Where are the Striped Bass?

[CharlieTuna]

It seems like the decline of the fishery is no longer a rumor, but now a regular topic of conversation on all the blogs and news feeds. You definitely picked a good topic when you started this last year, Joe. BTW, hope you are doing ok, I haven't seen you post in awhile. Hope everyone in your family is well.

http://www.warwickonline.com/pages/f...ome_news_right


by Captain Dave Monti
Jul 16, 2009 | 505 views | 0 | 6 | |


Mike Shepard, one of Aquidneck Island's great shore and boat anglers, recently reminded me of the controversy surrounding the vitality of the recreational striped bass fishery. Mike shared the article “Striper Signals” from the July/September 2009 issue of Fly Rod & Reel magazine. The article is written by Ted Williams the conservation writer, not Ted Williams the ball player.

In a nut shell Mr. Williams contends that state and federal governments are not doing enough to protect the striped bass fishery, they think it is doing fine. He believes that catch limits, commercial fishing of the species and their primary food (Atlantic menhaden), malnourished fish and disease are all playing a role in a declining striped bass population.

Williams points to preliminary 2008 recreational striped bass catch data where east coast anglers landed (released or killed) 14,107,835 fish, which was the worst year since 2000.

Additionally, Williams sites the annual U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s annual cooperative trawling operation on wintering striped bass off North Carolina. The tagging operation reports that since 1990 the best catch was 6,275 fish, the worst was 147 in 2009 and the average for the last three years was 516. Fishing guides and experts are also making claims of a declining striped bass fishery.

Of particularly interest to me, is the claim that striped bass are starving when they winter in Chesapeake Bay because of a reduced supply of Atlantic menhaden (their primary food) due to commercial over fishing. This brought to mind the story of the menhaden boat working the upper Providence River this spring muscling between recreational fishing boats and taking the bait (Atlantic Menhaden) as twenty or so recreational fisherman looked on in disbelief.

Lack of food has been substantiated by tag-recapture data studies from spring spawning grounds in Maryland and Virginia. Fish captured in autumn are the same size as fish that are starved in a lab for two months Williams relates. Malnutrition makes the population vulnerable to mycobacteriosis, a disease that causes loss of scales, skin ulcers, severe weight loss and lesions. Officials estimate that sixty to seventy-five percent of the striped bass in Chesapeake Bay are infected.


How can we help preserve the striped bass fishery?

We can do a couple of things to preserve the striped bass fishery. First we can all practice catch and release more often, particularly with larger fish which tend to be egg bearing females. We can also advocate at the State and National level, for better fishery management of striped bass and their primary food, the Atlantic menhaden.

Links for more information: Ted William’s blog www.flyrodreel.com ; the Rhode Island Saltwater Anglers Association’s www.risaa.org ; William & Mary’s Virginia Institute of Marine Science at www.vims.edu .

[lostatsea]

This guy is a marine biologist. Listen to where he says "when a fish is twice a big, it doesn't lay twice as many eggs, it lays 10 times as many eggs". Food for thought.


http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/20...ng-lessons/?hp
September 1, 2009, 8:36 am
Fishing Lessons
By Andrew C. Revkin






