Wednesday, October 30, 2024

10.30.24 This isn't really happening is it?....

     Well I'm officially a keyboard angler. Between home, work, and now heading south for a conference for a few days, I resort to fishing from the comforts of my home office. This fall I've managed a few outings but have yet to bring a bass to hand. So surfing the internet is what I'm left to do. But surely when I get back next week things should be going good and I'll be making more of an effort to go.

     But those few outings and things like the ASMFC give me fodder to keep the pages on this post full. I've been following the "savage" sand eel, and now bunker bite, that is occurring along the Jersey Shore. But has it really been a Jersey Shore bite?

     When I do get down or see the pics of anglers holding up their catch they are way off the beach. I can only stand and throw my 30 foot cast into nondescript structure hoping for that one rouge bass has made it's way into the shallow waters. But way out on the horizon I see the flotilla of boats of every size all clumped up criss crossing each other and fishing. The screen shots I have seen this early fall run shows the fish are in depths between 60-75 feet, way outside of my casting range from the beach. 

     The screens show the bass midway in the water column which is about 30 feet down. For the fly angler that means sinking lines dredging with a sand eel or bunker imitation. In the last few days those fish have moved closer to the beach and adult bunker seem to have made a showing. You can see all the pics of whale activity in closer which means large mammals on menhaden. And in the mix are bass. 

     I saw a bunch of posts from anglers who were first hand witness to what may have been going on before the fishes moved inside, and it concerned me. Here is an example from one, 


and here is another, 

     Anglers and boaters know about "the three mile line". That's the cutoff between state and federal waters. Beyond the 3 mile line out to 200 miles is the EEZ, or Economic Exclusion Zone. Those waters are closed to striped bass fishing, at least legally that is. Yes, anglers, and that's why seasonal closures won't work, can always say they are targeting bluefish, or bottom fish when the law comes up on their port side. New Jersey waters are measured out from the beach to three miles. And recently the bite seemed to have been, from say two miles, out past the line into the EEZ. But that doesn't stop those "fishing dirty" from taking advantage and fishing where the fish are. The striped bass are basically catch and release these days as the 28-31" slot fish aren't to be found, so, all you need is some bottom rigs on board so you can claim you're bottom fishing when the enforcers come to check. Guys will push the envelope to "get theirs" and just follow the "professionals" who are bending the law for their clients. These are the same folks who are posting on saving the bass and encourage change in the name of conservation. But in the meantime they'll do what they want to do to get theirs. 


      Now I'll say this. It's not an excuse, but it was my experience. In November 2000 Leif and I were out and enjoying a nice day on the water, and we weren't alone. We were in the mix of other boats and were on the fish pretty good. I wasn't the furthest boat out east but I was in between the head and six pack center consoles trying to stay on the bite.


     As we played catch and release I received a text from a fellow Captain and friend who said, "You know you're way out past the three mile line, right?". I took a look at the screen and realized where I was and quickly we took in our lines and headed back west. In doing so we passed a majority of the fleet who were say a click or too to far out. These are the boats that push the line, while others go out 10-15 miles and report acres of bass frolicking on top, way past the watchful eye of the Coast Guard. 


     When we did come in the fishing slowed because the fish weren't there. We scratched a few fish out but more importantly I learned a valuable lesson. I questioned myself, "If there wasn't a concern of getting boated and ticketed would I cross that line, knowingly, if all alone and the fish were blowing up in the EEZ?". I would like to say no, but learned that day how important it is to know where you are if you're going to fish out that far from the beach. 

     So now we move from the sand eel bite, and all things jigged and long and silver, like Ava's, to bunker like offerings like shads, plugs, and Beast Fleye's. The social media posts will go from guys holding bass with no land in sight to guys holding bass with the backgrounds blocked out. For those not following the rules and not use the blur app before they post, houses, condos, and telephone poles in the distance will give away their location. And with land out in the distance our eyes will continue to be drawn to haphazardly held fish that may survive or not. 



     It seems most boat anglers have learned the "Striped bass hug of 2024" where the fishes slime is worn off on the sleeves of the Champion sweatshirts, although the vertical gill plate shots will surely continue. In the past the pics were of fish on the deck or held incorrectly, now time out of the water will be due to the direction of the Captain or fellow anglers so they don't get skewered on social media from armchair anglers, well, like me now. 

