menhaden and blues

[rel]

To begin let me explain that these are just the observations of a shore bound angler. From all the posts on many other boards N. bay seems to be loaded with very small menhaden even along the ocean front-BUT only along the west side. I haven't seen alot off Sakonnet, nor have I seen the usual blitzes in the Westport area, where I generally fish. Granted there was one small pod of blues that came into the area but for the most part its been small bass or nothing.
I am wondering if Conn.'s banning the pogy reduction boats and the large purse seiners from the waters of Long Island Sound might not be having a good effect on the fishing in N.bay. I do not remember seeing any large schools of menhaden the the bay this spring- yet we have oodles of young. These young would be following the food flow that exits the bay and like was mentioned in one report(Jim White; Nor'east Online) the flow is exceptionally good this year due to all the spring and early summer rainfall and the resulting algae blooms.
Blues are an oily fish and require their food to have a high oil content so they follow the menhaden more closely than do stripers which can feed on just about anything and survive. This may explain why there aren't alot of blues off Westport- east of Gooseberry- but there are alot of stripers because the only bait I've seen in this latter area has been sandeels.
Just some food for thought from one who would rather ctch stripers than blues. rel

[carpff]

Good logical thinking, rel. It would be good to have a
fish biologist or comparable from the DEP or DEM log
in with their read on the situation.

Carpff

[RIBill]

I'm pretty sure that RI also placed some limitations on the pogey boats. I believe they were kept out of the Providence River and G'wich Bay. I forget the specifics. I know that RISAA was all over the situation and how the lines were drawn. I don't remember the presence of large numbers of pogeys in the Bay, although I'm certainly not on the water everyday. The juveniles seem to appear spontaneously, and in mind-boggling numbers. Its amazing.

[rel]

riBill- From what I've read the menhaden spawn off shore and then the immature menhaden(even the fish do not recognize them) drift inshore to reside in the estuaries and begin growing into the adult form which we recognize. With the unequal distribution of the immature menhaden I would have to figure that one or more of the ocean currents that move towards this area has shifted so the "larval" stage which rides these currents is being concentrated in a small area. This is good in the short term but could lead to an ecological disaster- like putting all your eggs in one basket.
Also if by increasing the number of adults that make it to Long Island sound the young may be ingrained towards that area, then follow the food into western RI waters.
As was stated in the previous post some one with more in depth marine training posting would be a great help. rel