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pete
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Over

Post by pete »

the saltwater is for the most part done here... How did others along the striper coast do this year? Fish numbers were low here on the cape and in New England in general. How was Long Island or Jersey? The bass seem to be crashing rapidly, just like the eighties.
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Tim Borski
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Re: Over

Post by Tim Borski »

Friends of mine in Montauk say jiggers are catching / killing tons of breeders. Good luck to you Pete...I suspect lean times are coming. Again. sigh

Tim
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pete
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Re: Over

Post by pete »

A couple of times out on the monomoy rips this year we encountered lots of dead floating bass. Mostly fish just shy of the commercial limit that had been gaffes then discarded. Also saw people on charter boats high grading. Putting smaller dead fish back in the water if they caught something bigger.
Ask any of the commercial guys or the charter captains why they think fish numbers are down and they will blame the seals. Yet I've never seen a seal kill a fish then abandon it for a bigger one. I have seen em eat bass, but mostly they seem to focus on skates and sea herring.
I'm gonna go south and become a snook junkie :lol:
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Tim Borski
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Re: Over

Post by Tim Borski »

Hi, my name's Tim and I'm, um, a Snookoholic. Pete, come down here and we'll fish Snook until we can't stand up anymore...then we'll both go to an intervention, ok? :mrgreen:

Tim
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pete
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Re: Over

Post by pete »

Sounds great! Though I think I'll skip the intervention, I was born to be bad 8-)
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Tim Borski
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Re: Over

Post by Tim Borski »

Ok. Then we'll chase snakes on our hands and knees afterwards, ok?

Tim
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pete
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Re: Over

Post by pete »

That totally works for me!
Mole kings first! :beer:
mikez
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Re: Over

Post by mikez »

I made only one striper trip in 2014. My son and I each got one school striper in the 24 inch range. From a trip to fish ratio you could call that a successful season.
In truth, it was so depressing I almost cried. South coast RI was painfully dead. Bait everywhere and nothing chasing it.
Having fished the same exact spots for, well, my whole life [Dad took me when I was a wee lad], I was shocked to see the change. The fishermen parking areas were empty, the beaches and jetties had only scup fishermen, many of the mom&pop bait shops, eateries and even coffee shops were shuttered. Very depressing.

Not that I want credit from something so sad, but I noticed the coming change over 5 years ago. I got totally killed in the fishing forums at the time for bringing it up. Pretty much nobody's trying to deny it now.
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pete
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Re: Over

Post by pete »

You'd be surprised how many people are denying it. :(
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BillMcGighan
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Re: Over

Post by BillMcGighan »

This same thing (in a way) happened off the gulf coast in Florida with Snook. The populations, while fine in some specific areas, had fallen pretty badly on the big picture, with ignorant nay sayers still in denial.
Heavy restrictions and enforcement went into effect, and the fish rebounded nicely, but a number of short sighted folks whined loudly through the process.

It seems that some percentage commercial and sport fishermen see only what's in front of their boats, nets, and poles, have no other income, and don't want to believe that the ocean resources do have limits. Some I've talked to even take a religious position to justify over collection or detrimental practices.
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pete
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Re: Over

Post by pete »

It's so true Bill! Fisheries management is really common sense, yet human nature prevents implementation. I hate when people toss the bible card into the mix.
I've got to get down to Florida to try snookin!
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