     Social media has me rethinking my love of fishing for striped bass. I don't know if it's just I'm getting old and miserable, but there's just too much, and too much wrong with what I'm seeing. Besides all you see are the wins, meaning big fish pictures which portrays in my mind that it's non-stop fishing and catching. One fish picture from a boat, who caught three fish in four hours between three guys, and says it was "epic", just isn't what I think is the reality of what's going on. Yes, soon we'll see "landed over 150 fish", which I just don't get, but seeing all this just ruins what the sport means to me and lessens what I enjoy. But, I will be out there for a taste of it coming soon. 

     Some anglers on the beach are finding that ghost after putting in hard core time. Below is a deserved angler who I see on Stripers Online from time to time. "Eeels" as he's known on that forum caught a lovely 48 inch bass fishing alone. Nicely done. 


     And in other news the drought-like conditions exist which affects the freshwater river and creek fishermen more than the guys on the beach. It's been over a month since we've seen any water fall from the sky which is a new dry-spell record. And the dry weather has the leaves turning color quicker than normal and falling to the ground in big numbers.  


     So when I get back and have a day off I'll have to make the decision to either pull out the leaf blower or grab my fly rod and take a ride down to the beach. It'll be there where I'll either see anglers lined up and down the beach or boats near or far on the bass, but hopefully within the three mile line.

Sunday, October 27, 2024

10.27.24 Had to go for "savage" sand eel bite...

     Leif and I were talking about 3pm and it just got me all fired up to go. So after some discussion with the wife, well discussion may be a loose term, I headed east to get in on this "savage" sand eel bite as I have been reading about all over the place. 

     With hight tide around 4ish I knew we'd be there for the outgoing. A hard NW wind but outgoing tide from day into evening with fish around on sand eels could only mean one thing...nada. Luckily we 

were joined by three spin fishermen within a beach or two and they didn't do anything either. when we first got to the water there was great bird life out about a mile and half with a half a dozen boats in the area. That bird action fizzled out and never came in close. 

     We fished a bit but nothing got me excited to want to stay any longer then I was already there. No birds. No whales. No boats. About 10 guys including us with three of them in Adidas sneakers. After Leif and I hit the street I decided to take a quick drive a mile or so south. I had

the place to myself and for about the next 45 minutes it was cast after cast with nothing. The water where I was doesn't stay around long but with the NW wind the sweep brought whatever there was right in front of mer from left to right. I did think I was going to get one, or something. 

    I've had a bunch of charter request over the last week or so. In good conscience I can't sign them up. Yes, you can catch a fish from the beach. AVA's, Savage sand eels, plastics on a lead head.....flies, yes, if you get lucky, like real lucky. My buddy shared a screenshot of where the action really is. He had another banner day out there, way out there, in 70 feet of water. 


     I'd say the the real body of fish are out 2-3 miles. That's why when you look at the beach cams there's no boats around, the only ones not seaworthy or with an experienced crew to join the fray at the EEZ line. But, it felt good to go. Gotta put the time in. 





Saturday, October 26, 2024

10.26.24 What could 2025 striped bass regulations look like?


     I've been pretty consistent, and right sometimes, regarding my predictions of striped bass management and regulations. That goes back to the days in the early 2010's when I would stand up at the Asbury Park Fishing Club and suggest moving to catch and release only tournaments only during the January meetings "New Business" forum. Over the years I have thought of and shared my take on gear restrictions, seasonal closures, and even moving to a moratorium for the striped bass. When the ASFMC came out with the emergency action slot last year I was very vocal on why is was a bad idea. I used the example of a school. Say you didn't admit any students for two years in a row. In seven and eight years do you think there would be any students ready to walk across the stage for graduation? 

     Slots. Most fisheries are managed by slots. How can you expect good management if you said every fish must be 20 inches. Bluefin, fluke, redfish, and striped bass have fallen under slot limits, for both commercial and recreational fishermen. Right now there are a ton of different slots for striped bass. The species is currently under the 28-31" slot for recreational anglers. But of course New Jersey, who sucks as a state when it comes to striped bass management, think Fote and Nowalsky, has the CI (Conservation Equivalency) Bonus Tag Program in place since we abolished commercial fishing in the state in the early 1990's. And we did that scratching, clawing, and threatening legal action. 

     So we have 28-31", Bonus Tag 24-28", and then the commercials up and down the coast and in the Chesapeake Bay still with big fish slots. Yes, there are fish over 34 and 35 inches, like up to 60 inches, still being harvested and managed by statewide quotas, as set by the ASMFC. Remember last year when the option of transfers was introduced. Like North Carolina, which has about 500 striped bass left, would be able to transfer their quota to say, Maryland, Virginia, or Massachusetts.

