New slot limits for Bass

[Richard_the_Aughth]

On 5/9/2023 at 12:35 PM, Jeff270 said:

Limit commercial striper licenses to REAL commercial fisherman.

• If you don't make a majority of your income from fishing, you don't qualify
  • Easy to prove.  Show a copy of last years tax return.  If you showed "lawyer, baker, or candlestick maker",  but don't list "fisherman", you don't qualify.
• No new licenses.  If you didn't have one during the last 3 years, too bad
  • And if you had one, but never reported a catch over that period, your done also

This would eliminate 99% of the weekend warriors.

 

Is there a way to verify that people who write "fisherman" on their tax return actually made the money selling fish they caught?

[Jeff270]

On 5/9/2023 at 12:38 PM, Richard_the_Aughth said:

Is there a way to verify that people who write "fisherman" on their tax return actually made the money selling fish they caught?

W2 form? or any other income verification.  Would also need to provide copies of the logs used to report the sale of fish.  

Edited May 9 by Jeff270

[golden]

A lot of anglers don't want to hear it, but the new regs are a good thing.  I've been getting plenty of negative pushback from mostly young guys who didn't know what it was like during the moratorium and the 36" days (which I too, totally wish was never lowered).  For those who like to "keep a fish for the table", I'm guessing a lot don't just catch that first keeper, pop up from the rocks, and say, "well, I'm going home".  Yes, a handful of those fish released by the C&R crew will not survive, but the majority will if handled properly and not hooked deep or gills.  There are a lot of fish being caught right now, most from that last great year class.  And a good percentage are within the 32"-35" range which will soon be off-limits.  How many of the fish plastered across the internet in that size are heading home in someone's trunk?  Too many.

That is why the emergency regs were implemented.  As for the comm fishery, yes, that does hammer away significantly also.  But if the rec practices continue as they have, there will not be many fish hitting comm size.  I get it.  We all love to catch bass.  But, back when the limit was 36", I'd run into other fishermen who had never caught a keeper.  This was after the stocks were decimated.  But after a matter of years of 36", we had an amazing amount of large bass around.  40" fish barely got noticed, much less picture-worthy.  If we're lucky, we'll have this slot for a few years, and then bumped to 36".  This will let the small fish grow, and put more big fish into the stocks. 

Then there are those arguing that the stocks are fine.  That may appear true to those casting from the deck of a boat, with fresh intel off social media (look at the slaughter off Plymouth last year); but a simple way to measure the health of the stocks is from the sand and rocks, not fiberglass.

When the stocks are truly healthy, the mass of species like bass and bluefish is pushed inshore, in big numbers, and for what appears to be longer time; which in reality is just because the size is larger and spread out more.  In the meantime, I'll be out there crushing my barbs and releasing my fish.  

[Ditch Jigger]

On 5/9/2023 at 5:58 PM, Gwiz said:

Commerical fishing is a fu***** joke. 99% of the commerical guys are just guys who want to offset their gas and slip charges. They are not true commerical guys.  Close it down. 

 

That could be addressed as it is in other states, by requiring proof that the majority of one's income is derived from commercial fishing in order to renew a license after the first year of issue.

 

[FoulHooker]

On 5/9/2023 at 4:34 PM, Ditch Jigger said:

 

That could be addressed as it is in other states, by requiring proof that the majority of one's income is derived from commercial fishing in order to renew a license after the first year of issue.

 

Also could be easily fudged.  The striped bass commercial fishery is actually intended as a supplemental fishery for anyone.  Hell you can get a shore license and catch two on open days.  Regardless of who is allowed to catch them, there is a quota that will be filled.  If its a "majority income fisherman" or not why would it matter to you?  The 701,904lbs will be caught regardless.

[Jeff270]

On 5/9/2023 at 4:51 PM, FoulHooker said:

Also could be easily fudged.  The striped bass commercial fishery is actually intended as a supplemental fishery for anyone.  Hell you can get a shore license and catch two on open days.  Regardless of who is allowed to catch them, there is a quota that will be filled.  If its a "majority income fisherman" or not why would it matter to you?  The 701,904lbs will be caught regardless.

How many of the weekend warriors with comm licenses do you think report their catch?

[z-man]

On 5/9/2023 at 12:35 PM, Jeff270 said:

Limit commercial striper licenses to REAL commercial fisherman.

• If you don't make a majority of your income from fishing, you don't qualify
  • Easy to prove.  Show a copy of last years tax return.  If you showed "lawyer, baker, or candlestick maker",  but don't list "fisherman", you don't qualify.
• No new licenses.  If you didn't have one during the last 3 years, too bad
  • And if you had one, but never reported a catch over that period, your done also

This would eliminate 99% of the weekend warriors.

 

This is definitely how it should be done. Eventually as people age out, the commercial striper fishery will just disappear. 

[MakoMike]

On 5/9/2023 at 12:38 PM, Richard_the_Aughth said:

Is there a way to verify that people who write "fisherman" on their tax return actually made the money selling fish they caught?

Sure, it’s easy if you want to dig into it. 

[FoulHooker]

On 5/9/2023 at 5:26 PM, Jeff270 said:

How many of the weekend warriors with comm licenses do you think report their catch?

To sell your fish the buyer with track them through wholesale by law.  They all get a zip tie with a unique identifying number.  I think what you are talking about is poaching?  Not commercial fishing.

[FoulHooker]

On 5/9/2023 at 5:26 PM, Jeff270 said:

How many of the weekend warriors with comm licenses do you think report their catch?

Also no commercial fishing on weekends so that would be tough for the "weekend warriors"

[Jeff270]

On 5/10/2023 at 10:00 AM, FoulHooker said:

Also no commercial fishing on weekends so that would be tough for the "weekend warriors"

What I am talking about is the guys who get a comms license so that they can go out and catch extra fish under the guise of being a commercial fisherman.  Some of those actually sell a couple of fish to pay for beer and/or gas.  Others take their 40's home to either give to friends, put in the freezer, or brag and deposit in a dumpster.

[Jeff270]

On 5/10/2023 at 9:59 AM, FoulHooker said:

To sell your fish the buyer with track them through wholesale by law.  They all get a zip tie with a unique identifying number.  I think what you are talking about is poaching?  Not commercial fishing.

Its poaching under the guise of being a comms guy

[FoulHooker]

On 5/10/2023 at 10:34 AM, Jeff270 said:

Its poaching under the guise of being a comms guy

I think that would be a very limited amount of people.  Have to be very stupid to eat one and not make $50.  Why does it matter if I catch 2 are year for beer or not?  The quota is gonna be filled and stay the same.  Same amount of dead bass.  

[Gwiz]

Massachusetts needs to get out of the stone age and end comm. fishing for striped bass.  I'm all for the new regs. but it means nothing without ending comm. fishing.

[Jeff270]

On 5/10/2023 at 11:36 AM, FoulHooker said:

I think that would be a very limited amount of people.  Have to be very stupid to eat one and not make $50.  Why does it matter if I catch 2 are year for beer or not?  The quota is gonna be filled and stay the same.  Same amount of dead bass.  

The point is that commercial striper licenses should be limited to commercial fisherman.