UPDATE October 2025: Addendum III to Amendment 7 of the Atlantic Striped Bass Managment Plan has established how striped bass must be measured by anglers in all states. Read more.
The Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF) has made an important change to how striped bass must be measured—and it could improve the effectiveness of the stripers’ slot-based regulations.
As of now, all striped bass caught in both commercial and recreational fisheries must be measured with the tail lobes squeezed together. This decision comes after the Marine Fisheries Advisory Commission (MFAC) unanimously approved the DMF’s recommendation to clarify and standardize the method for determining a fish’s total length.
Why the Change?
Until now, it was unclear whether anglers could measure striped bass with the tail squeezed or fanned out. While this might sound minor, it created significant discrepancies—especially for recreational fishermen trying to stay within the narrow slot limit of 28” to less than 31”.
DMF’s 2024 investigation found that squeezing the tail can add about 0.3 inches to a fish’s total length, while fanning the tail can reduce it by as much as 1.4 inches. That means the allowable 3-inch slot could effectively become a 4.7-inch range, depending on how the fish was measured.
This gap raised concerns about fairness and consistent enforcement, especially since recreational anglers are more likely to encounter fish on the edge of the slot limit. The change aims to eliminate confusion and help ensure that everyone is playing by the same rules.
What This Means for Anglers
When you measure your striped bass:
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Pinch the upper and lower fork of the tail together to get the official total length.
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Make sure your fish falls between 28 inches and just under 31 inches when measured this way to legally retain it.
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If the fish is under 28″ or measures 31″ or more after pinching the tail, it must be released.
Looking Ahead
DMF is also encouraging the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) to adopt this tail-squeezing method coastwide, which could lead to broader consistency across state lines in the future.
This just goes to show everyone that the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries and the Marine Fisheries Advisory Commission doesn’t have a clue. You can’t pinch a striped bass’s tail together because it is too thick. Are they taking into an account the anglers strength?So, how far are you supposed to squeeze? If they just left the measurement from the snout to the center of the tail, it would be much easier. This is why we are in the predicament we are in because we have council members making decisions that they know nothing about. They all need to be fired!!
Look at the diagram.
Hmm makes perfect sense let’s keep them out of the water longer and handle them more than what we need to !!!! Great idea !!!!! While we’re at it maybe just give the tail a quick tug to make it longer 😂😂😂😂😂 who comes up with this crap!!!!! So I guess the idea of quick release is out of the question !!!
Sounds like three hands are needed to measure now. Let’s make everything more complicated.
The same people making these rules ignore the number one killer of stripes bass. They act like it’s a non factor. Like it doesn’t even exist. They act like it’s the recreational catch and release deaths or the commercial quota or both combined – when in reality the factor they ignore and refuse to even acknowledge – dwarfs all of that combined. It’s not even close …. It’s the SEALS.. ever do the math on the damage seals do to our fisheries? It’s mind blowing – but yet it’s all the fisherman’s fault – and oh yeah – squeeze the tail that will make a difference.
This is by far the dumbest change I’ve heard. None of this was factored in. Who is measuring this? A child or teenager cannot pinch a tail together like an adult in his mid 20s thru 40s. An older person and/or woman is in the same factor. Strength in wrist is a major factor to determine if the tail meets the requirements? What a joke?!!! Each tail width is different based on girth and width which may not allow it to come together at all and if someone constantly tries it to fail within the limit then it’ll hurt the fish even more. You’ll risk killing the fish at a higher rate than releasing it properly back into the wild. Let Mother Nature determine what the sauce is based on how the fish was taken out of the water for its actual measurements without us humans determining whether it meets the requirements or not. Dumbest decision to make on this.
Rule needs to be Lay it flat on the surface and measure from tip of nose to the end/furthest point of the tail in its naturally flat state.
Just let it be that.
I hope the DEM can pinch as hard as me when I catch a 25 slot with 3 inches of tolerance. If not I’m suing DEM to ensure I don’t lose my license for a fine that they cannot reasonably / rationale explain to factor in all these variables. You’ll just have more poaching. Such an awful decision.