Bucket and Rob, I agree with what you said as well.
We have further discussions on that here:
http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/...re-they-saying
http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/...e-Striped-Bass
http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/...are-in-TROUBLE
http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/...t-striped-bass
http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/...rvation-Corner
ASMFC stats
http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/...ross-the-board
http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/...n-70-from-2006
No disrepect to Russ Allen. I wish I could have been there to meet him and see his presentation. I would have had some questions that he would have struggled to answer.
Again, no disrespect meant, and he certainly has impressive credentials.
Without getting into a full-page answer, what the scientists are claiming, has consistently been around 3 years behind what most fishermen are seeing and reporting.
The ASMFC claim that striped bass are not overfished, is technically accurate, but somewhat misleading for the following reasons:
1. Striped bass biomass, the SSB part of it (Spawing striped bass is a smaller component of the entire biomass), is within 1 million lbs of the point where they are mandated to declare overfishing.
2. This is accurate and provable by reviewing ASMFC stats.
3. They have been counting on the strength of the 2010 and 2011 YOY class to carry the whole fishery. It's becoming more apparent each year, that this is not possible. Hence the claim of mortality reduction as being the new agenda.
4. One of the reasons given for the future reduction in size limits is to "reduce mortality". I don't know how to say this any less diplomatically, other than that is misleading as hell.
5. Would the ASMFC be cutting the bag limit in half, just to reduce mortality?
(If you fish a lot and see the reality out there, you would know this is said for political reasons)
6. The ASMFC has been aware of a decline for the last 5 years, and has discussed it each time, putting it off. Much of this "putting off till tomorrow" in the decision making process has come from political pressure, charter and party boat factions pressuring politicians behind the scenes that they will suffer if such a drastic reduction is taken.
And make no mistake about it, a reduction to one fish is a drastic reduction...they could have changed size limits, etc...and other options if they were solely concerned about mortality.......
** To understand this better, you have to read between the lines, and have enough sophistication to understand that sometimes these decisions are more driven by politics, than science......
Most folks would not realize the pressuring and lobbying that goes on behind the scenes, even before these meetings take place....
Even a state like PA, (as Finchaser has pointed out many times)...has a big say in the outcome of these meetings. People assuming it's all about the coastal states, are inaccurate in their assumptions.
**In sum, it's the fishermen who fish regularly, who notice the changes in the population, long before the scientists do. Anyone who would dispute that really doesn't fish that much, or doesn't have a clear understanding of the political process that sometimes drives these meetings.
As always, differences of opinion are welcome here, but please back up your statements with some data or your own personal logs if you are going to say the striped bass are not overfished. Thanks.
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with the shorts on the incoming and my bud was high hook with 4 nice keepers he had 2 durning the incoming 29.5 and a 28in but the 2 biggest went 34in and 35in on clams once the tide switched... the fish got bigger on the outgoing...I finally managed a real nice fish that went 35.5in on a freshly snagged bunker chunk dropped another that was easy 30in+..had 2 other misses that hit like a mack truck!! Total for the night was 13!! Had 8 that were micros 15-18in..4 that were 24-27 and the keeper!! Great fishing with great company what more could you ask for
Originally Posted by J Barbosa
Man you have got some balls! I like it! When you returned them did this happen?
This is what I get for letting finchaser spread the rumors.....
