Surf Fishing for Stripers

[afishinado]

The striper "run" should happen in coming weeks at the NJ beaches.

Reports have been that Montauk fishing has been good up until the resent nor'easter.

Things may be setting up for the NJ surf.

Here is a great article detailing the factors that should go into planning a fishing trip to the surf >

https://www.onthewater.com/developing-a-fishing-plan

 

[afishinado]

Article about the striper population and the NJ shore striper fishing >

https://www.nj.com/news/2019/10/a-beloved-nj-fish-is-in-big-trouble-whats-next-for-striper-fishing.html

 

[Mike]

From what I know about the Conservation Equivalency process that Pa went through to change the two month slot limit (reduce its breadth) in the Delaware Estuary for 2015, a slight adjustment in the present breadth of the Pa slot will probably meet or exceed the 18 percent ASMFC required reduction in harvest.

The article notes that NJ does not have a commercial fishery. It does not clearly say why NJ has the bonus tag program, however. The state’s commercial fishery quota was assigned to the sport fishery. As a result, the additional fish may be harvested if the angler has purchased the required tag in advance. Upon using that tag, the same angler may purchase another, and so on.

 

[marcq]

Mike after seeing what I believe was published in on the water magazine. The mortality of C&R fish was 49%. Wouldn’t it make sense to shut down fishing pressure in the spring in spawning areas? Lower delaware river, raritan bay,Hudson River,Susquehanna river pretty much any estuary that striped bass spawn in?

On another note how do they come up with these numbers? I’m all for trying to help the population get back to where it was but a 28 to 35 inch slot might not be the answer. These fish make up the majority of the spawning sized fish. To me it seems like all they are doing is going to kill out we’re we get the majority out our spawning fish.

Lastly was out on a friend boat last week caught and kept a 30 pound bass. Upon filleting it realized it had eggs in it. Is this normal for this time of year?Same thing happened last year in the fall.

 

[timmyt2]

My understanding is that the 28-35 inch fish are thought to be mostly males. I always heard the larger fish were females, the big breeders with the most eggs. Sounds like you found that out the hard way

I knew the striper fishery was toast 10 plus years ago when they started letting people keep fish from the river in the spring. The fish are there to spawn, why they would allow harvest of spawning fish is just mind boggilying stupid. 10 years later, the population is down. No kidding, how did that happen

 

[poopdeck]

I've been fishing the river for stripers for over 25 years. I have not personally witnessed any decline in catching. Perhaps I'm just getting better at fishing for them as their numbers are decreasing but I seriously doubt that. Some days I can go out and catch nothing. Other days I can boat 20. That's spring striper fishing in the river. You have to get out often if you want a successful spring because their will be dry days.

Last year was one of my best years ever for numbers but not size. I credit that with fishing the Trenton area more then the philly area. If you want big you have to fish the lower river. If you want lots of 22 to 32" fish Trenton can't be beat. I got to say a 25" striper in the Trenton current can wear you out getting it to the boat.

As for keeping them that's virtually impossible. Who ever picked the date and places of the slot size fish know what the heck they are doing.

NJ closes striper fishing in April and May in the river so you cannot keep one if caught between river center and NJ. As far as I know, the striper tag is only for fishing in salt water. I'm not sure of this but that's my belief.

Tying the limits and and dates and such to the Calhoun street bridge is also an important consideration. The tide stops at Calhoun street and probably less the 5% of the stripers spawn above Calhoun street. Stripers are up there but they are more just hanging out enjoying the river after spawning. I think Mike posted before that most of the spawning occurs before the Betsy Ross bridge. I found this remarkable but it does explain the size difference based on location.

C&R mortality rates seem gimmicky to me. How they determine this is actually by capturing the fish then captivating the fish and then releasing the fish. So it's more like captivate and release not catch and release. I know I don't see dead stripers floating down the river when out so I have to question such a high mortality rate.

I think the current regs on recreational striper fishing are more then sufficient. Now the self reporting catch and mortality rates from the commercial boats are a complete joke. Want to save the striper, put a spotter on commercial boats to get the true number of killed stripers.

 

[marcq]

If you go to union beach in the Raritan bay you can see the slaughter. I saw many 30 plus pound fish full of eggs come off the beach this spring. It’s totally legal to keep fish 28 and above. Just seems like this is were they should consider protecting fish not a slot.

