Well "THE BASS ARE HERE" according to the boats that are part of the Captree fleet on Long Island. We're finishing up with a week of blows and bad weather and this week the boats will hammer down on the second big push of fish making their way south for the winter.
We've had good bait. Had good weather, then some snotty stuff which is usually good, but the fishery continues to be a boat fishery. NY and Raritan Bays are producing so are the deeper holds along the channels running out of the bays. The shore angler still continues to wait...and wait...and wait.
So with the ASMFC basically doing nothing to save the striped bass we will watch and see the dismal fishery morph into just fond memories. Anglers talk about how "a slot" will save the fishery. They use the sample of how the southern red drum, redfish, have rebounded and is now a healthy species were overfishing and over harvesting is not occurring.
The problem with a slot is, generally, it doesn't work, in my opinion. Lets say the powers that be want to institute a "slot" at your local diner where you work. The law states you can't eat from 4-8 PM every night, you can go, you can look at the menu and order food, but you can't eat it. That's done to keep "more food around". And you are the restaurant manger who is looking to fill the cook and waitstaff during those hours. Are you signing up to work? Or, will you sign up for the 2-8 or 8-12 shift when customers can come and eat until their stomachs split open? Then ask the owner and staff where are the customers are between the 4-8 shifts every night. After about a day or so no one will come to order and look. Keep hammering those slot fish and see how long that lasts as you wait for the 18-22 inch fish that are out there to save this fishery. Forget the big girls, their done, and Maryland and Virginia will be sure to "kill most of them all" this winter and next spring.
What we are seeing now is 5,000 boats on a decent day on "the numbers" or close to them, congregating over bass that are holding in structure or venturing somewhat close to grab a meal, mostly now adult bunker. You can throw big baits and flies to fish, but for the most part, the 20 inch fish out there aren't choking down several 8-12 bunker nor taking your 10 inch Hollow Fleye. The big ones that are left will though, but if you target and catch them, they have to be returned, unharmed...HA HA HA !
Anglers are fishing and releasing the unders and overs, and searching, hard, for there 28-35" slot fish. They aren't looking to catch a 45 inch bass, thats sport fishing, they are working hard and looking for that mid range keeper and legal fish. So while they are on the bow of their favorite head boat, the line goes tight, the big fish gets reeled in in some ungodly current hoisted up just a bit before the net kid gets there, and then flopped on the deck before a gill raking picture is taken and its dive bombed back into the drink. How's that ASMFC for reducing recreational mortality?
So one of the Captree fleet boats posted a report. 33 stripped bass caught, 17 slot fish were killed, that means 16 were dropped back into the water. 3 of which were overs and 13 unders. I have to say I am surprised there were nearly 50% of the catch met the slot, as those fish are hard to find these days.
So how long does the slot last? If we hunt and kill every 28-35" fish what happens next year? In two years? Then the anglers and money makers will complain, put on the political pressure, and have changes made based on poor catches and thus loss revenue.
So here's what I think, a moratorium is coming, and it should. We didn't learn from the 80's. Or what you could see, I'm not saying it will happen, is the EEZ will either be extended out further then three miles, or the line will be kept and fishing will be allowed outside that line. Of course it will cost you. Either in permit fees or someones life as they enter in bigger waters in their 16 foot Bass Tracker because the reports are that 8 miles out "there's acres of bass on sand eels".