Don’t know about you guys, but my fall season was a poor one. There was a noticeable lack of those big fat pig fish that we all dream about. If it wasn’t for those albies I would have called it a bust. Last spring wasn’t so hot either. It’s not just me… There’s a growing chorus of anglers that are concerned about the perceived lack of fish over the 20-pound mark. And the farther North one goes the louder those complaints get. Maine seems to be experiencing the dearth of such fish to a greater extent than other striped bass states. Because Maine is at the northern edge of the species’ range it’s very possible that the state is a bellwether for what may be real problems with the stock. The same case could be made for the saltwater flyfishing/light tackle crowd who, because of the difficulty imposed, may detect a declining trend sooner than those employing more efficient methods.

Yet, despite what appears to be a decline, it is very hard to prove that a scarcity of large fish actually exists. Undoubtedly there are still localized pods of big fish around. Last June, northern New Jersey saw some enormous fish taken by anglers fishing live menhaden. There were also many quality fish taken around a body of menhaden that took up residence off Rhode Island. And no one can claim that there weren’t any big fish in Virginia last winter, as numerous 50-plus pound fish were boated. Still, one would think that a healthy stock composed of a natural age and size structure would show an even distribution of large fish throughout their range.

The latest stock assessment released earlier this year shows that stripers are abundant, capable of producing strong incoming year classes, and are being fished at levels well within the bounds of the current fishery management plan. Unlike species such as summer flounder, the stock is not overfished, and overfishing is not occurring.

However, the stock assessment doesn’t say much about the number of the larger older fish. And here in lies the problem. The “catch at age" models used to determine striped bass abundance are dependent on accurate fish age determination, which is done by counting the rings on a fish’s scale. But this method only works out to about age 11 or 12 because rings on scales stop forming after that. Thus all fish over 11 are lumped together so there is virtually no good age data for striped bass older than 12. The only way to get accurate ages for the older fish is through sectioning otoliths (a bony structure in a fish’s ear). ASMFC is just starting a program to do this, so good data will not be available for several years. Until such data is developed, no one can accurately estimate the true condition of fish older than 12. And judging by what many folks are seeing on the water, including myself, there just aren’t the same number of the big’uns that we had just a few years ago.

It doesn’t take brain surgeon to figure out why this might be happening, just a trip down to any of the big recreational fishing ports on a weekend. When you count the number of carcasses in the trash can then do some coarse math you’ll start to get it. Fish over 30-inches are being harvested at what appears to be an astounding rate. To put it simply, most fish are being killed before they can get big. Thus, the direction we appear to be heading is a stock composed almost exclusively of small fish. Even more gloomy are the mounting studies suggesting we may even be altering the striped bass’ gene pool by killing all those fish that grow fast and grow large, and are most apt to produce a great number of offspring. A kind of reverse natural-selection, so to speak.
And we can’t point the finger at the commercial folks for this one. It’s pretty much exclusively on the angling crowd. Our total harvest dwarfs the commercial one. Believe it or not, just the recreational release mortality alone (those fish the die when we throw them back) is double the total commercial mortality! Maybe hard to swallow, but it appears to be entirely true. And the recreational catch is only growing.

With all this being said, I acknowledge that I may be wrong. Hell, I may just not be the sharpie that folks catching big fish in other regions are. The reality is that I have no solid data to support such assertions regarding the lack of large fish. But the growing number of anglers concerned about their declining striped bass fisheries is getting harder and harder to ignore. And indeed, even the ASMFC’s data shows that fishing mortality is increasing while the spawning stock biomass is decreasing. Regardless the spawning stock biomass is well above the threshold for corrective action and the fishing mortality is well below it so don’t expect to see any corrective action in the near future.

The good news is that while it is still very early in the season, I’ve had some good days with fish in the mid 30” range. So, I’m trying to be optimistic about the whole situation. But I’ll certainly keep an eye on it, so stay tuned. A quick note before getting on to the reports: I discuss this subject in more detail in my next FFSW resource column. If you are interested in learning more, be sure to take a look when it comes out next month. Now, on to the reports!
New Jersey is really getting going. Looks like the guys at Shore Catch Guide service may even have an IGFA all tackle world record weakfish on their hands. Lower New York Harbor essentially went off this week. Crazy good fishing… Across the Island, there are schoolie bass blitzes popping up in the inner bays and bass setting up at there usual spring haunts in the back bays, and there are big bluefish just about everywhere. There have been wonderful grass-shrimp hatches in the mud –flats. The best folks have seen in years… And the stripers and weakfish have been on them big-time! Really good fishing in some very shallow water. Out east the fishing seems to be kicking into gear also, with mostly schoolie bass and for sure some pigs are being taken by the sharpies. Big bluefish out there also. This may be the year of the bluefish. In Connecticut it’s schoolie city. Rhode Island is just really getting going with mostly small bass around with a few bluefish moving north. Same deal with Mass.

Without a doubt, the water’s getting warmer and the fishing is getting better. Get out there! And don’t forget to email me your reports at johnmcmurray@optonline.net.

NEW JERSEY:
From the central New Jersey region, Capt. Gene Quigley from Shore Catch Guide Service checks in with this report:
Greetings Shore Catch Clients & Friends: I am sure that some of you have heard the great news, but if you have not yet, Shore Catch Guide Rich Swisstack guided client Dave Alu last night to this MONSTER 19 lb 12 oz Tiderunner Weakfish. This fish, if qualified, will break both the New York State and IGFA All Tackle World record of 19 lbs 2 oz. The fish was caught on the Raritan Bay by land. Here is a shot of Shore Catch Client Dave Alu with the pending record Weakfish. Congratulations to both Rich and Dave on a great achievement!!

