Charley Soares with a large bass he caught using live bait will be guest speaker at a March 22, 6:30 p.m. seminar for the West Bay Anglers. The seminar called “Live baits for trophy bass” will take place at Sherman Elementary School, 120 Kelley Avenue, Warwick, RI.
For the past two weeks I reported what organizations, bureaus, captains, anglers and scientist felt was happing to striped bass. No one knows what is happening to the bass for sure. But here is an analysis of what they had to say and what we might be able to do to preserve the species.
What we do know is that striped bass have declined in Narragansett Bay and along the coastal shore in Rhode Island as related by hundreds of anglers. We also know that from the “Young of the Year” survey in the Chesapeake that small fish are on the decline but not at critical levels. We also know that environment and weather conditions can impact fish (and striped bass). Bob Wood, biologist for the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), has conducted research that focuses not so much on the fish but on the weather. He believes the weather pattern in the North Atlantic called the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO) is responsible for the wide swings in striper populations.
We also know that fishing captains and guides, commercial fisherman and lobstermen, particularly those that fish the ocean have spotted thousands of striped bass in large schools in places they normally have not been seen before. Also, all last summer anglers and captains consistently reported a strong bass bite at and around Block Island. We also heard from lobstermen that the striped bass were plentiful and became a nuisance by eating lobsters and bait in pots.
So what is one to think, are striped bass in decline or not? I do believe they are on the decline, along the RI coast and in Narragansett Bay. It may be due to the overly wet weather, cloudy water, warm water and/or the AMO effect related above which effects food supply and bait. Coastal waters, bays and rivers are affected by these factors differently than the open ocean. The decline may be a natural cycle too of a fall, a rise and leveling off of a species.
I spoke with Captain John Brierley who is a commercial striped bass fisherman on Buzzards Bay. John believes we may never know the cause of recent striper decline however he does have a few thoughts about what we can do. John said, “I doubt we will learn in the near future the real cause of the decline. So with the upcoming season we all need to do what we can. Maybe it is as simple as asking the guy who wants a full bag limit ‘when and who is going to eat (those fish)’… Or maybe it is using circle hooks and being more knowledgeable in the release (or) maybe you don't put as much fertilizer on your lawn this year.
Dr. Chris Anderson, chairman of the State of Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management Marine fisheries Striped Bass Advisory Panel believes said, “Many young undersized school striped bass die each year due to poor catch and release tactics”. Dr. Anderson related that thousand of fish are caught in the upper Bay, in rivers and coves in Rhode Island that if released properly would live.
So do your part to preserve striped bass, take only the fish you will eat, taking two fish each outing may not be the thing to do. Additionally, use circle hooks to protect the fish from deadly gut hooks and consider the below catch and release tactics. NOAA also recently published a catch and release pamphlet which can be found at www.nmfs.noaa.gov/ .
One way to save bass is to use circle hooks. Here’s how they work…after the hook (and bait) are swallowed by the fish and it starts to run, the hook is pulled out of the stomach and slides toward the point of resistance on the fish’s jaw or lip and embeds itself in the corner of the fish’s mouth.
Circle hooks successfully hook bass in the mouth 95% of the time. The trick is not to jerk the rod to set the hook. Let the fish run and it will pull the hook out of its stomach and hook itself on the lip. Once this happens the fish is hooked so all you have to do is start fighting the fish and reeling it in. Ask your local bait & tackle shop for circle hooks and/or purchase rigs that have circle hooks.
To release undersized or large egg bearing striped bass (and other species) unharmed and/or to practice “catch and release” consider these techniques (most of them are courtesy of the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management, Division of Fish and Wildlife).
1. Use circle hooks, they successfully hook bass in the mouth (not the gut) 95% of the time without hurting the fish.
2. Land fish quickly to minimize stress.
3. Avoid putting fish on deck and letting it flop around, keep it in the water as much as possible when removing hook.
4. Wet your hand before handling the fish, dry hands remove the fish’s protective slime layer and leave it open to infection
5. Handle fish carefully. Do not use excessive force when grasping the fish. Do not put fingers into gill cavities or eye sockets.
6. Gently remove the hook to minimize damage.
7. Use lures with single hook, barbless hooks (I snap them off), or circle hooks (as noted above)
8. Return fish to water quickly. Place fish gently in water in upright horizontal position. Move it back and forth in the water to force water across its gills. Once the fish revives, allow it to swim away.
Tautog Advisory Panel Recommends New Regulations for 2011
The DEM Marine Fisheries Tautog Advisory Panel met last week and approved their final recommendations to the DEM Director for the 2011 season. Fish must be 16” (same as last year). Three fish/day/person are allowed for the split season from April 15 to May 31 and then from August 1 to October 15; from October 16 to December, 15 the recommendation is six fish/person/day. There is a private boat limit of twelve fish/vessel during all periods.
DEM stocks ponds
The Department of Environmental Management is stocking rainbow trout in ponds for the winter ice-fishing season. This week they will finish stocking a total of 3,000-4,000 rainbow trout in six ponds.
Ponds to include Barber Pond in South Kingstown, Silver Spring Lake in North Kingstown, Olney Pond in Lincoln, Stafford Pond in Tiverton, Round Top Ponds in Burrillville, and Carbuncle Pond in Coventry are being stocked with rainbow trout. The hatchery-raised trout weigh between one and two pounds each. The US Fish and Wildlife Service’s Nashua, New Hampshire federal hatchery provided DEM with 150 surplus domestic Atlantic salmon broodstock which will be stocked in Olney Pond, Carbuncle Pond, and Barber Pond.
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