So fish are being harvested, yet alone killed by catch and release and discards from 0 inches through the largest of fish which can be over 50 inches. Some for the table, others for the crabs. 

     During the 6-hour marathon annual ASMFC meeting last week the decision was to have a December meeting to get the ball rolling on 2025 regulations. Of course New Jersey was one of the states that was


opposed. You see the problem is this. That current slot decimated, and still is, the 2015 year class of fish. And now, with another year ahead and fish growing, the decent, but less than 2015, year class of are falling within that 28-31" slot. So what you are doing is trying to stick your finger to stop the leak but in the end the boat is going to sink anyway. It is not sustainable. 

     Right now, this minute, on a clear and calm to be 70 degree day anglers on boats are hammering down on that first push of big fish. Party boats stating, ".....over 200 fish caught but only one keeper". If you take fishing catch and release mortality at 10- 40" that means that every trip 20-80 of those fish die, either immediately, or soon thereafter. When they die they just don't always just go belly up and float. The acidosis has them, retreat to the bottom where they either regroup or turn sideways and croak. Now that's not to say that every head boat is catching 200 fish, but how many fish do you think will be caught in New Jersey state waters this weekend? Just look out on the horizon. Do you think all those diamond jigs or Savage lures are finding their way into the corner of the striped bass' mouths. Reeled in from 50-60 foot depths out at the 3-mile line? Or caught and reeled in in big current in or between the channels? Or the double treble plugs that are used if the bunker schools are encountered and the big fish find their way up top....

     So what could 2025 look like. Well, remember this is fisheries management, which comes down to money and politics. The commercial guys are complaining, and rightfully so, that they can't make a living anymore due to the regulations. They want what they are entitled to. But I say to them, 'Hey guys, times have changed and you have to change", which can include going into another business. Imagine if a film photographer stood in protest, or the newspaper print guy, or even after the diner owner, said they


wanted things like they used to be, "When the world and times were better". You can still be a film photographer, just good luck getting film and finding a place to develop it and people to buy film prints. What about a moratorium? Like NO recreational and commercial targeting/ Forget it, the ASMFC doesn't have the guts or the balls to do it. Seasonal closures? They are in place in some places like the bays and rivers which can very from months in a row or in groups of weeks across the year. What we haven't seen are seasonal closures in the ocean.....now that may be an interesting option, but then guys will be saying, 'We're fishing for bluefish". 

     That leaves us with adjusting the slot. The 28-31" slot isn't good, never was. It will not be in place for 2025, and if it is it will be adjusted. It has to. But if you are protecting one class then you are hurting another. We don't have anything remotely close to being healthy, even if the SSB is now, just by a thread, not being, well, overfishing is not occurring. If we reduce the slot size to protect the 2015 and 2018 year class, then we are hammering down on the vulnerable last six year classes which have had poor recruitment. But remember, Chesapeake commercial fishermen and New Jersey Bonus Tag holders are taking fish from 18 and 24 inches respectively. 

     So what does that leave us? Mmmm. It leaves us with the fish that are the only hope of keeping striped bass going. The big females. Now a female striped bass is fertile around seven years old, a 28-31 fish, that we have open season on now. The big cows deliver the most eggs when and if they reproduce for that year. If you have ever held a spawning bass greater than 20 pounds then you can tell the difference between a pre and post-spawn fish. But here is the take on that. If anglers are "playing" catch and release with them anyway, and we are excepting a C & R mortality, why not just let some people keep some of those big fish sometime? Remember, those big fish are still being harvested by the commercial fishermen right now, depending on the time of year and quota. If we are always gong to figure in F, mortality, then who cares if the fish is eaten by a family or a crab, a dead fish is a dead fish.

     And with all of that is my prediction for 2025. The ASMFC and the jokers on the various boards and the recreational and commercial fishermen will collective continue the shit show, aka, "kicking the can down the road". December's meeting will be a relative joke. It will be like when king Herod couldn't make a decision about Jesus' fate and sent him off to Pontius Pilate. In the end the Management Board will pull the trigger, in May, after the spring runs in the natal waters have already started or finished. 

