Striped Bass limits ordered

[Salty Dog]

Now boys and girls lets not get that restrictive, lets say no motorized vessels will be allowed to catch the striper.

[Fishinfool]

Funny; I am envisioning a large ancient Roman rowing ship with 50 rowers on each side a la Charleton Heston in Ben Hur, trolling for stripers.

[J.A. Veil]

Think carefully before making your wish -- you might get it and it may not be what you expected.

Think of the implications of limiting striper fishing to kayaks -- there would be thousands of inexperienced kayakers clogging the launch areas and parking lots and disturbing the best fishing grounds with the paddles, fins, props, etc. That would be a much worse reality than what we have today.

[PigPen]

Is there a way to target the bluefish without accidentally catching a possibly killing a striper? Freshwater fishing seasons in PA and limits sometimes work well to prevent targeting bass while breeding and fishing for trout instead.

[moc]

I wouldn't mind seeing the larger fish being catch and release, so they can spawn. I would be ok with anything over 26-28" being released. At that point catching the fish are for the beauty of sport fishing, where it's all about bringing home a story (with a few photos of course), rather than bringing home a fish. What they should really do is only allow for kayak angling, and then everyone will be happy

I agree with that. Fish over 28 being let go sounds good to me.

[Memory Maker]

Think carefully before making your wish -- you might get it and it may not be what you expected.

Think of the implications of limiting striper fishing to kayaks -- there would be thousands of inexperienced kayakers clogging the launch areas and parking lots and disturbing the best fishing grounds with the paddles, fins, props, etc. That would be a much worse reality than what we have today.

........ Don't have to worry about that ......... Yakers don't generate the $'s the boaters do ........ If anything it would be the other way around ............ It would make more sense to allow 1 fish under 28" instead of over but that would get protests from the likes of organizations like the MSSA

[Pat Smith]

Honestly you are all are missing something big here. THe problem is that the fish are not reproducing enough fertilized eggs, they need to reproduce more often... My suggestion is.. .sound blast Barry White from all the buoys in the bay. When it comes to romance that always worked on my girlfriends in the past. A little Barry White and you might double the fish yield each year... I am just basing this on experience, your mileage may vary.

[Cowpokey]

Fish need music.

[Longtrav]

its not the rec. boaters. Its the pound nets,overfishing of menhaden, ect. etc.

[Jman]

Think carefully before making your wish -- you might get it and it may not be what you expected.

Think of the implications of limiting striper fishing to kayaks -- there would be thousands of inexperienced kayakers clogging the launch areas and parking lots and disturbing the best fishing grounds with the paddles, fins, props, etc. That would be a much worse reality than what we have today.

I'm not seriously suggesting limiting to kayaks. But on the contrary an increase in yakkers is not necessarily a bad thing. With education and awareness it could be beneficial to the community about bay and river issues.

[whenican]

I can live with the reduction in harvest by the comm & rec fisheries, only I believe the reduction should have been bigger so as to increase the number of cows spawning, thus increasing the # of yoy. C& R or complete ban during the spawning season, & reduction of menhaden harvest by Omega Protein, & reduction of sources of nutrient pollution in the bay will all help the revive the rockfish fishery. 1 rock slot size 18-22" as well. Just my 3 cents.

[3feetpete]

I read somewhere a scientific study that the major reason for the reduced numbers and size of stripers was the overfishing of the menhaden. Virginia has allowed a menhaden fishery to continue to operate. They harvest them for fish oil supplements and feed. Something like 109000 metric tons of menhaden are harvested each year. That's a lot of striper food. I couldn't find the study I am referring to but if you google menhaden and Chesapeake striped bass you will get plenty of information.

[john from md]

I have said for some time that Trophy Season should be moved but you can't fight city hall, I mean MSSA.

John

[eyedaddy]

There is a lot to consider, I went through the moratorium and it was not fun! Sport fisherman, Commercial guys, the Menhaden catch down in Reedville Va. Pollution, so many factors and yea, A TON OF MONEY, from all sides trying to influence the decision in their favor. Every once in awhile we all have to take a Big Bite of That Dirt Sandwich, we may not like the taste of it, so it's best to do it in small bites.

[Frankthefitter]

I read somewhere a scientific study that the major reason for the reduced numbers and size of stripers was the overfishing of the menhaden. Virginia has allowed a menhaden fishery to continue to operate. They harvest them for fish oil supplements and feed. Something like 109000 metric tons of menhaden are harvested each year. That's a lot of striper food. I couldn't find the study I am referring to but if you google menhaden and Chesapeake striped bass you will get plenty of information.

You are dead on. I grew up on the bay in SoMd and have watched the schools of menhaden shrink in size from football field to small ten to twenty foot pods. The food source is being cutoff in Reedville Va so of course anything north of Reedville isn't going to be very healthy.

Until Md and the other Atlantic coast states play hardball with Va the problem will only compound. Virginia feels addressing the issue is to freeze the harvest at some glutinous harvest total from last year. The menhaden operation run by Omega Protein in Reedville will be the death of striped bass fishing as we know it if something major isn't done.



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