State of the Fishery 2016

[FishermanTim]

Funny how we have these same kind of "banner" years every 5-10years, the fishery is "deemed" to be in great shape (based on the fish caught early season) yet the regulations seem to be getting stricter each time around.

If the fishery is in such great shape, how come restrictions are being added almost every year? I understand the need for it to be a self-sustaining self-replenishing resource, but at what point can we say with ANY certainty that it is working?

Have the authorities fully cracked down on poaching?
Have there been any changes to decrease the amount of by-catch mortality?
Why can't there be a uniform size and catch limit for the entire range of these fish, instead of having so many variations that only help to perpetuate the ease of poaching?

Oh, and how long ago was it that the "authorities" claimed that the cod populations were rebounding? Look at the cod fishing situation now and tell me you aren't thinking the same could be in store for the stripers, black sea bass and pretty much every fish we prize here in the northeast?

[beamie]

Originally Posted by FishermanTim

Oh, and how long ago was it that the "authorities" claimed that the cod populations were rebounding? Look at the cod fishing situation now and tell me you aren't thinking the same could be in store for the stripers, black sea bass and pretty much every fish we prize here in the northeast?

I guess you haven't been offshore ground fishing in a while. Go out haddock fishing while they are still in 90 feet of water. And while your getting your fill of haddock you will be unhooking more real nice cod than haddock and wondering why you can't keep a few when there are so many....

[Rockfish9]

I'll give the gulf of Maine perspective... which is different than the south shore...and where the "problems" stem from...

But the tune is simualr...Ground fishing on the inshore grounds is as good as I ever recall... and I've been doing it over 40 years...they tell me the fishing on the ledge is "stupid" but I don't go that far..

2 weeks ago the fish showed up on the inshore grounds where the mud and sand meet.. I was targeting haddock but was PLAGUED by non stop doubles of codfish... anything between 12" and 20lbs...haddock were few and far between at that time and most of those were short...one week latter ( 6/4) the grounds "lit up".. the bottom was paved with haddock short to keeper ratio is about 6:1... codfish were still in the mix but not as many as most appear to have spawned out and have returned to the rocks.... I was catching whiting ( silver hake) in size and numbers I had not seen since I was a boy.... mud hake ( tuna candy around these parts) were of decent size and plentiful... bass were chasing schools of tinker mackerel all around the surface... a lone Minky whale visited me a few times during the day... most of those hake were spitting up shrimp.. and lastly.. I hooked and had boats side a large halibut... being alone, after a long fight , I was unable to land the fish and the dropper loop broke before I could come up with a viable safe plan to land it.. but not until I had it boat side 3 times.. it's been 20 years since I've seen a halibut in there... I know the draggers get them in there from time to time when it's open to them.. .. it's an encouraging site...... all this 5 miles off shore...my eel pots in the river are producing and we've got plenty of bass in the river and along the beach front up to 25 lbs... I haven't seen this many micro schoolies in at least a decade.. or longer... the season is off to a great start.

[spinncognito]

Originally Posted by Rockfish9

I'll give the gulf of Maine perspective... which is different than the south shore...and where the "problems" stem from...

But the tune is simualr...Ground fishing on the inshore grounds is as good as I ever recall... and I've been doing it over 40 years...they tell me the fishing on the ledge is "stupid" but I don't go that far..

2 weeks ago the fish showed up on the inshore grounds where the mud and sand meet.. I was targeting haddock but was PLAGUED by non stop doubles of codfish... anything between 12" and 20lbs...haddock were few and far between at that time and most of those were short...one week latter ( 6/4) the grounds "lit up".. the bottom was paved with haddock short to keeper ratio is about 6:1... codfish were still in the mix but not as many as most appear to have spawned out and have returned to the rocks.... I was catching whiting ( silver hake) in size and numbers I had not seen since I was a boy.... mud hake ( tuna candy around these parts) were of decent size and plentiful... bass were chasing schools of tinker mackerel all around the surface... a lone Minky whale visited me a few times during the day... most of those hake were spitting up shrimp.. and lastly.. I hooked and had boats side a large halibut... being alone, after a long fight , I was unable to land the fish and the dropper loop broke before I could come up with a viable safe plan to land it.. but not until I had it boat side 3 times.. it's been 20 years since I've seen a halibut in there... I know the draggers get them in there from time to time when it's open to them.. .. it's an encouraging site...... all this 5 miles off shore...my eel pots in the river are producing and we've got plenty of bass in the river and along the beach front up to 25 lbs... I haven't seen this many micro schoolies in at least a decade.. or longer... the season is off to a great start.

Another North Shore perspective (from a surf guy). So far we have been getting plenty of bass but 90% have been micro bass. I am talking fish as small as 6-8 inches long. No way these came from the Chesapeake, so where else are they being created(Thoughts Joe?) There was one 50 inch bass taken on a live mac from the local river this past week but that is really the only big fish I have heard about.

[Rockfish9]

Originally Posted by spinncognito

Another North Shore perspective (from a surf guy). So far we have been getting plenty of bass but 90% have been micro bass. I am talking fish as small as 6-8 inches long. No way these came from the Chesapeake, so where else are they being created(Thoughts Joe?) There was one 50 inch bass taken on a live mac from the local river this past week but that is really the only big fish I have heard about.

While the parker and Merrimack rivers both hosted spawning stocks many years ago( way before my time) I believe that the sheer number of that year class forced those young fish to migrate looking for food... they joined their brethren on their migration north and now they are here.

Another interesting side note is the size of eels I am seeing in my pots... I'm seeing an unusual amount of 6" and smaller mixed in with the larger bait and meat eels... I rail dumped one pot last night because it would have been too much trouble to sort them... it's a promising sign.

also last 2 nights we have pogies in the Merrimack...something we have not seen in numbers in decades.

[nightfighter]

Originally Posted by Rockfish9

While the parker and Merrimack rivers both hosted spawning stocks many years ago( way before my time) I believe that the sheer number of that year class forced those young fish to migrate looking for food... they joined their brethren on their migration north and now they are here.

Another interesting side note is the size of eels I am seeing in my pots... I'm seeing an unusual amount of 6" and smaller mixed in with the larger bait and meat eels... I rail dumped one pot last night because it would have been too much trouble to sort them... it's a promising sign.

also last 2 nights we have pogies in the Merrimack...something we have not seen in numbers in decades.

I need to find that post you did years ago on how to catch your own eels.... Then figure out what an eel pot looks like and where to find....

[bassballer]

Originally Posted by FishermanTim

Funny how we have these same kind of "banner" years every 5-10years, the fishery is "deemed" to be in great shape (based on the fish caught early season) yet the regulations seem to be getting stricter each time around.

If the fishery is in such great shape, how come restrictions are being added almost every year? I understand the need for it to be a self-sustaining self-replenishing resource, but at what point can we say with ANY certainty that it is working?

Have the authorities fully cracked down on poaching?
Have there been any changes to decrease the amount of by-catch mortality?
Why can't there be a uniform size and catch limit for the entire range of these fish, instead of having so many variations that only help to perpetuate the ease of poaching?

Oh, and how long ago was it that the "authorities" claimed that the cod populations were rebounding? Look at the cod fishing situation now and tell me you aren't thinking the same could be in store for the stripers, black sea bass and pretty much every fish we prize here in the northeast?

I think the seabass regs are rediculous. Those fish are everywhere in good numbers.
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

[MakoMike]

Originally Posted by bassballer

I think the seabass regs are rediculous. Those fish are everywhere in good numbers.
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

That should change for next year, after the new stock assessment is done.