New Jersey Striped Bass Regs 2020
 

Regulations meeting reportedly today, Thursday, Feb 13


http://www.thefisherman.com/index.cf...3&ParentCat=19

I support abiding by the regs......our NJ / Raritan area currently one of the areas still holding decent Striper populations while Chesapeake, Montauk, Mass not so good.

NJ Charter Capt I spoke with even supports " catch & release" for Raritan Bay.
That's saying something coming from guy who makes living fishing.

Totally agree. In fact I support a complete ban on Striper harvesting/fishing, (including commercial) for at least 2 years, maybe more. Especially since it's a proven fact that the commercial fishing fleet is the main cause for most of the delpeted stocks of fish. (Blue, Striper, Fluke, Flounder, Tog, etc.) Sorry to anyone that makes a living fishing, but where does it say that you get to vacuum the ocean just so you can make money at the cost of everyone else? :head:

(And before anyone criticizes me for being too harsh on commercial fishermen, let me point out one (just one, although there are many) example. I used to live in Toms River, NJ back in the 1970's - 1980's. One of the fishing pleasures back then was fishing during the cold months for Whiting and Ling. Typical Whiting (AKA Silver Hake) are about a pound. Not a huge fish, but incredibly tasty, especially when smoked. They were so plentiful that every fishing trip, either from a pier or from a boat, would result in several meals on the dinner table. Then the commercial fishing fleet started sweeping them from the ocean, often coming within 3 miles of the shoreline. Eventually rules were put into place for the foreign fleet keeping them 100 miles off the coast, but the local fleet still came in closer. I haven't seen a single Whiting in over 30 years, (closer to 40). The commercial fishing boats completely destroyed the Whiting fishery and almost caused their extinction. That's just one example. The fact is we don't need commercial fishing anymore for a lot of species. Farm raised fish of all types are getting more and more available. It's past time that these ocean fish pirates were phased out, just like whaling was. They are not needed anymore except to make their owners large amounts of money at the expense of the rest of the fishing community) IMHO.

Confirmed today: regulation is ONE fish 28”-38”
Plus the bonus tag option .

We didn't keep one striper last year. I don't think we ever kept more than 3 on the boat in a day for 20 years. So it won't impact me a bit except maybe there will be more big ones to release in coming years.

Destroyer...I caught one whiting last year!
Used to fish the Casino pier in the 70's-80's I know what you are talking about.
And night party boats along the beach. That is gone.
BUT, I never caught one striper in the 70's and 80s'. Now I can catch a dozen throwbacks a night on my dock.

Yep. Almost the same here. In 1979 I caught a 20lb Striper drifting a bloodworm at slack tide in the Point Pleasant canal. Other than that, nothing in the 70's and 80's. I remember only too well the forecasts of doom and extinction for the Striper fishery back then. Now, like you, I can easily catch a dozen shorts in the Hackensack River in a night.
As to the Whiting fishery, it is my fervent prayer that they and the Mackerel and Bluefish make a comeback.... but it's my opinion that as long as commercial net and long line fishing is allowed the draggers will continue to deplete all the fish off our coasts..... to the point of extinction. :cen:

I'm good with that but I think it should be one fish only up to 28 inches any fish over 28 should be released. Same with fluke, it should be 5 fish only any size,my reason is when and we all have gut hooked a fish/fluke that you know won't make it and you have to release it ,I would rather keep it and keep five fish total .