    They will reduce the slot, AND, they will have some over sized fish season available. That will satiate the less than intelligent. But at the same time there will be more gear restrictions, barbless and single treble only. And they will slide in some kind of seasonal closures in new waters, such as the New York and or Rarity Bays. Remember these bays are really just an extension, or mile marker zero, of the Hudson River. If we've conceded that the Chesapeake is shot, then we'll have to protect the Hudson and Delaware River fish at all cost. But, the Chesapeake counts for 75% of the striped bass, so they, as a species, may be screwed either way.


     In 2025 get ready to see poorly filleted big bass in the marina dumpsters once again. Big racks on the muddy bottom getting eaten by crabs along the ramps and docks. Pictures of mates filleting big bass and anglers with big coolers wheeling them off the head boats. That will be for one part of the year. Other times you'll see smaller bass that produce a chicken strip or two in coolers that can be carried. It's going to be a good one. Grab some popcorn and see what happens. 

That's my prediction and I'm sticking to it. 

      

Friday, October 25, 2024

10.25.24 Oh yeah, they're here.....not

     I know just because I didn't find them doesn't mean they're not here. While the boat anglers basically crush the first push of big fish we wait for something to happen on the beach. No doubt there's a fish caught here and there for those putting their time in but this morning it was all quiet.

     Started before first light a few hours into the outgoing. North wind probably over 10 with a sweep from left to right. No signs of life near and far and the fall changes in the beach have just pulled sand out to a flat sloping beach that doesn't hold a lot of structure or bait or fish. With the fly rod I realized I was fishing in a foot of water and if I had any shot I'd have to get past that first bar. So I moved. 

     As I went north the north wind hit the beaches differently than only a few towns to the south. The swells were bigger and the mist of the crest of the waves sprayed to the south. While it looks calm in the 

pictures it was chugging pretty good. The wind is supposed to die off today and swing to the southwest which isn't normally good to get the bait and any bass around closer to the beach. When the boats started to show the bulk of them headed to the Shrewsbury Rocks or out to the 3-mile line. I always found good sand eel bites out in the deeper water and lower in the water column. I got a Facebook 

throwback when I opened it up and I remember this day. I was alone in the Jones and found that "Acre of Bass" we always dreamed of. I was alone in both the boat and on the water. Birds over bass for hours. I took along my binoculars this morning because it's that time of year. Driving around and looking a lot more then casting and retrieving. I didn't see anything except for a pilot whale patrolling the bar. 

     There was a few anglers out but most of the parking lots were empty. I thought by going north I would eventually find something that motivated me to put some time in but that didn't happen. We all 

know there's a few hot spots right now, on the boats between New Jersey and New York, and on the beaches and boats off of Eastern long Island. The million dollar Jersey question is where will the fish hit land if and when they do. Will Monmouth or Ocean County get the first shot? Last year we had the first

October 14, 2023

push of big fish the second week of October. We also had bunker, adult and peanut, while this year everyone is talking about sand eels. I've always thought the majority of the fall run has one predominate bait, peanuts or sand eels, almost like they alternate. 

     It's been over a month now since my bud Bob Popovic's was critically injured when he was struck by a motor vehicle. He continues to fight the fight with the love, support, and prayers from family and friends. 30 plus days is a long time and he has had good days and bad. During my retreat back home I


gave Jersey Shore Medical Center a drive-by and tipped my hat and said a prayer. What struck me about this drive-by photo were the arrows on the pavement. It can represent Bob's fight everyday towards recovery and health. Somedays he goes left, and somedays go right. Hopefully he just continues straight full steam ahead and can get back to his family, his restaurant, and the multitude of people who call him friend, mentor, and just a good all-around guy. Keep the prayers going his way. 

Wednesday, October 23, 2024

10.23.24 And here go....again



     And we're off. This week the ASMFC holds their annual meeting. Over the course of three days they hear reports about all things fishing and related to fisheries management. Today was the report from the Technical Committee and Stock Assessment sub-committee. This is timely as it comes on the heels of the Chesapeake Bay JAI assessment which shows yet another poor year of recruitment (of young bass).


     By chance I was coming out of another medical appointment at the 9/11 Mt. Sinai program so I was able to listen in live to the meeting which was live-streamed. Sadly, Theresa came along for support and had to endure the meeting, which is at times hard to follow, and frustrating depending who asks questions from the committee or from the audience. 


