2025 Hudson River Striped Bass was poor

[Roccus7]

For the 3rd year in a row, the Hudson River YOY abundance was below the 25th which tripped the ASMFC Amendment 7 Low Recruitment trigger!! And for those of you who are "graphically challenged" this is the 1st time on record that there have been 3 consecutive YOY classes below the 25% so yeah, it is a big deal!!

What they'll do is debatable, but I'd love for them to have New York SHUT DOWN ALL FISHING in the Hudson during the spawn!! The fact that NY is the only state that allows fishing in the spawning area during the spawn these days is unfathomable.

Now all states that do YOY abundance screenings are in Low Recruitment shithole, VA, MD, and NJ and nobody has a solid reason for the crash, so let's keep arguing about silly-short term items like whether or not the 9% mortality rate for recretional release is too high, whether or not the For Hire fleet should be allowed to keep an extra fish, what should the slot be etc., because:
NONE OF THESE THINGS WILL HELP THE IMPENDING CRASH OF STRIPED BASS!!!
But go ahead, keep harping on these futile issues and ignore the fact that the whole fishery is going down the crapper in a few years, and even IF we get excellent few spawns in the next couple of years, some of us "elders" probably won't live see to see that rebound.

 

[captmike28]

For the 3rd year in a row, the Hudson River YOY abundance was below the 25th which tripped the ASMFC Amendment 7 Low Recruitment trigger!! And for those of you who are "graphically challenged" this is the 1st time on record that there have been 3 consecutive YOY classes below the 25% so yeah, it is a big deal!!

What they'll do is debatable, but I'd love for them to have New York SHUT DOWN ALL FISHING in the Hudson during the spawn!! The fact that NY is the only state that allows fishing in the spawning area during the spawn these days is unfathomable.

Now all states that do YOY abundance screenings are in Low Recruitment shithole, VA, MD, and NJ and nobody has a solid reason for the crash, so let's keep arguing about silly-short term items like whether or not the 9% mortality rate for recretional release is too high, whether or not the For Hire fleet should be allowed to keep an extra fish, what should the slot be etc., because:
NONE OF THESE THINGS WILL HELP THE IMPENDING CRASH OF STRIPED BASS!!!
But go ahead, keep harping on these futile issues and ignore the fact that the whole fishery is going down the crapper in a few years, and even IF we get excellent few spawns in the next couple of years, some of us "elders" probably won't live see to see that rebound.

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I do agree with you, Roccus, that fishing for a fish during its spawning period in their spawning area is suicidal and something needs to be done on a more targeted basis.

Overall, I am still suspicious of most of the data presented to us as we know that many of the collection methods are severely flawed. Like sampling in the same areas year after year while we know that fish and their forage do move around. A more thorough sampling over a larger area would at least give me more confidence in the accuracy of the numbers.

I am also concerned about the ability of any good statistician being able to manipulate numbers to make things appear one way or another. I am not accusing you of doing this, Roccus. But if I look at the big picture of the twenty years shown on this study there are plenty of years where the average and trends look to be fairly healthy. I also see no more than one year at a time where the stocks are low, followed by a few good years. We may be on the low side over the last three years in this graph but at least it is trending upwards again.

Am I just an eternal optimist or "graphically challenged"?

 

[OVERBORED]

I believe Mike's assertions are spot on!

Most other species have changed their habits but the Striped Bass still breeds in the same areas it did for the last 100years? Sorry. I think fish are more instinctive than to lay eggs where they'll die. And when it comes to data collection,you gotta do better than a 100' seine being dragged around by 2 non-fishermen.

I do agree that the spring spawn North of the GW needs to be protected as well as the Raritan Bay area where alot of those big females start feeding in spring.