COASTAL FISHERMAN IS NOW ON TWITTER
Follow us on Twitter and receive notifications of breaking news, new uploaded videos and updated fishing reports at www.coastalfisherman.net. Our Twitter name is CoastalFishman
NEW VA RECORD STRIPED BASS CAUGHT
Angler Cary Wolfe from Brentsville, VA caught a 74 lb. striped bass off Cape Henry, VA to set a new Virginia State Record, beating the old record of 73 lbs. caught by Fred Barnes back in 2008.
Cary was fishing on the "Bada Bing" with Capt. Tim Cannon and mate Richard White when the 56.5-inch female striper hit a trolled mojo rig.
COASTAL FISHERMEN TO RALLY IN DC MARCH 21
In another historic show of solidarity, U.S. recreational and commercial fishermen will gather near the U.S. Capitol on March 21, 2012 in an organized demonstration supporting sensible reform of the Magnuson Stevens Fisheries Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson Stevens Act). According to the Recreational Fishing Alliance (RFA) which is helping organize this year's event, permitting efforts have been underway for weeks and official details about the organized protest will be made public in the coming days.
A rally on February 24, 2010, under a United We Fish™ banner, brought some 5,000 recreational, commercial and party/charter vessel owners and folks in associated businesses from all over the country to Washington. More than two dozen members of the Senate and the House of Representatives took time out from their busy schedules to address the crowd. The March 21 rally is being billed as Keep Fishermen Fishing, and once again will unite the commercial and recreational sectors under one common message, "reform Magnuson now."
"Those who didn't attend or perhaps chose not to support the original rally are mostly unaware of the great things which were accomplished in between those two winter storms of 2010," said RFA executive director Jim Donofrio. "Of the two dozen members of Congress who addressed our troops at the rally, several top legislators pushed to have Magnuson reform initiatives prioritized in Congress which is why the House Natural Resources Committee is now reviewing eight different pieces of fisheries reform legislation."
Signed into law in 1976, NOAA Fisheries describes the 36-year-old federal fisheries law this way, "most notably, the Magnuson-Stevens Act aided in the development of the domestic fishing industry by phasing out foreign fishing." In recent years however, rally organizers claim the Magnuson Stevens Act has been transformed from its original intent into a weapon employed by a handful of mega-foundations and the anti-fishing ENGOs they support to drive fishermen off the water.
"Real-time biological overfishing is not occurring in most U.S. fisheries today, as fishermen know it," Donofrio said. "We're being held to a statutory overfishing definition which has nothing to do with science, and that needs to be changed in the law."
Citing a continuous stream of regulatory requirements which have led to unnecessary and unacceptable restrictions in demonstrably sustainable fisheries, organizers say the American public is being denied access to the food and fun of this tremendous natural resource. "We've watched access to vital coastal fisheries like cod, summer flounder, black sea bass, red snapper, amberjack, gag grouper and others virtually destroyed during the past 5 years, this is clearly a huge jobs issue which has already been recognized by House Speaker John Boehner," he said referencing the speaker's blog site at www.speaker.gov/Blog/Default.aspx?postid=266385.
"We are seeking bipartisan congressional support to fix our law, to put folks to work and specifically to keep our fishermen fishing," Donofrio said.
Most U.S. fisheries are in better shape biologically than they've been for a generation or more. In fact, last year NOAA Fisheries scientists announced that 84% of U.S. fish stocks studied for fishing activity were not experiencing overfishing as of 2010. However, despite the heavy sacrifices on the part of coastal fishermen, the same federal agency in charge of managing the resource has been using a broken law to mete out broken promises upon these constituents to ratchet down regulations as fisheries continue to rebuild.
As was the case in 2010, organizers are anticipating foundation-funded ENGO lobbying disguised as a grassroots fishermen's effort aimed at marginalizing the Keep Fishermen Fishing rally. The message that anti-fishing groups will be relaying to Congress is that truly conservation-minded recreational, commercial and party/charter fishermen fully support the Magnuson Stevens Act as it is today and oppose any efforts to amendment it.
Keep Fishermen Fishing organizers however say that the truly conservation-minded fishermen won't be those walking the halls of Congress trying to sell their anti-fishing message because of foundation/ENGO funding, they'll be the people who are there on their own dime and who are committed to returning to a federal fisheries management system that recognizes that they and the fishing communities they support are as important as the fish are.
While final details of the 2012 Keep Fishermen Fishing rally are still being put in place, state organizers from the New England, Mid-Atlantic, South Atlantic and Gulf regions have already begun coordinated efforts to schedule buses into Washington DC on March 20th and 21st. Those interesting in organizing a bus effort or getting travel information for joining the rally in DC should bookmark www.keepfishermenfishing.com.
You can also call the RFA headquarters at 888-564-6732 for additional information or to learn how to lend your support for the 3-21-12 rally for fishermen's rights. Follow the rally efforts by typing Keep Fishermen Fishing or Recreational Fishing Alliance into the search bar at Facebook.com (the RFA Facebook group page currently stands at more than 2,300 members and growing!)
NMFS CLOSES COMMERCIAL LARGE/MEDIUM AND GIANT BLUEFIN TUNA SEASON
January 20, 2012 - The National Marine Fisheries Service is closing the General category fishery for large medium and giant (73” curved fork length or greater) Atlantic bluefin tuna (BFT) effective 11:30 p.m., January 22, 2012, until it reopens on June 1, 2012.
Based on the best available BFT landings information for the General category fishery (i.e., 17 mt of the available 23.1 mt landed as of January 17), NMFS has determined that the General category January BFT subquota will be reached by January 22. Therefore, through May 31, 2012, fishing for, retaining, possessing, or landing large medium or giant BFT by persons aboard vessels permitted in the Atlantic Tunas General and HMS Charter/Headboat categories (while fishing commercially) must cease at 11:30 p.m. local time on January 22, 2012.
The General category will reopen automatically on June 1, 2012, for the June through August subperiod. Limited catch and release is permissible, subject to the requirements of Highly Migratory Species catch-and-release and tag-and-release programs. The intent of this closure is to prevent overharvest of the General category January BFT subquota.
For further information, see the attached announcement or www.nmfs.noaa.gov/sfa/hms/breaking_news.htm
MARYLAND SIGNIFICANTLY UNDER 2011 FLOUNDER CATCH
January 6, 2012 - With a target of 101,000 flounder to be caught for 2011, through Wave 5, which encompasses January through October, Maryland flounder fisherman caught between 21,590 and 36,486 fish. With only November and December left in the calendar year, it is safe to say that once again, Maryland will be significantly under their annual quota.
Tom O'Connell, Director of Maryland Fisheries Service, released the following memorandum:
As we wrap up our 2011 recreational Summer Flounder fishery, we know our stakeholders are interested in the progress of our fishery towards our Maryland target: 101,000 fish. The 2011 season was from April 22, through November 30, included an 18 inch minimum size, and 3 fish creel limit. Point estimates for Wave 4 were released much later than expected, and were only available to us recently. This week, Wave 5 estimates were expected and were released on time. This update includes estimates for harvest through October 31, 2011 (Wave 5).
