MEAT MEN of New Jersey

[surfstix1963]

Frozen fish sucks even when you vac seal it fresh is best .I'm leaving my opinion to myself on this because I take this matter very seriously I've been through one moratorium already and some people need to learn the hard way the negative to that is everyone else has to **** it up for greedy people.

[basshunter]

If someone doesn't want to be here or contribute to this community, we don't want to burden them with membership priveleges either.
Thank you.

I like the way you phrased that. Lurkers go elsewhere too you are nothing but leeches!

Frozen fish sucks even when you vac seal it fresh is best .I'm leaving my opinion to myself on this because I take this matter very seriously I've been through one moratorium already and some people need to learn the hard way the negative to that is everyone else has to **** it up for greedy people.

That is really a shame, that a few dundering idiot meatmen have to ruin it for all of us. If they were less greedy we might not have to have to close or restrict it. When they shut it down how loud will their mouths be then? thanks surfstix I agree.

[robmedina]

Good read. I think these posts are helping. It seems it is pissing some people off but I think it is working because at least they are thinking about it. As for me, I am a catch and release kind of guy.

[porgy75]

Good point robmedina I agree. If you notice the guys who always talked about catching a limit with bonus tags are not putting up the pics any more. Maybe they are catching less or maybe they are thinking about some of the things said in this thread. Thank you hookset and the other guys who stood up to them!!!!




this was in Colin the average anglers site today - "Are we killing too many striped bass in New Jersey?" I think that is a good read too.


06.10.13 "Are we killing too many striped bass in New Jersey?"....Let's look at some numbers.

I thoroughly enjoy fishing for striped bass. As you know, I also thoroughly enjoy releasing them as well. I have been drawn to the conservation side of the striped bass and this time of year is always a time of love and hate. I love when the fish arrive and I hate to see so many of them harvested, especially the larger females. Not only do I see it on the beach and boat, I read and see about it on Stripers Online, BassBarn, New Jersey Hunter, and the Hook, Line and Sinker section of the Asbury Park Press.
Over the last two years I was part of the historic reduction in the menhaden fishery catches. When I say I was part, I got involved. I educated myself, wrote letters, went to public meetings, stood up and spoke, and even went down to Washington for the vote. I feel that the striped bass fight is drawing me in.
One thing I hate about all of this stuff is the absolute disrespect that each side has for the other (with any issue) and the politics involved. As far as striped bass catch and release? I am in a growing minority but it's a position being taken up by many anglers. I am a fly fishing guide that runs beach and boat charters for striped bass, bluefish, fluke, and false albacore. When it comes to striped bass- it's purely catch and release. Catch and release just like when I guide for wild trout on the Upper Delaware.


Most of my fellow guides and friends fly or spin fish. Some use plugs, metal, rubber, clams, bunker, sand fleas, eels, whatever. Most will release most and keep a fish every now and then ofr themselves or their clients. Other captains I know seem to put everything legal in the box. I'm not a tree hugger. I still like them and people in general. I still can say "Nice catch"...although seeing the bigger fish caught and kept does bother me. But hey, truth be told. They aren't breaking any laws, they are fishing within the guidelines set by the state of New Jersey, or the ASMFC, or another Federal agency.


Within the last year I have really soured on striped bass fishing tournaments. I believe that bounties for big fish, for cash, angler or club bragging rights, isn't a good idea. Fish get taken so they can weighed for the tournament. That is not to say they are all wasted. Some fish are donated or brought home for the table. But say an angler may take home a 28" fish for his family for dinner. On this day he or she goes out in early June and catches a 40 pounder. If not for the tournament that fish may have been released and a smaller fish harvested for the table. Not if there's an active tournament. It's taken, weighed, and then donated, eaten, or given away.


All of this has brought me to thinking- "Are we harvesting too many fish?" "Am I taking a position I really don't know that much about?" "Are all those anti catch and release anglers correct?" Let's look at some hard numbers. The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commision (ASMFC) has managed striped bass since 1981, part of the Striped Bass Interstate Fisheries Management Plan. They do stock assessments and set the allocations of commercial and recreational harvest for each state. In the year 2013 the ASFMC allocated New Jersey with 321,750 pounds of striped bass. Since N.J. doesn't allow commercial fishing, netting or sales of striped bass all of the 321,750 pounds can be harvested by the recreational fisherman. And just an FYI, for all those anglers that cry it's the commercial fisherman killing all the bass, here's some numbers. In 2011 32.2 million pounds of bass were harvested along the Atlantic coast. That's 3.178 million striped bass. The commercial take was 19% or 6.8 million pounds, the recreational take 81% or 26.3 million pounds. So we know.









Since New Jersey doesn't have a commercial striped bass fishery they instituted a Striped Bass Bonus Program (SBBP) which allows anglers to apply for a bonus tag to keep a third striped bass over 28. So if you apply for a tag, and then go fishing, you can keep three striped bass over 28". Then you can go home and file a form and then apply for another one and do it again, the next day, and the next day, and so on. The idea was that since there's no commercial take they would allow recreational anglers to harvest more.


