Bend Over and don't expect any KY. First ASFMC Bass Reduction Proposal calls for a 35" minimum size to reduce recreational retention by target of 17%

I think I predicted that number a while back. I'm sure we will all be fishing with circle hooks when bait fishing. And I still think they're gunning for our spring fishery.

I remember when it was 1 fish at 36”

I remember when it was 1 fish at 36”

yeah - I was pretty much fine with that. Makes it more exciting when you grabbed one that size. I pretty much given myself a minimum of 30" - so another 6" doesn't really matter.

We're talking about a 35" coastwide minimum, 21" for MD in the bay and 22" for VA. That would shift my Keeper to Discard ratio by a factor of 10, going to 1 to 2500!!

Still can't figure out why the avoid slots instead of putting more pressure on the larger fish. Proposal and other stuff in file below...

Can't you guys have a shorter season along with a slot as a conservation equivalency?

Can't you guys have a shorter season along with a slot as a conservation equivalency?

I already wrote the person at DMR responsible for collating volunteer log data and sending it along to ASMFC and strongly suggested he and his learned colleagues get off their keesters and start drafting one.

Let's see how much traction this proposal makes next week at the ASFMC meeting before I start going over to the DMR offices and help them get their mind right.

..... my views are so very contrarian as to what rebuilt the stock back in the 80's . It wasn't the moratorium and it wasn't the subsequent 38" and then 36" size limits. Increasing the size limit, shortening the season, moratoriums, etc. won't make a difference. It takes very few breeders to produce booming year classes. When the stock was at the lows in the 80's, there were some amazing year classes and when the stock was at amazing highs, there were some very poor year classes. I am not saying there should be no regulations ...... only that 2 @ 28" is all we would ever need to ensure we will always have stripers to fish for.

It's going to be 35-inches - maybe 34 with all of the pushback. This time is very different than when we did this back in 1989. We didn't have many bass in those days, so no one was losing anything. There were few if any charter boats and no party boats targeting them. I wish I still owned Noreast so I could show you my position at the time. I saw it as the savior of our industry. They arrive early and leave late, and you can land a fish of a lifetime. I think time proved me correct but now they're dependant on it.

Another reason this is different is the last time there was a commercial ban, and this time they're out of the picture altogether that's why this is so crazy. Anglers are really giving up something this time.

But as always, New York rec anglers will do what they have to do.

All for one at 35 after a few years all the shorts you catch will be 34 inches .At 35 inches all of the smaller females will have spawned plenty of times.The amount of 28 inch females getting filleted was kind of a waste of a precious commodity.

With a bay boat and that size limit I will not fish for them at all. I certainly won't clam belly again, and not from the beach either. I guess that's my own personal moratorium. I simply will not torture a bunch of baby fish to be thrown back, regardless of whether its a "baby" 27" or a 33" when there is virtually no chance of a keeper. Will put up another surf rod and reel on ebay or here. ( Actually I am more concerned as to why I never caught a blue from the beach last year.)

We keep hearing about the mortality rate regarding surf caught fish, but not very much regarding the mortality of fish that are caught in a gill net that don't fall into the commercial slot. How do you think the fishery would be affected if all of the rec. & commercial regs remained the same only change being the commercial harvest be changed to rod & reel. Like a few others on here I remember when we kept 16" bass.
John

I think I predicted that number a while back. I'm sure we will all be fishing with circle hooks when bait fishing. And I still think they're gunning for our spring fishery.

Circle hooks and crushed barbs are a good start. My personal choice, but something to think about.👍👍

We keep hearing about the mortality rate regarding surf caught fish, but not very much regarding the mortality of fish that are caught in a gill net that don't fall into the commercial slot. How do you think the fishery would be affected if all of the rec. & commercial regs remained the same only change being the commercial harvest be changed to rod & reel. Like a few others on here I remember when we kept 16" bass.
John

While we have to go by the numbers, and there is no use in arguing them, I simply don't buy that it's a rec problem. With that out of the way, the ASMFC has conveniently used that excuse to keep the com catch out of it. But I agree that we should eliminate the gill-net fishery as it has a 48% mortality rate. The fact is this isn't a com problem in NY, as they get less than 1-million pounds a year. It's in the Chesapeake where the coms get 1/2 of the fish, then the recs fish on a 20-inch fish. They are the problem.

I too would love to see it a hook and line only fishery.

I still want a slot of say 24 to 28. Let the females pop out those babies. Anything over 28 is most likely a female.

Sounds like a slot to 40” is coming.

I think 40 is way too large.