PRFC Striper regs for 2020 were voted on March 6th

[bluefishnc]

Option 2 was approved. No surprise given the fact the commercial guys run the show.

At today's PRFC meeting, the Commission adopted Option #2 for Striped Bass measures in 2020....

*Recreational Fishery – 20.5% reduction
Spring Season 35” TL min; 1 fish/person/day (incl. charter capt); Downstream of Rt. 301 Bridge; May 1 – 15
Summer/Fall Fishery - 20” min 2 fish/person/day with No direct targeting during closed season, open May 16 – July 6, closed July 7 through Aug. 20, open Aug. 21 - Dec. 31
*Commercial fishery 1.8% reduction

[Big Mike]

Thanks for sharing. I haven’t looked to see what Maryland is doing but those of us who fish the lower Potomac are in for a regulations treat if they don’t adopt the same. The closed rockfish season corresponds with the arrival of specks and puppy drum. Even though we fish shallow water for them the lures are basically the same and it’s impossible to not catch stripers, usually at a 10 to 1 ratio or higher of stripers to specks. It will be interesting to see how it’s enforced and how we as fisherman respond.

[bluefishnc]

Thanks for sharing. I haven’t looked to see what Maryland is doing but those of us who fish the lower Potomac are in for a regulations treat if they don’t adopt the same. The closed rockfish season corresponds with the arrival of specks and puppy drum. Even though we fish shallow water for them the lures are basically the same and it’s impossible to not catch stripers, usually at a 10 to 1 ratio or higher of stripers to specks. It will be interesting to see how it’s enforced and how we as fisherman respond.

I will 100% be fishing during the closed season but I will be targeting specs and reds as you mentioned. I fully expect to catch some striper doing this but I won't be "targeting them". Will do my best to keep them off by adjusting retrieve, moving along if I get into them too thick, and fishing fewer soft plastics and more hard lures that the reds like. That all said... it'll happen and I have no clue how a Conservation Police Officer could possibly ticket over it unless he sees you catch 10 or so in a row without making an effort to switch something up. My 2 cents. I just know I'll be out. Only real time of the year I have time to fish and have the kids join in so this one hits me hard.

[Yak Fish]

79% of the public voted for Option 1. They spit on the face of the public and did whatever they wanted. Maryland will do the same, making a joke of requesting public comment.

[nhunter344]

We just need to organize and find some really wealthy rec fisherman to line the pockets of those make these decisions like the commercial side does.

[J.A. Veil]

The original post describes the striped bass summer/fall 2020 option selected by the Potomac River Fisheries Commission. That organization sets rules for the Potomac River. The Maryland DNR sets rules for the rest of the Maryland Chesapeake Bay waters. Their comment period for summer/fall striper rules is open for a few more days (comments close on March 18). DNR is considering 3 options, two of which include what is euphemistically called a "Pilot Program for Charter Boats". I did not initially realize what that meant -- I now understand that it would allow charter boat customers to keep 2 fish per person vs. all other recreational anglers keeping just one fish per person.

DNR created an easy-to-use online comment form that lets you select either of the three options and also add other written comments if desired. Start at:

https://dnr.maryland.gov/fisheries/P....aspx#sbsummer.

If you click on View the Summary and Compliance Guide you will see a document that explains the options. Once you understand what the options represent, you can go back to the previous page and click on Comment Form to make your choice. I understand that there is a lot of cynicism about DNR's politics, with many anglers believing decisions have already been made, and the comment period is just a formality. But we can hardly complain if we don't participate in the decision-making process. Please take a few minutes and weigh in on your preferences.

[J.A. Veil]

We just need to organize and find some really wealthy rec fisherman to line the pockets of those make these decisions like the commercial side does.

Having a few wealthy benefactors would not hurt the cause of the recreational fishing community, but it does not always work. For example, Michael Bloomberg's recent efforts as a presidential candidate involved vast sums of money but gained little traction.

A more realistic and effective approach would be for thousands of recreational fishermen to become active in the formal rulemaking process. Griping on social media can be fun and lets off some steam, but the regulators and politicians are less likely to take that seriously. Personal participation in attending hearings, submitting comments, writing to your elected officials, and supporting legitimate conservation organizations that do engage in political actions are likely to pay better dividends in ensuring protective and equitable fisheries regulations.

