Mass. weighs tougher protections for striped bass

[sokinwet]

"I would say it 2 to 1 the people who just keep everything vs the people who actually sell fish with their license"

I for one would have no problem with those who check "DNF" on their catch reports for over 1 year being required to explain the circumstances prior to renewal.

Just curious guys...what would you say is the ratio or C&R bass fishermen to fisherman who put their 2 in the box whenever they can?

[MAKAI]

Originally Posted by sokinwet

"I would say it 2 to 1 the people who just keep everything vs the people who actually sell fish with their license"

I for one would have no problem with those who check "DNF" on their catch reports for over 1 year being required to explain the circumstances prior to renewal.

Just curious guys...what would you say is the ratio or C&R bass fishermen to fisherman who put their 2 in the box whenever they can?

In my group of twenty or so people I fish with only one always keeps a deuce.
95% of everything legal from the rest of us goes back.

[Saltheart]

Almost nobody I fish with keeps 2 on any given day. I would say 20% keep 1 every few weeks.These guys usually have 5 or 6 mouths to feed and do it to save money on food. 20% keep 1 maybe 2 or 3 times a season. These guys like to have it now and then but do not freeze it and only want it about 2 or 3 times a season.60% put everything back unless they have a very rare request from someone who wants to try striper.
95% of my own caught fish go back in to be caught another day.

[CowHunter]

Saltheart, Im on the other end, most everybody I know keeps their fish.... Question for you, How many Rec Guys up and down the coast keep their catch and sell fish black market to cover expenses and so on???
Some on this board put Charter Captains in the same boat as Commercial Fisherman.... I strongly disagree with this. Are charter captains in Mass "Contributing" to the 1.1 million Pounds of commercial Allocation? Absolutely not. They do not in any State. As a charter captain I can do 1, 2 or 3 trips a day if I can book em. 7 days a week if I can. I can take the boat limit over and over and despite what MakoMike says you dont have to report your catch in MOST states, (There are other areas besides the SW corner of Block where Stripers Live)....MakoMike might not like this but as a charter captain, Im saying I kill way to many fish and I feel strongly that MANY Other do to. It is what the law allows though...They dont shut down the charter captains, or rec guys when Their quota is filled, (Cause there really isnt one). What if Charter Captains had a quoat? What if Rec Guys have a quota? Shut them down like they do commercials when its hit? Even on the reporting system that exists in most states, you wont get "rewarded" if you send a catch report in so its easy to get lazy and fudge inacurrate numbers. Commercials get paid for every pound they bring in and so it is tallied and despite what is said by stripersforever it is reported. You dont have rec guys bringing their catch in to tackleshops or anywhere else to get wieghed and accounted for. In NJ you have to pay for a bonus tag, you dont get "Rewarde" or anything when you send the tag in, so in return guys will use one tag to catch an extra 5, 10, 20 fish, (Some More). I wonder what the 321K quota really is. Stripersforever should be putting thier energy to putting together a more accurate reporting system on fish killed. Not worry about catching 80 fish or so until your arm are tired. does this make Sense to ANYONE???? I feel like nobody else sees any of this but me??? Despite what SANDMAN may think I really want whats best for the fishery as a whole, (I Even want sandman to make more money on his Tide logs!). I would have no problem with one fish at 36" from state to state as a Charter Captain. My business would not suffer one bit. Now if it was a gamefish only It would suffer, so would alot of the businesses up and down the coast. Alot of people do fish for Meat, and a large Majority do not understand catch and release and never will...I find no better example than the Chesapeake bay, when they shut it down, its a ghost town...

[CowHunter]

Ill go back to the NJ Bonus Tag... The State doesnt care about anything except collecting the $2 bucks a fish. They rely on anglers sending in the tags and buying another one for every single fish they catch. As I said it is a joke, (The gift that keeps on giving). I really truly believe that the number of fish killed would way exceed the NJ Commercial quota, (It is what it is - Commercial quota). I think it would be a staggering number, more than 2, 3 times the quota.... But agian thats myopinion and it dont mean %$%$%$%$ because I dont have any scientific data to back it, (Niether does the State)....

Stripersforever does have NJ as a little green state on their website where no commercial quota exists...

[numbskull]

