Spring 2020 New Striped Bass Regulations

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  • BuildnBurn

    Professional Pyro
    Oct 25, 2012
    731
    Frederick County
    I never understood why they allow fish that are undersized/underage to breed be taken. If they don't breed until they are 32" (I don't recall the exact spawning size) why are 18" fish allowed to be kept.

    I believe they are more concerned with money than the resource.
     

    gtodave

    Member
    MDS Supporter
    Aug 14, 2007
    14,060
    Mt Airy
    Trophy season starts 2+ weeks later, and NO fishing for them prior (you used to be able to catch and release). You're allowed one 35"+ fish.

    Circle hooks only when live-lining.

    I never understood why they allow fish that are undersized/underage to breed be taken. If they don't breed until they are 32" (I don't recall the exact spawning size) why are 18" fish allowed to be kept.

    I believe they are more concerned with money than the resource.

    That leaves the breeding stock in the water, to breed. It's a very common managing practice.
     

    Todd S

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Feb 4, 2012
    1,550
    Glen Rock, PA
    So, what happens to the big cows when they migrate North? I'll bet they still slaughter them, all summer long, in New York and NE. :sad20:I'm pretty sure that if you kill a big female Striper in July, that she won't spawn the following spring.
     

    teratos

    My hair is amazing
    MDS Supporter
    Patriot Picket
    Jan 22, 2009
    59,751
    Bel Air
    This is Maryland, son. We don't have "Stripers", we have Rockfish.
     

    Archeryrob

    Undecided on a great many things
    Mar 7, 2013
    3,024
    Washington Co. - Fairplay
    They need to cancel the spring season period for now and make a slot limit all year. Or moratorium will be next again. No one wants to change until they go to the well and it's empty.

    They changed the limit to 1 rockfish, UNLESS you're on a charter boat, then everyone gets two still.:rolleyes: Pay to play and i'm sure skids got greased for this one
     
    There's a huge stink in the recreational fishing community over these new regulations. Allowing commercial Charter captains to have a two fish per person per day limit and recreational fishermen are only allowed one is not going to fly. If you are a recreational fisherman who fishes for striped bass in the Chesapeake Bay I would strongly suggest a phone call or message or email to the Atlantic states marine fisheries Commission. Voice your displeasure with Maryland's regulations. Once again in typical fashion the Maryland Department of Natural Resources has put Revenue over saving a resource. The commission has the authority to order the state of Maryland to rewrite its regulations based on the statistical findings and the regulations in other states. I for one will not comply. If they allow Charter captains to keep two per person per day then this Captain will also be keeping two per person per day.
     
    They need to cancel the spring season period for now and make a slot limit all year. Or moratorium will be next again. No one wants to change until they go to the well and it's empty.

    They changed the limit to 1 rockfish, UNLESS you're on a charter boat, then everyone gets two still.:rolleyes: Pay to play and i'm sure skids got greased for this one

    The only way that's going to happen is if they are forced to do it. Maryland has a long history of putting revenue for Waterman and Commercial Charter captains over saving the resource. This action is nearly exactly what caused the moratorium back in the 1980s. And it's not just the Rockfish that they've done it with. Chesapeake Bay oysters are at an all-time low. The Bay Oyster population is at approximately 1% of its all-time historical High and yet they continue to allow the commercial Harvest of oysters. The blue crab population is near historical lows and yet they still allow the commercial Harvest of female blue crabs. There are several other species that they have done this with as well American eels soft clams hard clams and in the past yellow perch. At one point commercial fishermen were allowed to catch thousands of tons of yellow perch and ship them off to the Midwest 4 retail sale even though the yellow perch biomass and fishery in the Great Lakes is a hundred times more than what you find in the Chesapeake Bay and all its tributaries combined. It's all about the money and has nothing to do with saving the resources of the Chesapeake Bay.
     
    One word:

    OMEGA

    I read an article just yesterday about a mega. Right now they have a moratorium on harvesting more menhaden but it looks like the state of Virginia Mabel to pressure and allow them to harvest if they promise not to exceed their quota. They've already lied to the state and federal government about they're over harvest in years past. Anyone who believes them now is a fool. Of course the Virginia government is made up of nothing but fools right now
     

    Billman

    Whiskey Tango Foxtrot?
    May 18, 2010
    1,273
    Sykesville, MD
    They need to cancel the spring season period for now and make a slot limit all year. Or moratorium will be next again. No one wants to change until they go to the well and it's empty.

    They changed the limit to 1 rockfish, UNLESS you're on a charter boat, then everyone gets two still.:rolleyes: Pay to play and i'm sure skids got greased for this one


    Allowing charters two fish and recreational only one is a bad idea. It fosters the Us vs. Them mentality, which is never good. IF we're all in this together the rules should be the same, 1 fish per angler.
    I find it hard to believe the recreational fisherman are the problem. Charter boats are taking two parties most days and catching their limit in both the morning and afternoon.
    Enjoy the last few years before the moratorium, we can all point fingers later.
     