Last spring I kept two fish around 28 inches thinking they were male fish both had eggs. I swore not to keep a fish in the spring again and now in the fall I’m catching fish with eggs. Cant seem to win.

 

[Mike]

timmyt2,
The ocean striped bass fishery is primarily prosecuted on females. Only about 10 percent of the males leave the bays to become ocean-going fish that exceed 28 inches. The vast majority of males never make it to 28 inches because they do not spend much if any time in the ocean. Once they reach about 20 inches or so in the Delaware, for example, they are generally slow growing.

Pennsylvania and Delaware striped bass recreational fishery regulations in the Delaware Estuary take advantage of these sex-related behavioral and growth differences. In Pa’s case during the spawning period of April and May in the spawning grounds the slot limit presently allows the daily harvest of two fish between 21 and 25 inches long. In setting up the slot limits research into the data revealed that only ten percent of the mature fish shorter than 28 inches in the Delaware were females, thus based on their maturity schedule (age and size at maturity) an even lower percentage were females within the harvestable slot range because the range was a few inches shorter than 28 inches. I expect that the slot breadth will be further reduced in the near future as regulations are tightened throughout the east coast.

As for the harvest rate by Pennsylvania anglers, tag returns from the over 4000 stripers tagged on the spawning grounds between Pa and NJ since 1995 indicated that Pa anglers harvested only about ten percent of the PFBC tagged slot size fish that they caught from the Delaware. In addition, the fishery had a discouragingly low participation rate by Pa anglers.

 

[Mike]

Marq,
C&R striped bass delayed mortality is estimated to be 9 percent on average, not 49 percent. The nine percent figure likely comes from an average of delayed mortality studies and I would expect that they used the ones that were conducted under various temperature and salinity conditions and maybe various baits/terminal tackle. Fish are caught by hook and line and then placed in net pens in the same water body to monitor mortality over a period of time that typically lasts for a few days.

Poopdeck,
The Delaware Estuary slot limit, supported by substantial data analysis, was developed by the state of Delaware. Based on years of my failed attempts to get the other basin states to agree to the concept of a designated official Pa C&R spring season, Delaware asked if Pa wished to participate in a slot instead. When we reviewed the biological and fish behavioral logic behind the slot, my staff and I developed a proposal for when (months) the slot should be applied in Pa. We also reviewed scientific info and law enforcement experiences regarding circle hooks. Ultimately, we did not propose a circle hook requirement and our agency approved the proposal, as did the ASMFC striped bass technical committee and ASMFC striped bass Board. Delaware applies its slot in summer when the fish are residing in the Bay; Pa applies its slot in spring when the fish are temporarily ( for the most part) in Pa. it is an example of cooperation and coordination between states in managing a fishery.

NJ does not have a striper fishing season on the spawning grounds; they have a spring ocean fishery in which their anglers can participate, which is why harvest is only allowed from the Pa side of roughly mid-channel. Combined with Pa’s reg, including what has been a gradually narrowing slot and a two fish creel limit focusing on male stripers, harvest is only allowed on one side of the Estuary. As most of the better concentrations of stripers occur on the NJ side, the legal take from the spawning grounds is limited.

 

[afishinado]

Mike wrote:
Marq,
C&R striped bass delayed mortality is estimated to be 9 percent on average, not 49 percent. The nine percent figure likely comes from an average of delayed mortality studies and I would expect that they used the ones that were conducted under various temperature and salinity conditions and maybe various baits/terminal tackle. Fish are caught by hook and line and then placed in net pens in the same water body to monitor mortality over a period of time that typically lasts for a few days.

Poopdeck,
The Delaware Estuary slot limit, supported by substantial data analysis, was developed by the state of Delaware. Based on years of my failed attempts to get the other basin states to agree to the concept of a designated official Pa C&R spring season, Delaware asked if Pa wished to participate in a slot instead. When we reviewed the biological and fish behavioral logic behind the slot, my staff and I developed a proposal for when (months) the slot should be applied in Pa. We also reviewed scientific info and law enforcement experiences regarding circle hooks. Ultimately, we did not propose a circle hook requirement and our agency approved the proposal, as did the ASMFC striped bass technical committee and ASMFC striped bass Board. Delaware applies its slot in summer when the fish are residing in the Bay; Pa applies its slot in spring when the fish are temporarily ( for the most part) in Pa. it is an example of cooperation and coordination between states in managing a fishery.

