The future of Stiped Bass

[mrbrklyn]

Anyone have any intelligent insight about this commentary?

http://www.stripersonline.com/t/900308/last-of-the-big-bass

[BMITCH]

Ruben, having lived/fished through the last moratorium I can tell you from personal experience this IS the same scenario as in the late 70's. There were a lot of fish all sizes. Then mostly large fish. Than no fish. I was fortunate to fish through the 80's when bluefish were plentiful and landing a bass was an oddity. I can tell you for sure that the estrictions helped bring this great fish back from brink. These arethe SAME warning signs that were evident in the past. We need to do something NOW!!! The real problems are that today there far more pressure put on these fish from all quarters. Not only the recrational/commercial fisheries but on an ecological stand point we are killing the areas they spawn in. This time I feel there is a much greater hill to climb and my only wish is that we haven't gone to far as to not have permanently damaged the biomass. The picture you see in my avatar was the last striped bass I kept for the table. That was 7 years ago. Gill hooked and bleeding profusely there was no chance at survival. That was the last time I snagged and drop bunker for them. This IMO is a sure way to gut hook a striper. So everything goes back with a quick photo and I can feel that at least I'm doing what I can to help. We need to do something right away or we will absolutely regret it in the not to distant future.
Bob

[BMITCH]

There is plenty of science to back the reason for concern. Even though the YOY( young of year index) supports decent numbers lately, the years prior to the last assessment where in a word dismal. Im not a marine biologist or some kind of tree hugger but I can attest to the reports come in and they are WAY off from years prior. This I can tell you!! If there are only large fish around(many 30,40,and50#) it's only a matter of time before the so called breeders are thinned out to a point of no rebound. So all I can suggest is do what YOU can to help the long term. If that means returning to some kind of moratorium so be it. It does work!! I've seen it.
Bob

[tpilk]

The real problems are that today there far more pressure put on these fish from all quarters

This is factually not correct.  There is far less presure put on these fish from ALL quarters than the past century.  It is a darn good time to born a striped bass and live free.  The water is cleaner, they are better protected and vastly monitored and treasured.

I would disagree with you on this assessment. First, many are much more knowledgeable as to the habits, migrations, etc. We have better gear (rods, reels, line, terminal tackle, etc), sophisticated locating devices, not to mention a lot of folks making their living putting Stripers in the box.

We have struggled on the West Coast over the past 30-40 years as well. The funny thing is, some fisheries (Salt water - Ocean, Bay and Delta systems) have suffered greatly do to pollution, habitat and over-fishing (though commercial fishing is banned) while other fisheries, mainly landlocked fish have gone nuts to the point of the Stripers devastating other fisheries (think Lake Powell). Could relocation be a possibility??

Regardless, there are some indicators that the fishery may be in decline or even jeopardy in your neck of the woods. What's wrong with backing off, releasing the fish and assisting in their comeback? I've never had a problem knocking off a fish or two...but when you have the opportunity to make corrections like this, why wouldn't you?

Let me guess....when guys pay a ridiculous amount of money to go out on a party boat, they are damn sure going to kill something. Party boats aren't about catch and release, they are about big kill numbers to increase ticket sales for the season. I know everyone needs to make a living. i personally have had battles on both party boats and chartered boats when I wanted to toss fish back. The boat practice was to keep ALL legal fish and would even use additional fish to supplement folks who didn't get their limits for the day. Bottom line - when the boat limits day after day, people will come....

Anyway, this isn't some great conspiracy theory. I totally agree with BMITCH. You have an opportunity to proactively aid the species. Most folks do not need to knock off a 20-50 lb striper to feed their families. It's unfortunate that it will take a serious decline in the numbers to instigate legal restrictions on the fishery. In an ideal world, folks like us could positively impact the outcome before it ever came to that. Once again, why wouldn't you or anyone for that matter, want to help?

Cheers   

[tpilk]

A guy on Stripers online begins a thread expressing his concern on the future of striped bass. You then ask for "intelligent insight" on the issue. Insight can include ideas, experiences, thoughts and even opinions.

Next time you might specifically request scientific data or statistics if you aren't actually open to "insight" (open discussion) on the matter. Once again, the thread began on Stripers online..that's where your battle belongs. I'm sure many will follow what may become an interesting discussion. My expressed opinions come from an experience on a different coast, over a period of several decades.

As to killing fish, I've always enjoyed freshly caught striper, though I've probably put back twenty to every one I've knocked off. That is just my preference. Ask me how many yellow fins, dorado or even (legal) ling cod I've put back....pretty much none. It's not about making an "immoral" choice as you put it.

Anyway, I hope you find the insight you're after. As an occasional lurker on the stripers site, I'd say many of those guys take it quite seriously. You can figure out fairly quickly who fishes hard and who are the once-a-month party boat riders, NOT THAT THERE IS ANYTHING WRONG WITH PARTY BOATS.

I look forward to following the discussion 

 

[BMITCH]

Ruben, wow! My response was only from personal observations from both beach and boat. I'm not trying to knock anyone for keeping some fish for the table. I hope your right and I'm wrong. My thoughts are that the scientific data doesn't always reflect the reality of first hand observations in this case by fisherpeople who are in it day to day. Observers on commercial boats with sample trawls doesn't cover the whole spectrum of what is going on. Again, I hope your right and I'm wrong,but...........
Bob

[tpilk]

Hi Rueben,

Don't know that anyone got emotional, or even ranted, but heck, if a guy was going to throw an emotional rant, it ought to be over something important like this, right?

So following the most recent posts on Stripersonline, it is looking like there may be something to be concerned about over the next 5 years... at least according to their posted numbers vs past trends.

As much as I am annoyed by conspiracy theories and fear mongering in so many aspects of our lives, I feel that when it comes to many forms of wildlife and their respective habitats, we might have used a bit more of it over the years.

I will definitely be following that thread...hope you keep'em honest!
   

[Ron Jones]

The issue with someone's facts with the ocean is that the sample is so large that it takes money to do the studies to develop facts. That kind of money doesn't come without an agenda. Ever notice that most studies work politically for whoever the organization doing the study backs?

This would not bug me except that I've watched one to many seagulls eat out the eyes of one hundred year old yellow eye because some legislator wanted to get reelected. Their are lot's of yellow eyes because I and many others keep catching them, but apparently their are more bleeding hearts.

Ron

[Ron Jones]

My comment was more toward your dependence on scientific surveys. In my experience they are vehicles funded to get politicians reelected more than an exercise in determining solid data.

I watched legal white sea bass become almost unheard of, but the sport boats made money fishing for them and gave some of that money to politicians who hired scientists who told the locals they were crazy.

I watched a woman cry on the news because she realized she was eating a 100 year old fish and then, lo and behold a political party paid for a scientific study and now we have to either learn to be release experts or feed seagulls, even though the people who have caught the fish for decades say their isn't any change. Locals can't be bought and some scientists can, that is just the reality of the human experience.

Ron