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Striped Bass Fishing News and Related events

The latest news on the saltwater license and why its coming


L.L. Bean to Sell Biodegradables Only by August 1 2009

By August 1, L.L.Bean Retail Stores will no longer be offering traditional soft plastic lures. Instead, the retailer "will be proud" to only offer biodegradable alternatives.

According to Mac McKeever, an L.L.Bean Senior Public Relations Representative, biodegradable alternatives cost about the same as traditional soft plastic lures, are just as effective and durable, and breakdown naturally in water within 60-90 days and within 30 days in a fish's stomach.

The Freeport-based company began considering making a switch last fall, but after reading a IF&W report on how soft plastic lures are harming Maine's fish, it decided to make the transition sooner.

"I'm hoping that your fantastic study will inspire people to consider alternatives and spawn additional studies in other states," McKeever said. "In concert, it is my hope that L.L.Bean will set a positive example for others by only offering biodegradable alternatives. We're doing it because we have had a long history of environmental benevolence. We're doing it because it's simply the right thing to do."

The new assortment of biodegradable alternatives closely mirrors the broad assortment previously represented by the traditional soft plastic lures L.L.Bean was offering, McKeever said.

The catalog and website soon will follow suit.

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The Penn Torgue and Conquer spinning reels

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2009 Hudson River spring migration articles

Noreast Saltwater Magazine
Striped Bass Migration May 3 2009
Striped Bass Migration May 10 2009
Striped Bass Migration May 20 2009
Striped Bass Migration May 28 2009
Striped Bass Migration June 3 2009
Striped Bass Migration June 10 2009


Institute proposing fish farm in federal waters

Project off San Diego still must clear hurdles
By Mike Lee San Diego Union-Tribune Staff Writer
February 2, 2009

Read the proposal

Five miles west of Mission Beach, scientists hope to build a floating ranch for millions of fish that would eventually land on dinner plates across the country. Aquaculture specialists at the Hubbs-SeaWorld Research Institute in San Diego could pioneer an era of marine food production in the United States, which relies heavily on imports to meet a growing appetite for seafood. Their project would be the first of its kind in federal waters - widely seen as a prime zone for expanding aquaculture. But if the respected Hubbs organization is unable to get through the daunting permit process, the setback is likely to discourage others from launching similar ventures. The $17 million operation could start by early 2011 if all goes well.

Hubbs officials have repeatedly emphasized the project's potential benefits, including reducing pressure on depleted ocean fisheries, to regional and state leaders in recent months. They also are touting the idea at the international Seafood Summit in San Diego, where commercial fishing groups, conservationists, policymakers and marine scientists are discussing sustainable fishing. The conference will run through Wednesday.

"Somebody has to lead the way. Somebody has to take the technologies and apply them," Hubbs President Donald Kent said. "We think it's a great opportunity for San Diego to lead the nation." The San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce recently endorsed Hubbs' proposal, and one of California's top marine regulators gave it a positive initial review. Hubbs' leaders "see the time as being right, and I think they are probably right," said Peter Douglas, executive director of the California Coastal Commission.

The commission would have to approve the project along with agencies such as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Environmental Protection Agency. Douglas met with Hubbs officials in December and came away impressed. "They really did their homework. They have addressed virtually every issue that we have raised," he said. Hubbs' operation would cover about 30 football fields' worth of the ocean's surface in water that's approximately 300 feet deep.

At first, the institute would deploy eight circular nets - each large enough to hold about 125,000 fish. The nets would be anchored to the sea floor and stocked with striped bass, a fish that was introduced to California more than 100 years ago. The captive bass would grow for about two years until they top 2 pounds each, at which point they would be collected in batches and sold to seafood wholesalers.

The species was chosen for several reasons, including the availability of juveniles for rearing and what Hubbs researchers said were slim chances that any escaped fish would disrupt the native food chain. Over five years, Hubbs would install 24 pens and produce 3,000 metric tons of fish annually - about three times the current commercial fish harvest brought ashore in San Diego County. That would provide a dramatic boost to the state's aquaculture industry, which generates about $100 million in revenue each year for seafood producers. At full capacity, Hubbs officials said, they could raise about 3 million fish per year worth $21 million.

