2020 New Striper Regs

[Doc Z]

New for the Hudson ...... you can only keep Striper within a slot of 18 - <28". All others must be released.

New Ocean regs are 28-35".

It amazes me that the ones we are trying to protect in the Hudson are the targets in the Ocean. It makes no sense because these smaller fish are the easiest ones to revive and go back better. If they really wanted to protect the stock they should have made it one fish over 48"....... these bigger fish are much harder to revive and more likely to not survive catch and release. If they made sensible regs like this it would allow us to still hunt for a trophy or record and protect way more of the spawning stock.

• Maine: 1 fish, 28 - <35
• New Hampshire: 1 fish, 28 - <35
• Massachusetts: 1 fish, 28 - <35
• Rhode Island: 1 fish, 28 - <35; OR 1 fish, 32 - <40 for all; OR split mode 1 fish, 32 - <40 private/shore and 1 fish, 30 - <40 for-hire
• Connecticut: 1 fish, 28 - <35
• New York: 1 fish, 28 - <35 in the ocean; and 1 fish, 18 - <28 with a season of 4/1-11/30 in the Hudson River
• New Jersey: 1 fish, 28 - <35; NJ to develop an additional CE proposal with a maximum length of 40 inches that meets 18% reduction pending TC review. All commercial/bonus proposals approved.
• Pennsylvania:
  • DE Estuary: 1 fish 28 - <35 (1/1 – 3/31, 6/1 – 12/31); 2 fish 21 - <24 (4/1 – 5.31)
  • DE River (non-tidal): 1 fish 28 - <35 (all year)
• Delaware:
  • Ocean: 1 fish, 28 - <38 OR 1 fish, 28 - <35
  • Delaware Bay, River, Tributaries: 1 fish, 20 - <25 (7/1 – 8/31)
• Maryland:
  • Ocean: 1 fish, 28 - <35
  • Chesapeake Bay: 1 fish, 35-inch minimum (5/1 – 5/15); Shore/Private Boat 1 fish, 19-inch minimum (5/16 – 8/16, 9/1 – 12/10); For-Hire 2 fish, 19-inch minimum with only 1 fish >28 (5/16 – 8/16, 9/1 – 12/10).
• Virginia:
  • Ocean: 1 fish, 28 - </=36 (1/1 – 3/31, 5/16 – 12/31)
  • Chesapeake Bay: 1 fish, 20 - </= 36 (5/16 – 6/15, 10/4 – 12/31)
• North Carolina: 1 fish, 28 - <35

** The RI/CT/NY regional proposal of 30 - <40 did not pass, but Rhode Island’s request for same did so there might be different regulations in Rhode Island than anywhere north of New York. This would, in essence, place an even smaller slot limit on the famed Block Island fishery for boats hailing from out of state as they'd be fishing on a 30 - <35 slot. See below for the time/place of Rhode Island’s public hearing where this will be discussed.

[SouthernUlster]

I’m a firm believer in taking quick pics and thoroughly reviving and releasing the big girls, but no matter how careful you are that doesn’t always work. It would be heart breaking to have to watch a 16 year old fish float away dead.

[TeeTime]

Doc,
Completely agree. What is the rational to the new rules. Almost as if DEC is trying to turn us off from striper fishing...

[Hammer1654]

1 fish over 48 inches is ridiculous. That puts all the charter boats out of business and kills the tackle shops. This is a huge industry. After we had the moratorium so many years ago, when it finally opened up the regulations were 1 fish over 36 inches. This worked. The stock began to grow until they little at a time lowered the size until we got to 28 inches. So maybe we should just followed what seemed to work in the past, I think this will grow the stock and still keep the charter guys and bait shops in business.
I am not even sure if any of these figures are true, if these stripers are even over fished. The fisherman magazine post 2 studies of satellite tagged striped bass and both fish show data that they spent lots of time in the deep water, in the canyons. Nobody is looking over there for the fish stocks. Now that is only 2 fish. I think more of the same kind of studies need to be taken.
Also as for NJ they are allowed a bonus tag for a slot fish between 24 and 28 inches. This always blows my mind. They are all always worried about decreasing fish stocks BUT if you pay a fee it is ok to take an extra fish. This is bullshit. It is all about the money. Always about the money. They couldnt care less about the fish.

[Metmagic2k]

I've heard this same regulation from a few others this winter but wonder why
there is no reference to it on NYS DEC site or the Tidal Hudson River Regulations website at this time. Still says 18-28 or 40+ North of GW bridge.
I guess it just has not been updated yet....

[FlynFish87]

Thanks for the regs update Doc! I'm hoping there will be more satellite tags deployed this year. It was really cool to see how far those two stripers roamed. They were tagged leaving the Hudson; it'd be interesting to tag a fish on the way up and get data on it's freshwater travels as well! Already watching water temps trying to guess the best week to schedule my vacation...

