12.29.23 Another view on why striped bass numbers may be trending down...

     We'll we're moving into the New Year and with that the unknown arrival of a true winter. Winters used to mean really cold temps and an abundant snow fall. Snow is good. It's another form of precipitation like rain, it's just rains when it's colder. Snow is good for many things. when it snows up in the mountains it leads to a good runoff into the rivers and bays during the spring warmup. It leads to an increased volume of water, and for anadromous fishes a good balance of suitable spawning waters. For striped bass that runoff, along with other conditions, keep the salt lines where they should be which allows for egg and larva survival. Drought like conditions during the spring spawning runs can kill a years class of fish. Add to that runoff from industrial, residential and commercial properties along those spawning waters, like the Chesapeake, and you can see why striped bass numbers are low. Pesticides and waste water runoff can chase or kill off spawning fish from natal waters. That's all for another debate. But healthy waters are good for fishes, and fishermen. 

     There's also debate on striped bass spawning locations. By the science we know the Chesapeake, Hudson, and Delaware Rivers are the primary spawning waters for striped bass. There may be a few that are Roanoke fish and a sprinkling of other rivers, but again, that's up for debate. But to have a successful spawn, you need to have fish present. And that's where this theory or question of mine comes into view. 

     Winters used to be cold. We used to get snow, and a lot of it at times. Below is a chart of the recent years snow fall totals in Central Park, NYC. Outside of a flukish year we can see a reduction in snow 

fall totals over the last say 15 years. Is it global warming? Are our winters more mild? Do we await the arrival of "winter" far past New Years Day. We see late January into February as the snowy months followed by that anomaly of a late March or April blizzard. Then it's gone. 

     So what about the striped bass? We are in the heated debates on why the numbers are down. Are we killing too many fish? Does the slot need to go from 28" to 28.25" with one fish on odd days of the week? Well what if there are enough striped bass out there but they just aren't returning to spawn each spring as we think they should. Have a combination of environmental conditions created them to have a "choice" greater than their natural urges to reproduce? And why do I ask this? 

February 1, 2012

      Do you remember 2012 when we were fly fishing for striped bass in February (above)?. We had that crab bite that followed the 2011 fall sand eel insanity. The striped were here, and they 

stayed. Well looking back to the YOY surveys in the Chesapeake we can see low recruitment numbers the following springs, until a bounce back in 2015. Look at the snow fall totals for 2011-2012, 7.4 inches. It was warm out. I think the fish just stayed put, rather then make the trip to spawn. An don't forget a year without snow isn't good for the water conditions to maximize spawning. 

      We see a growing trend in fishing places like the Raritan Bay in the spring. Well, let's increase that to the New York Bight, an area from southern New Jersey out to say Montauk in Long Island. When March 1st rolls around and the season opens in the bays and rivers it's game on. Large numbers of fish that are voracious in their eating habits. No more are they just taking clams and worms soaked on the late day mud flats. They chew flies, plugs, jigs, metal, just about anything you can throw at them, and much earlier then in the past. 

     These fish aren't just showing up and chewing. They are Hudson fish that are staging for the migration up to and around Albany, New York, and MAY be Chesapeake and Delaware fish that have "taken the year off" and stayed in the New York Bight to winter over. Up north in the Housatonic and Connecticut Rivers bass stay put there a well. That can be said for many of the rivers up and down the East Coast if deeper waters that can hold bass exist.  

     In a 2012 report from the NY DEC and Stony Brook University they looked at many indicators of waters in the NY Bight throughout the year, including water temperature trends. They have found an increase since the 

1980's. While the trends are just a few degrees, the trend is a warming one. Look below and you can see the data as found by the researchers. In 2004 the sea surface temperature in the NY Bight was about 42 

degrees. In 2020 is was nearly 48 degrees. I just picked those two to paint a picture, you can look above and see there have been lower and higher temps through the years. But if I'm a striped bass and 45 degrees is my "I'm outta here" cutoff, then these warming trends may have bass stay put, or at least skip a year or two and not travel to spawn. These fish, say a Delaware fish, doesn't stay put and then just go up the Hudson to spawn because it's closer. They have eggs and milt that just gets released or absorbed and that "stuff" pretty much goes to waste for that year. Now, if they do make the migration to their natal rivers, and the environmental conditions suck, well then you may have poor YOY numbers. 