Farther South it’s bluefish galore. But up north in the Raritan Bay/Sandy Hook area. There are more and more bass each day and the size of the fish seems to be increasing greatly.

NEW YORK:
Man, I’ve been having some exceptional days in Jamaica Bay! We’ve had the best grass shrimp hatches I’ve seen in years. Thousands of these little critters are flooding the mud flats and we’ve been banging fish on fly-poppers, sliders, and gurglers. The surface action is superb. Something about seeing a big bass hammer a popper on the surface that really does it for me. They’re also hitting 7” Slug-Gos really well. Most fish are north of 30” believe it or not, with a few right around 36”. A big fish like that in a foot or two of water is a real accomplishment. And we’ve had this sort of action just before and at dawn for a good 5 days straight! Definitely can’t complain about the start to the season this year. I can imagine that it’s only gonna get better! Loads of bunker and some spearing starting to show up as well. Things should go off in a week or two. Be sure to check out our more detailed weekly reports at www.nycflyfishing.com.

Captain David Azar from One More Cast Guide Service checks in this week with a report from Jamaica Bay also:

THE BITE GOES ON! Friday, May 2 Jay & Ted were out for a fantastic day on the water. It started out a little slowly but when we finally got on the fish the bite was non-stop with blues to 12 pounds and stripers to 16 pounds. And the color for the day was pink with pink sluggos, pink finSfish, pink whatever getting most of the bites. Sunday, May 4 Arik was aboard and we started off with topwater bluefish, after landing several 3 to 4 pounders we went in search of some bigger fish. It was a tough bite but we made the day with a 13 pound striper on a jig and 10# blue on live bunker (thanks to John M. for providing the bait). Tuesday, May 6 was a special trip for Don from London & Monte from California, good buddies who get together several times a year to fish at various locales around the globe, imagine Jamaica Bay is one of them...and with good reason. Both anglers were fly fishing and Don started things off with a 15# striper under the bunker schools, then it was some fun with blitzing blues and small stripers and later still some better action with bigger blues and several decent schoolie stripers. On the way home we stopped to pick up several more small blues and schoolies, ending the trip with a double header and we were back at the dock by 10:30! Now that's a spectacular way to spend a morning! The bay is loaded with fish, there are a few monster weakfish being caught everyday by a few lucky anglers...book a trip who knows, you could be the next lucky one!

Moving East, Capt. Jim Hull reports some really good action in the Shelter Island area:

2008 season is off to a really good start with the first cast producing a 38" bass second cast a 32" and third cast giving us a 42" fish. This action in 12" to 24" of gin clear water as schools of jumbo bunker whirleygig against the mussel banks to avoid wolfpacks of huge bass to try to survive. Several fish that appear to be close to the 48" mark have been seen and played and several fish in the low to mid 40" mark have been duped. Squid have arrived to join the cornicopria of horse bunker, butterfish, sandeels,tinker macks,whitebait and the alewives that that are spawing in the sweet clear water of the Peconic estuary. Lots of school bass have set up on the structure to provide action for the sports when conditions do not allow sight fishing. The jumbo blues we were catching in the beginning now seem to have been replaced by smaller 4lb. fish and are at times unavoidable. 2007 was a new record year for us with big bass and this year has even more large fish and a much earlier start. Pump up and reel down. Capt. Jim. 631-749-1906, captainjimhull@aol.com

Capt. David Blinken from North Flats Guiding reports from the East Hampton area where certainly things are beginning to heat up:

There are lots of bluefish from the point to the Piconics. Large bunker is abundant. There are some schoolie bass with the occasional 28+ and we are still waiting for the first big push of larger bass and some numbers.

CONNECTICUT
Captain Mike Duclos from Tiderunner Charter and Guide Service reports from the Thames River where schoolies are abundant.

I have begun to fish, spent a couple of half days on the Thames River in Norwich catching schoolies with one of my son's, its a good way to start the season early. This weekend will be the first time out on the sound, we will probaly fish the Watch Hill area to see if the squid are around. Stay tuned for more reports as I’m out on the water more.
Things are just getting going here really. Expect more reports from more captains next week.

RHODE ISLAND
Capt. Greg Snow from Snow Fly Charters report from Narragansett Bay is very encouraging.
Large numbers of small bass have set up on the many shallows of of the bay feeding right through the morning and afternoon. The bass are chewing hard on mostly small spearing. Yellow and white Ray's flies on 6wt. & 7wt. outfits make these 20" to 27" fish a real hoot. Ultra light tackle enthusiasts will enjoy many surface strikes on small topwater walking plugs. The birds have been making it relatively easy to locate the hordes of schoolies. There is so much bait in the bay right now that it is inevitable that something special is going to happen soon. Large adult Menhaden, small spearing and squid are quite abundant all over the place. Tight Lines...Capt Greg Snow

MASSACHUSETTS
Capt. Dave Rimmer checks in with the season’s first Massachusetts report. Expect more as we get into the season.

School sized striped bass up to 25 inches are being caught in the estuaries from Gloucester to Salisbury, MA. Traditional early season spots like the Annisquam River, Castle Neck River and Parker River are all producing fish on light tackle and fly rods. Silversides are present along with larger prey fish such as river herring and alewives, depending on location. Larger striped bass should be appearing within the next 10 days. Anglers have also been catching shad on the Merrimack River.

Capt. Dave Rimmer

That’s all for this week. Be sure to check in next week as the action continues to heat up.

Capt. John McMurray
Tidal Fish Northeast Fishing Correspondent

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