Size limits

[ronaultmtd]

Following the annual striped bass migration forecast...the map with the different colors for 30 pound, 20 pound and school Stripers...back in the day...like 1980...my Brother (now deceased) and I fished the CBBT at night trolling big double buck tail rigs with strips of Uncle Josh pork rind on wire line 4/0 Penn Senator reels on stiff 6’ boat rods...it was normal as breathing during the November/December Rockfish season to routinely land 40/50 pound fish...our biggest problem back then was the Commercial fishermen who would circle your boat with nets catching the school you were trolling over...fistfights and real bad blood between the recreational anglers and commercial netters ensued...after a couple of well publicized events, the USCG got involved and so did the DNR...now everything is in inches of catch...back then it was in pounds hanging on the scales...I feel bad that it was so wasteful...the really giant cows were slaughtered for pennies a pound...same story with the Hattera Island beach haul seines...60 pound cow Stripers by the thousands circled in haul seines and dragged up on the beach...sad times...hopefully we have learned our conservation lessons and do not repeat the mistakes of the past “glory days”

[baitball]

Thanks for posting this Ron. Reminders like this keep us grounded. As modern-day humans we tend to have a short memory (and attention span). We also think we have the best answers and forget others before us thought the same way.

Some smart guy once said, “Those that don’t study history are doomed to repeat it.”

Hopefully we have learned from our past mistakes and are always open to new ideas.


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