In short, it is not great and accurate science to measure fish this way.
(Yet, it is the only way of doing things right now,,,,and may not change unless we demand it to be looked at differently)

The regulatory bodies have already been proven wrong in their analysis in NJ by the SSFFF, which hired marine biologist to prove that the fluke projected biomass was not accurate. NOAA has already recognized some inefficiencies and is starting to ask for end user (fisherman) feedback.

**IMO the ASMFC is not really starting to examine the integrity of their data yet, because there are a lot of politics involved in that board,,,,it is not just about striped bass...they are heavily pressured by certain interest groups, and what we as fishermen see is what they want us to see...

[DarkSkies]

In a similar way, there are a lot of us who feel that the striped bass biomass figures (the end result calculations, extrapolated from small sample sizes..the catch data....which is mostly accurate for commercials because of the stringent reporting, but not that accurate for recreationals because of sloppy reporting)......

is shrinking......not because we don't like statistics, but because we are out there, more than most..and that is what we see.....because of the time we spend on the water...and the logs we keep year after year...




Many of the veteran saltwater fishermen, fishing for more than a few decades, have noticed a decline in the past 5 years or so.

Unfortunately, regulatory boards don't feel adding the perspective of veteran fishermen with no agenda, to the board, would help the fishery....so we have a disconnect between what regulatory boards claim, and what many of us are actually seeing, and what I am seeing...

1 Less fish per trip
2. Plenty of bait inshore, but less fish on them.
3. Greater gaps in different year classes of fish.

Many of the saltwater fishermen who have decades of experience are noticing the similarities between the conditions that exist now...and the moratorium in the 1980's.....

A. There seemed to be plenty of big fish back then,,,
B. There were many areas where the fish seemed to be less plentiful, as is the case now...
C. The other areas, the fish were stacked up so tightly, there were those who discounted that there was any trouble with the bass stocks.
D. Then, as now, the scientific findings, and regulatory board did not catch up with what what was happening with the fishery, until it was too late.....and the stocks collapsed, resulting in a long slow road back to being rebuilt.


Awareness of this, would then perhaps cause some members to see that history is repeating itself.




Food for thought......http://www.noreast.com/discussion/images/post_icons/ubicon8.gif
I know talking about stats is boring, but the way some data is calculated, I thought some of the newer guys might not be aware of it...and it's important....http://www.noreast.com/discussion/images/smile.gif
Thanks for reading....

[DarkSkies]

Further evidence that there are certain year classes of striped bass (particularly the smaller ones up to 28", corresponding to 1-7 year old fish) and the larger bass, (particularly the ones 35# and over)...that have large gaps, because these bass are no longer here in the numbers that used to exist, just a few short years ago:



Some comments on Montauk fishing, and the overall Quality of bass fishing from the surf at Montauk this year. For those who aren't aware...Montauk is an accepted bass migration highway....a stop on the migration trail.....when you can't find bass anywhere else, you can always find them at Montauk......
This was true 15-20 years ago, but as supported by the comments below, not true any longer, to the same extent......




I. Comment from someone who spends a good deal of every season camped out at Montauk....you would think if anyone could find bass up there, it would be someone who spends months at a time living in his camper out there...but this gentleman could not......I find his observations accurate and compelling. :thumbsup:



Back at you dark....
We do have to do something....

1. being on the beach in my camper from Memorial Day to thanksgiving, every weekend and knowing some good local contacts.....
2. fishing was DEAD on then north Side most of the year.....
3. a few nice fish in June and July....and you mostly had to go deep into the south side to get them.....
4. if it wasn't for the cocktails, there wouldnt be anything.....plenty of big fish in the rips at night.....but dead on the beach...

There are many reasons but one thing I noticed was when the cocktails took over and replaced the 5-8 blues years ago, in the summer, it changed.....it reminded me of fire island inlet with lots of cocktails and little else.....until the bass moved out ....while the boat guys did ok....

there was NO fall run at shagwon, north side!
but a couple weeks of good bass in on the sand beaches. this has become a regular pattern the last few years! well before Sandy.

A. I have never fished so many nights on the north side and struck out....in my wetsuit?
B. there was always a summer residency of bass there.....not anymore.....just a few thoughts...









II. Most know who Willie Young is...for the benefit of those who don't.....he is one of the most celebrated Montauk surfcasters, been fishing the Salt in and around LI for over 50 years....I would think that if there were fish to be found, Willie would be able to find them.....:thumbsup:....he's the one quoted below......



Also the big bass that were on the sand in the daylight hours in the summer. Gone.
Willie

"Gone" as in meaning that they do not show up any more in the numbers that they used to, going back 10 years and more.....
Food for thought......thanks for reading.....

[DarkSkies]

Time to revisit this thread....thanks for all the opinions thus far.....:HappyWave:

Surfstix was kind enough to post this video once here..:thumbsup:.....I couldn't seem to find it so I'm posting it again....


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cc8bCOOfFs4


feel free to add with new experiences this year.....

[strikezone31]

I really like watching bill wetzel speak. Man speaks from the heart, thanks for sharing.

[nitestrikes]

Those that do not remember the past, are condemned to repeat it.