Striped Bass limits ordered

View "Commercial, recreational striped bass catch limits ordered" article at http://eeditionmobile.baltimoresun.c...F31&id=Ar00802

[Salty Dog]

Gotta love the commission making reductions in catches without scientific evidence. HMMM, (lets reduce it, then we will study it) Am I the only one that sees a problem with this.?

[On the fly]

There was a stock assessment, completed in 2013, that determined that overfishing had been occurring for at least six of the previous 9 years. The cause of the stock’s decline has been attributed to several years of below average spawning success which is at the mercy of a variety of environmental factors. Below is a link to the report.
http://www.asmfc.org/uploads/file/At...mentUpdate.pdf

Although it is true a detailed study of the Bay has not been completed, anyone who fishes the bay can certainly see the decline over the years. And, in my opinion, I think it is reasonable to deduce, if the bay is a major spawning area for Striped Bass then the reduced numbers in the Atlantic would also limit the number coming into the bay to spawn.

[Memory Maker]

It's about time. I'm glad they are taking a gradual approach instead of just imposing a full moratorium. The Striper fishing is a mere fraction of what it was years ago. Right after the last moratorium years ago, you could catch 30 lb plus Stripers on the flats and CBBT until your arms fell off .......... Now, unless you are an expert like Yakfish, are very lucky to even see someone that caught 1. I've stopped going to CBBT in Dec.. Now the ships look like a Christmas tree from the lights of fishermen at night from all the yak fishermen and usually not 1 fish is caught. I was at Cape Cod fly fishing in the spring where you could catch tons of cows .... None were caught and you had to work hard for each schoolie and undersized .......... Same with the reports I saw at Montualk this fall. Same with the reports from guides and commercial guys. It doesn't take a study to see the stocks are at an alarming level.

Just be glad you have a few more years until a moratorium and hope they will allow catch and return ........ It was not allowed during the last 1. Hopefully it won't come to that .......... Last years spawn levels were high and hopefully that will continue.

The good news is that if it does happen, there is usually another great fighting fish that takes over. Last time it was bluefish ........ Looks like it might be redfish this time.

[Fishinfool]

It's bothersome see that the MSSA has and continues to lobby against sensible reductions. They are mortgaging their future, and ours.

[Memory Maker]

It's bothersome see that the MSSA has and continues to lobby against sensible reductions. They are mortgaging their future, and ours.

It just proves that they are more interested in their funds and influence than the sport ............. They kill tons of Stripers with their catch and kill tournaments during times when breeders are most present which makes them their money .......... They refuse to move to catch and release tournaments. They also sold the fishermen down the river to get their former president on the advisory board, mr windly ............ That's why my money goes to CCA

[Salty Dog]

I witnessed a lot of cows full of eggs being harvested during trophy season. They need to eliminate trophy season an make it catch and return until the normal season returns. They also need to make sure that NO netting is allowed at the mouth of the bay until the spawn is over. this past spring was the worst year in many for catch and return on the flats.

[YaknBass]

the reg's need to be coastal maine to fla to have an effective result. i'm in for any limits to preserve the resource but would like it to be equitable through out the whole range of habitat. imho...

[Big Mike]

I have no problem with reducing the limits, provided they do something about the pound nets that seem to be as thick as crab pots in places. Balancing the resource has to come from both sides, commercial and recreation, and other states must get on board.

[mytmouse]

I don't have any issue with reducing the limits... what does strike me as odd is the limit being set at 28". Now I'm no marine biologist but from what I have read, the bigger the fish the more mature and also more eggs it produces. So why would we tell anglers to go after the bigger fish now even harder because you can't keep the smaller ones anymore and then be left with a stock with minimal spawn seasons? I really think that there needs to be a sliding slot rule put in place. Say, 1 fish from 18"-22" during the Spring, then 24"-28" during the Summer, then 22"-24" in the Fall or something of that nature. Doing this does 2 things in my mind: 1) Leaves the COWs to do what they do, make babies. and 2) give fish a better chance throughout the year of surviving and grow out of the slot zone. Now of course my ranges are just guesses, but I am sure that biologists can estimate growth so that if they aren't caught in the first slot limit, they have a greater chance of growing outside of the slots for that year. In turn that's gonna get more fish to LOVE outside of the limit and potentially get bigger and replenish the stock. But that's just my logic. Maybe I'm wrong.

[Salty Dog]

I have always wondered why the bay and the tidal areas of the Atlantic Ocean have different limits. Its the same in Delaware, Virginia and Maryland for stripers. Go in the bays, smaller fisher are keepers, when you go tidal its 28 " and over. when your fishing for reds, its all the same except for limits.

[kdkilbo]

First u need the whole east coast on the same limits n size limit.2 make trophy season a week long one fish over 32 three make everyone fill out rockfish catch logs.4 during the fall cut it back to one fish per person not two that's just my thoughts

[Cowpokey]

They closed the recreational snow crab season in Alaska because of the "surveys" they did when my folks lived up there, The survey team(s) couldn't get significant numbers of crab in their pots. We were catching a limit (10 crab per boat, two pots max) of keepers every day and the survey team reported an average of 1 crab (no size reported) per day.

I'm not saying the limit should not be more restrictive; so we have an opportunity to get a better population, but lets make sure the statistics are valid first. The Bay limit is already 2 fish, 18" minimum with one over 28" per day. I think we're good here, need the rest of the eastern seaboard to match what MD already has in place. Not to mention the poachers that don't care.

[Jman]

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

[Cowpokey]

What they should really do is only allow for kayak angling, and then everyone will be happy

I agree with all of your post, especially this part.