Report courtesy of Captain Ron Santee of the Fisherman based out of Atlantic Highlands. He's one guy who always gives you a fair report. Again, I'm not in a boat so I won't be following him, but surely others will be on the lookout. Why is his report interesting? Well it seems today he found the "normal" sized bass that are making this fall run.
These are the slot, 28-31" inch fish, and Bonus Tag sized, which is 24- 28". These are usually found in bigger numbers than their first arriving larger females. So these are either the smaller males, or a mix of females and males. And the good thing is these fish, IMHO, tend to want to drift, every now and then, onto the beaches.
Say what you want about the ASMFC and it's kicking the can down the road approach to striped bass management, these fish are all legal. Some, myself included, say that these fish are, well were, the future. These are the 2018 (last good year) and 2019 (first year of seven bad ones) year class fish, the ones we should be leaving alone to hopefully
keep the species going. A little much, maybe, but I believe that more fish in the water COULD lead to better spawning in the next few years, and maybe the next few after that.
No doubt the bunker, the environmental conditions, predation, and natural death play a role in decreasing numbers, but taking these fish, and way you arrive at F, isn't helping things. I know, all legal, good eating, not always easy picken's. It is what it is. You can't fault a Captain or their sports from doing what is legal. And, truthfully, one fish per angler, and not that plus the Captain and the mate BS, really is responsible, and should be sustainable, even if the decks show dead bass between the legs. Lots of anglers means lots of fish, one per of course.
And nature, boat, and fishy photographer Wendi Bennet posted the above photo from this past week. I thought it was a throwback from 2011, but it wasn't. That's Seaside and always a place that draws anglers when the fish, or at least the word, gets out that the bait and fish are around. I can tell you that's a tough place for a fly rodder to get into and catch, especially when the fish and bait are out over the bar.
We're looking at a big drop in temps and some stupid wind, again, the next day or so, making Thanksgiving week just in time for the annual drive around and look through the binocular "fishing" outing.