The estimated Summer Flounder harvest for Maryland April through October is 29,038 fish. Each point estimate is accompanied with a Proportional Standard Error (PSE) as a measure of precision and represents the uncertainty in the point estimate. The PSE for through Wave 5 for Maryland Summer Flounder is 51.3. This translates into an estimated harvest that could be anywhere between 21,590 and 36,486 fish. The Marine Recreational Fisheries Statistic Survey (MRFSS) is undergoing a multi-year redesign that will change many procedures involved in estimating recreational harvest along the coast, and has been renamed the Marine Recreational Information Program (MRIP). This is the first year that some new procedures will be used. The changes to the procedure used to calculate the estimates have been approved by peer review. It was expected that estimates from Wave 3 would be the first estimates produced using the new procedure. However, NMFS is in the process of producing estimates for 2004-2011 using the new method. Revised final estimates using this new procedure are now expected sometime in 2012. This means annual and Wave estimates are expected to change for 2004-2011.
Additionally, the Mid-Atlantic Fisheries Management Council has changed the recommendation for the coastwide Summer Flounder recreational harvest limit in 2012. These changes were based on a new stock assessment that was not available when the harvest limits for 2012 were initially set this past summer. While the coastwide recreational harvest limit for
2012 is less than it was for 2011, Maryland’s harvest target in 2012 will be more than the projected landings for 2011. Therefore, we do not expect that additional harvest reduction measures will be needed for our 2012 Summer Flounder recreational fishery to stay at or below our 2012 harvest target. Fisheries Service staff will be putting together additional
information to discuss with our sport fishing stakeholders by mid-February to obtain advice on your management preferences.
MARYLAND DNR CORRECTS MISTAKES IN THEIR 2012 MARYLAND FISHING GUIDE
January 6, 2012 - A few inaccuracies in the striped bass rules listed in the 2012 Maryland Fishing Guide were corrected by the MD Fisheries Service.
The Guide stated that: Stinger hooks are prohibited; Barbless hooks are required when trolling; Non-offset circle hooks or J-hooks with a gap of less than 1/2 inch are required when using natural bait; No more than 6 lines may be employed while trolling regardless of the number of anglers on board. The Guide also incorrectly stated that it would be illegal "for a person to use eels as bait while fishing for striped bass with hook and line from December 16 through May 15.
Each of these items only pertain to anglers fishing in the Chesapeake Bay and do not apply to those fishing in the Atlantic Ocean.
ASMFC SUMMER FLOUNDER, SCUP AND BLACK SEA BASS BOARD TO MEET ON 1/5 TO CONSIDER DRAFT ADDENDUM FOR PUBLIC COMMENT
January 3, 2012 - The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission's Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Board will meet via conference call on January 5 from 1:00 to 3:00 PM to consider approval of Draft Addendum XXII to the Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Fishery Management Plan for public comment and review. The Draft Addendum proposes a suite of options for the 2012 recreational black sea bass fishery. The draft agenda is available on the Commission website at:
http://www.asmfc.org/meetings/jan2012_SFScupBSB_BdConfCall.pdf. A copy of the Draft
To join the conference call, dial 888.394.8197 and enter the Passcode 815277. To join the webinar, go to https://www3.gotomeeting.com/pjoin/467053270/105683458. For more information, please contact Toni Kerns, Fishery Management Plan Coordinator, at 703.842.0740 or
WINTER ISSUE IS ON THE STREETS
The 2012 Coastal Fisherman Winter Issue is now on the streets. The issue ties the 2008 publication for the largest in Coastal Fisherman history, coming in at a whopping 128 pages. The Winter Issue is loaded with pictures and includes columns on "Getting Started in Shark Fishing", "Starting a Charter Boat Business", "The 2011 Year in Review", "Tackle Shop" and "Party Boat Fishing". You will also see the new Delaware State Record Sheepshead along with many pictures of large stripers, tautog and sheepshead. Enjoy!
NMFS ADJUSTS COMMERCIAL BLUEFIN REGULATIONS
The National Marine Fisheries Service is adjusting the General category daily retention limit of Atlantic bluefin tuna (BFT) for vessels fishing in the General category, and for Charter/Headboat category vessels while fishing commercially.
Effective January 1, 2012, through March 31, 2012, or until the January subquota of 23.1 mt has been harvested (whichever happens first), the daily retention limit of large medium or giant (73 inches or greater curved fork length) BFT will be two per vessel per day/trip.
Since the current retention limit (through December 31, 2011) is two large medium or giant BFT per vessel per day/trip, this action effectively maintains the two-fish limit until the January subquota has been harvested, or March 31, 2012, whichever happens first.
For further information, see the attached announcement or
http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/sfa/hms/breakingnews/index.htm
NMFS LOOKS FOR PUBLIC INPUT ON SCALLOPED HAMMERHEAD SHARK FISHERY
November 30, 2011 - NMFS’s Office of Protected Resources is initiating a status review of the scalloped hammerhead shark in response to a petition by WildEarth Guardians and Friends of Animals that was received on August 15, 2011. NMFS determined that the petition presents substantial scientific or commercial information that the petitioned action may be warranted. While the scalloped hammerhead shark’s range is world-wide, ICCAT and NMFS regulations only provide protection and conservation measures for the scalloped hammerhead shark in the Atlantic Ocean and adjacent seas. Information in the petition and in our files suggests that the review of the status of the species should be throughout its entire range.
Within 12 months of receiving the petition (August 15, 2012), NMFS must publish a determination as to whether listing the scalloped hammerhead shark as endangered or threatened is warranted. This determination is made on the basis of the best available scientific and commercial information. You can find more information on the listing process by visiting the Office of Protected Resources website at: http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/listing/
NMFS is soliciting information on the scalloped hammerhead shark for the status review. Instructions on how to submit information can be found in the attached Federal Register notice of the 90-day finding. Information and comments on the subject action must be received by January 27, 2012. For more information about the status review, contact Maggie Miller, NMFS, Office of Protected Resources, (301) 427–8403.
MARYLAND PROPOSES 3 OPTIONS FOR 2012 TAUTOG FISHERY - PUBLIC MEETING TO BE HELD DECEMBER 1ST AT OCEAN PINES LIBRARY
November 30, 2011 - Needing a 49% reduction in the harvest of tautog in 2012, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources Fisheries Service has proposed 3 options:
16" fish
Jan. 1 - May 15 - 4 fish per person
May 16 - May 28 - 2 fish per person
Closed May 30 - June 30
July 1 - October 31 - 2 fish per person
Nov. 1 - Nov. 30 - 4 fish per person
16" fish
Jan 1 - May 15 - 4 fish per person
May 15 - Oct. 31 - 2 fish per person
Nov. 1 - Nov 15 - 4 fish per person
Closed Nov. 15 - Nov. 30
16" fish
Jan 1 - May 15 - 4 fish per person
May 16 - June 7 - 2 fish per person
Closed June 8 - June 30
July 1 - Aug 31 - 2 fish per person
Closed Sept. 1 - Sept. 30
Oct. 1 - Oct. 31 - 2 fish per person
Nov. 1 - Nov. 30 - 4 fish per person
A public meeting will be held on December 1st at the Ocean Pines Library to discuss the options. The meeting will start at 5:30 PM.
