# Doesn't sound good



## Guest (Feb 18, 2019)

This article popped up on my news feed. Doesn't sound good.

https://smnewsnet.com/archives/4498...-trouble-new-study-finds-catch-limits-likely/


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## Jerry Norris (Oct 14, 2016)

There were a lot of dead rockfish floating around last summer.


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## andypat (Jan 7, 2004)

OH MY, that don't sound good. OVERFISHING, Trophy Season, Limits of rockfish every day all year. And some of these rock fishermen are the ones that gave me hard times catching pan fish and bass. Coming back on them. I guess they will have to shut it down again for a few years. What you think guys?


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## kurazy kracka (Oct 14, 2008)

andypat said:


> OH MY, that don't sound good. OVERFISHING, Trophy Season, Limits of rockfish every day all year. And some of these rock fishermen are the ones that gave me hard times catching pan fish and bass. Coming back on them. I guess they will have to shut it down again for a few years. What you think guys?


make the bay 1 fish per person 20-28" and close it in July and August when water temps are super high. No more trophy season and no big fish getting slammed in November and December. Make the coast 1 fish 32-36".


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## andypat (Jan 7, 2004)

kurazy kracka said:


> make the bay 1 fish per person 20-28" and close it in July and August when water temps are super high. No more trophy season and no big fish getting slammed in November and December. Make the coast 1 fish 32-36".


X2 on that Kracka.


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## hunter1 (Jul 31, 2009)

X3 on that Kracka.


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## catman (May 28, 2001)

X4 on that Kracka.


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## sand flea (Oct 24, 1999)

I'm all for restrictions, but if it's done in one state with one set of restrictions it'll amount to band-aid on a gushing wound. Hit up your local library or Amazon and read "Striper Wars." A federal moratorium is the only way to fix this.


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## CYT (Nov 9, 2015)

sand flea said:


> I'm all for restrictions, but if it's done in one state with one set of restrictions it'll amount to band-aid on a gushing wound. Hit up your local library or Amazon and read "Striper Wars." A federal moratorium is the only way to fix this.


....ditto


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## andypat (Jan 7, 2004)

sand flea said:


> i'm all for restrictions, but if it's done in one state with one set of restrictions it'll amount to band-aid on a gushing wound. Hit up your local library or amazon and read "striper wars." a federal moratorium is the only way to fix this.


x2


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## Gorge (Jun 13, 2017)

It worked last time.


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## ChefRobb (Jan 8, 2016)

I think that a critical part of the problem is the massive amounts of forage fish (menhaden) which Virginia is permitting to be removed from the lower bay. These filter-feeding fish are a keystone species and Va. is even looking at loosening up restrictions on them. This has pissed me off for years, but Richmond doesn't seem to want to listen to those of us who care.

https://baltimore.cbslocal.com/2011/11/11/overfishing-menhaden-impacts-larger-fish-in-md-waters/


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## joek (Jun 1, 2015)

ChefRobb said:


> I think that a critical part of the problem is the massive amounts of forage fish (menhaden) which Virginia is permitting to be removed from the lower bay. These filter-feeding fish are a keystone species and Va. is even looking at loosening up restrictions on them. This has pissed me off for years, but Richmond doesn't seem to want to listen to those of us who care.
> 
> https://baltimore.cbslocal.com/2011/11/11/overfishing-menhaden-impacts-larger-fish-in-md-waters/


x2...
not much point in trying to have more rock fish if there is nothing for them to eat.
someone needs to find out which politicians are getting paid to allow this overfishing and lock em up.


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## kurazy kracka (Oct 14, 2008)

joek said:


> x2...
> not much point in trying to have more rock fish if there is nothing for them to eat.
> someone needs to find out which politicians are getting paid to allow this overfishing and lock em up.


The menhaden biomass is about the same size it was in the 70s-80s right now. The menhaden's lowest numbers were in the late 90s-early 2000s, right when bass had fully bounced back and were at their peak.
There's enough food for them to survive on. I agree that VA needs to lock things down, but the fish will get by with what is available right now if the bass are better protected/regulated.


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## thaweatherman (Mar 9, 2018)

Reading the comments on the article it's funny to see how everyone is jumping on different bandwagons of whose fault it is when in reality it is everyone's fault. Commercial fish gillnetting and taking big females, recreational fishermen using poor handling tactics during the warm months and creating slicks of dead undersized fish, poachers taking small fish by the dozen, the trophy season taking big females specifically. It's all problematic.


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## nhunter344 (Oct 14, 2016)

thaweatherman said:


> Reading the comments on the article it's funny to see how everyone is jumping on different bandwagons of whose fault it is when in reality it is everyone's fault. Commercial fish gillnetting and taking big females, recreational fishermen using poor handling tactics during the warm months and creating slicks of dead undersized fish, poachers taking small fish by the dozen, the trophy season taking big females specifically. It's all problematic.


Completely agree that there is more than enough blame to go around. The thing that has always bothered me about conservation efforts is that their targets are always limited to a few select groups. You cant tell rec guys that there's a moratorium when you turn around and increase catch quotas for the commercial guys that just so happened to contribute to your election campaign. I'm not a fan of big brother coming in and telling us what to do, but a state by state piecemeal approach isn't going work. Doesn't matter if Maryland cancels its rec season when you have charters of 5-10 going out everyday and coming back in with their limit of 40"+ fish up in Jersey.

I'm all for a federal moratorium if it means there will be a population for my son to fish in the future. While they're at it, beef up the money allocated for enforcement. Commercial guys blame rec guys and rec guys blame the commercial guys while the poachers keep on poaching.


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## Gorge (Jun 13, 2017)

A federal moratorium on shad would help too. The rockfish love to eat shad and there are no shad coming up the Susquehanna any more.


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## thaweatherman (Mar 9, 2018)

I agree on the federal moratorium. It would cause widespread outrage, but those who truly care about conservation of the fishery should understand.


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## Guest (Feb 25, 2019)

The important thing is going to be sensible long term legislation. In other words, one a recovery is realized don't shoot yourself in the foot again by completely relaxing relations to the point that you wind up in this same place again.


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## ESRob (May 17, 2014)

A highly sought after species that's managed to maximum sustainable yield...
Seems like we'll do this dance until the end of time.


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