Estimate of the 2009 Harvest of Spring Coastal Migrant Striped Bass in Chesapeake Bay

[B-Faithful]

See here:

http://www.dnr.maryland.gov/fisherie...vest_FINAL.pdf

"The estimate of the 2009 Chesapeake Bay spring migrant harvest is 90,654 fish, which is
the highest harvest on record"

"An analysis of MRFSS estimates for Waves 2 and 3 in Chesapeake Bay indicates that the
2009 spring harvest is the result of a dramatic increase in the estimate of private angler success
(catch rate as fish harvested per angler trip), as opposed to an increase in effort."

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To me if you look at the data it shows how flawed the data collection system is. It should be believed that the charter reports are accurate since they have to log their catches. They are also on the water much more than the average recreational angler. For the "estimated" drastic increase in efficiency to occur soley on the recreational angler side shows that it this increase isnt a result of "more fish being in the bay." Given the small sampling of anglers online forum reports (i know it isnt science) during the trophy season, many anglers posted that their trips were less successful than years past, I doubt that recreational anglers as a whole are becoming more than twice as efficient than years past.

Again, this report just shows how flawed the data collection system is...

[drichitt]

The reliance on MRFSS irritates me. I know they have volunteers at SP, Solomons, PLO and sometimes Breezy, but where else do they dispatch people to collect data from. I would like to learn more about how they arrive at their "estimates". I have stopped participating with the MRFSS guy at SP...."Sorry Dave.... Got Skunked again"....Don

[hippie]

B-faithful, I have to aggree with you. They say the fish/trip average, but that is BS because I never catch any fish and if I posted my results of zero it would bring their average down. To whom do we send these reports to?