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Post by fishnfool on Apr 1, 2019 20:29:41 GMT -5
And it's been so shitty the last few years I dont even think I will be fishing opening day this year.
I still hope to have the boat in the water by late April.
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Post by Gitsum on Apr 2, 2019 5:53:20 GMT -5
Hasnt been any better over here either. Then on the way out to go bottom fishing we go right through millions of them on the surface about 10-12 miles out. And worse yet, we cant even target them for catch and release but you could scoop them up with a net! Last year there was even a Coast Guard cutter drifting along with them just waiting for someone try to catch one... lol.
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Post by ragtop409 on Apr 2, 2019 6:06:09 GMT -5
Why can you not catch and release them? I don’t know anything about them. Rag’s
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Post by Gitsum on Apr 2, 2019 6:10:57 GMT -5
Illegal to fish for or posess in federal waters. But that would be a LOT of fun if we could. I would spend a lot of time doing that.
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Post by kbh on Apr 2, 2019 7:30:51 GMT -5
Illegal to fish for or posess in federal waters. But that would be a LOT of fun if we could. I would spend a lot of time doing that. Wow, never heard of that. How do they know what you are fishing for? Hell, I don't even know what I'm fishing for half the time. Catching and releasing snook out of season is fun, and legal. Catching and eating snook in season is even more fun.
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Post by fishnfool on Apr 2, 2019 8:10:58 GMT -5
Yep cant fish for them outside the 3 mile line. Of course they like to hang just outside that line most of the time!
I suspect if they catch you actively fishing the schools outside the line with gear designed to target them, they have pretty good cause to nab you.
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Post by Gitsum on Apr 2, 2019 9:06:36 GMT -5
And that makes it a federal offense. And boy do they LOVE issuing federal citations!
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Post by hookedup on Apr 4, 2019 7:36:46 GMT -5
Got an email yesterday from Virginia Marine Resources Commission:
On April 23, 2019, the Marine Resources Commission will consider an emergency staff proposal to eliminate the Bay, Coastal and Potomac River Tributaries Spring Trophy-size Striped Bass Recreational Fisheries described in Chapter 4 VAC 20-252-10 et seq.
Seems they finally realized that we have dropped 85% since 2010 in striper catches. And if you ask me, we dropped much more than that if you go back to 2008 when it was tough to not hook up a striper.
Now, if they'd only consider a gill net elimination and menhaden moratorium in the Chesapeake Bay and tributaries we'd see a rapid increase in fish of all types. Unlikely, but I didn't expect them to consider the striper season eliminations - so here's to wishful thinking. Maybe we'll get a better season in a year or so due to the actions they are planing now.
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Post by fishnfool on Apr 4, 2019 8:59:08 GMT -5
The way understand it is, VA is simply going to start the season earlier and open it up in January, which I think tends to be better fishing anyway. I think it might also result in a max size limit too.
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Post by hookedup on Apr 4, 2019 9:18:20 GMT -5
Here's the whole email:
On April 23, 2019, the Marine Resources Commission will consider an emergency staff proposal to eliminate the Bay, Coastal and Potomac River Tributaries Spring Trophy-size Striped Bass Recreational Fisheries described in Chapter 4 VAC 20-252-10 et seq.
The justifications for this proposal include the status of the coastal striped bass stock that is overfished. This means the spawning stock is low and not biologically stable. Overfishing has been occurring for several years meaning the rate of striped bass removals from the stock has caused an overfished condition. The number of striped bass harvested recreationally by Virginia fisheries has declined markedly since 2010 when 368 thousand striped bass were harvested from all tidal Virginia waters. In 2018, preliminary recreational striped bass harvest is less than 52 thousand fish. The reporting rate for the trophy-size recreational striped bass fisheries has been low and ranged from 37 percent to 50 percent, from 2015 through 2018. All these factors have contributed to the staff proposal for these emergency actions, and section § 28.2-210 of the Code of Virginia authorizes these amendments for the protection of the striped bass resource.
The emergency amendments proposed by staff include: 1) elimination of the open season for the Bay spring trophy-size striped bass recreational fishery of May 1 through June 15, inclusive, whereby a 36-inch minimum size limit has been in effect; 2) elimination of the open season for the Coastal spring trophy-size striped bass recreational fishery of May 1 through May 15, inclusive, whereby a 36-inch minimum size limit has been in effect; and, 3) elimination of the open season for the Potomac River tributaries spring striped bass recreational fishery of April 20 through May 15, inclusive, whereby a 35 inch minimum size limit is in effect.
Staff proposes an effective date of April 29, 2019 for the emergency regulation. If the Commission adopts the emergency regulation, a public hearing on this issue would be requested for May 28, 2019.
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Post by hollywood9s on Apr 5, 2019 19:20:52 GMT -5
I didn't catch a single fish the last two trophy seasons, and that was out of about a dozen trips combined over both years. Number of fish I was marking on the sonar has been dramatically lower as well. When I first started about 12 years ago we used to limit most trips only trolling 4-5 rods with no planer boards. Last few years I started using boards and double the number of rods. It is bad, they need to cut back both rec and commercial harvest of the cows and let the biomass replenish, but regulations going forward need to change or we will continue this cycle every decade or two. I'd like to see the spawners come back thick, then do a slot take on the fish between 18-30", with a tag for one trophy fish per person per season for anything over 36". I think that would prevent overfishing for the big spawners, but still allow everyone the opportunity to take one trophy fish each year.
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Post by fishnfool on Apr 5, 2019 22:05:53 GMT -5
Better regulation of VA waters and menhaden catch needs to happen too.
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Post by fishnfool on Apr 18, 2019 9:17:51 GMT -5
Not that I was planning to go, but it looks like opening weekend is going to be a blowout.
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Post by finatic on Apr 18, 2019 19:57:56 GMT -5
Same thing fishing Block Island in RI. If you drift past the 3 mile limit into federal water around the Island don't you dear get caught taking a bass.
Now in Long Island Sound where every world record Bass, Rock Fish come from has slowed down a lot over the past 2 years. Fish are still around BUT you really need to know your sh!t and work to find them. Funny how much regs change from state to state. Bass fishing is open year round in CT. Say you leave your port in CT make the run to fish NY waters where the regs are different. Returning back to your home port now you have to many fish for CT regs, big fine if you get stopped by D.E.E.P. So stupid because it's the same body of water.
I to am hoping for a better season. My boat is still at my house, i'm in no big hurry due to lack of good fishing.
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Post by fishnfool on May 12, 2019 10:31:12 GMT -5
Another crappy opening season down. Here's hoping for a good light tackle summer!
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