Comments are due by 11:59 PM EST on December 22!
The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) has proposed changes to the Striped Bass Management Plan to continue rebuilding the striped bass resource and its iconic fishery. If you fish for striped bass, please share your comments with the folks who make management decisions! The addendum (Addendum II) is a follow up to the emergency action that created a slot limit of 28-31 inches. The purpose of the addendum is to establish measures to reduce striped bass fishing mortality.
It’s easy to submit comments. Simply put them in an email to comments@asmfc.org with the subject line: Striped Bass Draft Addendum II.
One point of contention at public comment meetings has been whether to allow for-hire (charter boat) patrons to have a special slot limit of 28-33 inches different from the slot limit for private anglers, which is known as a “mode split.”
Regarding the proposed changes, we are recommending measures that achieve the 14.5% reduction in total removals needed to achieve F target in 2024.
(1) maintaining the current 28-31” slot for the ocean fishery
(2) implementing a maximum recreational size in the Chesapeake Bay
(3) complementary reductions in the commercial fishery
(4) no mode splits, meaning same regulations for private and charter.
If you are looking for further guidance on your comments, check out:
The ASMFC’s Quick Reference Guide to Addendum II
The American Sportfishing Association’s Guide to Public Comments
The Massachusetts Striped Bass Association’s Members’ Guide to Public Comments
The Backcountry Hunters and Anglers Guide to Public Comments
Public comments are due by 11:59 PM EST on December 22.
Please close the commercial striped bass fishery. Aside from allowable take, many many undersized fish are killed. Remember they (commercial) dont have to use circle hooks and every single fish >35″ is female (sexual dimorphism)
I totally agree! No commercial fishing for striped bass in Massachusetts! And if that doesn’t work, then a no kill/ catch and release/ no possession,for at least 1 season. And if that doesn’t work then a complete moratorium on striped bass for least a season. If we don’t do something real soon, our fishery will revert back to what we had 30 years ago!
No kill is the way to go !
Agree.
Exactly!!!!
It’s a constant battle over commercial,pleasure and charter but the quotas that seem to be increased each year by commercial seems to be excessive.
Agree.
Recommend increasing individually recreational fishing for striper to 21’ – 33’.
Commercial striper fishing in Massachusetts waters should’be banned for three (3) years minimum.
You do realize that the problem is with the recreational fisherman and commercial is only a small fraction it’s time for more lower limits and closed seasons
Not just commercial guys people in boats in general seem to have their own set of rules they make up and abide by! How many times this season alone have I seen one weekend warrior holding up a 40 pound striper by the tail and there hand firmly in side their gill plate meanwhile there’s two or three laying in a cooler or on the deck the same size ! Any fish app with pics and you can see for yourself! And at the same time these same people act like there educated about the fishery a big reason there’s limits is because of people like that ,that have no regard for the rules ,laws,or fishery so I say thanks for being so thoughtful try to follow what the rest of us do that care and maybe you will actually learn something !!!!
Sad but true. Some people are ignorant to the laws or think they don’t have to abide by them. I’m sure the DEM is under staffed and can’t be everywhere at once. I have seen similar with some people keeping juvinile strippers and fluke. And countless scup/ porgy. The rules have to be enforced.
Could not possibly agree more with suggesting that private and charter observing the same 28-31 slot limits!!
Enjoying a day on the water with professional fishermen should NOT green light the harvest of key breeding-sized fish!!
NO MODE SPLITS PLEASE!
I agree with all 4 items of this article. HELP the Striped Bass survive!!!!!!!!!!!!! JHD
If people actually cared about keeping the population alive, then commercial would be banned, and the slot should be 29-30. This is coming from someone with a commercial license. Feel free to bring it back in a few seasons, but having a healthy population is WAY more important to us fisherman than making your gas money back. For the sake of the fish, please don’t allow commercial this year. I’m someone that participates (because somebody is going to fill the quota), but I would love to not have that option. Have a spine, and stop commercial this year. Thank you
As a Chesapeake Bay long time resident right next to the very storied breeding grounds The flats. I agree 100% with these emergency regulations. I have live thru two Moratoriums in my life time and they do work very well.
