striped bass forever, again

[tattoobob]

I don't agree with Stripers forever Brad Burns seems to have his own agenda? I agree that the forage is limited and there are tons of 12 to 40 inch fish around.

[Offshore]

Well, I've only been on the Cape for three seasons now, after years of fishin Cape Ann and So. New Hampshire.

I saw more fish last year than I've ever seen in any season. Many schoolies and many large fish.

John's right - it's the forage base that's off. Maybe this River Herring Moratorium and ban of pair-trawlers inshore will help. Let's hope.

One shining light is that I've seen more Pogies in Cape waters each of the last three years.

[piemma]

I don't know. Maybe it's me, but Bryan and I caught large fish, small fish, in-between fish all season last year and the year before. Different places last year than the year before because the bait wasn't where it was the year before. But we caught schoolies, 15 to 20# ers, 30 lbers.
I agree on the bait thing though. If the %@#*&^% pogie boats would stop killing the Stripers main food there would be a healthier Bass population.
Don't think the Menahen Trawlers make a dent in the adult population?
Then ask youself one question. How come there are millions and millions of baby bunker and very few adults schools?

[slapshot]

I would join a group dedicated to restoring the forage fish stocks.

If you want to catch smaller fish try the tube and worm in close to the rocks, or look in the CT River right now.

[MakoMike]

Don't forget big fish eat little fish, so don't expect to find lots of little fish in the same area that you're catching the big ones. Big striped bass do eat little striped bass.

[Mr. Sandman]

If you want to protect the fish , take the $ off its head.

Forage fish is a separate issue. YES they need to be re-built but the game fish status is the right thing to do for the striped bass NOW. For the life of me I don't understand why many support a rec guy with a $60 permit to take 30 or 40 fish a day for money and then re-direct the discussion to a different (albeit related) subject that is not going to be fixed anytime soon. Forage fish is not considered a problem. (neither are SB for that matter) Look at the track record of DMF’s…it is not good and not getting any better. This recent herring thing will take more then a decade to play out.

And proving the DMF has lost its collective mind, is when I drove by the fish market two weeks ago and they were having a sale on Striped Bass....imported from MD or VA. Can you imagine someone buying a MD SB on MV? Now these fish don't even meet our 28" minimum but they are allowed to be imported into our state for sale. WHAT IS WRONG WITH THIS PICTURE? These are the people making the rules.

The comm fishery in this state is poisoned by $.

I see game fish status as protecting the fish more and getting it out of the hands of the DMF for comm. regulation, not harming the fish. The sooner the better.

Sure they can still regulate recs size and limits but the plan is not to stop you from fishing or taking them. Many of you see it with what I call “NRA glasses”...take our armor piercing bullets away and next you take our guns...just say no to everything!! I think you need to see what game fish status has done for other species. It would be a positive step for SB and one that would have positive benefits right away…not 20 years from now.

Another thing, you all moan about OTW's contest on how it will kill too many fish...but in the next breath you support recs with a cheap permit the right to take 30-40 fish per day and sell them for "gas money". I think you need to re-visit your perspective on things.

[Pt.JudeJoe]

POGIES FOREVER!!

[Nebe]

Originally Posted by Pt.JudeJoe

POGIES FOREVER!!

[basswipe]

All I know is that I was the schoolie king last year.My only consistant month for keeper size fish was May.Caught a bunch in the 30"-33"
range but none were particularly heavy.

[striperman36]

This past year was the worst for finding forage fish off of Southern Mass. Few sand eels and little else. First year in a while I didn't get albies in the westport river in september.

Billk

[NIB]

[QUOTE=Mr. Sandman]If you want to protect the fish , take the $ off its head.
QUOTE]


Bingo, Now dream on if u think this will ever happen.An hook an line guys aren't even the tip of the iceberg i have no problem wit hook an line guys they can only catch what wants to eat.Its the big sweaping nets that are the biggest threat nevermind the bycatch.

[inTHERAPY]

Thanks for all your thoughts and I've made up my mind. Firstly, Mr. Sandman what's up with "support a rec guy with a $60 permit to take 30 or 40 fish a day... and sell them for "gas money". Who's asking to be supported? I am simply asking abut SBF. If times were so tough that I needed gas money, I'ld sell the twin engine gas sucker and downsize. I have absolutely no qualms selling 5 fish on Sundays. I do it because I can. Secondly, I could care less about catching schoolies. I know there are tons of small fish. I fish where I do and how I do because I do not want to catch smaller fish. My comment about the lack of smaller bass was to repeat what the gentleman at the SBF booth had used as rationalle to justify game fish status. Thirdly, to answer your question Diggin "Um, whats the scup limit, 10.5 or 11"?? Not too many small fish are going to take a 10+" scup. They are all legal aren't they ??" Thanks for making me aware that the RI scup limit is 10 1/2". I wouldn't want to break the law with the 9" scup from MA on my $30.00 scup permit "that I use for gas money." And your right, small fish don't eat jumbo scup, or legal fluke, or legal seabass, ( dare I even mention tautog ), but big bass do! Lastly, I will be sending my $ to Stripers Forever. Maybe all those Stripers Forever members on this board can meet at Foxboro banquet for a few whiskeys.