     I'm no expert in this stuff but I try and follow the "science" on where things are and where they may be heading. Today the Technical Committee read their report which included information from the Striped Bass Stock Assessment Subcommittee. As we know things are bad, no matter what the kind of days the boat guys in New Jersey and New York are reporting. Soon the beaches will look like opening 


day of trout season when and if the bass crash the beaches. Right now it's a sand eel bite, which is prime for the boat angler. While finding those slot sized bass, 28-31", may be hard for some angler others are  


finding them and they are making their way into the freezer and onto the table. But it's not good. Those 2015 year class fish are being decimated, albeit legally, but it isn't sustainable. And the SSB (Spawning Striped Bass) is in decline. Add to that the low recruitment numbers in YOY and juvenile fish in the big



spawning bays and rivers, Chesapeake, Hudson, and Delaware and it's just as bad as we think it is. everyone focuses on the Chesapeake because that is where 75- 90% of the striped bass come from. A lot of the data is hard to understand and follow. There are all kinds of terms, abbreviations and calculations that you need to know to get the big scientific picture. 


     So after the committees gather their data they present it to the Management Board who then decides how to manage the fishery. The last big management move was to put in the slot, and before that was the use of circle hooks when using bait, eliminating the snag and drop style of fishing. 


     While 2015 was the last "good" year, 2018 wasn't bad but then we have six years of bad spawning numbers. A 2015 year class fish will be about 33 inches and above, now out of that 28-31" slot. A 2018 year class fish will be about 28 inches, which puts them at the low end of the slot. This just isn't a good move. What do I think? In order to save the fish you have to stop killing the fish. So outside of a moratorium on striped bass fishing, both commercial and recreational, next year, during the May meetings the ASMFC is going to have to adjust the slot size, if they even allow targeting to happen. 

      I'm not sure what the below slide means but I do know during the meeting things like SSB, mortality, YOY and JAI were mentioned. Also mentioned were angler education, seasonal closures, and the hardship charter operations were enduring due to slots and closures (Chesapeake). Gear restrictions


are also being discussed in regards to fishing mortality from recreational anglers. What always gets me is when a species is OVERFISHED but OVERFISHING is not occurring. What does that even mean? 



     According to the ASMFC, "Overfished is used when fishing mortality is the primary cause of low biomass or abundance", while Overfishing, "Overfishing is said to be occurring if fishing is negatively affecting the stock by removing more fish than the stock can sustain, leading to reduced growth and/or recruitment" The ASMFC looks at targets, thresholds, and triggers to determine if and what is occurring. Since the 2023 SSB, which is 191 million pounds,  is below the threshold of 197 million pounds, the fishery is said to be overfished. And when determining is overfishing is occurring they look at the F Threshold, which stands now at 0.21, but in 2023 it came in at 0.18. Soooo, overfishing is NOT occurring. But then we have a trigger target which is 0.17, which has been exceeded the last two years.

Don't get it? What are you stupid?


     And if want to know who's killing these fish and how they opened with these numbers. Over 2022-2023 the average yearly striped bass kill was 6.18 million pounds of striped bass, up 20% from 2021. Recreational harvest release mortality was 40%. That means 40% of all the striped bass that were caught and released died. Recreational harvest came in at 49%. Commercial fisheries accounted for 10%, and commercial discard mortality came in at 0.5%. That's the science guys. I don't know how you get those numbers, but those are the numbers they are going with. Remember some of this scientific data comes in the way of angler surveys obtained from the Marine Recreational Information Program, or MRIP, which a lot of people have a problem with. 

     In the end they voted to have a special Management Board meeting in December 2024. That can only one thing, well two, will they move in the right direction, or punt as they usually do? The goal is to 

rebuild the striped bass by 2029 and to do that some severe cuts all the way around must be considered. Below is another slide with some things up for consideration. What's interesting is the possibility of more


closures in the Chesapeake Bay, as well as Ocean closures. Also is the option to reduce the current size slot to below 28 inches, which would protect the 2018 year class, but in the end only hammer down on the last years classes which have had poor recruitment. Dead bass = less bass. 

    So that's where we are as far as the ASFMC goes. We'll see what happens in 2025 when they meet and come up with more "Emergency Actions" which are coming. Word on the street seasonal closures are low on their choice list as it would upset the political and financial end of the business of fish management. But more changes are coming. Don't laugh, 2025 may be the year of throwing flies with no hooks. 


I must say this weather is beautiful and New York was in all its glory as we left the Lincoln Tunnel. I said to Theresa as I looked at the water on the Hudson, " I got to get out there on my boat". But that will 


be in some time as I just got her back from the guy that bought the engine. Time to start thinking about getting that tank and the deck redone in time, for well, South Carolina.