NewEngBoy011 Posted November 1, 2008 Report Share Posted November 1, 2008 i just read an article on the giant striped bass run of the early 80's off Block Island, I was trying to understand whether crowds, overfishing, and polution killed that type of atmosphere or it just the lack of black pockets of bait and the billion plus sand eels that were around back then? And back then these schools of 30+ lbers were all caught in late November, go figure? I know these guys write professionally and know how to sauce it up but hearing about 40-50 lbers, schools of them thrashing bait for days gives me chills... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nebe Posted November 1, 2008 Report Share Posted November 1, 2008 Id say the largest contributer was pollution in spawning areas. 2nd contributer was over fishing.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T_i_G_e_R Posted November 1, 2008 Report Share Posted November 1, 2008 I hear from a good source that to some extent, it still happens on south shore RI and Montauk... big fish.. really big fish.. make a run In springtime, small amounts of 30 lbr's make their way up the north shore long island in small pods.. well you know that ur from LI like me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Capt.Castafly Posted November 1, 2008 Report Share Posted November 1, 2008 It's still excellent late fall fishing at the Block. Just be there at the right time. Sometimes it's nightime. Back in the early eighties Southeast Light was the spot to hammer big bass. Since than the area has shoaled due to the erosion from the cliffs. Now most of the larger bass are on the other side (west) of the island. You have to remember there was no EEZ (Exclusive Economic Zone) back than. A lot of the big bass would be caught outside the three mile distance of today. Places like the Fairway Bouy were popular. Plenty of Atlantic Herring too to fatt'em up and hold 'em for awhile. Such is not the case anymore. Nothing flies by me without a hook! If my fly is down, That's a good thing. Public Access.....It's a shore thing. My daily requirement of "Vitamin Sea". Capt. Ray Stachelek Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fcap60 Posted November 1, 2008 Report Share Posted November 1, 2008 I'll be there in about 2 weeks.... can you please tell those bass to read the article and repeat history while I'm out there, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NewEngBoy011 Posted November 1, 2008 Author Report Share Posted November 1, 2008 It's still excellent late fall fishing at the Block. Just be there at the right time. Sometimes it's nightime. Back in the early eighties Southeast Light was the spot to hammer big bass. Since than the area has shoaled due to the erosion from the cliffs. Now most of the larger bass are on the other side (west) of the island. You have to remember there was no EEZ (Exclusive Economic Zone) back than. A lot of the big bass would be caught outside the three mile distance of today. Places like the Fairway Bouy were popular. Plenty of Atlantic Herring too to fatt'em up and hold 'em for awhile. Such is not the case anymore. very interesting, I guess its a combination of a lot of things, I hope some day those herring and sand eels get back to the numbers they used to be, prolly a long shot though Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
riarcher Posted November 2, 2008 Report Share Posted November 2, 2008 Lot more than herring and sand eels. Things missing include Macks, butterfish, whitting, smelt, and such. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Palisades Paulie Posted November 6, 2008 Report Share Posted November 6, 2008 "Plenty of Atlantic Herring too to fatt'em up and hold 'em for awhile. Such is not the case anymore" Back in the early 90s you could stand on any beach in SoCo at night and see a gigantic Russian factory ship 3 miles off the coast. There were 1/2 dozen smaller boats that would drag and drop their loads of herring at the mother ship ...ALL NIGHT! That's why we don't see the huge Blueback herring runs we saw in the 80s. Retired internet cop Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NewEngBoy011 Posted November 6, 2008 Author Report Share Posted November 6, 2008 "Plenty of Atlantic Herring too to fatt'em up and hold 'em for awhile. Such is not the case anymore" Back in the early 90s you could stand on any beach in SoCo at night and see a gigantic Russian factory ship 3 miles off the coast. There were 1/2 dozen smaller boats that would drag and drop their loads of herring at the mother ship ...ALL NIGHT! That's why we don't see the huge Blueback herring runs we saw in the 80s. this is one of those things that just sucks to hear about and getting all worked up would be way to easy. I wonder if there is a way to bring em back? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
islander77 Posted November 7, 2008 Report Share Posted November 7, 2008 ok gotta give my two cents.... yes that was a floating processing plant you used to see for herring and macs.... herring, whitting, macs, squid, butterfish, hell even dogfish are all regulated catch.... for commercial guys.... to prevent over fishing... if you in to national marine fisheries weathte you can see what and how much per trip is the limit along with time me year... my father owns commercial boats... i worked on many. the days of guys hammering the herring are gone... Yea im that guy.. Just trying to preserve a heritage thats now considered the enemy...NMFS.. Destroying fishermen and their communities since 1976.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
islander77 Posted November 7, 2008 Report Share Posted November 7, 2008 oh and as far as distance from shore... there is 8 miles of FEDERAL waters between the island and point jude.... three miles out is federal... so three off the island three off the mainland so six off the fourteen miles is all federal in between... and yes my father and many other generations have fished off that island... yes i am an island Dodge... my ancestor was a founding member of the island and was said to teach then to fish... go figure... Yea im that guy.. Just trying to preserve a heritage thats now considered the enemy...NMFS.. Destroying fishermen and their communities since 1976.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlyByNight Posted November 9, 2008 Report Share Posted November 9, 2008 I was there and the article is essentially correct, a little exaggerated, but correct. What happened to the fishing? Greed. Most of these big fish were killed and sent to market. You would see pallets of them shipped off every morning on the ferry. It was a disgusting sight. All that stuff about pollution is compost; commercial guys use these excuses so they don't have to feel guilty about wiping out one of the biggest run of bass ever. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
islander77 Posted November 9, 2008 Report Share Posted November 9, 2008 wow flybynight..... you were there partaking in the festivities but nothing to do with it??? and yea pallets of fish left every morning on the ferry.... wow shame on my old man for feeding his kids! we should of starved right... the period of time go wich that article is refering to the island was not what it is today! oh and wait its always the commercial guys fault right not the jokes that are keepin shorts or killing the fish cause they cant get a hook out or beatin the fish into something..... tbc Yea im that guy.. Just trying to preserve a heritage thats now considered the enemy...NMFS.. Destroying fishermen and their communities since 1976.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
islander77 Posted November 9, 2008 Report Share Posted November 9, 2008 ... to get it to quit jumping... you know it makes me laugh so much if yall have family visiting and cant get your lobster or seafood dinner yall piss and moan... well heres a hint it was a commercial guy that went and got it! oh and a trucker that hauled it! so there is two things yall can complain about... oh sorry was a commercial lobsterman and longliner for the better of my younger years! now i have a cdl and drive what everyone hates and relies on... and most important i an am an islander Yea im that guy.. Just trying to preserve a heritage thats now considered the enemy...NMFS.. Destroying fishermen and their communities since 1976.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WoodyCT Posted November 9, 2008 Report Share Posted November 9, 2008 That the regulations were such then, and to some extent NOW, that so much could be removed from the stock. But, then again, who knew? Let's all vow to learn from past castastrophe to better manage the resource for the future. And for the record, the guys who SUPPLEMENT their full time nonfishing jobs should not be classified as commercials, and should not be given the same open access as folks who have a history of providing for their families as full time commercial fishermen. Jon Bait is for old men and little boys... real men plug. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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