LEGISLATION TO AVERT UNNECESSARY FISHING CLOSURES GATHERS SENATE SUPPORT
November 30, 2011 – With a December 31, deadline looming, support is surging for legislation to ensure that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) National Marine Fisheries Service uses sound science to set catch limits for the nation’s fisheries as a Senate version of the Fishery Science Improvement Act was introduced late yesterday by Senators Bill Nelson (D-FL) and Marco Rubio (R-FL).
As amended in 2006, the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act requires Regional Fishery Management Councils to put in place annual catch limits (ACLs) for every fishery by December 31, 2011. The requirements were intended to end overfishing by 2011 but were predicated on two critical assumptions: catch limit decisions would be based on up-to-date and accurate stock assessments; and there would be improved catch data to better anticipate potential problems in a given fishery. Neither of these obligations has been met.
“Fishery management decisions should be based on sound science,” Sen. Nelson said. “This legislation will ensure that science is a priority.”
“It’s a simple formula,” said Sen. Rubio. “Regulatory decisions, if necessary, should always be based on sound science. This legislation provides a simple answer to fishermen and to fishery managers.”
Bi-partisan original co-sponsors of the Nelson/Rubio Bill (S.1916) include Oceans Subcommittee Chairman Sen. Mark Begich (D-Alaska); Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus Co-Chairman Sen. John Thune (R-SD); Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-LA); Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska); Sen. David Vitter (R-LA), and Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS).
Similar to legislation introduced in the House by Rep. Rob Wittman (R-VA) and 34 bi-partisan co-authors, the Nelson/Rubio Bill has the backing of a broad coalition of fishing, boating and industry groups that see a critical need for federal managers to avoid an unacceptable situation in which arbitrary deadlines are being allowed to trump the essential need for science-based management of our marine resources.
The Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus – the largest bi-partisan, bi-cameral caucus in the U.S. Congress with nearly 300 Members representing all 50 states – has lent its powerful voice to call for this legislation that will safeguard the strong conservation standards of the Magnuson-Stevens Act while addressing the shortcomings within NOAA Fisheries. The bill has the support of American Sportfishing Association (ASA), Center for Coastal Conservation (Center), Coastal Conservation Association (CCA), Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF), International Game Fish Association (IGFA), National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) and The Billfish Foundation (TBF).
To maintain the Magnuson-Stevens conservation tenets, the Nelson/Rubio Bill would not apply to stocks that have already been determined to be overfished. However, it offers key components that are intended to steer NOAA Fisheries back to the true intention of the 2006 MSA reauthorization. The bill states that if NOAA Fisheries has not done a stock assessment on a particular stock in the last six years, and there is no indication that overfishing is occurring, an annual catch limit on that stock is not required.
“The legislation is critical to sportsmen from coast to coast to coast,” said CSF President Jeff Crane. “NOAA Fisheries needs this discrete legislative fix to ensure that recreational and commercial fishermen are not left at the dock because of the agency’s lack of science.”
The federal government currently has approximately 528 fish stocks or complexes of stocks under management, and today only 121 of those stocks are considered “adequately assessed.” If the agency does not have the data to even hazard a guess about an ACL for some species, there is currently an option for the agency to simply remove those stocks from all management protections, which is not a desirable result. The Nelson/Rubio Bill provides a timely path for NOAA Fisheries to manage all of America’s marine fish stocks based on sound science.
“Conservation of our marine resources is important to anglers, so much so that we demand a level of confidence and trust in the federal fisheries management system,” said Jeff Angers, president of the Center for Coastal Conservation. “The Nelson/Rubio Bill strengthens the ties between science and the rational management of our resources. The ultimate goal of this bill is to achieve sound management practices that make economic sense for the country, conservation sense for the resource and common sense for anglers.”
For a fact sheet on the Nelson/Rubio Bill (S.1916), go to http://www.asafishing.org/government/documents/FSIA_Fact_Sheet.pdf.
NMFS INCREASES BLUEFIN TUNA CREEL FOR COMMERCIAL ANGLERS
November 29, 2011 - The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) announces a final rule that: (I) Increases the General category maximum possible EWT daily retention limit from 3 to 5 fish (with limit adjustments to be executed via inseason actions as appropriate); (2) Allows the BFT General category season to remain open until the January subquota is reached or March 31 (whichever happens first); and (3) Increases the Harpoon category daily retention limit of 73-81" BFT from 2 to 4 fish.
The General category measures are effective November30, 2011, and the Harpoon category measure will be effective December 30, 2011. However, note that the Harpoon category fishery is open June 1 November 15 each year. NMFS has made one change from the proposed rule: allowing the General category season to remain open annually until the January subquota is reached or March 31 rather than May 31 as originally proposed (whichever happens first).
This action is intended to enable more thorough utilization of the available U.S. BFT quota for the General and Harpoon categories; convert potential BFT dead discards to landings; expand fishing opportunities for participants in the commercial winter General category fishery; and increase NMFS' flexibility and range for setting the General category retention limit depending on available quota. General category fishing regulations apply to vessels permitted in the commercial Atlantic tunas General category and the Highly Migratory Species (HMS) CharteriHeadboat category while fishing commercially. This action is consistent with the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, the Atlantic,Tunas Convention Act, and the 2006 Consolidated Atlantic HMS Management Plan.
On November 4,2009 (74 FR 57128), NMFS published the proposed rule for this action. Based on public requests, NMFS extended the closure of the proposed rule comment period from December 2009 to March 20 IO. NMFS delayed issuing a final rule pending a new BFT stock assessment by the International Commission for the Conservation ofAtlantic Tunas (ICCAT) and subsequent ICCAT recommendation on BFT conservation and management in 2010, as well as the decision on a May 2010 petition to list BFT as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act (ESA).
NMFS is undertaking a comprehensive review ofBFT management to determine whether existing management measures need to be adjuste9 more broadly to meet the multiple goals for the BFT fishery. Any further changes following implementation o f this rule could be considered as part o f future rulemaking, if needed.
MARYLAND TO DECREASE TAUTOG HARVEST BY 49%. IMPORTANT PUBLIC MEETING ON THURSDAY
November 22, 2011 - ASMFC’s Tautog Management Board met November 8th, and approved Maryland’s use of catch curves to estimate necessary harvest reductions. Based on their approval, Maryland is required to take a 49% reduction in their fishery in 2012; slightly down from the proposed 53% coastwide reduction. States are required to implement new regulations to achieve the harvest reductions by January 1, 2012.
Maryland officials will need to submit emergency regulations by December 16th, 2011 to have effective regulations in place in early 2012. A public meeting will be held on Thursday, December 1, 2011 at the Ocean Pines Library from 5:30-7:30 pm to discuss options for achieving the 49% reduction. Options are currently being drafted and will be posted on the Maryland Fisheries website as soon as they are available.