     Add to the above theory an increase in the health of the bays and rivers, overall, and you have better numbers as far as forage fishes, crustaceans, and grasses. A healthy ecosystem can give reason for change in fishes behaviors. Just look at the bunker. We often see pods of them in the bays and rivers in the dead of winter. And we all know bass love bunker. 

     

     As I write this fishing for striped bass is really good in south Jersey. From Wildwood south those anglers are getting into good fishing, of course better from the boats. In northern waters we are picking at the smaller, what we call, resident fish, with a keeper or two mixed in. In a few days the back bays and rivers will be closed until March 1st. I believe those fish that have decided to stay will stay, hoping for a mild winter, as we have seen in the trends over the years. I wish I could see the fish finders today if boats were to pass over the reaches and channels in the bays and rivers of the New York Bight. I think we would all be surprised at how many fish are there right now. 

     If you're looking for love then you have to go log in to a dating website or make you're way to the bar. You can't find love sitting on your couch, or for a bass, wintering over far away from your natal river. This is just my theory on why our YOY numbers may be trending down. 

12.28.23 Just looking back on New Jersey's striped bass regs....

       The images above and below weren't all that uncommon just about 10 years ago. Find any beach blitz along the Jersey Shore and it was game on and gaffs in. I won't go and post here the images from the party boats of piles of huge striped bass because I seem to pick on them too much from time to time, but you can just imagine. 

     The reason I write this is because the ASMFC has closed the public comment on Addendum II for Amendment 7, which was put in place to address rebuilding the striped bass stocks pst 2023. Yeah, how we doing with that? 

     Looking from front to back the ASMFC put into place in 2023 the emergency action for a one fish per angler slot at 28-31 inches. That continues today and we'll see what they decide for 2024, my gut tells me it will be more of the same. Not a perfect option and you know my opinion on that. At times we try to protect one thing and destroy another, like year classes or species of fish. 

     With things looking bleak for striped bass in 2015 the regulations were changed from a two fish at 28 inch limit to a one at 28-43 inch size and one over 43 inches. So you could take a 30 inch bass and a 40 pounder home for dinner, for your neighborhood, to eat, for months. 

     To keep the looking back every 10 years 2013 had in place the two fish at 28 inch minimum. That means that you could take two 30 inch fish, or two 40 pounders, depending how much room you had in the freezer. 

    If you fished for striped bass twenty years ago then you were allowed two fish, one 28 inches or larger and one slot fish between 24- 28 inches. 

     Then we look back into the 1990's. I researched things and I hope I have them correct, or close to correct. In 1995 then Governor Christine Todd Whitman passed a law increasing the one fish per day regulation to two fish per day. 

     Let's go back to 1984 and look at the bigger picture. It was in that year that the Atlantic Striped Bass Conservation Act was passed. It was that year that a three year moratorium, for both recreational and commercial fisheries, was enacted. During that time it was illegal to target or have in possession Atlantic 

 striped bass. In 1987 when the moratorium was finished the initial size was one fish at 31 inches and then increased to 33 inches a few months later. At that time, of course, New Jersey wasn't playing nice in the sand box, as usual, and there were threats to ban striped bass fishing in New Jersey unless the state adopted more restrictive regulations to protect the striped bass. 

     That's where the actions and timelines were hard to track down. But I do know these dates to be accurate. In 1990 the Striped Bass Bonus Program was started in New Jersey. The next year, 1991, commercial fishing for striped bass was outlawed and it received "Gamefish" status. Gamefish status means there is only recreational fishing for any one species, with no commercial fishery. That doesn't mean it would be managed correctly and the recreational side couldn't hammer down and decimate any one species. 

     New Jersey, the only state with a Bonus Tag Program, moved the commercial quota, say just over 200,000 pounds of striped bass caught in New Jersey waters, to the recreational side and allowed participants to harvest smaller 24-28 inch fish. Returns of tags (kind of a joke) put harvest weight in tens of thousand of pounds rather than hundreds of thousands of pounds. A win depending on who you talk to. 

     They say that history can and often does repeat itself. While New Jersey has become the Montauk of years past that is only a snapshot of a biomass of fish during one particular season, or day, in one body of water. As the ASMFC "kicks the can" in regards to truly taking steps to rebuild the striped bass fishery, anglers should be aware of what may come of stricter regulations if things don't improve. All they have to do is look into what happened in the 1980's.