While on an offline break last week camping behind the dunes in Montauk, N.Y., I was able to get offshore for a few hours with Carl Safina, a marine biologist and conservationist who’s also a passionate angler.
I grew up loving fishing (even writing a song about a six-pound largemouth bass I caught in “a little patch of paradise, surrounded by suburban sprawl”). But I never caught (and released) something almost four feet long until this short sunset trip, when slab-sided striped bass seemed to be waiting 40 feet beneath our boat no matter where we stopped.
In the video above, Dr. Safina explains the merits of leaving the biggest fish in the sea, noting that the largest females, like a 40-pounder he wrestled to the boat, produce 10 times as many eggs as fish half their size. You can chuckle as I heft a 46-inch bass I hauled in after it nearly hauled me into the water.
Some might snip that releasing lunkers only makes sense in a wealthy place like the United States, where your next meal isn’t something you have to catch. But from Caribbean islands like St. Lucia to the Bering Sea, fishing communities are learning that a balanced effort — leaving breeding-size fish uncaught or breeding spots untouched — is the best path to healthy harvests.
Of course, many fisheries around the world remain in crisis, particularly the bluefin tuna, a longtime focus of Dr. Safina. And we do still have a fixation with size that impedes a variety of conservation efforts. (Biologists say deer hunters could better manage overabundance by targeting does instead of the biggest bucks.) Back at the dock in Montauk, the marina — like many — had a board listing the largest fish taken, not the biggest catches of midsize fish. No surprise. There’s a deep-rooted human tendency to glorify the biggest. That largemouth I caught around 1968 is now a tattered bit of taxidermy.
Dr. Safina is trying to show you can feed that passion and, by letting the biggest specimens go, still have fish in the sea (or pond) for a long time to come.
Another option is to get your wall trophy the 21st-century way, ordering a pre-fab fish replica to size, instead of the skin-on-plaster variety. No cheating on the size, though, okay?

[Jackbass]

This guy is a marine biologist. Listen to where he says "when a fish is twice a big, it doesn't lay twice as many eggs, it lays 10 times as many eggs". Food for thought.

Makes Slot Limits seem like a good idea doesn't it?

[DarkSkies]

I thought it might be good to research some articles for this thread, since commercial striped bass fishing, by nature of its visibility, is angering some people. In another post I explained the numbers of bass killed by commercial fishermen was less than the total killed by recreational fishermen.

Here we have a new problem which I thought people should be aware of, the increasing efforts of commercial fishermen to expand into areas that IMO should be restricted.

I want to go on record as saying this is not playing 2 sides of the fence here. I want us as recreational fishermen to be aware of the strain we as an aggregate of anglers are placing on the striped bass biomass. At the same time, while I have defended commercial fishing, I want to be able to speak out when I think their intentions will be harmful as well.

I know this stuff may seem boring and not worth your time. However, I would ask anyone who click on this thread to at least read a few posts here, think if it makes sense based on your experiences, and then educate yourself, do more research, to see if what is being said here is possibly true.

If it is true, you can get involved and learn more before it's too late, or you can let "the other guys" do all the work for you, and not take any of the blame if our striped bass stocks suffer.

I know that might sound extreme to some, but that is what I'm seeing with my eyes.

Every day as administrator of this site, I'm fortunate to run into more and more anglers who have decades of fishing experience. Conversations with them convince me that it makes sense to talk about this stuff before it's too late. Thanks for looking, people.









http://morningsentinel.mainetoday.co...l/6998213.html

Striped bass in peril, observers say
BY JOHN RICHARDSON 10/20/2009



BY JOHN RICHARDSON
Portland Press Herald

A proposal to expand the commercial catch of striped bass in the Chesapeake Bay region could threaten Maine's most valuable coastal sport fish, say anglers, fishing guides and state officials.
Striper fishing along the Maine coast was off this summer for a second straight year, they say, and concerns are growing that the recreational fishery could face a painful decline.

"I'm worried," said Doug Jowett, a guide who takes customers fishing in Casco Bay and off Cape Cod. "It's going to be declining steadily because nothing is being done to improve it."

Maine is one of several states that prohibit commercial fishing for stripers as they migrate up and down the East Coast. Here, the fish is the primary attraction for coastal anglers, who spend $25 million to $30 million in a typical summer on everything from gasoline to bait and artificial lures, according to the state.

Under a rule change proposed by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, commercial fishing operations in other states would be allowed to carry over some of their quota from one year to the next. If boats didn't catch the full quota one year, under the rule change, they would be allowed to add to their quota for the next year.

The commission is scheduled to vote on the proposal Nov. 2 in Newport, R.I., after reviewing a yet-to-be released report on the health of the striper population.

Fishermen in Maine may see a decline related to spawning in Chesapeake Bay, but the striper population is not considered to be in immediate trouble, said Nichola Meserve, a fishery management coordinator for the multistate fisheries commission. "The stock is not overfished," she said.