NJ does not have a striper fishing season on the spawning grounds; they have a spring ocean fishery in which their anglers can participate, which is why harvest is only allowed from the Pa side of roughly mid-channel. Combined with Pa’s reg, including what has been a gradually narrowing slot and a two fish creel limit focusing on male stripers, harvest is only allowed on one side of the Estuary. As most of the better concentrations of stripers occur on the NJ side, the legal take from the spawning grounds is limited.

Striper mortality from recreational fishing is listed at 48% according to this article and study >

https://www.onthewater.com/striped-bass-stock-overview

Chart from article >

 

[Mike]

Now I see where you got the 48 percent number, but that refers to removals, ie of the total removals... the number of fish that died from C&R. In contrast above I was talking about the C&R mortality rate which is estimated to be nine percent. My presentation of that rate above is affirmed in the last sentence of the paragraph that you referred to in your link.

In essence, a 9 percent C&R mortality rate resulted in 48 percent of the total removals via recreational and commercial fishing combined.

 

[afishinado]

Mike wrote:
Now I see where you got the 48 percent number, but that refers to removals, ie of the total removals... the number of fish that died from C&R. In contrast above I was talking about the C&R mortality rate which is estimated to be nine percent. My presentation of that rate above is affirmed in the last sentence of the paragraph that you referred to in your link.

In essence, a 9 percent C&R mortality rate resulted in 48 percent of the total removals via recreational and commercial fishing combined.

Understood ^

The chart, the way is laid out, is misleading to most anglers. 9% seems to be a reasonably accurate estimate to me.

 

[afishinado]

Here is a blog that should be read by every east coast SW angler >

https://news.orvis.com/fly-fishing/action-alert-striped-bass-need-our-help-part-1?fbclid=IwAR0fXkUO8z7DXe6uDqeuFQOgbNK1TW2pGDVuxwMN1cBdgKQlOwUkpG55cmI

 

[afishinado]

Great video showing bunker bunker everywhere but the stripers haven't yet appeared >

 

[Fredrick]

Nice article on sand eels

https://www.onthewater.com/sand-eels-november-surf

 

[Mike]

ASMFC Striped Bass Board decision on 2020 fishery management. A 28-35 inch harvestable slot, which means catch and release for larger trophy size fish. Creel limit stays at 1. Circle hooks REQUIRED for bait fishing starting in 2021. States not favoring these harvest regs may submit state-specific conservation equivalency proposals in support of alternative regs.

In my view, the devil is in the details for bait fishing in nursery areas, as many age 1-3 stripers, especially age 1-2, are hooked and released all summer long by catfish anglers. The young stripers are suckers for chicken liver. This aspect will be something to watch out for and perhaps address when new conservation equivalency regs are proposed for the Delaware, as substantial numbers of young stripers stay in the tidal and non-tidal river in summer, moving upstream to at least just above Easton.

 

[Fredrick]

Mike wrote:
ASMFC Striped Bass Board decision on 2020 fishery management. A 28-35 inch harvestable slot, which means catch and release for larger trophy size fish. Creel limit stays at 1. Circle hooks REQUIRED for bait fishing starting in 2021. States not favoring these harvest regs may submit state-specific conservation equivalency proposals in support of alternative regs.

In my view, the devil is in the details for bait fishing in nursery areas, as many age 1-3 stripers, especially age 1-2, are hooked and released all summer long by catfish anglers. The young stripers are suckers for chicken liver. This aspect will be something to watch out for and perhaps address when new conservation equivalency regs are proposed for the Delaware, as substantial numbers of young stripers stay in the tidal and non-tidal river in summer, moving upstream to at least just above Easton.

Mike do you have a article link on the decision .

 

[tomgamber]

https://www.capegazette.com/article/commission-decides-new-striped-bass-regulations/192209

 

[timmyt2]

From the article above...

"You may remember I had suggested a 20 percent reduction in recreational mortality since recreational fishermen contribute a much greater percentage of the overall striped bass mortality than do commercial fishermen."

I don't believe that, sorry

 

[johnw]

I don't believe it either