I was comparing notes with a fishing buddy the other day (reel-timer sans computer Jeff V.), and we agreed that the stripers did not in fact show up early this year, despite everyone's El Nino predictions. But Jeff noted that the early arrivals are bigger this year. And he's right.
So I checked the age/growth charts in Karas' "Striper", and sure enough the prolific 22-24" fish are right in the range for 5 year fish from the 1993 year class that topped the historical abundance charts. These are last year's carefully released ubiquitous 18-inchers.
This promises awsome flyrod action this year, with 5 and 6 and 7 pound fish readily available. And if everybody fishes barbless and releases carefully, next year will be even better (unless the class of '93 has seen enough fluff and tinsel to wise up by then).
The dark cloud in this sunny sky could be the Year 2000 Bug (Y2K as we in professional geekdom call it). It's an early worry, and I'd welcome anyone's comments that will allay my fears, but if keeper size stays at 28" and the summer of 2000 offers virtually nothing but keepers then I worry that every fishing trip will end in dead bass and the 1993 YOY will not be able to spawn in the numbers that would support more banner year classes.
Anyone want to suggest (a) forward looking fisheries management will forestall this; (b) there will be so damn many fish that it doesn't matter how many get killed; (c) sanctimonious C&R flyfishing types should be ground into chum anyway; or (d) something else?