It's like the same thing every year. It's he first week of October and there's one, no bass around yet, and two, rumblings on what the ASMFC will do next to screw up the striped bass.
The Public Comment period ended October 3rd. Hopefully you're on the record somewhere on what your opinion is on something related to this Addendum III. You had a chance to do so in writing and or in person.
If you didn't do one, I can blame you.
We've seen the ASMFC kick the can down the road before. But this time, time is running out. Either they're going to do something to try and meet the 2029 rebuilding goal, or not. Don't think for a minute that your New Jersey representatives aren't thinking of any angler to move to conservation. They, as always, want more, more dead bass, for the "recreational" shareholders of New Jersey.
Our good ole' boys will be looking for similar voting friends both to the north and south of us. If they can spew enough bullshit to add confusion to the voting members then they'll get their way again. A win for them is "status quo". Do nothing, because it's not all that bad, they'll say.
Soon the bass will find Long Island and the Captree Fleet will be running two-a-days hammering down on big fish, which are usually the first fish to show. Then it'll be a waiting game here in New Jersey, will they hit Sandy Hook and move south, or run a straight line down to below the Manasquan Inlet and then go south after an all out slaughter from beach and boat. Then AC gets them, maybe Cape May, before the final onslaught at Cape Charles.
Either way the fall run will soon be start, and you'll be out there, I know I will.