     Paul Dixon, a well known guide and conservationist from Montauk, stated, "The 10 year period following the 1984 striped bass moratorium is the greatest example of rebuilding a fishery we have ever seen". Since 2012 the river herring has continued to be under the protection of an East Coast moratorium. That's 10 years. I never fished or saw anyone live line a herring but they tell me it's like striped bass crack. Drop a herring, catch a bass. Kind of what live lining bunker has become. So banning herring has hopefully aided in the rebuild but also helped curb that bait fishery for striped bass. 

     Imagine if another moratorium for striped bass were to come. How old are you? How many seasons would you have left if they said no fishing for 3, 5 or 10 years? For some that would be it. No more. So look at the bigger picture when those regulations come down for 2024 or you might have to dust off those old Lionel trains in the attic or those golf clubs in the garage for something to do. 

  

12.27.22 Back from Florida and a miracle on the rocks....

     Rolled into Titusville from the Philadelphia airport about midnight and was out the door at 430 am. After a five day break from all things fishing I needed to get out there. It was 43 degrees outside and a little touch of ENE with overcast skies and some fog and rain. Sounded good to me. But first Florida. 

     It was a nice visit to Florida to see my Mom who now calls Florida home. She's in Bradenton and has a sweet set-up and great group of friends that keeps her calendar full of fun and good times. We first had to get Theresa's "Personal Item" through the gate and once we snuck it through it was a nice 

ride down to the Sarasota-Bradenton Airport. It was great to see Mom, take about 25 naps, eat too much, just sit and catch up, and then the ever popular reflect on and ponder the meaning of and the future of my life. 

     We ate out a few times but were treated to her friends house for Christmas dinner. It was a throwback meal for me because they made it the same way I had it in my youth. Baked ham topped with pineapple 

and cloves, and of course, a cherry. Now, Mom's ham was one of those that came in a can, which I loved, but this one was from the local Amish market. I came to learn this area of Florida has a large population down here, with the Amish markets to boot. 

     We did some visiting with friends while we were down there as well. I caught up with my friend John who I graduated the fire academy with, our friends Stacy and Neils up in Dunedin, and Theresa's friend Janet in Clearwater. We got around during out visit. The weather was overcast and cool, which was fine by us and the nicest day was as we were heading out. A stop at Coquina Beach with a quick

walk to Longboat Pass looking for shadows in the wash. One of these trips I'll have to do some fishing because there is a lot of water down here, but, there's a ton of people and boats as well. Every flat had 

boats anchored up so the chances of finding tailing fish must take work, and work in places that are out of eyesight from the busy roads, bridges, and beaches. We stopped at St. Armand's Circle for lunch 

before heading to the airport for our 630 flight. I have been coming to Longboat Key, and now Bradenton, for 40 years, and I never ate at the Columbia Restaurant, until this trip. It's a Cuban eatery

and it's a must hit if you head down to this area. Good drinks, food and service. I would say it's "legit" but that's coming from a half Irish and Polish meat and potatoes guy. While we were there we learned 

our flight got delayed due to weather so it was a few hours hang in the airport. I didn't waste time to take yet another nap. I have never been this tired or slept this much in my life. It must be that fresh Florida air. 

     We were warned by the flight crew that "It was bumpy on the way down" and to expect more of the same heading north, and we did. It was my bumpiest flight I can ever remember taking. Not like 

dropping 30,000 feet kinda stuff, just back and forth up and down, for probably half of the two hour flight. Things settled down as we neared Philly and I was looking forward to getting home and ready 

for some early A.M. fishing. Somehow we remembered where we parked as the shuttle bus made it's way to several economy lots and stops. As people pulled away we got in the Jeep and and .....dead. 

     Luckily they have a free service that handles this very common situation in the large parking lots. As soon as he hit the terminals the Jeep turned over. By midnight we were home and shortly the Jeep was ready to go. 

     Not much to say about the fishing that you haven't read before. Two flies. Started in the dark. Walked a lot and covered some ground in two towns. I was encouraged because while I was down in Florida Leif texted me some pics of a nice fish he landed one afternoon. I fished from 0530-930. 

