The Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF) has added Tuesdays as open commercial fishing day to help commercial fishermen catch the striped bass quota before the fish migrate out of state waters.
According to a press release from DMF, “Current quota monitoring data demonstrates that approximately 220,000 pounds – approximately 26% – of the commercial striped bass quota remains available. Recent weather events have affected commercial fishing effort and activity, slowing daily catch rates…. This adjustment will provide an additional commercial fishing day per week to enhance access to the remaining available quota and ameliorate the impacts that fall weather conditions may have on access to the fishery.”
There is some concern among recreational fishermen that failure to reach the commercial quota without adding additional days could be an indication of a lack of commercial-sized fish (34″ or greater) in the population, and not only due to local conditions.
For more information about striped bass management, visit the DMF website.
www.mass.gov/marinefisheries
Don’t people realise the fish are less and less over their range. I fish NJ to Cape cod for striped bass, every year seems worst then the last. It’s all about the $$$ . Just wait till they’re gone and all businesses, from lure makers ,bait and tackle shops, hotels, restaurants ect. are taking a hit from the lack of fisherman’s dollars.Then what ?
Are you kidding me. I struggle to catch dinner and they go and add commercial days are they tryibg to drive down the stock to cod status, This is sheer stupidity and greed !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
All greed. Unbelievable, 5yrs from now they’ll be scratching their assess saying what happened to all the stripers “I don’t understand”. Some dumb ass that never fishes but collects a check from the commercial fisheries thought of this lame idea…great job bozo way to kill of another species in our oceans.
What a joke! Don’t be fooled. They fish all the time and have probably sold tons on the black market. How about we get rid of commercial days all together. With all the large breeders being taken there will be no striper fishery soon. Just like before. Nice job!
I agree
DONT YOU KNOW THE CLICK GETS PAID OFF AND NOBODY CAN DO OR WANTS TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. GET THE NAMES OF WHO APPROVED THE EXTRA DAY AND SUE THE BUMS IF YOU CAN.
wow, just wow
Ya, exactly what we need – MORE breeding class stripers sucked out of the ecosystem for a few dollars in a handful of pockets. Seriously, when/how does this madness end?!
If the commercial (pro) fisherman with their knowledge, time and resources can’t catch enough then that seems like it say’s the population can’t afford the added pressure.
The Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF) are a bunch of idiots. No common sense. Hey stupid, if the can’t catch enough fish for their quota and you know they go out just about every day than there is an issue. You claim the seals are eating them and we can’t do anything about that so that means the population is decrease, so what do we do? That’s right, let them go out even more to kill more of a decreasing stock. You know whose side they are on! Or maybe they need to go back to school and learn common sense. And they are in charge of fish???? We are all in trouble.
Mass Division of Marine Fisheries is a JOKE. All they care about is money. Stripper populations are down and they add another day. All the big fish are not shiwing up like last year and the years before. Commercial fisherman are taking all the breeders. Mass is the only state that allows Commercial fishing. It’s a shame and they don’t care about the fish
I have only caught 1 keeper this year, about 30 schoolers . I am a good fisherman. The big fish are getting eaten . Maybe we need to look at our management plan.
What good is the quota then?
This is the very definition of poor management!
In Malden MA. There is a store selling small Stripers 12 to 25 inches dead and alive.
I can’t believe this. Simply wrong.
It is amazing to me we still have commercial fishing for Striped bass. This year between my father and myself we are approaching 300 Bass, Only 3 fish were over 28″. We fish from Jan -Dec, fortunately CT has hold over bass. But the lack of larger fish is concerning. Commercial fishing needs to cease and the limit needs to be 10 fish per year at 36″ or larger 1 fish per day.. Every licensed fisherman receives 10 tags per calendar year.
Great News!!!! Weather has been the one and only leading cause for the quota not being reach! Plenty of fish, if you want to bear the bitter weather. Now go get em!
Those commercial fisherman, if you can call them fisherman need to get a real job like the rest of the real fisherman that bust there butt all day at work and do a night shift for the hope of a few bass a year and those guys are pleased as punch when they get a good bass! Those commercial fisherman destroy the fishing for the hard working man. There should be no commercial fishing allowed at all! If you want fish for dinner go out and catch it your self!
I wish I could be as wrong as anybody in this state making decisions and still keep my job. How long before these morans tell us they have to close the striper season to recreational fishing due to the decline. If you want to drag nets or call yourself a commercial fisherman they will do whatever is necessary to keep the money flowing, what a bunch of ass clowns
Plenty of bass out there! I have no problem catching a keeper every time I go out. Largest fish was a 50+ pounder this year. The weather pattern ischanging and you need a boat to get to deep rips where large fish are schooling.
One fish limit in Maine and Massachusetts adds more commercial days? We have a tight limit in Maine due to our awareness of the population density, or lack thereof. We respect the resource and protect it with tight limits, requirements of circle hooks, and closed seasons. A dwindling number of this migratory species live along the entire east coast. Their population is a concern and Massachusetts selfishly expanded their commercial season. Zero Massachusetts anglers are actually making a true financial living fishing for striped bass. This is a folly…. a hobby fishery that does not need to be encouraged. Shame on the Massachusetts leadership that supported this expansion. I am sure zero fisheries biologists thought this was a good idea.
I am amazed and appalled at the lack of understanding by commenters on this forum. The commercial bass quota is a finite amount, and has never been over harvested, without deducting overages from the following year. Under harvest will be added to the qu\ota for the following year. All this blaming to the commercial sector, allows the rec sector to not have too look at their own responsibility. I am not a fan of the MADMF commercial fishery management over the last 30 years, due to open access policies, and lack of enforcement infrastructure and efforts, but I do know that the recreational sector and other impacting factors DOES have a huge effect on the striper population coastwise. We have a striper forage base that is constantly over harvested and a grey seal population (feeding on bass) that is expanding by incredible numbers and yet the commenters here appear to either know nothing about those issues by your lack of or refusal to comment on those issues, or you simply would rather point the finger at the simplest thing to understand. Where are your comments at herring midwater trawler meetings ? Where are your letters to Dept of commerce over grey seal protections ? Where is your letters to OTW over menhaden and herring over harvests? I am a professional waterman, commercial and charter. Im involved, and knowledgable on these issues. Wake up folks…..
All sectors share in the blame but the commercial side of it is the most hard to swallow because of the shear needless waste that is the result. NOBODY needs to have $20/lb Striped Bass fillets from their local fish market to make their vacation complete. Further, only a tiny handful of “commercial” fishermen are making any real profit targeting them. The entire quota is a ridiculous waste and needs to be gotten rid of. That move, along with a 36″ min. recreational limit and we will see a slow…..very slow…improvement.