A subcommittee of the commission concluded that the rule change would increase the overall annual catch only about 1.7 percent. That's because most stripers are caught and killed by recreational anglers, who aren't limited by annual quotas, Meserve said.
In 2006, for example, recreational fishermen landed about 29 million pounds of striped bass and commercial boats landed about 7 million pounds. The numbers do not include fish caught and thrown back.

The numbers have not reassured Maine anglers or state officials, who say there are clear warning signs that it is the wrong time to expand the commercial catch, especially in Chesapeake Bay.
"The stock assessment is not showing us doom and gloom, but the anecdotal information from fishermen is showing us otherwise," said Patrick Keliher, director of sea-run fisheries and habitat for the Maine Department of Marine Resources.
In Maine, anglers caught about 49,000 stripers -- 238,000 pounds -- in 2008. It was the second-smallest catch in Maine in the decade, and a 31 percent drop from the year before.

Guides and fishermen say the fishing this summer was somewhat better, but still much slower than in previous years. Business has dropped so much as a result, Jowett said, that several guides have gone out of business.

What worries people most is that the number of young fish has dropped fastest. That suggests catches will continue to shrink.
"That seems to be a consensus up and down the whole coast. There just aren't that many little fish around," Jowett said.
The drop in younger fish is believed to be tied to reduced production in Chesapeake Bay, the primary spawning and nursery area for the fish.

There is growing concern in the Chesapeake Bay region about a deadly fish disease called mycobacteriosis, although its effects on the population are still not clear.

The Chesapeake is one of the areas where commercial fishermen would be able to carry over their unused quotas under the proposed rule change.

"We'll certainly be voting against" the proposal, said Terry Stockwell, director of external affairs for the Maine Department of Marine Resources and a member of the regional fisheries commission. The proposal is the latest in a series of incremental increases in fishing pressure, he said.

"Now is not the time, when it seems that there's something wrong," he said. The Maine catch is considered a bellweather for the health of the striped bass population, Stockwell said, "and we don't have a robust fishery anymore."

[DarkSkies]

"Now is not the time, when it seems that there's something wrong," he said. The Maine catch is considered a bellweather for the health of the striped bass population, Stockwell said, "and we don't have a robust fishery anymore."

^ If you don't feel like reading the whole article above, here is the statement that is most important to me.

Maine is the state that is on the edge of the "bowl of M&M's".
What is the M&M's theory?

It's not mine. It was coined long ago at another site, by a guy who was very concerned with what he thought was a decline in striped bass catches. I think his name was RichS.

I've since lost contact with him, but I believe he deserves the credit for this term. It is used throughout the internet in arguing how there could be less bass when some people are experiencing their best years ever.

To paraphrase it, the way I originally understood it, is that the biomass of striped bass can be thought of as a bowl of M&M's. The edges of the migration, Maine to North Carolina, can be thought of as edges of the bowl.

Just because there was a banner year in the spring at Island Beach State Park in NJ, or the jetty areas of Monmouth County, or the rich spring and summer bunker based fishing off the coast of LI, with Montauk and Block Island having good catches for party and charter boats, all one needs to do is consider that these places are in the middle of the bowl, where there is not much hope of noticing if someone "ate" more than was expected.

Where you see this most dramatically is on the edges, or Maine and Virginia. Maine has suffered declining catches in recent years, and the Chesapeake is faced with problems of mycobacteriosis and overfishing, which is further putting a strain on the stock and its future potential.

In one of the posts before mine, someone illustrates quite well the problems they are having in the Chesapeake and Virginia area.

Why the heck should I be concerned with the fishing in Maine or Va, you might ask me?

Because here is where you will notice the declines first and most dramatically.

I'm asking you people to go back and at least read the few pages before this and consider what these people, many of whom have way more experience than me, are saying. At least skim the Ted Williams article, which begins on post #20.

If you disagree, please share that with us as well, but back up your opinion with real-life experience, so others can read and form their own opnions. Thanks.

[bababooey]

edges[/b], or Maine and Virginia. Maine has suffered declining catches in recent years, and the Chesapeake is faced with problems of mycobacteriosis and overfishing, which is further putting a strain on the stock and its future potential.

