[KNOTME]

Hey Crazy

How about the D.E.C. docking a barge in each major inlet were they could purchase fish from anyone willing to pay for a license to commercially fish striped bass.
Minimum 1 thousand dollars for the license.
5 fish a day.
slot size limit of 28 to 38 inches.
Only 1 license per boat.
The D.E.C. can implement quota's to insure good future fishing.
The D.E.C. can charge the fair market price for the bass.
The D.E.C. can use the monies from the high license fee and the money they make off the fish to pay for extra officers and patrolling.
If you get caught breaking the rules you get stripped of your license for life and fined.
If your fishing for your 5 fish to sell and you happen to catch a 50 pounder well too bad you have to let it go, or let your selling catch go in order to keep your 50 pounder.

Just a suggestion..

 

[KNOTME]

Mike

Bringing back a 36" limit on bass was tried and I'm not totally convinced that it worked.
While the population of bass may have risen, the number of big fish has declined.
Most 36" bass are female, males rarely grow that big, to take a large number of females out of the mix really isn't the best for the bass population in the long run.
What made the 36" limit a success at all was the average fisherman wasn't catching many keepers.

I also believe the reason for the 43% of the anglers wanting max harvest is because every year it gets more and more expensive to fish. As much as anglers enjoy the piece and serenity of fishing I believe a lot of guys also enjoy a nice fish dinner. The harder the fed's make it to catch fish the less people are going to partisipate and that's not good for any of us.

 

[KNOTME]

Usually a well ballance is the best for a population of any fish.
You know the old saying be careful what you wish for.
Designing limits and quotas to suit trophy hunters may not be the best thing for the bass population.

Steve do you want what's best for you or what's best for the bass?

 

[KNOTME]

Very well said Flounder.
I myself spoke to Mr.Young about the very same topic. The good thing is the answer to the bass problem if fairly simple. (a low slot size in the 20" rage and 1 a day bag limit).
The actual abstical's are the Steve's and the Mike's who want that wall hanging bass, along with the charter boat captains who want a minimum size limit and a maximum bag limit.
Throw in the commercial's breathing down your neck and WHAMMO! instant mess.
The other problem is when you mention what you did about a 1 fish 18 to 24 inch slot size it upset's members of this page. Then you get accused of belonging to P.E.T.A.

15 day's left..

 

[KNOTME]

Good questions Al.

I believe the 36" limit killed to many female bass and caused an over abundance of smaller fish.
I deem the 36" limit a failure.

As far as the 28" limit goes I really cant see it helping the current situation.
But I also think it's to early to tell.

As for the other 2 questions.
I think each state NY, NJ, & CONN should have alternating limits, slots, bags.

Example Year-1

NJ 36" & up 1 fish per day
NY 28" to 36" 2 fish per day
Conn 20" to 28" 3 fish per day

Year-2
NJ 28" to 36" 2 fish per day
NY 20" to 28" 3 fish per day
Conn 36" & up 1 fish per day

And so on.

Keep Charter 2 @ 28" everywhere.

If you want to throw in a special tag for trophy fish when it's another
state's turn at the 36" and up then so be it. ( I would be against it)

Maybe this will help balance the population.

 

[KNOTME]

Doughboy

I understand you don't like the fact that charter boats can keep 2 bass per angler @ 28" but they were awarded that privilege.
This is not a hobby for them it's a livelihood.
They bass population as far as numbers of bass go is doing very well, It's the size distribution that is suffering.
If the D.E.C. and the N.M.F.S. thought the limit was to high I'm sure it would be different.

As far as your comment about comparing Florida charters to NY charters it's not the same.
Most of the patrons in Fla. are tourists while most of the patrons in the NY area are for the most part locals.
People who fish on charter boats in the NY area want to go home with fish to eat.
It's not likely you'll find tourist's in Fla dragging a 20 pound grouper back to their hotel room.

Bass are still a population of fish like many others every spring and fall anglers in our area fill coolers to the top with mackerel yet I don't hear any complaints about a possible over harvest. Mackerel are also still commercially netted. These fish are very important to the entire cycle of northeast fishing.

If you look at limits as a whole bass limits are very low.

 

[KNOTME]

Doughboy maybe you don't understand the role of the charter boat.
Many boat anglers utilize the local charter boats to learn good fishing spots and techniques.
How many people do you know that learned to fish or started fishing on a party boat?
That would be a good pole for the Noreast front page.
"How many people learned to fish or started fishing on a party boat"?

As far as the big fish go I will not deny the fact that charter boats catch big fish but it's not always the case.
Some times a party boat will go out twice a day and have no keepers or very few.

How many recreational anglers catch fish over 30 lbs that you didn't hear about?
Does this mean they didn't get caught?

Plenty of Rec. fishermen catch big fish don't kid yourself.
There just good at keeping it under there hat.

Here's a good example I know of more than a few giants that were caught in the mud hole this year
how many pictures or posts did you see of those fish.
They bag plenty of giants in the hole every year but you rarely hear of those catches.

Oh by the way the next time you bump into a charter captain who's been chartering for
30 plus years you tell him to find a new job because he catches to many fish.

I'm glad to see you take conservation very seriously but charter captains are not the bad guys.

 

[KNOTME]

Doughboy
Just one more thing before this topic is completely beaten.
If your on a charter boat and catch a keeper, if and when you catch your second you have the right to let it go.
The captain doesn't put the gaff up to your neck and force you to keep it.
Heck it just makes his job a little easier the next time out.
Believe me when I say the bass population is doing just fine. If you think that charter boats with a 2 fish limit are going to deplete the bass population then you should think of a career change. Go get your six pack license and get rich like all the millionaire charter captains.
Someday you will see the BIG picture.
I do have a question for you before I go.
How many king fish did you catch this year?

 

[KNOTME]

How can you ask for something if you don't know what you want?
The reason the commercials are getting what they want is because they all ask for the same thing.
Guys on this page can't agree on what hook to use never mind bass limits.

The recreational limit problem will NEVER be solved as far as I see it.

But you never know one good idea can open a lot of eyes.

That's why I'm here.

As far as by catch if you open commercial bass fishing more, it will ease up on by catch because more Com. guys will switch over to hook and line instead of dragging nets.
Less fish would actually be getting killed. It's has to be made so it's worth a guys effort to hook and line fish rather than drag a net. Right now it's not.

 

[KNOTME]

Maybe if all the guys who only catch and release bass because they don't like the taste of fish or because they feel like they are helping the population or there in it for the fight could switch over to bluefish. They hit every lure known to man and they fight much harder than bass and can also be caught from the surf.
If the bass weren't so prized commercially we wouldn't have limits. If searobins were going for $5.00 a pound we would have limits up the ying yang.
The bass limits are really in place to keep a commercial fisherman from fishing as a recreational fisherman then selling his fish at the end of the day.
The Rec. fisherman is getting much less than he is really entitled to why should they settle for less.
If you don't ask for maximum harvest your making a big mistake.
The further away from zero the better, and if the rec's. do get a big limit like 3 fish or so you can always let them go.
Once the Rec's get it out of there mind that it's NOT about the fish then you can start making progress. Until then you'll just be arguing amongst yourselves.

 

[KNOTME]

Opinari

You forget all the bass eggs that didn't hatch due to PCB levels as well as the toxins, sludge, and runoff that pollute our waters.
Lawn fertilizer
dog crap
anti freeze
diesel fuel
gasoline
acid's
yadda yadda yadda....

Commercial by catch and catch & release mortality are the least of our worries.

Would you rather release a gut hooked fish or eat a poisoned one?