Brandon's TF poll

[JigStix]

Originally Posted by Skip

I
Best thing might be to just C/R until mid May - on a volunteer basis.

so are you going to?

Use your Tidalfish rock star status to see if you can drum people up to do it. If you say to, I'm sure many will follow suit. Many of us "old school" folks already do and would welcome others to. You have probably hidden my posts because I don't agree with you but maybe one of your cronies will tell you and you'll answer and put your money where your mouth is.

[Skip]

Jig Stix - I've been suggesting for years to let Rock over 40 inches go.

Heard more flak then a man should have to but stayed my course.
Even stopped fishing the MSSA tournaments - after winning money in three of them. Did not seem right to kill a big Rock just for a chance at some cash.

Wished I had saved the B mails I received from the Va. boys about three years ago. I posted on their board - asking that the huge Rock they were crushing in winter on live Eels be let go.

Sure , I'll suggest letting all spring fish go - watch what happens.

Guys will blast me - saying any fish released dies. Mostly the ones who hide behind a screen name. They'll twist my words inside out - but I'll post the suggestion - none the least.

Ain't no winning some days.

[JigStix]

Originally Posted by Skip

Jig Stix - I've been suggesting for years to let Rock over 40 inches go.

Heard more flak then a man should have to but stayed my course.
Even stopped fishing the MSSA tournaments - after winning money in three of them. Did not seem right to kill a big Rock just for a chance at some cash.

Wished I had saved the B mails I received from the Va. boys about three years ago. I posted on their board - asking that the huge Rock they were crushing in winter on live Eels be let go.

Sure , I'll suggest letting all spring fish go - watch what happens.

Guys will blast me - saying any fish released dies. Mostly the ones who hide behind a screen name. They'll twist my words inside out - but I'll post the suggestion - none the least.

Ain't no winning some days.

I'll stand beside you in that request. As far as releasing all fish over 40" fish, maybe im off base but I think there is a huge difference between releasing all spring fish and those over 40. What truly is the difference between a 39" fish and a 40" fish in terms of eggs released and viability of the eggs? A 38" fish? A 35" fish? Where do we draw the line? They are all breeders. Releasing one 40" fish in a trip while keeping a limit of 36" to 39" fish never made sense to me.

While I do truly believe you release most of your fish over 40", I believe many of your followers are quick to call a 40"-"43" fish, a 39" fish in their reports so they look like conservationists or so they stay in your good graces (for lack of a better word).

[SimpleBiology]

Trolling this year sucked for me, Maybe because I'm more partial to jigging but one thing was for sure, I put away the broomsticks and started pounding the fish deep water jigging.

There will be little to no trolling trips in the future for me and my social crowd.

I do not believe the Striper population is in trouble.

I believe the numbers are down and with good management and good recruiment the stock will bounce back.

The juvenile index has been below average for several years now and until we have positve recruitment the population will stay low.

The striper population being low in number is not enitrely a bad thing. It allows bait fish to grow and replenish thier own stock. You guys just need to eat more bluefish.

And for all the guys that use Spot for bait get ready to chum again, 2 million less spot will impact the stock for a few months.

[garlien]

When do we get to stop talking about these "stripers" and start talking about "strippers" ?

Sad part is, if we could take greed out of the equation we would be much better off...I don't keep a damned thing...I am grateful that the bay provides me entertainment...I dont care if people keep fish (to eat)...I do care that people gaff fish that they think they are going to keep, only to throw them overboard when they catch bigger fish...I have seen that way too much....

Its like hunting for me...I dont do it, but that doesnt mean others should not...I would just hope that they eat what they kill...Otherwise its waste...and greed...and no one really ends up winning when greed comes into the equation....

Lastly, isnt this kind of conversation why we are all here talking instead of TF ? Lets at least all respect each others opinions...We are all entitled....

Enough of that...I just want to fish and cant with all the damned ice...Where the hell is this global warming thing ?

[JigStix]

Originally Posted by garlien

When do we get to stop talking about these "stripers" and start talking about "strippers" ?

Sad part is, if we could take greed out of the equation we would be much better off...I don't keep a damned thing...I am grateful that the bay provides me entertainment...I dont care if people keep fish (to eat)...I do care that people gaff fish that they think they are going to keep, only to throw them overboard when they catch bigger fish...I have seen that way too much....

Its like hunting for me...I dont do it, but that doesnt mean others should not...I would just hope that they eat what they kill...Otherwise its waste...and greed...and no one really ends up winning when greed comes into the equation....

Lastly, isnt this kind of conversation why we are all here talking instead of TF ? Lets at least all respect each others opinions...We are all entitled....

Enough of that...I just want to fish and cant with all the damned ice...Where the hell is this global warming thing ?

I respect all of your opinions, but if I see something that is hypocritical I'll call you out. Don't take it personally, I won't when you do it to me.

[Blakesdad]

Originally Posted by SimpleBiology

I do not believe the Striper population is in trouble.

I believe the numbers are down and with good management and good recruiment the stock will bounce back.

How can you possibly believe that ?

[Chesapeake Rock]

This post was orignally started because of fear that other posts would be used against us. but if it lead to restrictions for closing part of the trophy season and releasing fish over 40 like some people here suggested, wouldnt that be against us like restricting C&R?
And I don't think there is any thing wrong with the Rockfish population either

[reds]

Too bad the old ASMFC minutes are not available on line anymore. Years ago, the technical committee of that organization made it known that the large fish would slowly be caught up and the large size would diminish. I think this has come to pass.

Also when you build up a stock higher then it has been in years and then open it up for catching, there will be a larger then average catch rate. This combined with the warmer weather we had experienced over the last 7-10 years, has made the Striped Bass harvest above what used to be the norm.

[Spot77]

Help me out with a few things.

I thought I've seen it posted here and other places that the larger fish aren't as good to eat. Some people say they have more mercury in them. Is this true or just assumption?

Do a lot of people keep big fish just to make a trophy out of them?

Is c&r fish death really a big problem? No doubt some die, but I rarely see a dead Rock floating in the water and I'm out between 12 and 20 times a year from March through December. Is the bay just so damned big that I'm missing all of them?

Would a large scale education effort help in reducing the number of c&r fish deaths? I know when I'm bass fishing I take very good care of a fish; holding it with as little contact as possible, getting some water through it before letting it swim off on its own, etc. I do the same with every fish I catch, even White Perch. I'm certainly not the liberal, tree hugging, kumbayah kind of person, but I believe in treating life with respect...all life. Well, except bugs perhaps.

I don't think a lot of new regulatory changes are going to make a big difference one way or the other. First, people are creatures of habit and a very large percentage of the population will continue "business as usual" anyway. Laws and locks are only for honest people after all. Second, I have little faith in DNR being able to do anything that will measurably help. Oh sure they'll massage some figures that will give them the results they want. But there's no way they can forecast variables beyond their control such as droughts, algae blooms, pfysteria outbreaks, other odd weather patterns or a man made disaster. I have no doubt there's some great poeple working at DNR who really care, but it is government after all, and DNR isn't exempt from corruption, being misinformed and having too many layers of bureaucracy to be efficient all the time.