Striped Bass Regulations

[Mark Steiner]

It seems as though we are all going to have to support the restoration of the Striped Bass population. Regulations now state one striped bass per person 28 inches or larger. Just wondering what others are thinking in regard to this???

[Capt. Bob]

I was hoping for a 2 fish slot limit like they did in the past, but the reasons are right as the last 2 seasons have shown a larger decline in their numbers caught. It worked in the 90's and they came back in great numbers.

[Gerry Zagorski]

I have mixed emotions about this. I'm the first to want to protect this great fishery for future generations. Further, I hardly ever keep any Stripers. Once and a while if someone wants fresh fish, we will keep one for the table.

Having said this, I think it hurts our sport and the fishing industry in general when the regulations are such that people won't go out and fish because of the bag limits.

Is one fish enough? For me it is but for some others perhaps not.

The other thing that weighs on my mind is how our recreationaol fishery is being over managed and the data used to assess fish stocks is totally flawed.

Our goverment is being very heavy handed with the recreational limits and I don't want to give up anything because if you do you'll never get it back.

I think most Striper enthusiasts are conservationists at heart will still only keep one or none but why not keep the regs the way they are and give us the choice.

[Capt. Bob]

Sometimes we get a lemon, I say make lemonade. If the bite is strong, enjoy it and do catch and release. The other option is take your limit and move on to another species. Switch over for Fluke on the drift with a moving tide. I like to setup for Blackfish and or Sea bass 1 1/2 hours before and after high or low tide. Porgies are also available on these spots. Support your local tackle shops, they can point you in the right direction.

[Mark Steiner]

I agree with both of you! Switching to another species is always a great strategy and Captain Bob really knows how to successfully do just that! I also like to play the striper bite as long as it lasts so if you have chosen to keep one, use some hooks with the barb removed for extra challenge on your angling skills or single hooks lures such as a jig with the barb removed. Many will shake it out but I can see some great catch and release tournaments going barbless. Hell we do it with trout.

The other side of the coin is that there will be more stripers around this year and many stayed South last year due to strange weather patterns. It's certainly not the recreational fisherman that has caused the decline in general and I don't even want to get into that!

[Capt. Bob]

Just a review of the surrounding states regulations. Maine is still out for public comment. New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut and New York will have a 1 fish at 28" or larger limit. New Jersey is trying to get a 2 fish slot limit.
The good news is we are in agreement that we need to reduce the harvest to help bring back the fish stocks. Also, if you catch your fish in New York or Rhode Island, a 28" fish is legal in those states as well as when you reenter Connecticut waters. For many years , each state had different size limits and you were risking a violation transiting your fish. We are finally all on the same page in this area.