In one of the posts before mine, someone illustrates quite well the problems they are having in the Chesapeake and Virginia area.

Why the heck should I be concerned with the fishing in Maine or Va, you might ask me?

Because here is where you will notice the declines first and most dramatically.

Right on Dark. Check out the latest YOY press release by StripersForever ---


Posted: Wed Oct 21, 2009 9:01 pm Post subject: Press Release: Stripers Forever: YoY dissapointing again

October 21, 2009

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE



The annual young-of-the-year striped bass survey recently released by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (MD DNR) reflects reports received by Stripers Forever during the 2009 season of a deteriorating recreational striper fishery from Maine to North Carolina.

Stripers Forever is an internet-based conservation organization which advocates managing the striped bass as a game fish by eliminating all commercial harvest of wild stripers.

“The graphic [below] released with the MD DNR report depicts the numbers of striped bass spawned in the Chesapeake Bay,” says Brad Burns, president of Stripers Forever. “Since most stripers that migrate north and south along the coast are born in the Chesapeake Bay, the MD DNR graphic indicates how future runs of stripers along the Atlantic Coast will measure up. The outlook for the species is not an optimistic one.”





David Ross PhD -- a scientist, Stripers Forever board member, and longtime striped bass angler -- adds the following comments on the MD DNR report:



“The MD DNR has been doing this young-of-the-year survey for over 50 years and the resulting numbers are thought to be a good indication of spawning success. However, the trend of the recent data (from 2001 to 2009) seems to be more of a measure of spawning failure.

“Scientists, including fishery biologists and oceanographers like me, will often come up with reasons or hypotheses to explain unexpected changes or anomalies in their data. But for fishermen, these reasons have little importance – the fish are either there or not.

“I suspect that some fishery managers will see reasons to be optimistic about the recent data. Others, especially those not involved with the MD DNR, should see reasons for concern. If you look at the index from 2001, it has to be evident to even the most optimistic observer that the trend of the index is heading south – quickly.

“It really does not matter what the reasons are- -- the recent spawning numbers are not good. Look again at the graph: the highs (50.75 to 7.9 – an 84 percent drop) and lows (4.73 to 3.2 – a 32 percent drop) are clearly declining.

How can this be good for the future of the striped bass?” --- David Ross PhD.



For further information, contact Brad Burns by e-mail at stripers@whatifnet.com.

[captnemo]

Some NMFS/ NOAA catch data for you guys

http://www.st.nmfs.noaa.gov/st1/recr.../snapshot.html

[stripermania]

The catch data had good information. Striped bass is becoming more depleted year after year. IMO we have to do something now about it.

[DarkSkies]

I've been getting phone calls from long-time striped bass surf fishermen lately. A lot of them are tired of ranting and don't feel anyone would be willing to listen to them anymore, so I get to hear it.

I'm not complaining, I welcome those calls. This helps to give me a unique perspective as to what the fishing used to be like 30 years ago. When guys like Finchaser, Clamchucker, Surfwalker, Stripercoast1, the OFFC, or others who have been fishing 40 solid or more years say the fishing is good, that's credible.

When they talk about how fishing numbers are way down compared to what they used to be, those comments should have equal credibility. If you believe these guys are competent, then you should also be willing to believe what they're saying about the fishing today vs 20-30 years ago, and why we should be at least a little concerned.

[DarkSkies]

What fishing used to be like, Stripercoast1 aka Gunny:

(Gunny runs www.stripercoastsurfcasters.us a growing group of hardcore surfcasters with an eye on conservation, aligning themselves with www.stripersforever.com and other groups in their fight to preserve the striped bass fishery.)

"When people talk about striped bass fishing and how they had a "blitz" for an hour, I realize there is a lot to teach people out there. We used to fish Cape Cod and the Mass area many years ago. Those were the nights when you were careful who you told about the fishing. There would usually be a small group of us dedicated guys out there for any given night when the bite was on.

And on it was! We would have times in the spring or fall at Race Point when the striped bass "blitz" stretched for 7 or 8 miles. We would have huge bass right in the surf at our feet. If they were on heavy bait concentrations, all you had to do was toss out a bucktail, or pick up a piece of fresh bait as the fish pushed the bait ashore. Toss out your bucktail, or that fresh bait, and you would have a fish in a matter of a minute.