 Petterson photo

     I caught the end of the incoming tide and the beaches have changed since that huge blow last week. Lots of sand left the beach and the beach scarp is long and sloping into nice troughs. With the waves 

breaking on them it wasn't easy fishing them if that's where the fish were. While walking and casting was fun, but without any hits, I really wanted to get out on the rocks. Those boulders moved around a bit as well during that blow last week. It took me a while looking at familiar rocks to see the changes. 

     I made my way out and after a few casts landed the only fish of the day. I snapped a quick pic and put the phone back in my jacket pocket. I reached down to grab the fish and I watched as the phone slid 

out and down into the crevice between two rocks. It was a clean no touching the sides landing straight into the water below. I got the fish back thinking the phone was gone. As the wave crashed on the rocks the water filled in and then ebbed. There was no sight of the phone. It was swimming in saltwater. And the plastic that covers the charging port is hanging on by a thread. Good-bye phone....now what. 

     Well I took a shot. Off came the stripping basket and down into the water I went. I reached down and under the one rock and into the opening below the crevice. As I swept as much as an area as I could the waves would come in and let me know there was an incoming tide. On my last ditch attempt I did it again and with tips of two fingers I could feel the phone. It was totally submerged but I backed it out. 

     Don't you know that thing still worked even with the charging port open to the saltwater? I fished for another hour or so and kept taking pictures. I got a call and the speaker was fine. When I got back in the Jeep it went right on the charger and didn't say, "Moisture Detected". That, my friends, is a Christmas gift into itself. Of course I said a few, "Thank You Jesus" throughout the day for looking out. 

     I was off to meet Erin for a coffee and bagel but before I committed to Red Bank I stopped in Long Branch to see if anyone was home. I met another angler who said the afternoons into the evenings have been good, last night two keepers, along with other fish that "were blowing up". Mmmm....okay. So there's still fish to be had, as usual, for this time of year. Looking at the weather for the next week you have a pretty good chance of ending 2023 and starting 2024 with a bass. That was my last, ocean side anyway, bass for 2023. 

12.22.23 Merry Christmas!!!

From the entire family at The Average Angler, well Theresa and I, we wish you and yours a Merry Christmas. If that's not your jam then I hope your holiday season is blessed with good times with family and friends. No matter how things are right now, they could always be worse, be thankful and grateful. 

     While Christmas means many things to many people, or not, for me December 25th is the day Jesus was born. Catholics celebrate his birth in a manger in Bethlehem. Of course I grew up in a household 

Mom, Sis, Bro and Me putting Jesus in the manger- 1978

and went on to continue the "commercial" tradition with Santa Clause and presents and all that comes with that. It's all good, as long as we didn't forget to keep the religious meaning of this day in the center.

       A quick search online revealed to me how contested when the actual year and day of Jesus' birth was. There's too much to go into any discussion here but there are hundreds of theories about the years, like 4-6 BC, "way too early", to the dates, "the shepherds wouldn't have been in the fields in December". Anyway, December 25th works for me, and will continue to do so. See you again after Christmas. 

12.21.23 Tomorrow is the deadline for your ASMFC written comments...

     The deadline for anglers to write in their comment on Addendum II is Friday December 22, 2024. If you pitch a bitch to your boys about how striped bass are doing these days and don't write in then just shut up. No seriously. We had a dismal turnout in New Jersey on both the virtual and in-person meetings. There is still time to get involved and help those that are in the trenches working to protect the striped bass. As a member of the American Guides Association I refer you to their website and the explanation of Addendum II, which is what you would be offering your opinion on. You can see more on their website HERE. 

     I don't care what side of the bass you are on, I look forward to hearing the comments from all sides which the ASMFC definitely needs before they vote on the addendum. Want to catch and kill them all? I respect, while don't sign on for that, for your right to be heard. While we hope things are a true democracy, we, well I, know that there are things that influence votes, such as money and politics. Not like brown bag money, but the strength and power of for hire and commercial fisheries. A lot of the "blame" has shifted from the commercial sector to the recreational fisherman. And you know I believe any head boat, six pack, or walking guide should count as a commercial entity. People are paying money to fish, it's a business, it's not a Mom taking her kid to the beach to fish. 

     Below is what I penned in. Don't agree? I respect that. But I do know that between me attending and speaking at the virtual meeting and writing in I have at least done my part. Please do yours. You can submit via email at comments@asfmc.org and in the subject line put Striped Bass Addendum II.

     After you submit your comment you'll recieve a receipt for your submitted comment. As below,