[Doc Z]

Originally Posted by Hammer1654

1 fish over 48 inches is ridiculous. That puts all the charter boats out of business and kills the tackle shops. This is a huge industry. After we had the moratorium so many years ago, when it finally opened up the regulations were 1 fish over 36 inches. This worked. The stock began to grow until they little at a time lowered the size until we got to 28 inches. So maybe we should just followed what seemed to work in the past, I think this will grow the stock and still keep the charter guys and bait shops in business.
I am not even sure if any of these figures are true, if these stripers are even over fished. The fisherman magazine post 2 studies of satellite tagged striped bass and both fish show data that they spent lots of time in the deep water, in the canyons. Nobody is looking over there for the fish stocks. Now that is only 2 fish. I think more of the same kind of studies need to be taken.
Also as for NJ they are allowed a bonus tag for a slot fish between 24 and 28 inches. This always blows my mind. They are all always worried about decreasing fish stocks BUT if you pay a fee it is ok to take an extra fish. This is bullshit. It is all about the money. Always about the money. They couldnt care less about the fish.

I dont know where you fish but all the charter guys I know in the ocean regularly catch fish over 45-48".....that would do far more for conservation and helping the stock grow....and allow anglers to still go for a record.....the only other option I see is making them a sport fish for closing the season....BUT...I agree...I do not think there is as big an issue as they claim....Striper rarely swim alone so you can bet there was a substantial school with the 2 that were satellite tagged and ended up in the canyons.....my only point with a larger slot is that people will STILL fish and catch those larger fish which are much harder to revive and more likely to die whereas the smaller ones easily go back....so I doubt these new regs will do much at all except in the Hudson.

[Doc Z]

Final regs to take effect:

Maine: 1 fish, 28 - <35 inches.
New Hampshire: 1 fish, 28 - <35 inches.
Massachusetts: 1 fish, 28 - <35 inches.
Rhode Island: 1 fish, 28 - <35 inches.
Connecticut: 1 fish, 28 - <35 inches.

New York:
Ocean & Hudson River below George Washington Bridge: 1 fish, 28 - 35 inches from 4/15 - 12/15.
Hudson River above the George Washington Bridge: 1 fish, 18 - 28 inches from 4/1-11/30.

New Jersey: 1 fish, 28 - <38 inches.
Striped Bass Bonus Program: 1 fish, 24 - <28 inches with a season of 5/15 - 12/31 for tag holders, only.

Pennsylvania:
DE Estuary: 1 fish 28 - <35 inches (1/1 – 3/31, 6/1 – 12/31); 2 fish 21 - <24 inches (4/1 – 5/31).
DE River (non-tidal): 1 fish 28 - <35 inches.

Delaware:
Ocean: 1 fish, 28 - 35 inches.
Delaware Bay, River, Tributaries: 1 fish, 20 - <25 inches (7/1 – 8/31).
No harvest permitted in spawning grounds from 4/1-5/31

Maryland:
Ocean: 1 fish, 28 - <35 inches.
Chesapeake Bay: 1 fish, 35-inch minimum (5/1 – 5/15); Shore/Private Boat 1 fish, 19-inch minimum (5/16 – 8/16, 9/1 – 12/10); For-Hire 2 fish, 19-inch minimum with only 1 fish >28 inches (5/16 – 8/16, 9/1 – 12/10).

Virginia:
Ocean: 1 fish, 28 - </=36 inches (1/1 – 3/31, 5/16 – 12/31).
Chesapeake Bay: 1 fish, 20 - </= 36 inches (5/16 – 6/15, 10/4 – 12/31).

North Carolina: 1 fish, 28 - <35 inches.

[freddiethej]

I think the point is to catch them not kill them. So I don't keep any except maybe one in the slot if its obviously going to die. As far as the charters go, the customers are going to have to realize that its a C&R fishery, like many trout waters. Its the thrill of hooking a 20+ lb. fish that you are paying for, not a freezer full of bland pcb laced white fish.

[bigboreblr]

Any changes in herring regulations?

Far as the bass population. I believe their main food supply is to blame. I think these fish are finding other bait fish than our herring elsewhere after the spawn. Between fish oil boats and coastal dredging damaging clam beds, they're going farther out.

I've heard a few folks in cape cod that stripers have been caught eating small squid.

I'm nice and conservative with the bait I catch and use in the Creeks as most of us are. Big Fishing nets are just hammering the herring.

[Doc Z]

I do not buy into the faulty data that the biomass is down...I believe these migratory fish are just moving following the bait to different areas. Most of the data is gathered along the shorelines and rivers which does not represent the whole stock....now that we have satellite tracking of these fish leaving the Hudson and going 100 miles off shore to the Canyons we should re-evaluate this. Last year fishing in the same spot as the last 10 years I tripled my catch......surely if the biomass were down this would not happen.

What I did notice last year was WAY more smaller sub 40" fish out at Block Island where prior to last year every fish was big.....last year I saw schools of 15-30" fish which I have never seen out there...this means they are moving.

[Doc Z]

Just an FYI....regs are up on the website and updated.



https://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/7894.html