Quality of Bass Stock?

[brushfly]

Want to hear from RT'rs about the quality of the bass caught ON THE FLY this past season.

Last year my log recorded the most fish over 28". In approx. 25+ trips, had 9 fish over the mark to 34".

This year logged over 30 trips with only one fish scratching out 30". This all took place on the N. Shore of L.I. in the same areas as last season. Tried a few new locations with all the right methods to try and bag a cow to no avail. Here on the N. Shore we had a HUGE bunker kill in August, (largest I've seen since moving here in '94) and that certainly didn't help the cause.

Let's just keep it by the numbers. We've covered what helps or hurts the fishery numerous times.

[captkoop]

Brushfly,
The numbers of schoolies have grown but the larger fish (over 30") have declined. Over the past 5 years the yearly average of fish over 30" in the LIS was about 50. This year I am at about 30 over 30" BUT have hooked several monsters over 36" and a few that have busted off near the boat that have pushed 40". It was disturbing to hear how many huge Bass were hooked and killed in the spring from anglers fishing Execution and Hempstead Harbor.
Bass to 60lbs were slaughtered for a photo. Anyone eating a fish that size needs to have their heads checked. A fish over 40" has wintered in the Chesapeake and Hudson Rivers for over 10 years. Some maybe longer. The levels of heavy metals and toxic substances in the meat and fatty tissue would make them disastrous dinner. In addition, the larger (breeders) can produce millions of eggs in a breeding year. Why are they being slaughtered for a picture? I can attest to only taking one large bass over 30Lbs this year for food for my family as you will see from the photo of my wife in the Nice Bass thread. My 3 boys who are under 5 have a great appetitie for fresh fish. They have become fond of Bluefish, Flounder, Tuna, Trout and Shark instead of Striped Bass.
Maybe mother nature will turn up the bad stroms and make fishing difficult for the remainder of the year like she has done in years prior.

[Fin Addiction]

Makes you wonder when you keep hearing about all the dead bass 20-40lbs bellyup in the great south channel that the net fishery is discarding...:mad: It was a very good year on the Cape but those fish move through the shipping lanes on their way south where they get decimated and end up being by catch...:mad: :mad:

[danny]

when you see guys killing all these 20 and 30 something (and better) pound fish, how can you wonder where the bigger fish are? they're on some plate and/or on someone's wall somewhere. it's a shame... there should be slot limits... that would really help.

[SamRiley]

I'm with Jeff on this one. Best year ever for me but I was mostly in Mass and Cape Cod Bays.

[Lov2Fish]

I don't fish the "fly" but I respect those who do. I consider you guys much better fisherman the the Bait guys. I myself am in a clas I call the Jiggers, I love to fell the hit on a jig. I have been fishing NY Harbor stripers for 20+ years , and have seen a major increase in "SO-CALLED" charter captains. Seems every fisherman who chunks a bass, thinks gee I can do this for a living. I tag lots of stripers and I know they come back to the same spots every year, but with these charter guys keeping 4 to 6 man limits sometimes twice a day it adds up! I sure know I don't own the fish or the river, but I do my part and release most fish. Do the simple math - 15 charter boats say total of only 6 trips a week, thats 90, times that by 16 weeks ( sping & fall ),thats 1,440 keepers stripers never coming back to spawn or grow! And my numbers are very conservative! Times that 1,440 by just 5 years, thats 7,200 keeper fish. Add to that the growing number of recreational striper fisherman and the numbers get out of control! I see them gaff everything! I can remember when it was 36" minimum and hardly anyone in Harbor striper fishing. Now I have a navy of beginners following me around all day. Tight lines to all.

[brushfly]

I'd have no problem going back to the 36" but I think were years away from seeing that again. Probably when it's too late. Recent announcements have the bass stocks reported at "status quo" so don't expect significant changes soon.

[brushfly]

Koop,

Ditto on the schoolies. This year caught more than ever, even during my vacation to MV in mid-August. Finding them stacked but bigger fish just weren't to easy to come by in my neck of the woods further east. Even the larger blues were finicky late summer with the kill and then Octobers stormy weather. Not complaining, I would just love to see a larger bio-mass.

[captkoop]

Brush,

The issue of keeping bass is a touchy one. Everyone wants a KEEPER.
WIth the present keeper size being 28" they (ASMFC) are leaving a tremdous kill zone open. When the keeper size was 36" it reduced the Kill Zone but it still targeted the Mega Breeders. Bass that spawn millions of eggs.
By killing off the larger fish we are slitting our own throats. The bass with the higest mortality rate is the ones under 28". Desease, preditors, boats, nets, birds, and humans kill the small bass. What would happen to the charter boats that work for the Keeper's if the kill zone was reduced to 2 fish below 28" or a slot between 20-28"? They are also the best tasting and healtiest fish. This could help the mega breeders get back to the spawn grounds.
I encourage my clients to return all fish to the sea as quickly as possible. This year my clients took 3 "keeper" bass. They were just over the 28" limit. Hopefuly more people will practice catch and release and return what will either spoil, rot or become freezer burned before it is consumed.
Thats my 2 cents.

[flyaddict]

I strictly wadefished this year.
Caught 50 stripers all on the fly. No keepers.
No complaints though.
I would like to see slot limits. I'd feel better about taking a 21 inch fish home for dinner than a 36 inch fish.

[brushfly]

Not sure about this one. Yes, we can afford to loose more smaller fish than those large breaders over 36". But I remember the late eighties where you had to put some time in to bag fish over 36. Not brain surgery, just some talent, location x 3 and the right equipment and most likely bait. At that time caught endless fish 30-35".

Go to a slot with fish under the current level and anybody who can cast anything should be able to find "dinner" and for alot of fisherman this is the focus of the game.

Back then, at 36" the dumpster at Gone Fishing Marina had a good sampling. Go to a smaller slot and that thing's gonna overflow. It's been covered many times over. It's just the ASMFC as well as others have to realize something may need to be done and when they do, we need to go to meetings and voice our concern.

[flyaddict]

I hear you.
I'm a relative newbie to this sport. In my third season as a flyfisherman I have yet to catch a keeper but thats OK. I understand the importance of preservation of this resource. I lose my mind when I here of poachers and fisherman keeping shorts. I wouldn't dream of keeping an undersized fish.

I'd like for my three boys to get the same uplifting feeling that I got this week after landing schoolie after schoolie practically in our own backyard.

I guess I don't know what the right answer is. Slot limits, higher minimum size.

I do plan to become more involved though.