To succeed, fish-farm owners have to minimize navigation hazards for passing vessels, calm fishermen's fears about competition, allay concerns about pollution from fish waste and limit the number of fish that escape or spread disease. Environmentalists have sought stronger controls on fish farms in California and elsewhere to limit their effect on the marine environment. But some of them said a top-rate operation would provide a good example for future aquaculture projects. "We are going in with the awareness that a lot of the existing aquaculture can be a dirty practice and it's not done sustainably," said Scott Harrison, chairman of the local chapter of the Surfrider Foundation, a coastal watchdog group.

Last week, Harrison was among a handful of environmental leaders who listened to Kent's pitch. "We have a measure of skepticism," Harrison said, "(but) we are remaining open" to the proposal. Kent also has invited anglers to weigh in. Although a new aquaculture operation would probably hire fishermen to tend nets and do other tasks, some worry about downsides such as the facility's potential to attract sea lions, endanger boaters and prevent fishermen from harvesting in the area. "I am critical of the location, and I want to ensure that no legitimate fisherman is pushed out," said John Law, a longtime commercial fisherman who plies the area being eyed for the project.

Aquaculture operations stretch from Hawaii to Maine in freshwater and near-shore areas, including bays. Some marine experts see open-ocean fish farming - the kind planned by Hubbs - as the future of the industry. Compared with near-shore aquaculture projects, those in federal waters - three to 200 miles from the coastline - would face less competition for space from residents, recreationalists and other interest groups. Hubbs chose the spot off Mission Beach for factors such as consistently mild water temperature, water purity and the appropriate ocean depth. Its leaders hope to prevent run-ins with boaters by setting their pens five miles from the shoreline, where leisure traffic is limited. Currents at the site are expected to disperse fish feces so they won't collect on the ocean floor below the farm.

Kent is convinced the aquaculture project would succeed partly because of Hubbs' experience in raising white seabass at a hatchery in Carlsbad since 1995. Those fish are released at several locations along Southern California's coast to augment populations in the wild. Hubbs also has experimented with aquaculture nets on a small scale in the waters off Baja California, where the Mexican government grants permits in a matter of weeks instead of years. The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which helps regulate marine fisheries, funded that project.

Fred Conte, an aquaculture specialist at the University of California Davis, said Hubbs-SeaWorld is the right group to advance the industry. "They are a research institution which would be closely monitored by the state and feds," Conte said. "They aren't looking to make a profit right off the bat." Kent said he wants to refine the fish-farming process and set industry standards for environmental protection. Then, the nonprofit Hubbs would transfer day-to-day operations to a for-profit corporation. The two sides would share revenue through a licensing agreement.

Hubbs plans to keep control of the fish farm's permits so it can ensure the scientific integrity of the project. Kent envisions that some local fishermen would work at the facility while others would eventually strike out on their own with similar operations. The institute's blueprint hinges on government approval. Several fishery experts said the federal regulatory process, which involves multiple agencies, poses a major barrier to offshore aquaculture. But they also said the Hubbs proposal could blaze a trail through the bureaucracy. Michael Rubino, aquaculture chief for the U.S. oceanic administration, said his agency will help with the federal review of Hubbs'permits in the coming months. "We really have a choice as a country," Rubino said. "If we are going to eat more seafood, we are either going to import more of it - and most of that is from aquaculture - or we can choose to grow more of it at home."

Read more here in the forum

Menhaden News The latest
Menhaden News

Cape Fear tourney raises striper issues
Read the story

The Saltwater license the AFSMC and the reauthorization of the Magnuson Stevenson Act
Why Its coming

Feds Award Maryland $10 Million for Ailing Blue Crab Industry
Info

Poacher Hall Of Shame
Poachers are exposed here

Watermen charged with Illegal striped bass sales

State, federal investigators uncover extensive poaching ring in Md., Va
Poacher ring

Most Irresponsible Journalism
By Warren Turner
A letter to the Sentinal record from the President of The National striped Bass association

Alabama Coosa River stripers

An Alabama study analyzed the food habits of striped bass. More than 2,600 prey items were retrieved from striped bass stomachs. Almost 2500 of the prey items were shad, the primary forage of striped bass. Only twelve prey items, six bluegill and six crappie, were game fish. This is important information because many anglers assume that striped bass often prey on game fish.

The Rest of article by Steven Smith Biologist with the State of Alabams DNR is here

Report on Chesapeake by Stripers forever.org
Illegal Gill Netting

A commercial fishermens perspective
The other side.

