canal

[boondox]

That's what I was wondering if they will put  tighter laws in place?  Or what?? Like they did in the gulf of Mexico for reef fish like snapper people are useing j hooks to catch snapper which is a big no no now! They gill hook these fish making waste instead of great fishing.. that's why the law changed for the better. Same with  that and harvest regulations in place.. hopefully something get done for you guys sooner then later!!
If that's the case maybe they should hold a few town halls?? for fishermen to have a voice like michigan does if they don't already??  Gives Input what a fishermen are looking for in the sport of fishing..

[lowaccord66]

They did Boon.  They reduced recreational harvest by 50% but still allow commercial fishing. Most of New England you can now only have 1 over 28 in your possession.  Used to be 2.  They are nailing guys on the possession part because some comm guys on the cape have been caught holding bass over limit on non comm days and then selling on a comm. day.  (More of them though operate at a loss until the IRS yells and walk away with a few thousand bucks in gear for "free")

The comm. guys saw a small reduction in quota.  Down from over a million pounds to 800k roughly.  Unfortunately for the poor striper, the meat is big business.  I even supported myself with them for a short while.  The economics of things allow for some lobbying that is not in that species favor.  I was very much involved in the past...but once you get into it you realize your up against our worst enemy...money.  They are tricky about it too...scheduling public meetings during the weekday, many times in Boston.  They do what they can to appease the commercial guys who most certainly make their voices heard at the meetings vs the average joe who chases them recreationally.  Like I said.  It will end eventually when we are all chasing bluefish...

...and we didnt even touch the issue with draggers being forced to toss thousands of pounds of dead stripers back as by-catch and those fish not counting towards the quota.  Im surprised more havent seen that site....get out to your favorite section of cape water only to see a line of struper bodies miles long.  Disgusting and the draggers have no choice....the politics involved with those fish is absolutely mind numbing.

[boondox]

That's were some people should say some thing about the dragger boats . They showed those clowns dragging across every ones gear and killing all the bye catch .. I think it was on a sword fishing show it seemed like no one liked them at all..  and the guys that ran those boats could give two sh*ts less about the environment..  as long as they get paid they didn't care.. . we get similar b.s. up here with Indians spearing fish in the weirs Takeing and buying licence so they can keep a daily limit of fish out of their staked nets..  they are only aloud white fish but the nets fill full of salmon and they keep what they can and at least they release the rest. .  it's endless.. best I say is don't get stressed out about even though I can tell you are and want to fish..

[Roccus]

@roccus
Is the dead fish from chunk bait form using  j-hooks or are they using circle hooks??  I know in the gulf in florida they require the use of circle hooks for boats fishing live or dead bait you use lures you can fish j-type hooks and treble hooks ..  would you think using circle hook would be worth it??  If the law changed..

@every one else:
Also you guys are probably correct it's a year class thing we had same thing go on with salmon..  then they did huge study and reduced plant numbers.. in michigan and fish rebounded.. majorly.. like a lot of 30 pound class salemon being caught.. on lake michigan tribs...  but did the water Temps ever get above 65 for vary long?? And if not could they have spawned further south?? Cause of warmer temps??  I know some fish migrate north as water warms they spawn if the water did not get warm enough maybe they spawned else ware??


let just hope next year is better for you guys!!

these guys mostly use j hooks... I'm a big advocate for using circle hooks...Maine made the law and it works .. they went a step further and mandated in line circles with bait...I've used circles for all my live and dead bait fishing for over  a decade now... the only exception is live eels... the problem with them is when a bass takes the eel the hook ends up back in the eels as often as it ends in the jaw of the fish...  because I use a quick strike technique ...most bass are not hooked deep... I also use large eels ... seldom under 15".. this has a tendency to weed out smaller fish .. simply because they cant wrap their mouth around it in time to swallow it before I set the hook..
Bass migrate with the sun... just like birds and butterflies the lengthening and shortening of days trigger migrations...  water temp dictates feeding and spawning urges... I've found optimum water temps between 58 and 68.... either side of that range they will "usually" try to swim to a more desirable comfort zone...UNLESS that comfort zone is not within swimming range... that being said... I've caught them through the ice when they were land locked above a dam... I've caught them in water deemed too warm by most to hold them... that IMHO is the beauty of fish... they don't read books and do what they d**n well please...even if it doesn't please us!

that white bottle picked up a few more of those 10lb class fish last night before a howling S/W wind made it difficult to hold the boat in the rip..

[lowaccord66]

Nice that you are getting them.  That sw makes my mouth water for some rhode island spots.  Skipping bass this weekend in favor of pike on champlain.

[Roccus]

Nice that you are getting them.  That sw makes my mouth water for some rhode island spots.  Skipping bass this weekend in favor of pike on champlain.

you got all winter to chase pike... time is short for REAL fish

[lowaccord66]

Ugh I know you are right...I was forced to take a break this season.  For the first time in years of casting I injured my arm and shoulder pretty good lobbing jigs at the canal.  Ill be getting some licks in before the season ends.

You might want to consider a visit sometime.  Those housy bass school up nice and are pretty active through January.  Sometimes fish to 30lbs are caught.