These blitzes would last for a day or more sometime, and we all got our fill of fish. Sometimes I realize it was too many, and that probably contributed to the decline, because everyone acted the same way."



Fishing as it exists today:

"Guys are killing a lot more of the big breeders. For example, this summer there was a huge concentration of big bass off Block Island. Guys were taking out the 6 pack charters as much as twice a day, and coming back with their limit each time. These are 40 and 50lb bass we are talking about, taking up to 20 years to reach that size. Yet guys killed them day after day. Huge numbers of these bass were taken out of the biomass from Block Island this year. I have to believe that will affect the biomass and future spawning numbers. There's no way it would not affect the population.

In Rhode Island where I fish a lot we have always had good seasons for catching big striped bass from the surf. The bays, rivers, and estuaries hold tremendous amounts of bait, many varieties, shrimp, small whitebait, bunker, huge amounts of squid, and lobster. Yet we noticed the fishing was off, there were less big bass around.

I have seen the decline of catches with my own eyes. It's only a matter of time before it shows up in the official numbers. If we don't do something about it soon, we will be definitely be facing another moratorium on striped bass fishing."

[DarkSkies]

(guys let me know if I need to make any corrections to these)

Fin:
He tells me on a daily basis how they used to catch bass by the dozens, large, and in all year classes. Bluefish used to be so abundant they would fill 110Qt coolers with them to the point where people got sick of catching them. There was no idea out there that either bluefish or striped bass stock should be conserved. People used to fertilize their gardens with unwanted fish.

Then the stocks declined, slowly at first, until there was a noticable decline, and you were only catching fish in the "middle areas" (M&M theory). The edges of the M&M bowl were empty, and they instituted the moratorium.

He sees that same thing happening to the stocks today because people refuse to acknowledge that there is greater participation in fishing, more fish are being kept, and people are wasting plenty of large breeder fish just for the photo ops at the tackle shops.

He has seen wasted 40# bass that were left out in the sun, dumped into marina dumpsters. He may seem like he rants and raves a lot, but that's because he's passionate about these fish he loves to catch, and doesn't want to see history repeat itself. Pick his brain anytime ya want, he has the stats and figures to back it up!

As related by Finchaser:
Fishing before the moratorium:

"There were so many fish back then, it would take 3 or 4 days for one body of fish to pass by in the spring or fall. If you missed those, there would be another wave of fish right after that. That's why when people talk today about how they had fish for hours, it maks me shake my head. Fishing today is nothing like it used to be before the moratorium.

Fall run, 1980's:
A fall run back then was like a sustained fishing dream. Blitzes lasted for days, not 22 minutes. You could go fishing in the morning, catch some fish, go to work, come out on your lunch break, catch some more fish, go back to work, come home and eat dinner, and still go out to catch more fish, until your arms were really tired."

[DarkSkies]

Some anonymous recollections of others:

1. A friend called me today and told me how they used to go up to Cape Cod because huge numbers of bass used to pass by there on the migration. He told me of thousands of bass rolling in the surf, 30-40 years ago. As Gunny said, all you had to do was toss a piece of bait or a bucktail out, and you were into fish in the 30# class. They were all over the place.




2. Another friend told me he has a friend living in New Brunswick, near Canada. The bass used to come there by the thousands as part of their northern migration as they passed the state of Maine. His friend hasn't had a good year for striped bass in many years. Is it a case that they just don't move that far north any more, or is it the case that there are less bass to go around?

Only you people can answer these questions for yourself. Do the research, there is a wealth of material in this thread.




3. Another friend has a problem with the lack of bluefish in the surf, especially as represented by the smaller year classes. I used to fish with these guys as recently as 5 years ago, and we had times when we would get numbers in the 30's and 40's of bluefish caught and released, several times a week, for the spring run. That hasn't happened to the extent it used to. People say the bluefish are all offshore on the offshore bait.

What about the edges of the bowl, the M&M theory? Isn't it possible it could be a factor here as well?