Reports striped bass harvest #s skewedWashington times [- 2/04/URL]

Savannah river catch
Tulahoma News reports

Modifications of the Hudson river striped bass Hatchery
[URL=https://www.stripers247.com/NYDechudsonriverproposal.htm]New York States DEC proposal


New Striped Bass stamp California

American Striper Association
Mercury Tournament trail

Delawares Striped Bass
Studied for bacterial infection

Feds to Monitor herring trawlers

Stripertracker.org Scientists from the Rutgers University Marine Field Station are trying to better understand the coastal migration of striped bass. The study area includes the Mullica River/Great Bay estuary, the southern end of Barneget Bay, and the coastal ocean outside of Little Egg Inlet off Tuckerton, New Jersey. You can tag your own virtual bass at stripertracker.org.

Opinion/Editorial: Lake Norman,


A Striped Bass Story
By Scott Van Horn

Jaw Fin Organism Fish Font


It was early. The sun was still below the tree line. He wished he'd gotten out of bed soon enough to add another biscuit as fuel against the February cold. He'd seen the birds sitting in the back of this cove now for several days and he was comforted by their presence this morning. Suddenly, the surface calm was shattered. Striped bass were pushing shad up out of the deep. Some of the shad were frantically leaping clear of the water to escape the swirling bodies of feeding stripers. The gulls quickly took flight and announced the school's presence by wheeling and diving to share in the feast. He positioned his boat and hit the break line of the school with a 3/8-ounce bucktail. The fish hit his offering savagely and often.

The stripers eventually dove, only to resurface nearby. Then, two hours after it began, calm returned to the cove. The gulls were vigilant for a while, but eventually returned to rest on the water's surface. The sun was climbing in the sky and he knew it was over for the morning. Time to return to warmth, a cup of hot coffee, and that second biscuit. It had been a good trip. He had caught a dozen fish under exciting fishing conditions. They were a little heavier than the thin Lake Norman stripers of previous years but none was over five pounds. That was unfortunate in a sport where really large fish get the headlines in other places, but he knew he'd be back again the next morning.

A Unique Striped Bass Fishery

Lake Norman's striper fishery is something special. Seasonally, catch rates can be very good. The sheer number of striped bass anglers on the lake argues the popularity of the fishery. Yet, most of the fish are small and often thin. Not only are the trophy fish of 20 pounds or more a rarity, but there are few fish above five pounds. That fact is a bitter disappointment to anglers who value large fish. The two faces of this striper fishery color the debate over the success of striper management in the lake. Is the Lake Norman striped bass fishery a success story supporting hours of fishing pleasure or a disaster devoid of big fish?

Lake Norman demands to be judged on its own merits, and defies comparison with other lakes. The lake supports the fewest pounds of fish per acre in central North Carolina, including shad. Like poor soil producing few crops, Lake Norman has the lowest potential to feed and support striped bass. Adding nutrients would increase Lake Norman's production potential, but enriching 355 billion gallons of water would be cost prohibitive and most of our society would call it pollution!

In the last decade, blue and flathead catfish numbers have exploded at Lake Norman. White perch, recently introduced by anglers, are also rapidly increasing their presence in the lake. White bass populations fluctuate and at times are large. All of these fish eat the same shad the striped bass depend upon to support their numbers. Fewer shad to go around means thinner, slower growing striped bass.

Expectations Versus Reality

Truly large striped bassthe kind making headlines in Tennessee reservoirsrequire abundant food and plenty of cool, oxygenated water. Many of North Carolina's piedmont reservoirs have plenty of shad, but none have dissolved oxygen at the cooler water temperatures preferred by large striped bass in hot dry summers. Consequently, fish larger than 20 pounds will never be abundant in these lakes. Lake Norman has neither the optimal water conditions nor the abundant food resources necessary to support a trophy striped bass fishery.

The environment of Lake Norman's striped bass is also influenced by electric power production. Duke Power Company built Marshall Steam Station in the early 1970s and McGuire nuclear plant in the early 1980s. Striped bass congregating in warm water discharges in winter is an obvious result of power production commonly exploited by anglers. Power production can also interact with weather to affect striper forage in the lake. Threadfin shad in Lake Norman die in cold winters. The warm water discharges associated with power production provide thermal refugia, assuring some threadfin are available to repopulate the lake in spring. Fluctuating threadfin numbers may change the gizzard shad population. The size, number and types of shad present in the lake each year determines the quality of striped bass forage.