Originally Posted by CowHunter

Saltheart, Im on the other end, most everybody I know keeps their fish.... Question for you, How many Rec Guys up and down the coast keep their catch and sell fish black market to cover expenses and so on???
Some on this board put Charter Captains in the same boat as Commercial Fisherman.... I strongly disagree with this. Are charter captains in Mass "Contributing" to the 1.1 million Pounds of commercial Allocation? Absolutely not. They do not in any State. As a charter captain I can do 1, 2 or 3 trips a day if I can book em. 7 days a week if I can. I can take the boat limit over and over and despite what MakoMike says you dont have to report your catch in MOST states, (There are other areas besides the SW corner of Block where Stripers Live)....MakoMike might not like this but as a charter captain, Im saying I kill way to many fish and I feel strongly that MANY Other do to. It is what the law allows though...They dont shut down the charter captains, or rec guys when Their quota is filled, (Cause there really isnt one). What if Charter Captains had a quoat? What if Rec Guys have a quota? Shut them down like they do commercials when its hit? Even on the reporting system that exists in most states, you wont get "rewarded" if you send a catch report in so its easy to get lazy and fudge inacurrate numbers. Commercials get paid for every pound they bring in and so it is tallied and despite what is said by stripersforever it is reported. You dont have rec guys bringing their catch in to tackleshops or anywhere else to get wieghed and accounted for. In NJ you have to pay for a bonus tag, you dont get "Rewarde" or anything when you send the tag in, so in return guys will use one tag to catch an extra 5, 10, 20 fish, (Some More). I wonder what the 321K quota really is. Stripersforever should be putting thier energy to putting together a more accurate reporting system on fish killed. Not worry about catching 80 fish or so until your arm are tired. does this make Sense to ANYONE???? I feel like nobody else sees any of this but me??? Despite what SANDMAN may think I really want whats best for the fishery as a whole, (I Even want sandman to make more money on his Tide logs!). I would have no problem with one fish at 36" from state to state as a Charter Captain. My business would not suffer one bit. Now if it was a gamefish only It would suffer, so would alot of the businesses up and down the coast. Alot of people do fish for Meat, and a large Majority do not understand catch and release and never will...I find no better example than the Chesapeake bay, when they shut it down, its a ghost town...

These are good and fair points.

[sokinwet]

Hey Cowhunter...welcome back...again. Been trying to watch your back...with limited success.

Before and after the commercial season I rarely keep a fish unless it's a bleeder...and I have to argue with my 87 yr. old father over every throwback (old school...he still thinks 16" and it goes in the box...or to the pretty neighbor!) but the vast majority of the casual rec's I know are dying to catch that keeper and fillet away. I admit that's not many because virtually all my fishing friends fish commercially...I guess for all of us it's a "birds of a feather" thing!

"But again thats my opinion and it dont mean %$%$%$%$ because I dont have any scientific data to back it,"

I wish everyone would be this honest and would rely on those "with the data"

[MAKAI]

Speaking of "Data"
I have been all over the web looking at "scientific "research findings on the state of the atlantic striped bass population. The cumulative data from many various sources is so convoluted, how the hell does anyone really know what the real truth is. Use whatever suits your needs I guess.
I believe the true fate of bass lies in the ignorance of the failing nursery ecosystems.( Bob Pond use to harp on this years ago ) Got to replace what we keep somehow or all this trash talking is a mute point.
We'll all be plugging for sculpins.

No one wants to be told you may have to take a hit in your income. I wish I had a forum like this to voice my frustrations to the fact that for the last 2 years we have had to drop our prices almost 20% just to stay in business. It sucks, would have been therapeutic.

[inTHERAPY]

From what I think I know. Each state must have regulations approved by the asmfc for sb. Talks were introduced this year to roll-over the catch not caught this year to next years quota. This did not pass but was not without argument to do so. If you do not think an atlantic state will jump all over the asmfc asking to approve an increase in their share as a result of MA's conservation, I think you are dead wrong. The asmfc meeting on sb has already stated that the stocks are good and overfishing does not exist. So you put more fish out there.....

Why do want SF introducing legislation for us? Who's next, PETA? The Humane Society?

I do not think there is a person among us that can honestly say that the state of marine fisheries is in great shape, or that all the science is correct, but it is our reference point. Let's work within the framework we have to institute better policy.

[Saltheart]

[QUOTE=CowHunter;729676]Saltheart, Im on the other end, most everybody I know keeps their fish.... Question for you, How many Rec Guys up and down the coast keep their catch and sell fish black market to cover expenses and so on???


I have no idea how many.

I know people do it.

I know nobody I fish with does this. I know that if I found out someone I fished with does this , they wouldn't fish with me anymore.

I'm all for the guy who does whatever he does within the rules and regulations. If a guy keeps 30 fish on a Com license because that's what the law says . I have no issue with him. I do have an issue with the law and those who make these laws allowing such a high limit but I have no issue at all with the guy who keeps and sells the legal limit.

[inTHERAPY]

Originally Posted by sokinwet

"I would say it 2 to 1 the people who just keep everything vs the people who actually sell fish with their license"

I for one would have no problem with those who check "DNF" on their catch reports for over 1 year being required to explain the circumstances prior to renewal.

Just curious guys...what would you say is the ratio or C&R bass fishermen to fisherman who put their 2 in the box whenever they can?

I will sell everything I catch if a legal market is open for them. As far as recreationally, I will keep maybe 1 a week, or a bleeder.
In the number of marinas I've been in, during the last 7 years, I've talked with a lot of fishermen. A large majority of which would consider a 30 # fish as a monster and 5 fish in a day as a awesome day. Good for them. These people always return to the docks with whatever stripers they catch. These are the anglers i would say make up the vast majority of the fishing community.
The guys and gals who participate on this site are not these anglers. I do not think what "we" do with fish is the norm.
If you have not read Amendment 6, asmfc, do so. You can find quite a bit of info at the asmfc site.

[numbskull]

The state has this wrong. What they need is a $4 tax on each bunker and eel sold..........then the bass would be fine.