New Striped Bass Limits

[BSmaster]

New Striped Bass Limits Effective March 17, 2015

 

New York State is committed to maintaining a healthy stock of striped bass for both recreational and commercial fishing.  To comply with the Atlantic States Marine Fishery Commission’s (ASMFC) mandated 25-percent harvest reduction, effective March 17, 2015, the New York State  Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has established  limits that will allow the striped bass stock to recover more quickly. These limits are:

 

Recreational:

• Marine and Coastal district (south of the George Washington Bridge): 1 fish,  28 inches or larger, during the Apr. 15 – Dec. 15 season
• Hudson River (all tributaries north of George Washington Bridge and all inland waters): 1 fish, 18-28 inches OR 1 fish larger than 40 inches during the Apr. 1 – Nov. 30 season
• Delaware River: 1 fish, 28 inches or larger (no closed season) 

Commercial: The commercial quota was reduced by 25%.  A slot limit of 28-38 inches during the Jun. 1 – Dec. 15 season are the new limits.

 

New York also recommends the use of “circle-hooks†while fishing for stripers since this reduces the mortality of released fish.

 

NOTE: Anadromous river herring regulations remain the same for the Hudson River. The possession ban remains only for the Marine and Coastal District and all other waters in New York State.

 

Please visit the NYS DEC website for details on the new limits and regulations .

[BSmaster]

River herring is 10 per person per day.  (upper river)

 

Sustainable stocks are considered too low.  I was thinking about planning a trip.  The slot limit is something that I practiced before it was a law.  It makes perfect sense to me, however, It may take more than 10 herring to get a striped bass that I can keep and therefore I am debating a scheduled trip.  I knew from my talks with captains in the fall and with some of the blogs focused in the north east that this was inevitable.  I believe Commercial fishing is the culprit but every recreational angler will pay for it. 

[justtracytrolling]

I wouldnt worry too much about the bait Joe. Stripers are easy enough to catch on any number of baits if you find them. I too believe commercial fishing is the problem, but its tough to get an idea of how many are caught by recreational anglers when they are so highly sought after from the carolinas to maine. Ive chased em up and down the coast and its amazing the number of anglers that target stripers. When numbers of stripers are in they get slaughtered. About 12-13 years ago anyone who threw a line out along the coast of NJ caught big stripers. In the mid nineties it was the outer cape, and lately the cape cod canal. To top it off there are seemingly infinite numbers of charter and party boats after them. Its a miracle they have come back from near extinction in 1980.