19TH ANNUAL CHESAPEAKE BAY FALL CLASSIC TO BE HELD THIS WEEKEND
November 17, 2011 - Thousands of recreational and professional anglers from Maine to North Carolina will be making their way to Maryland to compete for top honors and a chance at some big money in this year’s Chesapeake Bay Fall Classic, the Bay’s largest fall rockfish tournament. This two day event takes place on November 19th and 20th on the waters of the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries.
With over 250 boats and 1,500 anglers competing in this year’s tournament the prizes and competition is larger than ever. Estimated payout is nearly $100,000.
The Fall Classic is the final event in the 2011 MSSA Tournament Series which also includes The Championship, and the Tuna-ment. This will be the final opportunity for our members and captains to receive points for the 2011 MSSA Captain of the Year contest, sponsored by Judge Yachts.
The Fall Classic is a simple and convenient tournament to enter and participate in as we have seven weigh stations and four Captains Meetings to fit your schedule and capabilities.
“This tournament, like our others, lures anglers from Maryland and other states to the Bay and gives our local communities a little boost. It’s one last hurrah out on the Bay for 2011,” said Dave Smith, Executive Director of the MSSA.
2010 marked the best year in the tournaments long history with 205 boats and a payout in cash and prizes of nearly $80,000. 2011 is looking to be even better as last year’s winners’ return as well as many other top anglers from around the region.
In 2010 Bud Cratty and son Mitch of Severn, Maryland took first place with a 47.9 pound rockfish securing them $17,000 for their efforts. The Cratty’s caught the winning fish around 7:45 AM just east of the channel near Bloody Point on day two of the tournament. Cratty said he caught the fish on a bait purchased at Alltackle before the tournament during the Captains Meeting.
“My heart started pounding as soon as Mitch got the fish to the boat. Adventures like this will put a smile on both our faces forever”, said Cratty.
2010 Top Payouts
Rene Ward - $34,700 – 38.95lbs
Budd Cratty - $17,000 – 47.9lbs
Chris Long - $14,800 – 38.6lbs
To register for the 19th annual Chesapeake Bay Fall Classic go online at www.mssa.net, attend one/all of the four Captains meetings, or give us a call at the office 410-255-5535.
STRIPED BASS IN GOOD SHAPE PER ASSESSMENT
November 11, 2011 - The 2011 Atlantic striped stock assessment update indicates that the resource remains in good condition with the female spawning stock biomass (SSB) estimate at 109% of the SSB target and 137% of the SSB threshold (see Figure 1). The estimated fishing mortality rate (F) in 2010 was 0.23, below both the target (0.30) and threshold (0.34). Striped bass are assessed as a single stock although there are at least three distinct stocks contributing to the coastal migratory group: Hudson River, Delaware River, and Chesapeake Bay and tributaries. The striped bass stock complex is not overfished and overfishing is not occurring.
Overall stock abundance has declined since 2004, which is reflected by a decline in coastwide landings in 2009 and 2010. The decline is more prevalent in areas largely dependent on contributions from the Chesapeake stocks (such as Maine) than areas that are dominated by the Hudson stock (such as New York).
Despite the decline in abundance, the spawning stock in 2010 remained relatively high due to the growth and maturation of the 2003 year class and the accumulation of spawning biomass from year classes prior to 1996. Analysis of tagging data suggests increasing natural mortality in Chesapeake Bay, possibly the result of mycobacteriosis. However, a recent tagging study by the Virginia Institute of Marine Science suggests the impact of mycobacteriosis may not be as significant as once thought.
Recruitment estimates averaged 9.5 million fish from 1982 through 2010. However, the stock assessment update identified a period of increased recruitment from 1994-2004 and a more recent (2005-2010) period of lower recruitment. Recruitment in 2009 and 2010 was estimated at 7.1 and 9.1 million fish, respectively. The 2003 year class remains the largest since 1982 at 20.8 million fish.
Landings from the commercial striped bass fishery have been consistently lower than the recreational catch. Commercial landings increased from ~139,000 pounds in 1987 to just under 5.9 million pounds in 1997 and have remained steady due to quota restrictions. Landings in 2010 were 7.06 million pounds. Gill nets are the dominant commercial gear used to target striped bass. Other commercial fishing gears include hook and line, pound nets, seines, and trawls.
Overall stock abundance has declined since 2004, which is reflected by a decline in coastwide landings in 2009 and 2010. The decline is more prevalent in areas largely dependent on contributions from the Chesapeake stocks (such as Maine) than areas that are dominated by the Hudson stock (such as New York).
NMFS ANNOUNCES DELAY IN EFFECTIVE DATE OF SHARK MANAGEMENT MEASURES
November 11, 2011 - The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) is providing updated information on the effective date for federal Atlantic smoothhound shark (including smooth dogfish and the Florida smoothhound) fishery management measures. Previously, NMFS anticipated the measures to be effective prior to the 2012 fishing season, on or around April 1, 2012. However, NMFS no longer anticipates that management measures will be effective before the 2012 fishing season. Instead, the effective date will be the same as the forthcoming final rule to implement the smoothhound shark provisions in the 2010 Shark Conservation Act and only after the required Endangered Species Act Section 7 consultation is completed.
ASMFC ATLANTIC MENHADEN BOARD APPROVES ADDENDUM TO REDUCE MENHADEN HARVEST
November 11, 2011 - The Commission's Atlantic Menhaden Management Board has approved Addendum V to Amendment 1 to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan for Atlantic Menhaden. The Addendum establishes a new interim fishing mortality threshold and target (based on maximum spawning potential or MSP) with the goal of increasing abundance, spawning stock biomass, and menhaden availability as a forage species. The new threshold and target equates to a MSP of 15% and 30%, respectively. The Board has initiated development of an amendment to establish management measures for all fishing sectors and gear types to implement the new fishing mortality reference points. The percent of harvest reductions associated with the new reference points as well as an implementation process and timeline will be identified in the Draft Amendment.
The MSP approach identifies the fishing mortality rate necessary to maintain a given level of stock reproductive potential relative to the potential maximum stock productivity under unfished conditions. A 15% MSP would equate to a fishing mortality rate threshold required to maintain approximately
1.27.12 3:23 pm
by Larry Jock
BE THE FIRST TO HEAR ABOUT FISHING REPORTS AND BREAKING NEWS BY FOLLOWING US ON TWITTER. OUR NAME IS COASTALFISHMAN.
FRIDAY, January 26, 2012 (revised 8pm)
Absolutely beautiful day on the ocean. Flat as a lake this morning. Kicked up in the afternoon but still fishable
A few boats trolled the 2-3 mile line off Ocean City today.
The King went home with 2 stripers in the boat and released a bunch during his day long trip. One keeper and a some throwbacks were hooked south of the Inlet, but his final keeper and a load of releases were caught 7-8 miles north of the Inlet around whales and diving birds. One epic pass resulted in 9 fish hooked on 5 rods... and all 9 were boated (8 released)!!!!! All were spitting up whole bunkers.
Josh Farr and his friend Brian Keith, of "Mio Fratello" fame, came upon an incredible bite, mid-afternoon 7-8 miles north of the Inlet where they found diving gannetts around whales and went home with their 4 keepers PLUS a load of releases. They left them biting!!! Major kudos to Josh for calling others in on the bite!!!!!