So let's take New Jersey's 321,750 pounds of striped bass allocated for the recreational fisherman. Recreational meaning on the beach, jetty, party or charter boat. That means Delaware River and Bay, Cape May, Mullica River, Absecon Inlet, Ocean City, LBI, Island Beach State Park, out front, in the back, Oyster Creek, Jetty Country, Sandy Hook, Raritan Bay, Raritan River, Hackensack River, and any where people fish for and potentially harvest striped bass.


321,750 pounds sounds like a bunch, right? Well, not really. Let's look at some numbers.





Looking at a size/weight chart for striped bass lets pick an average size fish that New Jersey anglers might keep. With the minimum striped bass at 28", average weight 10 pounds, and the heaviest 50" which is 50 pounds, we'll say that in New Jersey during 2013 the average fish kept was 35" and 18 pounds. Really that means not one fish over 35" was taken.


If we divide 321,750 by the 18 pounds it means that New Jersey anglers in 2013 can harvest 17,875 fish and still be within the ASMFC allocation. Sounds like a lot of stripers, right? Mmmmm....


Let's say in New Jersey in 2013 we only harvest fish in April, May, June and Sept, Oct, Nov- taking Jan, Feb, March, August and December off. So that's just six months of fishing. So 6 divided into our allotted 17,875 fish for 2013 comes out to 2,979 striped bass per month. Wow! That's a lot of stripers. Not really. Just a note, remember in 2012 we fished for 12 months, and remember the stupid fishing in IBSP in the fall of 2011.


Let's now say there are 30 days in each of our fishing months. Now we take our 2,979 striped bass and divide that by the 30 days. That comes out to 99.3 striped bass per day. So, during our make believe six month fishing year of 2013 we can harvest 100 striped bass per day at 18 pounds ( some will be lighter and others heavier but the average 18 pounds) and be within our 321,750 allottment.


100 fish per day. That means on a given day if we logged all of the striped bass harvested from the Delaware River and Bay, Cape May, Mullica River, Absecon Inlet, Ocean City, LBI, Island Beach State Park, out front, in the back, Oyster Creek, Jetty Country, Sandy Hook, Raritan Bay, Raritan River, Hackensack River, and anywhere people fish for and potentially harvest striped bass- it can't average more than 100 fish a day for six months.


Remember- the above is only for the state of New Jersey recreational fishery. Think of all the other places the striped bass get fished heavily- commercial fisheries in North Carolina, Chesapeake Bay, Jamaica Bay, Montauk, Rhode Island, Cape Cod, and the rest.


"Hey all!" The striped bass, and the people who love to fish for them, will all be in trouble soon. There will be a moratorium soon if we don't smarten up. The moratorium will stop the bleeding, is there's any more fish to bleed out.


You can read more on the ASMFC on their site HERE, go to the striped bass section.

http://theaverageangler.blogspot.com/

[storminsteve]

Good read. I think these posts are helping. It seems it is pissing some people off but I think it is working because at least they are thinking about it. As for me, I am a catch and release kind of guy.

Rob I feel the same way too. I think from what I have read that finchaser releases almost all of his fish, and dark releases most of his. I release the bigger ones but like that tasty striper meat of the fish in the 28-32" range. There seems to be a divide about what catch and release fishing is out there. If you do any of it at all some of the meat men think you are a communist. Maybe the fair thing to say is that they think we are judging them or holier than thou. I am far from an expert but there are folks here like finchaser and clamchucker who have been fishing for over half a century. That's a lot of years. I haven't even been on this earth for half a century so I can't even fathom fishiing for that long. It is nice to hear it from the guys that do it every day and would be the first to see if there are parallels between the moratorium and now.

I think the average angler is pretty pro-active and observant too. I don't know how old he is but he fishes a hell of a lot. I have been checking his blog out because of the posts here. The dude fishes every day! Besides being a little jeasous of that, you have to recognize that he might know what he is talking about inasmuch as he is on the water so much.

Some of these other loudmouths (dark should have banned the whole lot of them, my .02) sound like they are 20 years old. They remind me of the drunken frat parties I used to go to in college. Let's use a hypothetical example and say if I saw a guy pawing a drunk girl who was not receptive I was in there in a flash telling the guy to get lost. Some of the jerks who responded here remind me of the drunken frat guys who would say to me "Well did you see how she was dressed, she was asking for it anyway!"
I realize it isn't the greatest analogy but I am not as good with words as the rest of you here. The point is that just because you can do something, doesn't mean it is acceptable to over-do it.
Great read by the average angler, thanks for posting porgy75

[Monty]

The point is that just because you can do something, doesn't mean it is acceptable to over-do it.

