Comments on: STRIPED BASS ROLLOVERS… ANOTHER BAD IDEA…

By: Capt. Brendan McCarthy

Capt. Brendan McCarthy — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 15:00:18 +0000

Very well said and written, John.
As is always the case, the money involved will always prevail. It is time, with the advent of the SW License, to have the recreational money and users to speak and be heard. There are something like 550 commercial Striped Bass tag-holders. Less than half are actively using their tags and are letting the minority fill the tags for them. I say let the real fisherman, the active commercial fisherman, get all the tags. This will truly make it a worthwhile fishery for them, clear out the non-actives, and have a group of real fisherman to deal with. Enforcement in the gill net fisheries on the East End will get this done, will reduce the high grading (since they will not have the time and man power to fill all their tags if they high-grade and thus get a more mixed year class of harvested fish) and the commercials will be happier and less likely to want more and more. Just an idea from talking with the tag holders and “real” fisherman…Keep up the good work John

By: Dana Durkee RIver St. Bait & Tackle

Dana Durkee RIver St. Bait & Tackle — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 14:50:19 +0000

I am extremely concerned about the decline in striped bass. It seems that the agency’s that govern are always behind the trends. Example: ground fish, cod, haddock and Pollack, the species had to be nearly extinct before corrective measures were taken. I believe this is the case now with striped bass. Three years ago, fisherman fishing where I live, along the Merrimack River in Haverhill Ma, could buy a pound of clams and go down to the river bank and catch a schoolie stripers nearly every single cast! This year, fisherman were lucky to catch one or two all afternoon! My saltwater sales have declined considerably because of this. Also remember when the size limit was 36″, you could catch 35″ fish all day log! What about size limits? Different states have different size limits. Why not make the size limit a national standard? The overall number of younger anglers is declining do to the video and electronic culture we now live in. If you tried to pull your children away from their video games, cell phones and internet to take them striper fishing and they didn’t catch any, would they want to take up the sport and pass it on to their children?

By: Wayne St. Peter

Wayne St. Peter — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 20:00:52 +0000

I too have lived through the mess in the late 70′s and early 80′s. I do not want to relive it again. The quotas are in place for a reason, lets leave them alone and have no ROLLOVER.

By: John 4 Bluefin

John 4 Bluefin — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 19:08:42 +0000

“death by a thousand cuts” is unfortunately a great summary of what is happening here. The value of each striped bass to the economic engine of each mid-Atlantic state is far greater alive than dead in every scenario. this is like making an argument for catching and reducing bunker for inclusion in over the counter pills. anyone with a boat on the eastern seaboard has a stake in this. if we lose striped bass again from a recreational perspective what are the impacts? certainly enormous economically and if I were a boat builder I would worry about how future anglers will justify a boat purchase if the bass dry up. short fluke season, sea bass closed, some blues and no bass? all for $500-$1500 per month for a boat payment? tough to make that work. Speak up, take action and write the letter to Washington. You can bet the harvesters are totally united and barraging Nichola Meserve at FMP with letters and request to allow the killing of more stripers. your stripers!

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Tue, 13 Oct 2009 18:25:21 +0000

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By: Capt Skip Montello

Capt Skip Montello — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 14:07:53 +0000

I have kept striper catch log for more than 10 years now as part of my “catch and release” charter business. My “real” stats are alarming to say the least. My landings are down significantly, on the order of 52% over that time period. And not to mention how few sub 20 inch fish we landed this past season is surely telling me that the future of strped bass is in serious danger. I am sure you are aware of the unbelievble commercial “by-catch” disasters that are happening every day by gill netters and mid-waters herring boats. Does of this get into your meetings? These boats do not give a damn about stripers when they set their nets… I lived through the debacle that was the late 70′s through the 80′s and I can’t understand why these folks on the AP are so unwilling to put the “brakes on”!!!! Thanks,Skip