We have other real serious issues like Water Quality, Less grasses and pour nursery components, however they still come and should be left alone to do there thing.
I think the men Hadden fishery needs to be tightly regulated
Close it for 2 years. For everyone. Check the recovery. When they open it after the last time it was close we had fish ever were. I had 3 Virginia state citation. The state record was broke 2 times.
Commercial fishing should be banned completely, half the fish they pull out end up in the garbage, im a fisherman and i stand with no commercial fishing at all, especially what they are doing in the oceans, we are destroying the waters and it must not be allowed, if your politician disagrees then get rid of that person and replace them with someone that actually cares.
Commercial limits are crazy. Restaurants and markets will eat every fish known to man until they are extinct. Let them eat other fish for a few years. The commercial take is 15 fish, so how many are kept and die? And let’s talk to the charter guys.
But yes when I go out, lots of stripers are all over the place so I really wonder what the real numbers are.
I think they should put a moratorium down in the Chesapeake for a few years…
The slot size isn’t working. You know how many 40 and 50 pound pass. I found floating.
What’s the point to catch Kill release?
Agreed. Doesn’t make sense. It should be illegal to release a dead fish..
I submitted this comment to the Commission:
have reviewed the above referenced proposal for addressing the plight of the declining population and reproduction of the striped bass population and it is extremely disappointing and inadequate.
AMFC continues to protect and insulate the commercial exploitation of striped bass. This was evident last year in the so-called emergency measure to reduce striped bass mortality that did not include any restrictions on the commercial harvest but instead entirely targeted recreational fishermen. It was laughable to assert that an emergency measure was needed to reduce bass mortality that may occur through catch and release while ignoring actual intended and directed mortality in the commercial fishery.
The new proposed options permit commercial mortality of between 2,588,603 to 2,040,508 striped bass and it does not appear that there is any narrow slot for the size of this catch.
The result will be that large fish of breeding size will still be harvested. In light of the dismal run of the young of the year indexes of recent years, particularly an index of 1 this year, the commercial harvest should be severely restricted, as the recreational fishery has been restricted.
Striped Bass Draft Addendum II is a pathetic response to a dire situation, making it clear that the Commission is in the pocket of commercial interests. It foretells the destruction of one more fishery by the “management” of the Commission.
agree with all suggestions
BUT until we control the fishing along the spawning runs it won’t improve quickly enough.
my suggestion is shut down all fishing along the spawning runs along the whole east coast for 3-4 years minimum then after that limit the size and amount allowed to be taken. and NO stripped bass fishing competitions period..
Just look at the pictures on the tackle shop web site when the spring run is on and you can clearly see that spawning adult fish are being taken.
its a no brainer leave them alone let them multiple..
Due to this ridicule new fishing law I was recently on a Long Island Sound small Charter boat and saw 2 out of the 3 Stripers over 40″(!) mandated to be thrown back go belly up and die….what an absolute shame.
Curb the Commercial fishing concerning Striped bass and keep the desk jockeys who make these very destructive laws on Salt water fish throw-backs under control.
Close the spring season entirely for 5 years. Impose heavy restrictions on commercial and charter for 3 years. Leave slot limits in place for recreational.
There’s a lot of fish but the reproductive data is low. The sky is falling!
When fishing we often see other anglers keeping shorts or oversized fish. Deputize anglers to enforce slot limits.
Since the problem is not just a bag limit and whether closed seasons work, we have to look at the whole picture. Spawing grounds have to be protected, the food sorce has to be protected to the extent of shutting down the menhaden fishing in the Chesapeake bay and keep them at least three miles from the shore, stopping the fishing during the spring migration to the Spawing grounds and trying to get water quality as best as possible.
