this could be a BIG WEEK for striped bass.....

[bobber]

ASMFC meets in Virginia this week.  SB committee is Tuesday (I think).   this could (hopefully) be the start of meaningful change to help get the fishery back on the road to recovery after a decade of inaction and political maneuvering.  

 

so STAY TUNED......   this may be the week that everything changes.   I'm cautiously optimistic following some of the recent actions by individual states....  lets hope the ASMFC can avoid the "pro-harvest" influences of states like NJ and MD and keep the momentum going.

Edited April 27, 2019 by bobber

[DownUnderDaSea]

I am keeping my ears open.

 

[pakalolo]

May 15 opening date coastwide with a 36" one fish limit would be a good start, this includes the Hudson, Chessapeake , Virginia and North Carolina   Just an idea.

[CWitek]

2 hours ago, pakalolo said:

May 15 opening date coastwide with a 36" one fish limit would be a good start, this includes the Hudson, Chessapeake , Virginia and North Carolina   Just an idea.

I think that would be a VERY good start, although at this point, I'm just hoping that they instruct the Striped Bass Plan Development Team to put together a draft Addendum V that will both end overfishing and establish a rebuilding plan that meets Amendment 6's requirements, for review at the August meeting.  I fear that the Management Board might only seek to do the latter, and then let rebuilding occur if and when it happens.

 

I counted noses, using my best estimates of how the states will vote on rebuilding and even on just ending overfishing, incorporating a fairly strong worst-case bias.  To me, it looks like a very close vote, with the outcome hinging on five swing jurisdictions.  Whichever side gets three of the five swing votes wins.

 

Abstentions, null votes and the like can change that calculus, but unless some of the likely "no" states vote to move ahead with the draft, in order to accommodate the "yes" states at this point, and then expect to kill the Addendum once specific management measures have been put on the table by the PDT (something that happens quite often at ASMFC, particularly with striped bass; an addendum to reduce landings by as much as 40% was killed before sending it out for public comment in 2011, while another addendum to increase commercial landings was killed on a close vote after public comment a year or two before). Tuesday's vote will be a nail-biter.

Edited April 28, 2019 by CWitek

[bido]

1 fish 24-36”.  No mas 

[Goldy]

How many years ago did NJ change to slot,I can't remember b/c it hasn't helped..

 

The charter guys are going to go nuts.  Maybe one standup charter guy will start catch and release only charters.  

[bobber]

31 mins ago, Goldy said:

 

 

.  Maybe one standup charter guy will start catch and release only charters.  

already has begun in New England.  Joe Diorio has pledged to not take large breeding bass this year.  He fishes Block Island where the massacre has been centered for the past 5 (or so) years...

[MakoMike]

33 mins ago, Goldy said:

The charter guys are going to go nuts.  Maybe one standup charter guy will start catch and release only charters.  

Yep, it'll be called "fish torturer charters"! 

[Goldy]

15 mins ago, bobber said:

already has begun in New England.  Joe Diorio has pledged to not take large breeding bass this year.  He fishes Block Island where the massacre has been centered for the past 5 (or so) years...

Awesome.  We need more people like him

 

what im witnessing in the raritan by me is a travesty

[FlukeOff]

52 mins ago, bobber said:

already has begun in New England.  Joe Diorio has pledged to not take large breeding bass this year.  He fishes Block Island where the massacre has been centered for the past 5 (or so) years...

Captain Ian Devlin (Housy and Norwalk) just moved to 100% catch and release. These are legit fish catchers that are fed up with the state of the fishery and taking a stand. Hope others follow.