Proposed California Striped Bass Regs Shot Down

Striper Rise art by Mike Savlen

Remember those shitty new striped bass regulations California Fish and Game was proposing?

In a unanimous decision, Commissioners voted not to pursue a proposal that would have changed sport fishing regulations related to anadromous striped bass, including increasing bag limits and decreasing size limits.

LINK (Cal Department of Fish and Game News)

Stripers Forever

Striped Bass Gamefish is a film to help save striped bass.

(Via: Way Upstream)

Start by becoming a memeber of Stripers Forever....it's free.

Anglers Blast California DFG Striped Bass Proposal

Dan Bacher has all the gory details on the California Department of Fish and Game draft of proposed recreational fishing regulation changes for striped bass on the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and San Francisco Bay. The Department believes reducing the striped bass population will help listed Chinook salmon, coho salmon, steelhead, delta smelt, longfin smelt and tidewater goby by reducing smolt predation by bass. Unfortunately the science is not at all clear that striped bass have had any impact on listed species and reducing the population may in fact be detrimental to fish recovery. It appears the Department is caving in to agricultural interests who want the Delta's water. It will be critical for anglers to get involved to prevent these regulations from taking effect, the basic proposed changes are as follows.

Raising the daily bag limit for striped bass from two to six fish.

Raising the possession limit for striped bass from two to 12 fish.

Lowering the minimum size for striped bass from 18 to 12 inches.

Establishing a hot spot for striped bass fishing at Clifton Court Forebay and specified adjacent waterways at which the daily bag limit will be 20 fish, the possession limit will be 40 fish and there will be no size limit. Anglers fishing at the hot spot would be required to fill out a report card and deposit it in an iron ranger or similar receptacle.

Changes to the sport fishing regulations for the Carmel, Pajaro and Salinas Rivers to allow harvest of striped bass when the fishery would otherwise be closed.

DFG is also recommending an adaptive management plan that will help assess how the new regulations influence the fishery.

The proposal and management plan will be presented to the Fish and Game Commission for consideration at its December meeting.

There will certainly be more on this subject to come including what steps you can take to help. You can start by reading Bacher's overview on this absurd draft proposal.

LINK (Via: YubaNet)

Menhaden Defenders

From Stripers Forever:

Stripers Forever members - Capt. Paul Eidman and his concerned friends have formed Menhaden Defenders to lobby the ASMFC to institute a fairly conservative set of menhaden management guidelines to allow this depleted yet vital forage fish to recover.

We urge everyone concerned with the health of the striped bass resource to take action to help menhaden, one of the striper's most important sources of nutrition. 

Head over to the Menhaden Defenders website to take action. In the center of the home page you'll find a simple to use tool to send a message to the ASMFC, which will make the decision on menhaden harvest levels. 

Cuomo Signs Law to Prohibit Commercial Fishing of Striped Bass in Hudson River

Citing the economic  importance of a high quality recreational fishery for striped bass, the Governor signed legislation extending the ban on commercial fishing for striped bass in the Hudson River until at least April 2015.

LINK

Why would there ever be a commercial fishery for anything in the Hudson? The New York State Department of Health advises children and women of childbearing age against eating any fish from the Hudson River.

Tons of dead striped bass in illegal gill net

In what is becoming an all to familiar story, two more illegal gill nets have been recently found on the Chesapeake. One of these was a 1,400-yard net containing almost 7,000 pounds of rotting striped bass.

DNR is offering a $30,500 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the poachers.

LINK (Via: CCA)

Become a member of Stipers Forever and add your voice to protecting striped bass.....it's free.