Never ate much striped bass; won't eat any, anymore. A full-bodied fish, the striped bass is bluish to dark olive dorsally, with a silvery belly and sides. Fishermen already have a tough go of it. Lightbox :: Numbers of entrants continued to grow during the nine years that bass were absent from the prize structure. The fishery is in dire straits. The Derby eliminated striped bass from the prize structure from 1985 until the species was officially declared restored in 1994. On Martha’s Vineyard there is a groundswell of support for a moratorium on taking stripers, like there was in the 1980s, until the fish rebounds like it did in the 1990s. They should have been removed 2 years ago, I'm glad the state is gonna force them to take action. “We went up to 34 inches [as a minimum catch size] this year and that was a big change. How accurate are the ASMFC biomass assessments? It is unlawful for any fisherman to gaff or attempt to gaff striped bass measuring less than 28 inches total length, and for a commercial fisherman fishing on an open commercial striped bass fishing day to gaff striped bass measuring less than 34 inches total length. It worked before and it will work again.....But why would you listen to the guys who actually catch the fish...... You must have JavaScript enabled to use this form. “They may see a fish swim away and think it’s fine but it a day or two it might be dead,” he said. Using this metric, in 2017, over one million of the 13 million striped bass released by Massachusetts recreational anglers died. It was the fall of 1984 and striped bass were in trouble. I don't know. Mr. Kane said new commercial regulations will be decided after a series of industry meetings which begin next week. “The less you handle them the better,” he said. The taking of billfish using gear other than a rod and reel. Start with the title and the abstract. The waters off Massachusetts are regarded by recreational anglers to have some of the best striped bass fishing in the world. “They recognized a reduction in take had to happen. Dean Clark, Massachusetts co-chairman of Stripers Forever, a nonprofit that seeks game fish status for striped bass on the Atlantic Coast from Maine to North Carolina, has long been a proponent of a ban. I’m sure we’re going to look at it closely again next year.”, Max Appelman, fishery management plan coordinator for the ASMFC, said an interstate moratorium wasn’t considered. Last uploads :: You are free to use these im. Do regulations in Maryland that allow for smaller minimum sizes and gill netting put northern states at a disadvantage, given 70 to 90 per cent of Atlantic striped bass come from the Chesapeake? Visitors would rather eat locally caught bass than something shipped from Maryland. Last comments :: As soon as spring water temperatures begin to rise, the first pulse of juvenile striped bass arrive to feed on the abundance of forage that is found in Massachusetts bays, rivers, and estuaries. They can’t make a living off just stripers but it makes a big difference in their bottom line.”, Mr. McKiernan concurred. Developing stewardship for striped bass is literally a moving target, passing through coastal waters of 11 states. Do warming waters push the menhaden farther north, which was apparently the case this year. Permitted for-hire vessels may fillet striped bass for their customers. In Massachusetts, commercial fishermen are currently limited to 15 fish per day, a 34-inch minimum and two fishing days a week. No more than two fillets per allowed fish may be … Veteran Island angler David Nash recommends replacing treble hooks with single hooks, in addition to using circle hooks for bait. We need a better solution. The striped bass has a large mouth and sharp, stiff spines located on the gill covers, anterior dorsal fin and anal fin. How the Massachusetts commercial fishery will reach the 18 per cent reduction is yet to be determined. He pointed to the DMF estimate that nine per cent of striped bass that are released don’t survive. Four of those states — New Jersey, Connecticut, New Hampshire, and Maine — have banned commercial fishing and consider striped bass a game fish. But we have to look at what we want this fishery to do for the citizens of Massachusetts. Fish are on their menu, all kinds. Now that recreational and commercial fisheries are segregated based on size of fish, MEP will be able to better differentiate between commercial and recreational fishing activity. Saturday is the deadline for states to submit alternate proposals. Commercial anglers in the same year landed 593,670 striped bass; all were presumably were sold and consumed. Single hooks on lures and anything else mean lip & jaw hooking and release mortality stops being a problem. —, Many say in the end it will up to individual fishermen to make a difference. How much does bycatch from trawlers fishing for squid and menhaden play a role? He also said game fish designation for striped bass — which would eliminate commercial fishing — would be up to individual states, not the ASMFC. Fishermen can also help the striper by keeping an eye out for rule-breakers, who apparently are on the rise. He continued: “I hate like hell to make the striper a game fish. But how does one make a living when the fish are all gone? 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I am friends with a number of commercial bass fishermen on the Island. The primary focus of this addendum was to reduce fishing mortality. The reality for both recreational and commercial fishermen is this. Without stripers the contest lost some of its glamour but none of its popularity: numbers of entrants continued to grow during the nine years that bass were absent. “Most of the shady stuff goes on at night.”. What is certain is that stakeholders won’t have another 370 years to figure it out. While opinions vary over best practices, stakeholders across the board agree that the striped bass population is in rapid decline, and that immediate action is needed. If you need to use our images without the attribution (credit), you can purchase non-attribution rights to many of our images by clicking the Add to Cart link once you are registered and logged in. 2) restore Atlantic menhaden populations. Do NOT follow this link or you will be banned from the site! The price this year was the strongest it’s ever been. —. I don’t have much faith in the recent decision. When you manage it for recreational use, you create the most robust fishery you can. Commercial anglers in the same year landed 593,670 striped bass; all were presumably were sold and consumed. How does one make a living without chunking, etc? In the 370 years since, the balance between commerce and conservation for striped bass has grown increasingly complex. It needs to be enforced with stiff penalties. We also have to consider the non-fishing public that wants locally sourced food.”, Whatever the outcome, many stakeholders believe that the survival and ultimate comeback of the striper will be up to individual fishermen. I feel that the 35” minimum overwhelmingly supported by fishermen was the best way to go. Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF) deputy director Dan McKiernan said this week that Massachusetts will go with the proposed recreational slot limits in 2020. FAQ :: My heart goes out to these guys. “We’re a seafood state,” he said. There are other questions. They’re polar opposite management goals,” he said. Free for any use if appropriate credit is reproduced with the image. Heavy fines, loss of tackle , jail time for repeat offenders! “When you manage a resource for maximum extraction you are taking as many as you can.