Finally, stripers are affected by fishing. It is an old axiom among fisheries managers that as fishing becomes more intense the bigger, older fish are often the first to disappear. Striped bass do not reproduce naturally in Lake Norman and must be stocked by the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission. They were first stocked into the lake in 1969. It took anglers a decade to learn how to fish successfully for striped bass. The intervening time gave the lake's striped bass time to grow old and large. As the 1980s unfolded, anglers developed effective techniques for catching striped bass, including drifting live shad. Depth finders proved useful in locating the fish and anglers discovered stripers could be caught year around, day and night. As striper angling evolved and more people joined the sport, the numbers of larger, older fish grew smaller. Catch and release did not provide a solution, as it had for largemouth bass, because striped bass proved less hardy. The large, more desirable striped bass are least likely to survive being caught and released.

As the striped bass fishery changed, some striped bass anglers began to demand more and then larger fish. The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission increased the stocking rate as hatchery expansion permitted and agreed to raise the minimum size limit in 1992 to 20 inches. Biologists worried that a big increase in stocking rates would tax the existing food supply for striped bass. The higher minimum size limit would keep some striped bass in the lake even longer, adding to the number of mouths feeding on a shad population that was limited by the lake's low fertility. Too many striped bass for the existing food supply could slow growth and work against the objective of greater numbers of larger fish.

Vertebrate Fin Fish Marine biology Ray-finned fish


The Dangers Of Bait Bucket Stocking

Striped bass growth did indeed slow in the years following the combined increase in stocking rates and higher size limits. Some anglers wanted to attack the striped bass/shad imbalance by increasing the number of shad. Many saw the introduction of blueback herring as the solution. Biologists acknowledged that bluebacks, if successful, would benefit striped bass by replacing less desirable sizes of gizzard or threadfin shad. However, bluebacks prefer to feed on large zooplankton, which are scarce in Lake Norman. In the absence of their preferred food, bluebacks can switch to eating larval fish. In fertile lakes, where fish are abundant, that hasn't been a problem. In an infertile lake like Norman, could bluebacks reduce crappie or white bass numbers? Biologists didn't know for sure. But they did know that blueback herring eventually would escape Lake Norman and move downstream, potentially turning a Lake Norman "solution" into a Lake Wylie problem. Consequently, biologists took a conservative approach and chose not to stock herring.

In the last few years, both blueback and alewives, another herring, have become established in Lake Norman and increasingly abundant as a result of bait bucket stocking by striped bass anglers. Both fish historically have been used by striped bass in other waters. How will the new additions affect the rest of the fish in Lake Norman and downstream? No one is certain. Biologists hope anglers don't move the fish upstream to Lake James because walleye populations in other reservoirs have collapsed following alewife introductions.

The Future Of Norman's Striper Fishery

The last 30 years have produced many changes at Lake Norman. It is not possible to turn the clock back on the lake's striped bass population. What is possible in the future? Lake Norman striped bass have been thin and slow growing because there are too many fish for the available shad. How much help the alewives will provide will be revealed by time. Alewives will not double or triple the lake's shad supply because the water is too infertile. If the stripers remain thin, fatter fish can only be created by reducing the numbers of striped bass in the lake. Striper numbers are controlled by stocking rates and regulations. If high catch rates are important to anglers, stocking rates should be maintained. But if heftier striped bass are desired by anglers, thinning the striped bass population by imposing less restrictive harvest limits might add a pound or so to a 25-inch fish. The future of the striped bass fishery is in the hands of the anglers and the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission, but our choices are reduced by limitations imposed by the lake.

Perhaps we should build on what the lake will allow. High catch rates of smaller striped bass is the lake's strength. Anglers crowd Lake Norman's waters in cool weather looking for a chance to catch numbers of striped bass. They know a big fish is a bonus. Others have chosen to fish different waters looking for bigger fish. It has really always been that way. Like the angler in our introductory story, we shouldn't allow Lake Norman's limitations to prevent us from experiencing the satisfaction of a good fishing trip on this very special lake.

Van Horn is the fishery research coordinator for the Piedmont Region.

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