    BuildnBurn

    Professional Pyro
    Oct 25, 2012
    731
    Frederick County
    Trophy season starts 2+ weeks later, and NO fishing for them prior (you used to be able to catch and release). You're allowed one 35"+ fish.

    Circle hooks only when live-lining.



    That leaves the breeding stock in the water, to breed. It's a very common managing practice.

    The point I was trying to make was they are taking young that haven't spawned yet thus reducing the stock of potential breeders.
     

    pbharvey

    Habitual Testifier
    MDS Supporter
    Dec 27, 2012
    30,117
    2020 NJ striped bass regulations are still undetermined.
    Something I didn't know: NJ designates them as game fish and they cannot be sold commercially?

    2:20 for the striper stuff
     

    outrider58

    Eats Bacon Raw
    MDS Supporter
    Jul 29, 2014
    49,709
    The point I was trying to make was they are taking young that haven't spawned yet thus reducing the stock of potential breeders.

    Not a marine biologist, but often in impoundments, when you have too many fish in a given carrying capacity, you must 'thin the hered', partially the young fish, or you lose your breeding stock to the younger, more aggressive feeders.(sorry for the run-on).

    Managing any one species is almost impossible. You have to consider the whole ecosystem. Compound that with each state making their own rules, you end up with a very non cohesive approach. There really needs to be one ruling body IMO. That would require federal involvement controlling the entire coastal fishery. Sounds great, but we know what happens when Uncle Sugar takes over. Ask for a horse and you get a camel.
     

    ChrisD

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Jan 19, 2013
    2,962
    Conowingo
    Looking at another moratorium in the next 5 years. MD can't get their head out of their backside and protect the damned fish.

    Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

    This isn’t just a MD requirement. The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Council mandated cuts to all East Coast states. The last biomass assessment indicates that there is over fishing occurring all along the coast.
    In 2013 I believe, a 25% reduction on the coast and 20.5% in the Chesapeake bay was mandated. That plan was extended until the last stock assessment. That was when the 28” spring minimum size went by the wayside, and the summer fishing went from 18” to 20”. MD was able to get a 19” fish last year due to the high number of dead discards to get 20” fish. That’s when the circle hooks were mandated.

    I never understood why they allow fish that are undersized/underage to breed be taken. If they don't breed until they are 32" (I don't recall the exact spawning size) why are 18" fish allowed to be kept.

    I believe they are more concerned with money than the resource.

    The breeding stock doesn’t stay in the bay. They arrive early spring, spawn and leave for the ocean. If MD only fished for the spawning size fish, we wouldn’t have much of a season as they wouldn’t be here In addition, that would put all of the fishing pressure on the fish needed to sustain the stock.
    Our summer fishery is predominantly male fish.
    Protecting the breeders to me, is what should be the most important consideration. One large female carries thousands of eggs.
     

    Batt816

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Dec 1, 2018
    4,084
    Eastern Shore
    Trophy season starts 2+ weeks later, and NO fishing for them prior (you used to be able to catch and release). You're allowed one 35"+ fish.

    Circle hooks only when live-lining.



    That leaves the breeding stock in the water, to breed. It's a very common managing practice.

    :thumbsup:
     

    ChrisD

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Jan 19, 2013
    2,962
    Conowingo
    They need to cancel the spring season period for now and make a slot limit all year. Or moratorium will be next again. No one wants to change until they go to the well and it's empty.

    They changed the limit to 1 rockfish, UNLESS you're on a charter boat, then everyone gets two still.:rolleyes: Pay to play and i'm sure skids got greased for this one

    I agree on the trophy season, the breeders should be left alone. This is my opinion, The stock would be better off if the season opened with a 19-28” size limit, leaving the cows go. But something like that would have to be uniform all along the coast. If MD did that, as soon as the fish leave here, they would be targeted in other states.

    There's a huge stink in the recreational fishing community over these new regulations. Allowing commercial Charter captains to have a two fish per person per day limit and recreational fishermen are only allowed one is not going to fly. If you are a recreational fisherman who fishes for striped bass in the Chesapeake Bay I would strongly suggest a phone call or message or email to the Atlantic states marine fisheries Commission. Voice your displeasure with Maryland's regulations. Once again in typical fashion the Maryland Department of Natural Resources has put Revenue over saving a resource. The commission has the authority to order the state of Maryland to rewrite its regulations based on the statistical findings and the regulations in other states. I for one will not comply. If they allow Charter captains to keep two per person per day then this Captain will also be keeping two per person per day.

    Charterboats are required to enroll in a new instant logbook system, in which they “hail out” when leaving the dock, and “hail in” when returning. There are fishery people that will be monitoring and meeting the boats upon return to count the catch. From what I understand, the DNR will also have the ability to verify that a charter has hailed out, and if not, they will be in violation of the new regs. This new system is done by phone or internet, and will provide daily up to date data on catch effort and mortality from the charter fleet. If a charter captain does not enroll in the new system, they will be on a 1 fish creel also. There is no real information on how many recreational boats are out on a daily basis, and at best the DNR takes a W.A.G. on how many fish are being taken, and discarded on private boats. So at least there is some up to date accountability on how many fish are being taken in real time numbers on charterboats.
     

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