2019 Spring Rockfish Season

LimaVictor · Apr 20, 2019

Good luck to you all huntin' for that 35"+ keeper today.
And please be safe on the water this season.

All we've seen come into the shop today are perch and catfish. LOTS of catfish!

Archeryrob · Apr 21, 2019

With Rockfish on an obvious decline I cannot for the life of me fathom why fisherman will not self regulate and release the breeder cows. Scientists urged to close this season. Virginia mules closing the season but not a word from Maryland.

All this is going to do in force another closed season in the future.

eshoremd · Apr 21, 2019

Archeryrob said:
With Rockfish on an obvious decline I cannot for the life of me fathom why fisherman will not self regulate and release the breeder cows. Scientists urged to close this season. Virginia mules closing the season but not a word from Maryland.

All this is going to do in force another closed season in the future.

Couldnt agree more Rob!

outrider58 · Apr 21, 2019

Archeryrob said:
With Rockfish on an obvious decline I cannot for the life of me fathom why fisherman will not self regulate and release the breeder cows. Scientists urged to close this season. Virginia mules closing the season but not a word from Maryland.

All this is going to do in force another closed season in the future.

x1000

ETA I'm fine with a couple closed spring seasons. In my un-scientific mind, it's the best way to maintain the fishery.

Inigoes · Apr 21, 2019

Archeryrob said:
With Rockfish on an obvious decline I cannot for the life of me fathom why fisherman will not self regulate and release the breeder cows. Scientists urged to close this season. Virginia mules closing the season but not a word from Maryland.

All this is going to do in force another closed season in the future.

After this year, one would expect the spring season to be closed on the rivers. To afford more of a hatch caused by the additional pressure of the invasive snakeheads.

Snakeheads are already being caught in the shallow grassy edges of rivers.

dannyp · Apr 21, 2019

spring or trophy season is only allowed in the main stem of the bay below the brewerton channel ( main east -west channel out of the harbor ) i like to fish as much as the next guy but it seems as though this will be the last trophy season for awhile for us , although they slay them up and down the coast .

babalou · Apr 21, 2019

Well well then

outrider58 said:
x1000

ETA I'm fine with a couple closed spring seasons. In my un-scientific mind, it's the best way to maintain the fishery.

You should then make them extend deer season so you can get another elk-ish white tail.

damn crazy looking deer you got.

Archeryrob · Apr 21, 2019

I am not advocating for closing fishing season, just closing the season (Keeping) on the breeders. Have fun catching them, maybe even a picture, but toss them back. Schoolies taste better anyways and there are lots more of them. I like the slot limit idea all the time. 18" - 28" and never a fish over this in the boat. The fishery needs the big girls alive. Maybe even close the keeping season until breeding is over.

Cheesehead · Apr 21, 2019

Archeryrob said:
I am not advocating for closing fishing season, just closing the season (Keeping) on the breeders. Have fun catching them, maybe even a picture, but toss them back. Schoolies taste better anyways and there are lots more of them. I like the slot limit idea all the time. 18" - 28" and never a fish over this in the boat. The fishery needs the big girls alive. Maybe even close the keeping season until breeding is over.

Couldn’t have said it better myself. Gonna be a hard sell to NJ, NY, RI and MA! They seem to love the big ones.

outrider58 · Apr 21, 2019

Cheesehead said:
Couldn’t have said it better myself. Gonna be a hard sell to NJ, NY, RI and MA! They seem to love the big ones.

Hey, Virginia has already stepped up. Time for Merryland to do the same.

gtodave · Apr 22, 2019

The striper population in MD is booming. It's tough to have a moratorium here when that is happening, and the crabbers are all complaining that the bass are eating all their crabs.

ChannelCat · Apr 22, 2019

Archeryrob said:
With Rockfish on an obvious decline I cannot for the life of me fathom why fisherman will not self regulate and release the breeder cows. Scientists urged to close this season. Virginia mules closing the season but not a word from Maryland.

All this is going to do in force another closed season in the future.

If Maryland were as preoccupied with striped bass conservation as they are with gun control, there would already be a moratorium...

LimaVictor · Apr 22, 2019

Rumors of a 5 year moratorium on rockfish next year.
Captains we speak to want the summer season closed and keep the spring and fall trophy seasons open.
EVERYONE and their mother knows Maryland for the Rockfish. But we have other great gamefish in our waters. Bluefish, red drum, and cobia. Snakehead in the creeks too. Heck, I'll take a slammer bluefish fight over a 40"+ rockfish fight any day...

Rebel59 · Apr 22, 2019

Had an eight hour boat ride... errrr rockfish trip yesterday, pretty day though.

Overboost44 · Apr 22, 2019

LimaVictor said:
Rumors of a 5 year moratorium on rockfish next year.
Captains we speak to want the summer season closed and keep the spring and fall trophy seasons open.
EVERYONE and their mother knows Maryland for the Rockfish. But we have other great gamefish in our waters. Bluefish, red drum, and cobia. Snakehead in the creeks too. Heck, I'll take a slammer bluefish fight over a 40"+ rockfish fight any day...

This^^
I believe the last time there was a moratorium on the rockfish, the bluefish started to make a comeback. I'm afraid the days of 30-40" bluefish are gone in most of the Bay.

I am sure finding a balance is hard. The charter captains likely make a good bit of their money on the trophy seasons, so I don't think that is a bad idea to close the summer and heavily regulate the Spring and Fall seasons. Nothing will make everyone happy, but when the water is at its warmest, the fish are more likely to die due to the stress.

HeatSeeker · Apr 23, 2019

Archeryrob said:
I am not advocating for closing fishing season, just closing the season (Keeping) on the breeders. Have fun catching them, maybe even a picture, but toss them back. Schoolies taste better anyways and there are lots more of them. I like the slot limit idea all the time. 18" - 28" and never a fish over this in the boat. The fishery needs the big girls alive. Maybe even close the keeping season until breeding is over.

^^This

LimaVictor · Apr 23, 2019

Overboost44 said:
This^^
I believe the last time there was a moratorium on the rockfish, the bluefish started to make a comeback. I'm afraid the days of 30-40" bluefish are gone in most of the Bay.

I am sure finding a balance is hard. The charter captains likely make a good bit of their money on the trophy seasons, so I don't think that is a bad idea to close the summer and heavily regulate the Spring and Fall seasons. Nothing will make everyone happy, but when the water is at its warmest, the fish are more likely to die due to the stress.

Very true! When the stressed fish has to take pictures with everyone on the boat in the heat and thrown back, the mortality rate is pretty bad.

We were getting reports from a couple captains on opening day. 2 fish in 2 hours when usually in 2 hours you used to catch 2 dozen...

pleasant1911 · Apr 23, 2019

Use circle hooks.

Melnic · Apr 23, 2019

And how much do the Omega boats contribute to this?

Billman · Apr 23, 2019

Melnic said:
And how much do the Omega boats contribute to this?

I've had the same thought, doubtful we will get the real answer.

2019 Spring Rockfish Season

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