Billy the Greek's slot limit proposal

[DarkSkies]

28-34" slot limit, one fish, throw back the rest except for a tournament winner..... YES or NO???


I know there's a lotta guys out there that would say this is a patronizing or self-promoting move to name a thread after this legendary striped bass fisherman. I saw his videos here today and it reminded me when I had the honor to meet him at the Farmingdale show.

He's an incredible fisherman, I could only hope to someday have half the knowledge he has.

This proposal came from a conversation we had about the state of the striped bass stocks. If any of the other guys were there that day remember the details differently. lt me know and I'll edit. But I think I have the basic principle right:

to have one bass limit, slot between 28-34", and to throw the rest back unless it's a tournament winner.

This proposal has been put forth in many forms on every striped bass web site out there. Many guys are tired of hearing about it, saying it will never get anywhere.

On another site I used to post at, a guy named The Spaniard came up with a "one fish at 34" proposal. I thought we could go somewhere with that, but it died out eventually as guys had their best year ever. Upon thinking about that original 34" proposal, I think it wouldn't work because it would unfairly penalize surf fishermen. Surf fishermen, who only catch 5-10% of all striped bass landed, should have the reasonable possibility of going out and coming home with one fish. A 34" minimum would make it hard for that to happen. Many guys would get frustrated, and I don't blame them. It's your choice whether you keep a fish or not, but I have no problem eating them. I love to eat bass.

I agree, it won't get anywhere as long as we let ouselves be governed by inertia, and accept the status quo of catch figures from thr NMFS and ASMFC which end up managing yearly yield, and not the future.

But then I met Billy the Greek at the show and he was saying the same thing again, that more bass are being harvested because there are more guys into the sport now.

For him to suggest this as a way of striped bass management of the future was a big step. He depends on bass when he takes guys out fishin. Talk like that is about as popular as saying you support the Communist Party, most people don't evn think it's an issue and it's all a fabrication by a few tree huggers.

Well, Billy don't lok like a tree hugger to me. The guy has decades of experience, he's seen the good and the bad, aand he thinks it's time for a modification.

There was another captain I read about on this site somewhere, a charter captain out of Virginia, who was saying the same thing... that he sees the overall numbers of bass are down. Try telling that to some of the guys I know who said they caught 1000 bass last year.

So what's your opinion, sound off.

?

How do we sort this all out to see if if's reasonable, or not even necessary? The way I went about it was I started talking to long time bass guys, like my friend Joe and others, and asking them about how it used to be, and if they saw any decline at all.

There was the analogy of a bowl of M&Ms, what do you people think about that?

Is it reasonable? Is it stupid? Do we have a chance of implementing it if we could even agree that it might be effective?

Where is the science to support all this? How can we learn more about the numbers? What about the people who had their best years in the last 2 years, don't their opinions count?

[surfstix1963]

I'm content on the N.Y. regs right now one over 28" and 1 over 40" the chances of that happening for the average surf guy on a daily basis is slim to none maybe one over 28" is possible daily but one over 40" with that 28" fish doubtful.Perhaps better regs and data collecting should have been in place 30-40 yrs. ago when it was keep everything you want, and we wouldn't be in this mess in the first place now everybody woke their a$$es up and wants to save the world doesn"t happen overnight.And now a license I do not even mind that but put the money into the fisheries not some damn corporation that needs a bailout.

[Monty]

I like the 1 bass per person 28" or over.
Would prefer 1 bass at 34" or over.
Also 1 trophy tag per person per year (purchased) for a bass over 40" (so that day you could have 2).
I do not like any idea that allows for two bass per day.
Seeing charter boats with 6 guys coming off the boat with two bass each over 25 pounds I do not feel is a good thing. It may not be something most surf fisherman do, but it is something charter boats do to often.

[plugcrazy]

I think like Monty said, there should be one bass at 28 to 24", and that's it for everybody, surf, pier, boat, and party boat fishermen, no bonus tage, no extra stuff for extra special people, we should all play by the same rules.

[surferman]

I think the one bass over 34" would be great. However, I think there are too many greedy guys out there who want the limit to be increased.

[finchaser]

yes

[clamchucker]

One at 28-34" would be ideal for the future. I would support it if you set up a petition or something like that.

[mick2360]

Strictly catch and release. If and when I nail the big one, I'll do the same. I'll know I caught it. My biggest fish to date was about 35 lbs. Released it without a second thought.

Only exception might be one for the grill about once a year.

Good to hear The Greek talking conservation. Hey Dark, when you met him did he call you a 'meatball'?

[jimbob]

I like the regulations they have in Maine. there is a slot size between 20 and 26 inches or 1 fish over 40 inches not both.

[DarkSkies]

Good to hear The Greek talking conservation. Hey Dark, when you met him did he call you a 'meatball'?

He didn't call me meatball, but as I'm reading his book I realize I am one. I won't be a meatball much longer though, and I can put up a review of the book when I'm done with it.

Maybe people don't know how ironic it is for this guy to be talking conservation. Like many others during the time he was growing up, he killed thousands of bass, and gradually evolved to where he won't take a bass now unless it's a trophy. He's a helluva fisherman, I'm honored to have met him.

I like the regulations they have in Maine. there is a slot size between 20 and 26 inches or 1 fish over 40 inches not both.

Kinda makes sense, either take one home for dinner OR take home a trophy, but not both.

The 20" minimum seems a little small for me, though, not much meat on a 20" bass. However, they're allowed to kill small bass in the Hudson, so something along these lines might make sense.

I do believe that something is better than nothing. We may have strong numbers now, but every year more people get into striped bass fishin. Now, with the other fisheries.... fluke, flounder, tog, even porgies, being restricted to the extent they are, IMO you will see more pressure on the bass.

A lotta good thoughts here on this subject, guys.

[jonthepain]

When I lived in Joisey there was a slot - I think it was 28 to thirty something.

I was kind of surprised that there isn't one now. I think it makes less sense to kill the big old cows that produce lots of offspring, than it does to kill said offspring.

[nitestrikes]

^^ Good point john. We have a slot in NY. One at 28". The 2nd one has to be 40" or better. I think they should tighten that up a bit to make the first one 27-31". Protect the fish from 32-40" as I have read they are the most prolific breeders.

[nitestrikes]

I like the regulations they have in Maine. there is a slot size between 20 and 26 inches or 1 fish over 40 inches not both.

I like the either/or concept as well.

[Monty]

Quote Originally Posted by jimbob
I like the regulations they have in Maine. there is a slot size between 20 and 26 inches or 1 fish over 40 inches not both.

I like the either/or concept as well.

I big time prefer not both option.
Not one of each.

[buckethead]

I think you have more awareness now than there has been in years. Unfortunately there is a hard headed core group of fishermen who just can't see it. Either they don't fish that much or they do see a downward trend and do not want to acknowledge it.

[rockhopper]

. Unfortunately there is a hard headed core group of fishermen who just can't see it. Either they don't fish that much or they do see a downward trend and do not want to acknowledge it.

What I don't get is why they have to have a bonus tag in NJ. No other state has that. Its a slap in the face to people like us who have to put up with a 28" and over 40" minimum if we want to keep 2 fish and the jersey guys get to keep 3 with that tag. They should make it equal in all states if they want fishermen to give more support.