Striped Bass

[ronaultmtd]

Caught a dozen or so yesterday, two over 19 inches...all released unharmed...just like last year- personally catching quality legal keepers, but...it ain’t the same. The fishery is in trouble and can not recover unless there are changes in human behavior and practices. We only have to look at one species to see the successful regulatory model- Channel Bass...red drum, Redfish, puppy drum...goes by lots on monikers, but all the same fish...and they are pretty much universally regulated the same nation-wide...they are a slot fish...no keeping fish over 27 inches- no “trophy seasons” for bull reds. Ever tried to eat a 60 pound red drum? Strong fish flavor, tough, rubbery meat...the reason this fish has recovered over its entire range is the uniform regulations from Texas to Maryland...

[J. Rentch]

Well said, hope that wiser ideas prevail for 2020!

[Mark]

If I was king:

There would be no trophy season in MD.

Striped bass fishing would be limited to lures and flies only.

"Striper seasons" would be regulated by the DNR in real time based on actual climate conditions to account for anomalies in temperatures and precipitation during the year.

Clearly, I would be a very unpopular king. Charter captains, chummers, live-liners and others would mob my castle gates with torches and pitchforks and drag me out to be quartered.

However, sparing those large breeding "trophy" females from the stresses of fishing during or soon after their spawning runs just seems like common sense to me. Also, scientific studies indicate that bait fishing results in more C&R mortality than fishing with lures and flies, even when circle hooks are used. Credible studies also show that higher water and air temperatures, lead to higher the C&R mortality of stripers especially when combined with lower salinity.

But what do I know? Other than something is not right about striper fishing this year and to be honest, I saw signs of decline last year too. I do hope that regulation changes are coming. I hope they are significant and not an appeasement to so many competing interest groups who want to yield nothing.

[ronaultmtd]

The problem with Maryland regulations are Maine, New Hampshire, New York, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Delaware, Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina....migratory fish migrate...unless we all follow the same regulations- it won’t work...Getting a dozen states to adopt the same regulations requires federal intervention...and they don’t always get good results managing red snapper and other deep water species...better if regional states voluntarily adopt common sense rules...

[Mark]

The problem with Maryland regulations are Maine, New Hampshire, New York, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Delaware, Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina....migratory fish migrate...unless we all follow the same regulations- it won’t work..

I would say that MD needs to be especially vigilant given the estimates that as many as 3/4 of the coastal stripers spawn here. So yes, it would be good if other states protected those large breeders when they leave our waters. However, now anglers from each state can point to the others and say, "Well, they're taking them."

[Memory Maker]

I went out last Wed and couldn’t believe the amount of dead stripers floating down the bay. It’s just to hot to even catch and release. Chumming should also be banned. They were mostly undersized but several were well over 20”

We had tight drags to shorten the fight and stopped after we got our limit.

[J. Rentch]

The waste has got to be stopped!

[CHOC]

Caught a dozen or so yesterday, two over 19 inches...all released unharmed...just like last year- personally catching quality legal keepers, but...it ain’t the same. The fishery is in trouble and can not recover unless there are changes in human behavior and practices. We only have to look at one species to see the successful regulatory model- Channel Bass...red drum, Redfish, puppy drum...goes by lots on monikers, but all the same fish...and they are pretty much universally regulated the same nation-wide...they are a slot fish...no keeping fish over 27 inches- no “trophy seasons” for bull reds. Ever tried to eat a 60 pound red drum? Strong fish flavor, tough, rubbery meat...the reason this fish has recovered over its entire range is the uniform regulations from Texas to Maryland...

Ron,

You’re not alone on this. Keep telling everyone you know. It’s about changing the way people think about it.

[thomaswsu]

Grew up in NJ. Go up there in the fall during the migration south and see the slaughter. Need a slot. I still follow NJ forums and few fish this year n the Hudson and Raritan this spring. Have not checked the Cape or Block Island. Something has to change quickly.

[moc]

Well said everyone....