Striped bass in tough shape, mangers take action

Capt. John McMurray of One More Cast Charters, NY testified Wednesday before the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Water, Ocean and Wildlife.

Anglers advocate in Washington, DC this week: Capt. Dave Monti, No Fluke Charters; Todd Corayer, South Kingstown writer and kayak fishermen; Peter Jenkins, owner of the Saltwater Edge, Middletown; Capt. Ian Devlin, East Norfolk, CT.


Striped bass in tough shape, fish mangers take action 

The Striped Bass Board of the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) announced Tuesday that they plan to reduce striped bass total removals (commercial and recreational harvest, including dead releases) by roughly 17 percent. 

The 2018 Atlantic Striped Bass Benchmark Stock Assessment indicates the resource is overfished and experiencing overfishing relative to the updated reference points defined in the assessment. Female spawning stock biomass (SSB) was estimated at 151 million pounds, below the SSB threshold of 202 million pounds. Despite recent declines in SSB, the assessment indicated the stock is still significantly above the SSB levels observed during the moratorium in the mid-1980s

The Draft Addendum that aims to reduce harvest will explore a range of management options, including minimum size and slot size limits for the recreational fishery in the Chesapeake Bay and along the coast, as well as a coastwide circle hook requirement when fishing with bait.

The Draft Addendum will be presented to the Board for its consideration and approval for public comment in August. If approved, it will be released for public comment, with the Board considering its final approval in October for implementation in 2020.

A more detailed description of the stock assessment results is available on the Commission’s website at http://www.asmfc.org .

Anglers advocate for conservation, enhanced data and climate change tools

Anglers, guides, charter captains and fishing industry leaders met in Washington, DC this week to push to maintain strong conservation measures in our national fishing law, the Magnuson-Stevens Act (MSA).  Provisions such as Allowable Catch Limits (ACLs) and Accountability Measures (fish sectors making up the difference if they overfish) are MSA provisions that have helped rebuild over 40 fish stocks since the year 2000.  

The group of anglers visited the offices of senators and congressmen advocating for enhance data (possibly through electronic recording) and providing fish mangers with enhanced climate change tools to manage species that have migrated as water has warmed. 

Peter Jenkins, owner of the Saltwater Edge outfitters in Middletown, RI and board chairman of the American Saltwater Guides Association said, “Our aim to run sustainable businesses through conservation and keeping the conservation measures in our national fishing law strong.”

In other Washington, DC fishing news this week, Capt. John McMurray of One More Cast Charters in Oceanside, NY and president of the American Saltwater Guides Association testified before the House Natural Resource Subcommittee on Water, Ocean and Wildlife Wednesday.  McMurray said, “Conservation provisions contained in the current version of our national fishing law reduced the number of stocks being overfished from 92 to 38 since 2000.  According to NOAA Fisheries recreational participation and seafood landings are up as a result and that’s because conservation provisions increased access by making more fish available to more people.”

Spring fishing off to a great start

The spring fishing season has gotten off to a great start.  Anglers had a great opening to the freshwater season with trout and golden trout still being caught in stocked waterways (see below report).  

And this week, the saltwater fishing season exploded with some anglers catching as many as 30 migrating school bass an outing with reports of a 30” fish being caught too (28” is the minimum size, one fish/person/day}.  To enhance the safe release of small school bass use in-line hooks, or snap off the barbs on treble hooks, and gently bring these fish in for a safe release. 

The tautog bite has been good too this week with many anglers limiting out (three fish/person/day, 16” minimum), some fish being caught are in the 20 plus inch range.

So get out there and fish.

Where’s the bite?

Striped bass.  The striped bass migration started to hit Rhode Island early last week with school bass at the West Wall.  Mike Wade of Watch Hill Outfitters, Westerly, said, “We have customers catching holdover bass far up the Pawcatuck River at the Westerly/Pawcatuck Bridge and others at the West Wall of the Harbor of Refuge in South Kingstown catching migrating bass.  The fish are loaded with sea lice.”  Neil Hayes of Quaker Lane Bait & Tackle, North Kingstown said, “Anglers are catching migrating striped bass all the way to Conimicut Point and beyond up the river.  We have good reports of a striped bass bite in Apponaug and East Greenwich Coves.” Manny Macedo of Lucky Bait & Tackle, Warren said, “One of our customers caught a 30” keeper in the Barrington River and two others caught over 30 school bass.  They said they successfully released all of them.”

Tautog.  “Tautog fishing for commercial fishermen has been getting better.  Some are catching five to six keepers using clam as bait, not a lot of green crabs around year.  They are setting traps but the water is still too cold around here and the crabs are still dormant.” Manny Macedo of Lucky Bait & Tackle said, “Tautog fishing is very good.  Anglers are limiting out (three fish/person/day) using green crabs.  The bite is on in Tiverton, in the Sakonnet River and at the Barrington River Bridge.” Neil Hayes of Quaker Lane Bait & Tackle, said, “The tautog bite off Newport and Jamestown was very good this week.  Anglers are using both worms and green crabs for bait.”  Angler John Migliori has been catching keeper tautog along Ocean Drive, Newport.  This past weekend he caught a 22” fish from shore.

Freshwater fishing. Manny Macedo of Lucky Bait said, “The bite at Bad Luck Pond for trout has been very good, however fishing at Brickyard Pond, Barrington has not been good at all.  The largemouth bite continues to be good in the area.” Neil Hayes of Quaker Lane Bait & Tackle said, “Customers are still catching golden trout.  We weighed in two that were caught at Silver Spring Lake, North Kingstown. So the trout bite is still good.  The largemouth bass bite has been good for anglers too.”  Mike Wake of Watch Hill Outfitters said, “The trout bite is still great at ponds that DEM stocked such as Carolina and Bradford Ponds.  And, they are still catching golden trout.  Once again DEM has done a great job stocking.” 

Visit www.mass.gov/orgs/division-of-fisheries-and-wildlife for a list of stocked trout ponds and regulations in Massachusetts.  And, for stocked ponds and regulations in Rhode Island visit www.dem.ri.gov .