I'll say one thing I enjoy for the most part is when "memories" pop-up on Facebook. I may sound like a broken record and have stated that in the past. But yesterday at work I signed into Facebook and the above popped up. That a Red Beach bass that I caught while sight fishing on the flats in Martha's Vineyard. It's a trip I have made on and off since 2014. It was an annual event but like everything else
in life all good things come to an end. Guys get older, June can be a tough month with graduations and Father's Day, the Covid pandemic came and went, and life just happens. The above pic was from 2015. Of all the years that was the best group pic. It wasn't even the best house we had rented over the years. It was a great house but it was located near the airport and a drive from the water. But anyway, when that feed popped up I know I have to make that trip a priority for myself next year, no excuses. I just have to make it happen.
And now we are 18 days away from when the new slot limit for striped bass should have already been adopted by the states on the East Coast. The ASMFC during the May meeting declared an "emergency action" to take place ASAP or by July 2nd, just 18 days from now. I know some states have already put the new slot into place or have a start date in the books, but not New Jersey.
Since the May meeting, New Jersey had a meeting, and side-stepped putting a plan of compliance into place. The feeling is New Jersey will "choose" to not abide by the emergency action. They, well we, have done it before in 2017 with the then new fluke regulations. In preparation of this anticipated non-compliance, the ASMFC has a meeting scheduled for July 5th to figure out how to deal with New Jersey, and any other states that choose not to follow the new rules. New York has been doing what it can in Washington to have the date postponed for all of the states....can you imagine the lobbying and the money and politics that is going on behind closed doors now.
In the meantime anglers, well more the charter and head boats, continue the harvest of "legal" striped bass, those measuring between 28 - 37.99 inches. Add to those Bonus Tag fish and it's day after day after day of more dead bass. So take the current slot, add the "bonus" fish, and ad the catch and release mortality and there you go......
So let's say one private charter boat leaves the dock with six anglers on board. Nice guys. Meat eaters. Legal fisherman. There's also the Captain and a mate out for day. They get on good numbers and start catching. Each guy takes there 28-38 inch fish home, plus the Bonus Tag fish. The Captain and mate throw there quota into the cooler as well. Then they go on to "play" catch and release of overs who are blowing up on bunker. They use circle hooks, because it's the law, sending out livies while a few others throw big rubber shads. They catch 50 fish and "release" them, some of the fish in better shape than the others.
So here's the numbers, in fish harvested for the morning trip, for each guy and the skipper and mate,
28-37.99" 8
24-28" 8
9% (of 50) mortality of c&r 10
26 dead bass
Now I'm picking on anyone in particular. But look at the shear number of boats out there on any given good day and multiply it out. July 2nd can't come soon enough, for those that care and will follow the science and the law, well if they adopt the ASMFC emergency action and put it into law. We'll see.