Increase in commercial quota for next year

[RIJIMMY]

If you feel that the striped bass population is in trouble - Conservation is in YOUR hands. Release the fish that you are not taking to eat and dont participate in kill tournaments.
Look in the mirror before looking elsewhere

[JakeF]

Originally Posted by RIJIMMY

If you feel that the striped bass population is in trouble - Conservation is in YOUR hands. Release the fish that you are not taking to eat and dont participate in kill tournaments.
Look in the mirror before looking elsewhere

Right on... Where's that 'Like' button

But, when you're done looking in the mirror, then help educate others, and stand up for what you believe in.

[JohnR]

Yes, this has been covered once or twice. Short version is we can continue to yell at each other and watch a fishery get mismanaged (and / or sucked up in other battles), or we can all step up to the plate and take a meaningful cut. Otherwise we will be continuing to use the process of urination to determine wind direction and velocity.

We can continue to argue over WHO gets to the keep the fish OR we can start to plan and discuss HOW to save the fish.

[DZ]

This will be an interesting vote. In New England states "Overwhelming" public comment was against a commercial increase. Will they listen? If not I anticipate more support to "legislate" changes to striped bass management. Especially now that recs will be licensed. Just my opinion.

DZ

[Frankiesurf]

One thing about charters is that they can offer a C&R trip as opposed to everyone limiting out. All they have to do is mention it and maybe a quick explanation of why C&R is a good idea. They wouldn't have to force it down the fares throats or anything. I would bet there would be a decent response. Even one fare a year taking that option is a plus.

I have spoken to a few captains about this and the majority make no mention. Some do occasionally. The problem is that if they don't then they are pretty much looking short term. If the health of the fishery dictates the health of the business you would think a future outlook should have been in the business plan to begin with.


The problem with educating other fishermen about this is that the ones that are all over the boards are not the ones to preach to. It is the guys on the beach that don't bother with the internet or those new to the sport. The guys on here and every other site out there has seen and heard these stories already.

The fishermen you see on the beach that have short bass or two or more bass most likely know the rules and they don't care. You can tell by the way they run back to the truck each time they catch a bass or scurry away when the DEC officer comes by. Educating these people is important but they probably don't really care.

The newcomers to the sport should learn all of this from the get go. Give them the whole story and let them make up their mind. I am pretty sure that most rec guys here and all comm guys agree the recs should be taking less fish. There is a level ground starting point. After that is done we will fight over the newbies about gamefish status.

[zimmy]

Originally Posted by RIJIMMY

If you feel that the striped bass population is in trouble - Conservation is in YOUR hands. Release the fish that you are not taking to eat and dont participate in kill tournaments.
Look in the mirror before looking elsewhere

...and don't each large scale commercially raised chicken. It isn't just runoff from dairies in PA and NY, it is the disaster of a waste problem from the chicken houses in the bay states.

as far as the bait goes... I saw more herring this spring than in 10 years in my local river. There has been tons of adult bunker in W. LI sound over the last few years. Last night I caught schoolie after schoolie in spot loaded with bait. Not that I think the bait isn't a problem.



What if the striper stocks need to be carefully culled to allow for fewer fish that are bigger and healthier? take some pressure off the herring and other bait. Or reduce competition amongst stripers.

The problem is too complicated for us mere mortals.

[JohnnyD]

Originally Posted by zimmy

What if the striper stocks need to be carefully culled to allow for fewer fish that are bigger and healthier? take some pressure off the herring and other bait. Or reduce competition amongst stripers.

The problem is too complicated for us mere mortals.

Man, how did the striper stocks ever manage to exist before man came around to "carefully cull" them out?

I hear people mention nonsense like this a lot. "We need to kill more stripers so the bait can rebound." Nature was fine for millions of years before we came around and effed with it and it'll be fine again in another million years when we're extinct.

[zimmy]

Originally Posted by JohnnyD

Man, how did the striper stocks ever manage to exist before man came around to "carefully cull" them out?

I hear people mention nonsense like this a lot. "We need to kill more stripers so the bait can rebound." Nature was fine for millions of years before we came around and effed with it and it'll be fine again in another million years when we're extinct.

I am not saying this is what needs to happen, just asking the question. As far as nonsense, I am not sure about that.

You ask how striper stocks managed to survive before humans... Stripers increase , bait decreases; stripers decrease, bait increases. Fewer stripers= more bait.More stripers less bait.

Nature was fine before we effed it up is true. I am not sure how that is related to the current state of fisheries, as we aren't absent from nature in the present. We (humans) harvest eels, crabs, herring, bunker, macks, lobsters, flounder etc. Our activities also make the ecosystem less habitable. Striper numbers increased to record numbers. ALL of the factors have to be considered.

People say fix the bait, which I agree with. It isn't simple. The intent of the points I made was to show there are many possible aspects to management.

JD- when you say "nonsense" do you mean you completely dismiss the idea that a reduced striper population would increase the amount of organisms preyed on by stripers? That seems hard to substantiate.

[JohnnyD]

Originally Posted by zimmy

JD- when you say "nonsense" do you mean you completely dismiss the idea that a reduced striper population would increase the amount of organisms preyed on by stripers? That seems hard to substantiate.

When I say "nonsense", it's with regards to the whole concept of "kill more bass so the bait fish can come back" being beneficial to any fishery. Like I said before, nature did a pretty good job finding an equilibrium in the millions of years before man. I don't agree with your idea that "stripers increase, bait decreases; stripers decrease, bait increases". There are far too many factors.

Maybe instead of culling out bass to help increase the bait population we get rid of indiscriminate fishing methods like the trawlers and get stop companies like Omega Protein form decimating full populations of the bait.

[maddmatt]

Originally Posted by RIJIMMY

If you feel that the striped bass population is in trouble - Conservation is in YOUR hands. Release the fish that you are not taking to eat and dont participate in kill tournaments.
Look in the mirror before looking elsewhere

oooooohhhhh, good one!!

[fatcow]

I say RAISE it. CHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIng

[RIROCKHOUND]

Originally Posted by fatcow

I say RAISE it. CHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIng

Until the stock crashes again, and no cha-ching for years or ever.
that's the mentality that drove it into the ground the last time.

fail.