Instead of having 5 rich guys put up $20,000 each, having 5,000 guys put up $20 each would get more attention. Getting more anglers engaged is important. Finding the right organization to represent recreational angler interests is important too. Professional and effective political action takes time, effort, and cash. If you feel strongly about pushing the politics, consider contributing to a local or regional conservation organization. I have my own personal favorite organization -- you can choose whichever one you think will be most effective.

[Yak Fish]

I've been rather heavily involved over the last couple of years, and I've come to recognize several things.

1. The complaining on social media is 100% valuable and needed. However, it is the tip of the spear. This is where we gain buy in and can educate the majority of anglers. It is not easy to learn the history and understand who/what/when/where/how of fisheries management. Take a look at the book Chesapeake Stripers, written decades ago. It could have been written today. The same strategies were put into place and the playbook is the same, just the faces are different. They went after C&R and lowering min sizes back then too. None the less, our power is in numbers, and social media is a tool we have that our predecessors did not. This all starts at Gov. Hogan. He appointed Haddaway and Anderson. Haddaway dad was a commercial waterman and her brother is a charter captain. Major conflict of interest. Anderson has no experience in fisheries whatsoever and would probably hold a fishing rod upside down. These are who is making the decisions...all of which have been pre determined. So we must call this out publicly and put political pressure on the decision makers...it's literally all they care about.

2. There's approximately 200,000 rec anglers on the bay, yet I only see a couple dozen at the meetings. Having a larger show would make a difference....especially if they are educated...see item 1 above. What we don't need are a lot of people saying different things. Education on the matter is key. One...Single...Unified...Voice is what we need.

3. Public Comment is seemingly important. I sent in two letters. The first letter had 367 signatures I collected from my social media page. That number was more than the entire rest of the state's comments. They counted it as a single vote and ignored the rest. Regardless it showed the public's desire and DNR did whatever they wanted and selected the predetermined option. We all knew it was coming. So send in your emails in droves. It's auditable through Public Information Act and it's where we can expose what's going on as well.

4. I followed up with a letter with over 550 signatures and sent it to all of the other states stating the evidence and walking through disingenuous nature by which DNR is managing the most important nursery. I spoke with several states as a follow up and they're all away of why MD is doing. They say we need to fight it in Annapolis as a whole. But I'll tell you, that letter got a lot of attention and DNR called me within hours of sending it. I now have a direct line to air our grievances. However, we must keep the pressure on. Squeaky wheel gets the grease.

Alan

[Big Mike]

Thanks John. Wise words with regards to policy.

In the Potomac we’ve faced the challenges of two different sets of regulations in the past (if Maryland adopts different rules). I can recall 2 years ago you could keep 5 puppy drum if caught in PRFC waters but only 1 from Maryland controlled. Try convincing DNR where you caught them since all the ramps are in Maryland controlled water on our side. You also need a set of binoculars and a great sense of spatial relationship to snap a mental line between the poles marking PRFC water. It’s very easy to transition between the two areas without realizing you did. I’ll be sending in my comments. The potential charter boat “experiment” is disturbing as it values one class of recreational fisherman more than the other.

[Memory Maker]

Rockfish gamefish ....... Rockfish gamefish ........ Rockfish gamefish ........ Period !!!!

[nhunter344]

Having a few wealthy benefactors would not hurt the cause of the recreational fishing community, but it does not always work. For example, Michael Bloomberg's recent efforts as a presidential candidate involved vast sums of money but gained little traction.

A more realistic and effective approach would be for thousands of recreational fishermen to become active in the formal rulemaking process. Griping on social media can be fun and lets off some steam, but the regulators and politicians are less likely to take that seriously. Personal participation in attending hearings, submitting comments, writing to your elected officials, and supporting legitimate conservation organizations that do engage in political actions are likely to pay better dividends in ensuring protective and equitable fisheries regulations....

While it had an ounce if truth, my post was meant to be more tongue in cheek. Unfortunately we are behind a very sensitive political 8-ball. The charter and commercial industries know they have the advantage and only have to scream one thing to make all of the rec voices silent. Job loss. Despite the main point being preservation of a rapidly depleting fishery, the commercial lobby knows they just have to throw out that if recreational fisherman get their way, there will be hundreds (if not more) of unemployed waterman. To be honest, its an effective tactic and one that makes all the concerned recs look a bit a selfish for wanting to catch a few extra fish while people lose their jobs. Anyone who has spent a little bit of time learning about the issue knows the argument is BS. Unfortunately, its all about optics, not the truth.

I do thank those that spent the time trying to get our voices heard. It's going to be a long hard road ahead.