This is what happens when information gets shared. Everyone benefits. You may be having a good day and call in a friend who is struggling, so you both have a good day. Other times it may be the opposite. You don't have to share it with the world if you don't want to, but there are too many "One Way Charlies" around that are very quick to call FOR information but never call WITH information. It's a big ocean and helping friends find fish tends to come back to you 10-fold. It's just good karma. That's my editorial of the day.
WEDNESDAY, January 25, 2012
Sorry, had the dates on my reports this week one day off.
It turned out to be a nice day in the ocean. Really settled down mid-afternoon. Water temp is still between 44 and 45 degrees within 3 miles of the beach. Whales and gannetts were seen cruising the coast 3 miles off.
Pat Hurley, Charlie and Bo on the "57 Chins" boated 3 nice sized stripers just south of Little Gull Shoal.
The King and his Court end their day with their limit of 4 stripers in the boat. All were in the mid-30 inch range. Two were caught just north of the Inlet and 2 were caught south of Little Gull Shoal. One big cow was lost right at the boat. All while trolling mojos.
Also heard stripers were seen on the 1st Lump.
TUESDAY, January 24, 2012
Rough day for striper fishermen. Boats traveled as far as 25 miles south and came up blank. A few fish were seen around Great Gull.
MONDAY, January 23, 2012
Hasn't been much striper fishing going on out of Ocean City. Heard there is a very good bite between Wachapreague and Quimby, right on the 3-mile line.
The "Morning Star" is scheduled to run tomorrow, continuing their search for big tautog. So far this year they have boated 2 over 20 lbs., including the new state record fish that weighed 23 lbs. Give them a call if you want to get one of the limited spots on the rail.
SUNDAY, January 22, 2012
Weather has been snotty, so not many folks are venturing off the beach in search of stripers.
Capt. Monty on the "Morning Star" is having a good season catching big tautog. Next trip is Wedesday.
THURSDAY, January 19, 2012
Well, the "Morning Star" did it again, bringing back another tautog over 20 lbs. Today, Mike Hernandez from Queens, NY landed a 20 lb. 11 oz. tautog while using a white crab at an ocean wreck. This fish would have tied the MD state record had Charlie Donohue not caught the 23 pounder while fishing on the "Morning Star" last week. This is the time we see the big tautog being caught, so if this is something you want to experience, give the "Morning Star" or the "Angler" a call.
On the striper scene, nothing inside 3 miles today. Fish were spotted a little east of Winter Quarter Shoal and up to 5 miles south of the red can. Find the whales and the birds and you have found the linesiders. Remember, they are illegal to keep outside 3 miles.
I trolled around Little Gull today with the King, and unfortunately, all that was caught was one throwback. My best marks of the day were found on my way back to the Ocean City Inlet. Good bait and marks between the Sea Buoy and the Inlet. Couldn't believe ALL my rods weren't dancing. Ugh!
MONDAY, January 16, 2012
Haven't been any reports lately because the seas have been pretty rough.
Fish are still being seen 20 miles down the beach, but 7-9 miles offshore, making them illegal to catch.
Capt. Monty on the "Morning Star" has been tearing up the tautog. This is the time of year when he catches the big mama-jama's, so if that interests you, give him a call to get one of the 12 spots on the rail.
If you haven't seen the video of the new state record tautog caught last week on the "Morning Star" you can check it out on our homepage. It's a pig!!
WEDNESDAY, January 11, 2012
A new, pending Maryland State record tautog was caught today by Charlie Donohue of Philadelphia, PA. Charlie was fishing on the "Morning Star" when he hooked the 33-inch, 23 lb. tautog while using green crab for bait. The fish broke the current tautog record of 20 lbs. 11 oz. caught in 2007 on the "Morning Star".
Stripers are still being caught 15-20 miles down the beach.
Dean Metcalfe landed his first striper during a trip with The King and Josh Twilley south of the OC Inlet on the 3-mile line. The group also boxed an additional striper on the troll. Both were 39-inches.
TUESDAY, January 10, 2012
Stripers continue to roam the 6-7 mile line south of the Ocean City Inlet. Water temperature hovers between 43 and 45 degrees. Some sporadic fish can still be found inside the 3-mile line south of the OC Inlet.
The King hooked 5 stripers, keeping a pair of 38-inchers while trolling south of the Inlet inside the 3-mile line.
The "?" returned with 5 stripers in the box after trolling south of the OC Inlet.
I ended my day after hooking 5 stripers, keeping 2, while trolling south of the OC Inlet. Two largest measured 38" and 42". Hot lure today was the Stretch Imitator in the Cabo Sunset design.
Striper fishing was so good, even Jack Kaeufer and Dave McKay ended their day with 2 in the box. Must have been because Jack retired his fishing net that was originally purchased in 1969!
MONDAY, January 9, 2012
Seas were rougher than expected today.
Pat Hurley and his crew caught some nice stripers south of the OC Inlet.
Capt. Monty Hawkins on the "Morning Star" caught the first cod of the year The fish was hooked on a green crab at an artificial reef .
SUNDAY, January 8, 2012
"Morning Star" returned with big tog today! Led by Alex Levantovsky's 16.25 pounder.
Good striper bite far south of the Inlet.
SATURDAY, January 7, 2012
Good striper bite 25 miles south of the OC Inlet.
FRIDAY, January 6, 2012
Tog fishing has been good for anglers fishing off the 4th Street Bulkhead.
Striper fishing was strong 15-20 miles south of the OC Inlet.
THURSDAY, January 5, 2012
After a couple of days where it was really too rough to fish, anglers were frustrated with the lack of fish that showed up today. As luck would have it, birds that were seen diving along the coast the last couple of days, were absent today and almost no fish were found inside of 3-miles from the Sliver up to the highrises.
Stripers were found 19-miles south of the OC Inlet, right on the 3-mile line. They were also spotted on Isle of Wight Shoal.
TUESDAY, January 3, 2012
Rough seas today
SUNDAY, January 1, 2012
Happy New Year! Beautiful in the ocean today.
Best striper catches were south of the OC Inlet today.
Angler surfcasting off Assateague caught a 51-inch striper that weighed 48 lbs. Caught on bunker.
The King and Josh Fallon caught stripers on Little Gull Shoal today. The fish were hooked on trolled mojos.
Jerry and Tina Siuta caught stripers up to 38" at the Sliver.
The Morning Star tog trip returned with a 27" tog that weighed 12.75 lbs. John Murter caught the fish at an artificial reef.
FRIDAY, December 30, 2011
Large schools of stripers were seen 7-15 miles off the coast. Nothing inside 3-miles.
THURSDAY, December 29, 2011
Pretty disappointing day on the water. Conditions looked right but the vast majority of anglers struck out when searching for stripers. No birds or bait inside the 3-mile line. Anglers reported fishing from off the Pyramid, north of the Inlet down past the Sliver... nothing.
A few fish were run over 15 miles off the beach and inside the 1st Lump.
Water temp ranged from 48 to 51 degrees... getting warmer as you headed off the beach.
WEDNESDAY, December 28, 2011
The Winter Issue has hit the streets. 128 pages. Ties for the largest Coastal Fisherman ever! Enjoy!