Of course, lots of people hate bluefish, and don't care. Many guys who fish from boats will dispute it, and tell you it's unreasonable to say this. There are miles and mils of bluefish just offshore, they will say. I agree that's what they're seeing, so I understand how they would dispute a hypothesis that there are less around. As mentioned, the surf fishermen catch the"overflow" How would you know about this perspective unless you fish from the surf?

Surf fishing traditionally was where you caught the overflow of fish from an abundant biomass. If that biomass is declining, the surf guys would certainly be the first ones to notice it.

Food for thought people, food for thought.

[DarkSkies]

Sent by Fin, thanks!


Striped Bass Report

by Ed Cherry & John Toth
(from Jersey Coast Anglers Association December 2009 Newsletter)

Ed Cherry and John Toth were asked by NJ’s Division of Fish & Wildlife to serve as advisors on a committee to look at possible new alternatives to the present regulations concerning striped bass. The current regulation mandates that anglers can keep two striped bass over 28 inches.

The problem with this regulation appears that we are taking too many of the breeder stock when we catch these big fish. There appears to be a decline in the striped bass stocks and while there is no present danger that the stocks are in serious trouble, we do not want these fish to be in danger like winter flounder.

The following is a table of the alternatives that were shown to us. Only two stripers can still be kept under these alternatives. These alternatives are also equivalent to the projected stock of stripers that are now caught at 28 inches to infinity. The Bonus Tag fish and a slot fish are not included in these alternatives.

18” minimum size and greater - one fish, and a 40” minimum size and greater - one fish
19” minimum size and greater - one fish, and a 38” minimum size and greater - one fish
20” minimum size and greater - one fish, and a 36” minimum size and greater - one fish
21” minimum size and greater - one fish, and a 35” minimum size and greater - one fish
22” minimum size and greater - one fish, and a 34” minimum size and greater - one fish
23” minimum size and greater - one fish, and a 33” minimum size and greater - one fish
24” minimum size and greater - one fish, and a 32” minimum size and greater - one fish


The last alternative is the one that the committee favored. It means that you can catch one fish that has a minimum size of 24 inches to infinity. The second fish has to be a minimum size of 32 inches or to infinity. The thinking here is that so many stripers are caught that are less than 28 inches and we are throwing many of them back and killing a lot of them in the process. If we lower that limit to 24 inches minimum, then we can at least keep one striper and take it home for dinner fare.

These alternatives were discussed at the JCAA’s October’s 27th meeting and representatives were asked to take this information back to their clubs and discuss what alternative they favor or to even stick with the current regulation of two fish over 28 inches. Please bring your comments on striped bass back to the General Membership meeting on November 24th so that we can pass them on to the Department of Fish & Wildlife.


http://www.jcaa.org/jcnl0912/0912SBR.htm

[jonthepain]

I don't get it. The slot limit worked; why not consider it?

I'm in my fifties and have been through a couple of boom and busts. The last (mini) boom followed the institution of slot limits.

That being said, however, I don't think the blues and bass stocks will ever recover without a large forage base. Continuing to decimate the bunker population can only lead to a decline in sport fish stocks, no matter how strict the recreational limits.

[voyager35]

That being said, however, I don't think the blues and bass stocks will ever recover without a large forage base. Continuing to decimate the bunker population can only lead to a decline in sport fish stocks, no matter how strict the recreational limits.

I think that's a good point. I saw that article you posted on the bunker. I can tell you this, we had lots of bunker in NJ this late spring with no bass under them. There were times when I took a run from Barnegat Inlet to Monmouth Beach. We would find dozens of pods of bunker, thousands in a pod, that had no bass on them. Our best success was finding the smaller pods that were isolated and picking a bass or 2 from underneath.
What that says to me is that even though there are less bunker, as the article you posted claims, there are even less bass and bluefish to eat that forage. I remember this happening last year as well. I don't have a recollection of it beiing that bad 10 years ago either.
I don't have an answer here. I do feel there are a lot of good questions raised in this thread. In my view we need more accurate numbers to be sure.

[jonthepain]

I agree with you, however, I've fished under bunker pods during the late 80s without finding any bass.


