Was wondering what everyone thanks about the goverment making stripers as gamefish status and that would ban all commercial fishing but also it would allow a BONUS 3rd fish for the regular non commercial fisherman???

You can bet Governor Spitzer wishes that Strippers were declared fair Game.

Too funny!

I don't know for a fact, but my guess is that there are some strippers that are quite gamey.

I thought they already were in gamefish status? Which doesn't actually do much for us recreational fishermen as we can't fish in federal waters (past 3 miles) anyway. And the local state VMRC controls the limits. So, how does this "bonus" 3rd fish come into play!!! I haven't heard anything about that. Please explain!!!

I'm pretty sure that all strippers fall under catch and release regs.

You have to carefull when handling them so you don`t get somthing ajax wont take off

Billy Boy,
Had a particularly rough day, but between Don's good news on another post, and your post here, I'm smilin' from ear to ear, and still chucklin from yours! Thanks, and I'm gonna have to make one of them M&G's soon so I can put a few faces with these names.
Take care,
Johnny

march isue of sportfishing mag check it out if you cant get it let me know i will try to scan it and email to you

think it would be a great idea. We already have 6 states that have made them a sportfish and 2 states voting on it now. but in Va.,N.C.and the fisheries people always lean towards the commercial fisherman. Which is why we have a major fight ahead of us. I am the Va. state chairman of the Stripersforever and we have stated that we would buy them out so we can help to save the fish we know and love. But I don't think we ought to follow New Jersey and make 3 the limit until the rockfish have a complete recovery. If anybody would like to join Stripersforever go to Stripersforever.org. it is free to join.
Thanks Ron Staples

Ron,
if virginia goes to sportsfish status and cut's out the commercial fishermen whom take alot of fish; why not give the recreational fishermen the 3 fish limit??? From what I see around virginia and NC waters Stripers appear plentiful??? Do you guys have figures that indicate otherwise?

Are you serious?!? I don't know if you fish the Chesapeake Bay or not, but around here, rockfish are so plentiful as to be almost a nuisance when targeting fish like flounder or croaker around the CBBT. The rock are so plentiful that they are destroying the grey trout fishery, IMHO. I caught ONE keeper weakfish in the last two or three years, TOTAL.

The ocean fishery of big rockfish has never been as prolific as it has been the last two years. Now, if you have evidence to the contrary, I will be happy to eat crow, but my evidence is my years of experience on the water.

Glad I could help! We are just giving RD a friendly poke like we do to most anyone that misspells striper. All in fun and no malice - that's what I like about this board. I hope your weekend makes up for your bad day. One of these days I'll make it to a MNG as well.

Do you guys have any idea of the economic impact that would have. Not only the loss of jobs. But Rockfish has become a staple for mid-atlantic cuisine.

The Balance that once was is really screwed up.Striper are only a part of the picture,I think their numbers are way too high for the ratio to other species.We cant just save the Striper we need to bring back the ,eel grass,clam & oyster Bars,Eels,shad,Sturgeon,Blue Crab,Manta Ray, menheaden ,Hearring A whole list of other wild life.I cant believe that some put so much stock in the Striper. It is a good thing they are back but all I can say is NEXT,because if we can bring back the Striper like we have we can go to the next species now.It takes alot of baitfish to feed a massive school of Cow Striper its like a vacuum cruising down the coast,then we have Omega mopping up the rest of the Menhaden what is left for the other species NOT MUCH. The Large Grey Trout is almost done from what I can see. There are plenty of 12 inch Weakfish but I think they must be getting eaten because the small ones have been plentiful for years why havent they shown up as mature adults in all the usual places in the Spring.We have made alot of progress with cleaning up the Lynnheaven Inlet all the septic fields have been shut down but we need to get the Nitrogen levels down ,Lawn fertilizers with Ammonium nitrate should not be used organnics like manure should be used sparingly and actually work better because they dont kill the beneficial fungus,bacteria and insects.Sorry about the soap box but it is just my opinion.

I agree with you and it is time to fix the rest of the fish populations so that we can maintain these levels for future generations.

Well said

Mark

amen

\OPINIONS ARE WHAT WE NEED AND WANT. SORRY FOR THE STRIPPER INSTEAD OF STRIPER'S MY MIND WAS IN THE GUTTER!!!!!lol

It`s all good ,everyone has had the freudian Striper slip once in their lifetime.

Just remember.... the gutter is a step UP from the sewer

I agree with Mega Bite. The supporting populations are taking a beating all up and down the east coast. It is happening from Maine all the way down the coast. Some like the menhaden and herring are being whacked by the floating factories, others are being reduced by destroying wetlands to build "waterfront" propeties and all are impacted by polution to some degree or other. What the solution is, I do not know.

I have to agree with Keith. We saved the Stripers from extinction, now we need to feed them all or they will eat us out of house and home. We've got to stop Omega Protein from raping the bay. It's going to take about 4 billion dollars to upgrade the sewage treatment plants in the bay watershed to stop the single largest source of pollution and degradation of the bay ecosystem: nutrients from sewage. 4 billion dollars buys a lot of Happy Meals, but is a drop in the bucket in the long run.
As to making Stripers a gamefish, many on this site will be surprised to find that I am not in favor of that. Stripers are one of the species that are currently capable of supporting commercial quotas without negative impact. In my humble opinion we need to let commercial boys make money where the resource allows. Stripers, flounder, spot and croaker are but a few of the common species that should be commercially fished, as evidenced by their numbers. I believe as long as the resource can handle the strain, commercial fishing should be allowed. But, in the event a falling population of fish, the quotas should be immediately be reduced until they recover. Both commercial and recreational. But that's just my opinion.

Keith ,thank you for your comments,your on the money. I've been fighting this issue for 25+ years. Loss of habitat the primary reason for the decline in all fisheries. I was fooled to think the Ches. Bay Act would be the beginning of protecting the Bay but the State Govt. failed everyone by allowing wreckless coastal development. The loss of grasses and nourishment for marine species has declined more in the last 15 yrs. than ever, very sad.Money and power and abject ignorance. The Menhaden Fleet should have been eliminated 25 yrs. ago as well as winter dredging for Crab,the RCGL. Rec's. bitch about netting yet many obtain net lisc. and few know how to set and maintenance one.A rec. with a gill net is an oxymoron but typical of the Govt's. knowledge or management abilities of our fisheries or wildlife.Gamefish status for Stripers is not fair to those who enjoy the table fare and can't or don't fish. Be careful what you ask for many enviromental whacko's want your guns, your fishing poles and the areas you presently enjoy to exersize these fundamental freedoms they want to close or shut down.LIBERAL FASCISM knocking on your door.Wonder why fuel prices are so high? It ain't the Big Oil company's or Saudi Arabia, the villian sleeps in your own house.DOW, AUDOBON,SELG and the idiots that run you Govt.
God Bless America!