Another very windy day today. Only know of one boat that ventured into the ocean. No report.
They are still slamming stripers off NJ and the headline in the morning paper predicts a warm winter. May be a longer striper season than we are used to.
MONDAY, December 26, 2011
Looks like a good batch of stripers are still roaming the 3-mile line from 100th St. down to the Inlet. Tommy and Noah Fowler got into them again on the lumps off 40th St. Rich Sosnowski reported a good bite off 100th Street. Rich said he had no marks and no birds but the fish were there. 2 hours = 8 fish, with most at or over 40-inches. Like I did on Christmas day, Rich saw good marks only a mile off the beach, just north of the Inlet, but no bites.
"Reel Tool" also caught their limit off 100th St in the afternoon.
SUNDAY, December 25, 2011
Merry Christmas!
Seas were much rougher than expected. Current running hard to the north helped along with a south wind. 4-5 every 3 seconds... UGH!
There are definitely a good number of fish cruising off our coast right now, inside the 3 mile line. I went out this morning around 9am and had the intention of running to the lumps off Seacrets, where Tommy and Noah Fowler got into them yesterday. Didn't find anything there, but a good batch of birds showed up on my radar, 3 miles further to the north. Headed that way and found birds diving just inside the 3-mile line. Most birds I have seen in one place so far this season. Got hook-ups right away on trolled mojos. Ended my 2 hour trip with 17 fish hooked between 34 and 40-inches. Left them biting. Had to fish down sea because heading into the head sea was unbearable. First time I have seen fish lasagna on my screen. Long trip back to the barn at 9 knots.
On the way home, I headed towards the beach, hoping that the seas would be a little smoother (which they were not). Had good marks of fish 1.5-miles off the beach from a mile north of the Inlet right down to the North Jetty. Boomerang marks... definitely fish!
Mike Johnston and Rich Sosnowski headed north also and were rewarded with their limit of stripers just inside the 3-mile line. All nice size fish.
SATURDAY, December 24, 2011
Merry Christmas Eve!
Fishing is starting to look pretty good. Definitely not red hot, but picking up. Definitely more bait balls and active birds. Fish were caught inside 3-miles as far north as the Pyramid and south 10 miles from the Inlet. Fish were also seen between Isle of Wight Shoal and the 1st Lump. Water temp today inside 3-miles was 49.3 degrees.
John Jock landed a beautiful 42-inch striper on a Tomic lure 10 miles south of the Inlet, right on the 3 mile line.
"Wave Dancer" had 5 stripers off the Pyramid, about 2 miles off the beach.
Tommy and Noah Fowler landed 4 linesiders off Seacrets.
The King took a day off today!
THURSDAY, December 22, 2011
Things are getting interesting. Fish were found on the 3-mile line south of the inlet, starting at the Sliver. Find a few birds diving, and you probably found a bunker bait ball.
Fish being caught are a nice size... usually 36 to 44 inches. Fat. Eating bunker.
Some guys got into them and some struck out today. One angler had 6 on at one time (and got them all).. while others came up blank, even after going 20 miles south.
Spoke to Joe Morris today. He said that the last 3 days have seen tremendous striper fishing out of Lewes, DE where the mouth of the Delaware Bay is seeing another wave of fish.
On a very sad note, I found out that Rick Willman, owner of Rick's Bait & Tackle in Long Neck, DE passed away yesterday. Rick, who wrote our Delaware Fishing Report each week, was a great guy with a quick smile and an upbeat attitude. I'll miss him.
TUESDAY, December 20, 2011
Beautiful day on the ocean, contrary to what the weatherman reported. Water temp is down to between 49 and 52 degrees.
Bait is starting to show up in better numbers. Mainly scattered.
The King and his Court caught 5 nice fish on the 3-mile line near the Sliver. Four fish that were thrown in the cooler measured between 38 and 42-inches. Caught on mojo's and spoons.
Some fish were also seen on the 1st Lump.
MONDAY, December 19, 2011
It was a beautiful early morning in the ocean today, but around 11am it really started to get rough, as predicted.
Tim Romberger called to report that he hit the seas early today and trolled around Little Gull and the Sea Buoy. Tim said there were large bait balls, the best he has seen this year. Unfortunately, he didn't get a pull.
SUNDAY, December 18, 2011
Another slow day today for striper fishermen. Water temp has decreased to 49 degrees inshore and up to 52 degrees 10 miles off. Bait is scattered. Gill nets galore down at the Sliver, so something must be happening down there. A few boats took the trip down there today and came up blank. A few fish were seen on Isle of Wight Shoal.
The Jersey boys are still catching stripers like crazy only a mile off the beach as far north as Central Jersey, so there is still hope for us if the water temp doesn't drop too fast.
FRIDAY, December 16, 2011
Nothing to report. Mother Nature won't cut us a break. Wind blew pretty good today. Settled down as the day went on. Tomorrow doesn't look like a walk in the park.
Good news is that anglers are still catching stripers up in Jersey, which means that providing we don't have a drastic drop in water temp, we still may be able to salvage this season.
WEDNESDAY, December 14, 2011
Striper fishing improved today. Water temp is dropping closer to the magic 50-degree mark.
The King caught stripers around the North Jett and Rt. 50 Bridge on live spot. Fish ranged between 30-33 inches.
Samurai returned with 5 stripers from south of Little Gull Shoal. Largest measured 39.5-inches.
TUESDAY, December 13, 2011
Slow day for inshore striper fishing. Really no concentration of bait. Sounds like surfcasters in South Jersey are still having good days, so maybe we will see more fish pushing our way in the next couple of weeks.
MONDAY, December 12, 2011
Inside 3 miles, the striper bite was slow for most of the day. A few stripers were caught at sunrise, 2 miles off 44th Street.
Anglers did run across stripers at the 1st Lump.
SUNDAY, December 11, 2011
Scott Slater caught a 49-inch, 51 lb. striper off Assateague at sunrise.
Good bite in the Inlet today, especially at the beginning of the outgoing tide around mid-day. Boats drifting around the bend at the Oceanic Pier did well. Those who still have live spot did very well.
Stripers were seen on Fenwick Shoal.
SATURDAY, December 10, 2011
It was rough seas today, but some boats ventured out and got fish at Little Gull and south to the Sliver. Smaller trolled lures worked best.
FRIDAY, December 9, 2011
Fishing wasn't as good as hoped. A good early morning bite at Little Gull petered out. Schools of stripers were seen 9 miles out, south of the 1st Lump.
WEDNESDAY, December 7, 2011
A couple of brave souls ventured out into a very rough ocean today and were rewarded for their efforts. Birds were diving and bait was balled up.
The King boated a nice 39-inch striper near the Sea Buoy after hooking it on a trolled mojo. He also caught his fair share of choppers.
Kevin McCabe caught his limit of stripers and some bluefish at the same location.
TUESDAY, December 6, 2011
Conditions are starting to look right for striper fishermen. Good schools of bait are being seen only a couple of miles off the beach. Bird activity still isn't plentiful, but that might change very shortly.