Totally agree and they use it as the reason they kill so many. Its legal and allowed, so they do it. What it is is extremely shortsighted, careless, selfish and extremely irresponsible.

[buckethead]

Cheers to hookset.
Since you started this thread there is no one reporting they took the extra bonus bass on the online fishing sites. They may still be klling 3 bass per person but they are not bragging about it anymore. You have single-handedly changed the perception of bonus fish in NJ. The bucktail kid on his last 2 trips only reported usual limits of 2 per person and made careful note of all the fish he threw back. If there was not a problem with keeping3 fish, although legal, this could not have happened. It appears that you reached the folks out there hook. Thank you for your effort sir.

[robmedina]

I just read one report and it said that they caught more than their limit but they ONLY kept their limit...of 10 bass, as if that is doing us a favor!

[hookset]

Well they're doing it in NY. Boats full of dead bass. I know they are legally allowed to do it but come on. Seeing so many big dead bass lined up like that is a little much.

[hookset]

Another one out of captree fire island.





The boat is called the captree pride. Yep we are proud. We will kill every bass we can till they are all dead.

[storminsteve]

the captree pride. Yep we are proud. We will kill every bass we can till they are all dead.

LOL. That attitude is one of the things that brings us closer and closer to the crash. What will they will fish for when the stripers are gone? Despicable. Capt Ken Higgins you ****.

[rockhopper]

Well they're doing it in NY. Boats full of dead bass. I know they are legally allowed to do it but come on. Seeing so many big dead bass lined up like that is a little much.

It was getting crazy out there the boats are posting every day saying :striped bass MASSACRE!!" Bunch of a-holes. Hookset the pic you posted was from the Laura Lee out of captree. They posted it on facebook. Eating bass is fine. but how many 40 lb bass can you eat isnt one enough?

[hookset]

Thank you for clarifying that rockhopper. Did not realize that was on facebook until I checked.
Another one for today brooklyn VI. It's all about the meat!





"Every day this last week Capt Robert and Capt Mike landed us on the meat all day with giant blues and giant bass."

[hookset]

Lets all run to captree and get some meat.

[J Barbosa]

I just don't get it anymore to be honest.

I must be ******* retarded.

I see the same group of guys hang around and ***** that there is no fish and the next day when a school of fish arrives they each take two to a shop to be weighed in. Who the **** weighs in fish under 10lbs I would be ******* embarrassed.

[storminsteve]

I don't get it either john a 28" bass is a good meal but why does it have to be videotaped? Everyone must need their 5 minutes of fame, lol.

[J Barbosa]

I don't get it either john a 28" bass is a good meal but why does it have to be videotaped? Everyone must need their 5 minutes of fame, lol.

I don't even care if guys weigh in an 8lb fish...good for them.

It's the guys who ***** that there are no fish left and then run to weigh in two bass that **** me off.

also Jihny Bitchtails is back at it again...I'm ashamed to share the same initials as this kid.

[robmedina]

I am strongly considering giving up chasing stripers and chase a fish that mostly everyone considers trash but is strong and crafty and is almost always catch and release, yes, the mighty carp!

[Monty]

Hello. My name is Capt Derek Bielitz. I am the owner and operator of the Fisher Price IV out of the Highlands. This post was brought to my attention by one of my customers who saw it. I would first like to say that i do not personally know who anyone of you on here are or if any of you have ever fished with me before. I saw that some of my posts from other sites were pasted on here. And i will be the first to tell you that what i post is the truth. I have good days and bad days in fishing. I am a full time professional charter boat captain. This is what i do 12 months a year. I do not have any other job than fishing. I am 31 years old and have been working as a mate and captain for the past 16 years. I have seen the fishery when it was tough as well as when it had been great. I will also be the first person to say that there are not as many bass around as in recent years. I will also admit that there are more keepers around and less shorts. As for what i kill on my boat. I follow all laws in both NY and NJ waters. My customers spend their hard earned money to go out on fishing trips with me and when they like to take their limit who am i to tell them they cant. I also let my customers use their bonus cards to a certain point. I do not take my limit or my mates limit on any trip. If the customer wants to use their bonus card in the beginning of the season on a smaller fish than so be it. I do support catch and release and i can tell you i had a trip the other day where we landed 50 or 52 bass all day and only kept one fish for the table cause it was gut hooked and bleeding out. I encourage my guys to release all fish 30 lbs or bigger cause they are your breeding fish and we need to keep the stock up and have fish for our future generations to experience. This is my first and last post on this site. I also find it hard to believe that this post hasnt even been shut down already after reading through it. Every post that was taken from another site and posted no one was breaking the law they did what they were allowed to do.

He had a good day today with three bass killed per customer on the morning trip.
Kill them while you can captain, let's see what you are fishing for in a few years when they are gone or how much people will pay to go fishing with no catching.

[hookset]

^^ Yessir fill them bonus tags. How many 20lb bass can you put in the box. 2 a person isn't enough?