Striped Bass and the Apple Tree?

[DarkSkies]

I know Conservation and learning about this resource is not appealing to many, and that it is boring if you have an interest in only catching and bragging about big fish......

But it's still important to try to educate those who don't know, one angler at a time.
That's what we try to do on www.stripersandanglers.com. and you have seen me try to do, on other sites.....

If anyone gives me credit for anything, I hope it is as a tireless advocate for Striped Bass, and for Fishing Access.....
I will continue to try my best to show folks why that's important....










** As soon as I get a chance I'll try to add more to the apple tree story. I know that silly story may get folks to pay attention....
Thanks for reading, and the kind words.....
Also remember to thank those folks like Finchaser, and the many others here who have done much more for striped bass than I have...

[clamchucker]

r old fishermen, who have fished regularly and consistently in the salt for all their lives, you will get a sense that there are less fish.......although we as fishermen disagree on many things, this is the recurrent theme each time I meet and interview another fisherman from this age range.

So....
Again I submit that these guys, fishing as much as they do,,,,know more than the scientists.
When folks try to shoot that down, and discount that, I believe they are being irrational.


This is why I have made it my mission to keep presenting the views of others.
** Most important point....that these other anglers are worth listening to....and their words of caution should be heeded before it's too late.....

I am in the upper range of that age group. I have seen quite a bit, from the incredible abundance of the weakfish in Delaware Bay to the decline. The high numbers of striped bass and the decline. I remember being up at Cape Cod. I think it was back in the 1970's. Fishermen were catching and taking huge numbers of the beach in these wheeled carts that were similar to modified wheelbarrows with plywood on the sides. Those were the commercial fishermen and they did a lot of damage. Of course we recreational fishermen were fishing right along side them and although we were allowed less we still kept a lot of big bass. In those days it was mostly the fault of the commercials because there were more of them.

Now there are more of us. I remember before the moratorium the striped bass limit was 18 inches and after that it was 36". I would like to see that size returned to 36" with no slot limit because there are more of this. You cannot restrict the numbers of folks who will fish for them so the best restrictions would be on either the size or the catch limit.
There is no need to feel apologetic about discussing this dark skies. I gave you permission to report on things I had told you. Feel free to continue doing that. I don't have the energy for the fight anymore. I would like to see these beautiful fish available to all fishermen without losing them again like we did in the 1980's. This will not happen unless the laws are changed. Conservation measures are admirable but unless you make it so that everyone has to follow the same way it will not work. Keep up the good work folks.

[CharlieTuna]

Good read gentlemen. I remember it being much different when I lived in NJ. Remember that 18" limit as well. Crazy times, how much meat could you get from an 18" bass but that was how things were.

[finchaser]

Good read gentlemen. I remember it being much different when I lived in NJ. Remember that 18" limit as well. Crazy times, how much meat could you get from an 18" bass but that was how things were.

Not much but more than a 14" weakfish or 12" sea bass and they sure did eat great. Bass 18 to 24 " were prime eating all whitemeat. IMO big bass which are almost in the bluefish category in taste now from feeding on bunker.

[jigfreak]

Now that you're all thoroughly bored.....I'll simplify this, to make it easier to understand for everyone.......I'll fill it in with more segments as I get a chance...and try to tie all the key groups in, and how they relate to bass and this apple tree....hope you enjoy...thanks for reading.....








Striped Bass and the Apple Tree.... © DarkSkies 2013

**The analogy here that I am trying to get across is that of a huge apple tree, filled with striped bass instead of apples...

There was once a giant apple tree in King Neptune's backyard......
At that time the land was populated with simple and respectful folk...we'll call them the Earth People.....they were basically farmers and subsistence people, living off the land.

The tree was an apple tree, but there was something different about this apple tree. Apples did not grow from it. Instead, it was the only tree in the yard that grew striped bass. Not just any striped bass, but the Atlantic Striped bass, one of the greatest and most prized gamefish on the East Coast.

When people first heard of this striped bass tree, many were not interested. They said: "Why would we want those fish when we have cows and chickens to eat?"
Eventually, some of the cows died, and people wanted to try other things to sustain themselves. They grew wheat, which they made into bread. They grew corn and vegetables, which they enjoyed as well. They grew potatoes, carrots, and tomatoes, big juicy tomatoes dripping with flavor.

The thing that was missing was the protein.
Some started to gather around the striped bass tree, and saw that there were millions of striped bass, there for the taking. Some grabbed a bass or 2 that was hanging like low lying fruit. They brought it home, put it on the fire, and cooked it. It was good. Yum, yum.

I'm having trouble understanding this dark. You can bake apples into apple pie or apple sauce. Kind of hard to bake a pie with striped bass.

[cowherder]

^^^^Umm jigfreak I think he was using the bass in apple tree as a metaphor or something. Don't think he wanted people to take that literally. Really dude!

[DarkSkies]

Thanks cowherder.....I believe jigfreak was just busting balls....no worries.....
I am trying to make this colorful and interesting, as most folks find these discussions terribly boring.....





Striped Bass and the Apple Tree.... Part 2... © DarkSkies 2013

The people had some harsh years, as mentioned....and some crops continued to fail.
More and more were going to the striped bass tree. As mentioned most would rather have eaten meat, but their friends and neighbors were saying: "If you are hungry just go to the Striped Bass Tree....it is big and plentiful and there are lots of them...look at me! I just brought home a wheelbarrow of them, enough to feed my family for 3 months!" You should go too, there are enough striped bass for everyone.

They ate from the striped bass tree....and it was good....

There was a group of outsiders who heard about the simple folk who were feeding their families from this tree. These outsiders had big boats.

They said to themselves - why don't we all go to the striped bass tree with our boats, drop our nets, shake the tree, and that way we can get more bass by working together, and share in this bounty just like the other folks.

Let it be written, let it be done....and they did it...

They were successful beyond their wildest expectations. Not only were they able to prevent any striped bass falling from the tree and going bad, but they were also able to shake the tree to get extra striped bass....all enjoyed this bounty for a few years.....


Then, after a few cold winters, the townspeople reaized the tree could not handle all the people eating off of it...they began to see that each time they went to the tree, they would bring less stripers home.

There was a lot discussion back and forth...
It was finally decided by the groups who owned the land where the tree was, that there would have to be some way to limit the harvesting of bass from the tree...they called it a Moratorium on Striped Bass..

[basshunter]

Shaking the trees for striped bass lol funny stuff.