Bruce McGuigan and Andy Smelter caught their limit of stripers down by the MD/VA line. The fish measured between 37 and 42-inches and were caught while jigging bucktails. The small bucktails did better according to Capt. Mac.
The commercial fishermen are starting to see more stripers showing up in their nets.
David Kasey caught a 51.5-inch, 52 lb. striper off the beach on Assateague Island.
MONDAY, December 5, 2011
Beautiful day in the ocean. Seas were flat and the wind was calm. Not a whole lot of bird activity but a few fish were caught.
Arthur Clubb landed a 45-inch striper on a trolled Rapala Stretch 25 about 2 miles off the Carousel Hotel (117th St.). Water temp was reported to be 55 degrees.
The King caught his limit of stripers just north of the Inlet on the troll.
SUNDAY, December 4, 2011
The good news is that we saw more bait and more bird activity than we have seen so far this year. Unfortunately, very few fish were caught. There was a good early morning bite with fish caught a mile off shore, straight out of the OC Inlet. There were also fish caught a mile off the beach, north off the high-rise condos. Water temperature hovered around 53-degrees.
The "Zipper" caught their limit in the early afternoon while trolling lines off planer boards 2.5 miles off the beach and a 1/2 mile north of the OC Inlet. Fish were up to 41-inches.
SATURDAY, December 3, 2011
Another ugly day in the ocean. This time weather-wise. Small craft warning in the AM and the rest of the day was no peach.
Mark Steimer and Matt McGuigan braved the rough seas and headed south until they almost reached the MD/VA line. There they soaked live spot and Mark ended up boating a 46.5-inch striper that weighed 41 lbs. 2 oz.
Did hear today that the 3 previous days for striper fisherman out of Lewes, DE were very good. Those fish are just moving down and I know we say it every weekend, but this next weekend should see some improved action out of Ocean City.
FRIDAY, December 2, 2011
Drove down to the Inlet this morning. For the first time in days, the ocean was flat as a lake. No wind. Anglers should get on the stripers today! Stay tuned.
9:00 AM - a lot of birds diving over bait on the southern end of Great Gull Shoal.
Well, this Grim Reaper crap is getting on my nerves! Another dismal day today. Water temp is still around 56-degrees. No fish caught today. Anglers covered a lot of territory. No stripers were even caught by commercial netters. Good news is that I heard the striper bite in NJ is slowing down, meaning that they could be heading our way.
THURSDAY, December 1, 2011
The wind has really been blowing so nobody has really been fishing. A few anglers did go down to the beach with their binoculars and saw a good number of gannets diving on bait balls all the way up the beach, a couple of miles out.
MONDAY, November 28, 2011
Could things be getting right? Birds were seen working along the 3-mile line today from the OC Inlet up to Delaware. Nice balls of bait underneath with some stripers in the mix.
Tommy Fowler slayed the flounder on Isle of Wight Shoal today on bucktails tipped with minnows.
SUNDAY, November 27, 2011
Very windy day today. No reports of catches.
Received a report from Jeff Weidman concerning the Indian River bite. According to Jeff's report, it looks like anglers are starting to pick at the stripers in the Indian River Inlet. Still a lot of shorts. Bucktails and jigs are working well, especially in tandem. The last hour of the incoming tide has been best. There has been a lot of bird action around the Coast Guard Station rip. However, since the wall was reconstructed, there are some bad snags in this area. Birds were working good during the incoming tide on Sunday. For those fishing from the shore, anglers seemed to be doing well catching short stripers on the west side of the Coast Guard station in front of the cottages.
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 2011
Well, the wait continues. Hardly any stripers were caught inside the ridiculous 3-mile limit. A lot of anglers tried, but few succeeded. Boats went north, where reports of bluefish and the occasional striper were heard over the radio on Friday. Many figured that they would have worked their way down off the coast of OC, but no luck.
The Old Grounds are producing some nice catches of stripers.
Big schools of bluefish were found on the 1st and 2nd Lumps today. A few stripers were underneath.
Nothing on the Jackspot.
Tautog fishing off of the Rt. 50 Bridge continues to be good. Green crabs.. if you can get them.
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 2011
There is only one way to describe striper fishing today... TORTURE! It was horrible. There weren't even any bluefish. The only bite heard on the radio was a bluefish bite off Dewey Beach with an occasional striper thrown in. Other than that, anglers were spread out all over the ocean and everyone was complaining about coming up blank.
Little Gull was loaded with gill nets, and the commercial guys weren't having much luck either.
There were definitely more birds than last weekend, but 99.9% of them were just flying. No diving.. nothing working.
Big Bird Cropper told me that some small stripers were caught just outside the Inlet.
Tim Romberger reported catching a 30-inch striper off the tip of the South Jetty on a live eel this afternoon.
The lone ray of sunshine seen today was Dominic Ross' big mama-jama striper that he caught while trolling a Stretch lure 2 miles off the beach at 65th Street (water tower). Dominic's striper measured 44-inches and weighed 35 lbs. A personal best for Dominic!
There were reports that keeper stripers are just beginning to show up in better numbers in the Indian River Inlet... three weeks later than normal.
WEDNESDAY, November 23, 2011
"Get Sum" trolled the ocean today with no luck but picked up a keeper striper around the Rt. 50 Bridge in the afternoon.
Seas got progressively rougher today. Looks like Thanksgiving is a blowout. Should get nicer towards Friday afternoon. Saturday looking nice.
Here's what the weather report looks like at 3:22pm on Wednesday:
TONIGHT
N WINDS 30 KT WITH GUSTS TO AROUND 40 KT. SEAS 6 TO 8
FT WITH A DOMINANT PERIOD OF 8 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF SHOWERS IN THE
EVENING...THEN A SLIGHT CHANCE OF SHOWERS AFTER MIDNIGHT.
THU
N WINDS 25 TO 30 KT...BECOMING NW 15 TO 20 KT IN THE AFTERNOON.
SEAS 5 TO 7 FT...SUBSIDING TO 4 TO 5 FT IN THE AFTERNOON.
THU NIGHT
NW WINDS 10 KT. SEAS 4 TO 5 FT...SUBSIDING TO 3 TO 4 FT.
FRI
W WINDS 10 KT. SEAS 3 TO 4 FT.
FRI NIGHT
SW WINDS 10 KT. SEAS 2 FT.
SAT
SW WINDS 10 KT. SEAS 2 FT.
SUN
SW WINDS 10 KT...BECOMING SE. SEAS 3 TO 4 FT...BUILDING TO 5 TO
6 FT AFTER MIDNIGHT.
TUESDAY, November 22, 2011
Not much to report. Good news is that the commercial guys got into the bluefish big time today, which could bode well for striper fisherman off the coast. Typically, bluefish precede striped bass during their migration south each fall. We really haven't seen a big push of bluefish yet, so maybe now is the time. If the bluefish are here in mass, watch your rubber sassy shads. You can go through a bag in no time!
MONDAY, November 21, 2011
Joe Dragunas caught a pair of keeper stripers north of the Rt. 50 Bridge. Largest measured 34-inches and was caught on a live eel.
Bluefish were caught at the 1st Lump. Some stripers were seen on the 3rd Lump.