I feel that a moratorium on the entire East Coast should be enacted for the next 2-3yrs. There’s no way to stop people from fishing but at least a complete halt would possibly curtail the abusive fishing practices in the private & commercial sectors. The stressors on stripers,not to mention All gamefish species,aren’t going to be able to be calculated & responded to unless we give the whole Atlantic biomass a brief respite from the unsustainable pressures put upon it. I for one,am unequivocally willing to take a couple of seasons off in order to give one of the world’s most awesome gamefish a fighting chance to start to make a turnaround from extinction. I feel that that’s what true stewardship of God’s green earth really means & is called for
This past season was my worst in years. My 3 favorite places I fish in RI
I had small strikes and small strippers. Both on fly and lures. It brought me back 30 plus years ago when all I would catch was blues or small stripers with a 36 in keeper a real treat. In the within the past decade I have had nights where every bass I bought had to be released because it was too big( not a bad problem plus i catch and release occasionally keeping 1 for dinner). I hope this past fall was not the new norm. My opinion …. no slot size one fish @ 28. Anything bigger goes back. I am not well versed on the commercial rules . But I have seen in my life what over fishing can do and conservation can bring back. I would have no problem keeping the waiters dry and the rods stored for one season if it ment preservation of one of my favorite species. The rules have to be enforced too. I’m sure the RI and mass dem is understaffed . They can’t be everywhere at once.
Get a boat and go to Block Island. The North Rip is loaded with slot fish where the SW Ledge is loaded with 40-60lb fish!
I can’t believe people will not address the real problem. Foreigners should not be allowed to fish until they are educated in a program. Mexicans and Brazilians are wiping out our fish. No regard for our resources at all.
Totally agree with Thomas. Fishing the cape cod canal has turned into a circus!!!! Anyone who has fished the canal the last 4 to 5 years has seen it. Lots of floaters and loading undersized fish in trash bags. That’s during the daylight. Can only imagine what happens at night. Need more game wardens. Going to get worse due to our open boarders!!!!
No, the Portuguese takes everything! Remember the Cod Father? Made his millions by ignoring quotas and taxes and took off to the Azores.
All catch and release. Stop all commercial fishing. Abolish bait fishing.
Agree with Thomas. The Cape cod canal has turned into a circus. No more etiquette, people do not know how to release a fish after fighting it in a strong current and constantly seeing under and over the size limits being taken. And that’s during daylight hours. Can’t imagine what’s happening at night!!!! Need more wardens or close the canal certain months or days to let them migrate through peacefully. Seals are getting easy meals with all the floaters after a good blitz. Also think that commercial striper fishing should be for fishermen who fish year round for other species and rely on the icome to make a living, not just to pay for fuel. If we loose this fishery, many local businesses will suffer.
If everyone would just drive electric vehicles…. all fish species will return in abundance.
my observation fishing for 30 years and had very good striper action for last 2 years for sure less schoolies. new regs are killing the six pack biz in Montauk and elsewhere. less bait and tackle stores less party boats and less marine fuel as well. does anyone care about the HUMAN TOLL. the regulators don’t care and don’t fish. btw best blues in years when will they increase the bag limit? NEVER. bad regs make bad fisherman
my observation fishing for 30 years and had very good striper action for last 2 years for sure less schoolies. new regs are killing the six pack biz in Montauk and elsewhere. less bait and tackle stores less party boats and less marine fuel as well. does anyone care about the HUMAN TOLL. the regulators don’t care and don’t fish. btw best blues in years when will they increase the bag limit? NEVER. bad regs make bad fisherman
my observation fishing for 30 years and had very good striper action for last 2 years for sure less schoolies. new regs are killing the six pack biz in Montauk and elsewhere. less bait and tackle stores less party boats and less marine fuel as well. does anyone care about the HUMAN TOLL. the regulators don’t care and don’t fish. btw best blues in years when will they increase the bag limit? NEVER. bad regs make bad fisherman
Close the bass fishery entirely for a couple years and allow all poachers to be shot on sight
Stop fishing for them for a few years give them a break a rest, stop targeting undersized fish because the keepers are not biting
Commercial fishing needs a strict policy on this species it’s not about a local size limit
Think they should make all new fisherman take a 3 day course similar to hunting course- learn the resource / protect it- numerous times I seen people can’t speak English with bucket of short fish of every specie- enforce it
They need to be designated as a game fish and protected from commercial interests. It’s the only way.