I think that, like all ecosystems, there are a lot of variables, and a change in one necessarily affects the others.

Luckily, natural systems generally return to an optimum level given a chance. The number of predators increase when the prey levels increase, until they hit the maximum sustainable population.

[DarkSkies]

SC1/Gunny posted this on his site.
www.stripercoastsurfcasters.us

I thought you might like the perspective of someone who had seen things from both the Commercial side with commercial fishermen in his family, and as a Recreational fisherman who has fished the salt for more than 40 years:


1 The typicle tactic of defending all comms as being honest and above board is still being beaten to death by an individual that either never fishes or talks to another comm, or is completely ignorant to the facts.
The number of fish sold without reporting, AKA, black market, in my opinion, and estimation, is fully equal to the reported catch....

There are way too many recs out there that have no clue as to what is happening right now. I recently talked with a boat owner about the status of Stripers, and he showed exactly what I've been saying for quite some time. He only started fishing for Bass 8 to 10 years ago. He justifies stuffing the seat cushions with fish to offset the cost of fuel. If he doesn't come in with at least 8 fish, the number he designated, then it wasn't worth leaving the ramp.

If I had not lived the crash or maintained the Bass are dollars attitude, I could easily have been making 10 grand or more a year in unreported sales. There were times when I had the boats in the water that temptation was real, and the number of times I was approached would astound you. My reputation, pre internet, was well known on the Island, and I had the same situations my old man dealt with, the armada would follow me and watch through bino's to see what I was doing.




2.
They will divert by placing blame on every other ingrediant in the stew as the cause of less Bass near shore. Same exact arguments they used nearly 30 years ago. Blame everyone else BUT THEMSELVES.
Why is it that no Comm can make a living from the surf the way we did back then. Why is it the acres of Bass no longer blitz the entire point of the Cape, Race Point like they used to? For days on end? It's not just a bait issue, its a numbers issue, those Bass don't exist in the massive schools like days gone by.

[jigfreak]

They should have done more regulations years ago, but unfortunately people did not think about the commercial fishing world of the future. It is all a number issue. If we continue to fish the way we are there will be no fish left. Catch and release rules.

[Stripercoast1]

Many years ago, Bob Pond, owner of Atom Tackle, organized Stripers Unlimited with his own money. He did this because he saw the writing on the wall. It was the beginning of the out of control Menhaden purse seining. He noticed the Bass were getting skinny and were seeking less nutritious forage. Sand eels take more effort for less gain, and were becoming the targeted food source of Bass and Blues along the North East coastal waters. Bass were also addapting to eating any and all available food sources that also take more effort but little gain. Cunner, Sea Robbins, and other rough fish were turning up in the stomachs of Bass on a more than usual occurance. To equate this to human standards, eating a bowl of saw dust will make you feel full, but little or no nutrition is gained.
I remember when Bob would arrive on a beach or the canal, and the attitude was, "Here comes Chicken Little." This was during the 70's and the research he funded was scoffed and belittled. Just a few short years later, all he tried to warn about came to fruition.
The situation now is not any differant from my eyes. We hear the warnings and ***** about lousy catch rates but wait and watch for what someone else is going to do.
The Bunker are not here. The reasons for some areas of the coast to see them, while others have none, are really almost too simple to undestand. New Jersey and New York put in regulatory controls on how and when the Bunker fleet can operate. They could not legally shut them down, so they made it hard for them to operate. North of those 2 states the Bunker are no where near the numbers we once saw. The Bass that locked up on Block this past year were on Scup, AKA Porgie. Scup do not contain the oils and fats that bunker provide for Bass to sustain good health, but in the absence of proper food they are better than nothing.
Call me chicken little if you want, in fact being grouped with Bob Pond would be a badge of honor to me. The crash is coming again, the only thing I wonder, is if we will catch it in time this time.

[plugaholic]

That was a great read stripercoast1. You are correct that people stand buy and watch without getting involved. All of a sudden the bunker are gone, the fish are gone and everyone will be walking around with the foot up their *** wondering what the hell happened. I wish more people would get involved.