An unconfirmed rumor has it that stripers were caught south of Little Gull Shoal.
SUNDAY, November 20, 2011
Another rough day for the vast majority of striper fishermen. Seas were rougher than yesterday, keeping most sane anglers at the dock. A few brave souls ventured out and ran across stripers around 10 miles off the beach.
It does look like the Jersey boys are still banging the stripers up north, so maybe with the water temp, we just haven't seen the big push yet.
Tautog fishing has been excellent around the South Jetty. Some are also being hooked near the rocks off Martha's Landing.
Tog fishing must also be very good off the Rt. 50 Bridge because it looks like a foreign country up there.
SATURDAY, November 19, 2011
The ocean was a little rougher than predicted, but definitely fishable. Two to three inch chop close together. Striper fishing inside 3-miles was pathetic. Trollers north of the inlet, up around 130th Street, didn't even get a pull. No birds. Good bait marks in 30-feet.
Anglers casting off the North Jetty found small stripers.
Fenwick Shoal was dead. Nothing. No bird activity.
Sliver = nothing!
Anglers fishing northeast of the 1st Lump came across some nice stripers and some large bluefish. The fish were moving hard south.
Sam Heimer caught a 23-inch flounder while trolling a Stretch 25 at Fenwick Shoal.
"Morning Star" had a nice catch of sea bass. Largest weighed over 5 lbs. Caught on clams.
In the bay, the "Get Sum" returned with a nice 37-inch striper caught on a trolled Storm lure by the bridge.
FRIDAY, November 18, 2011
Tautog fishing was good around the South Jetty. Some fish, mostly small, were hooked along the rocks off Martha's Landing.
Striper fishing was S-L-O-W! A lot of anglers struck out, searching for stripers all over the ocean. The last good bite I heard about was the bite off Sea Colony last weekend and early in the week. Since then, it's been dead. Even the commercial fishermen are having trouble netting stripers. Are they passing us offshore this year? Is the water temp still a little too warm, hovering around 58-degrees? Are they still up north?
THURSDAY, November 17, 2011
Took a look at the ocean this morning around 8:30 AM and it was relatively nice. Definitely fishable. Didn't see any birds, glassing from Little Gull to north as far as I could see.
Finally, the weekend forecast looks nice. Seas 2-3 feet on Sat and Sunday. Will start laying down on Friday afternoon.
WEDNESDAY, November 16, 2011
Logan Romberger ventured up to Overfall Shoals at the mouth of the Delaware Bay and caught a 38-inch striper on a live eel.
MONDAY, November 14, 2011
Wind still howling! One boat reported crossing Fenwick Shoal this morning, looking for bluefish, and found nothing. No birds... no bait... no stripers or bluefish.
SUNDAY, November 13, 2011
Wind howled pretty good all day today. Seas were rough. Report came in that there were over a 1,000 birds diving on Fenwick Shoal this morning over schools of bunker with nice size stripers underneath.
A few boats fished the inlet and the bay, but got nothing for their effort.
Sounds like the tautog bite is good off the Rt. 50 Bridge.
Capt. Mike Rivera called to report an outstanding weekend of striper fishing on the charter boat "On Delivery" out of the Indian River Marina. Capt. Mike was fishing tight to the beach off Bethany. They were trolling Stretch 25's and Bomber 30's. Fish were FAT! Largest measured 43 inches. Good day on Saturday and Sunday.
SATURDAY, November 12, 2011
The best time to fish the ocean today was right at sunrise when the sea was flat. However, it didn't take long for things to get rough and unfishable. Some boats did head out, but the majority came back very early.
A big school of stripers was seen 17 miles off the beach towards the Jack Spot.
The King was able to troll up a pair of stripers close to the beach right at sunrise. He found a lone, diving bird over a school of bunker with scattered stripers underneath.
One boat found fish up at the DE/MD line and came back with their limit.
Some fish were hooked off Sea Colony.
The "Morning Star" returned early but did get into sea bass.
Up in the DE Bay, some nice fish were caught at The Valley.
FRIDAY, November 11, 2011
Wind was howling. Ocean too rough.
THURSDAY, November 10, 2011
A group of anglers caught some flounder on Isle of Wight Shoal. They also spotted some striped bass in the 33-39 inch range and some bluefish.
TUESDAY, November 8, 2011
The most surprising hook-up of the day occurred when Tom Berry, John Berry and Mark Fields were trolling Stretch's for bluefish just north of the 2nd Lump when they hooked into a 100 lb. bluefin tuna. The anglers fought the fish on a TLD15 for 90 minutes before it broke the 30 lb. test leader next to the boat.
Duddy Harvey took a trip on the "Angler" to the Great Eastern Reef and returned with a 28-inch, 8 lb. cod and 25 sea bass. All caught on clams.
Local boys, Mark Hill and Ed Hansen stopped by the office this afternoon to have their picture taken with the 2 stripers they caught on umbrella rigs, 2 miles off the beach on the MD/DE line. The fish measured 39-inches and 43-inches. Larger fish weighed 20 lbs. 7 oz.
The King caught a pair of 40+ inch stripers in the ocean off 34th Street less than a mile off the beach. He found a good school of popping bunker with fish underneath. Caught two of them on the new, pink Stretch 25 Alive jointed lure.
Capt. Bruce and his sidekick Brad boated 4 stripers on live spot just north of the Inlet. Fish were over 36-inches.
Received a report that there was a large amount of bait, just inshore of Great Gull. A few stripers were underneath.
There was also a report of good bait balls around the Sliver. No reports of stripers being hooked though.
Starting to hear about some stripers caught inside the 3-mile line off OC. Commercial fishermen got a few while netting off the Hilton on 33rd St.
MONDAY, November 7, 2011
Received a report that stripers were seen on the 1st Lump.
David Konick and his son, Nick caught 4 stripers today, measuring between 30 and 34-inches, east of the Pyramid Hotel today. They also caught 3 bluefish around 30-31 inches. The stripers were caught on trolled Stretch 25's and the bluefish on 8-inch Rebel plugs.
I heard from a commercial fisherman today that the commercial fleet hasn't seen many stripers at all off our coast and the bluefish have also been scarce.
Interestingly, a 60-70 lb. sturgeon was caught in a commercial net and safely released.
SUNDAY, November 6, 2011
Wind blew a gale yesterday, so everyone stayed home. Was a little better on Sunday, but only larger boats could get out into the ocean. Others stayed in the bay where tautog fishing was excellent around the South Jetty.
A lot of commercial boats went out today. Sounds like the stripers are here... just gotta get to them!
"Get Sum" returned with their limit of tautog (16) after fishing with green crabs around the South Jetty.
Tautog fishing has also been excellent off the bulkhead that runs from 2nd St. to 4th St. in Ocean City. Better bite on the outgoing tide. Also getting the occasional striper.
The Oceanic Pier is open Fri-Suns where anglers are catching bluefish and trout at night.
The striper bite continues to be very good at the mouth of the Delaware Bay. Big fish!
The surf bite off Assateague Island hasn't been very good, primarily due to the high and rough surf. Sunday was bette
