No limit in summer?

[medicineman]

Am I correct in saying that almost all stripers caught at this time of the year will die even if they are released? That is what I have been led to believe. A friend of mine told me today that a friend of his went out with a guy this morning and they caught 20 fish and only kept three. So if the other 17 are going to die why don’t we just take the limit off completely in the summer months? Maybe if clients saw 17 dead fish in the boat it might sink in that maybe they don’t need to catch so many in the hot summer months. I wonder how many people think that the fish they are releasing will survive?

[johnr]

They’re probably dead.

If we could get some enforcement on deliberate catch and release during summer, then folks might get the picture.

Until then, that status quo you mention will remain.

Where were they catching them and what were they using? 🙃





By the way, I get that there’s nothing in the regs prohibiting catch and release during summer. However, ALL folks associated with this management in the DGIF know good and well it’s unethical. Would they recommend we shoot arrows into game, and only keep the ones we see die? Kinda what they’re allowing on the water.

And folks could argue the same prohibition could be applied to all fish. The difference I see is that there is hard data supporting the high summer mortality rate for stripers. If the data shows likewise for other species, close them during summer too. The pressure now ain’t what it was 10-15 years ago. Much higher now…

[31Airborne]

What about stopping fishing after you catch your limit? If the limit is three why would you fish beyond that? ~Zero mortality that way. Just sayin' . . .

[johnr]

Less Insta cred if you only post pics of 3 fish…..who goes fishing and only catches 3?

[medicineman]

I have the name of the guide. Would rather not post it online. Should I report it to DGIF or is there some other way to put a little pressure on this guy ? I understand completely that a person paying $$$ to go fishing doesn’t want to stop at 2 or 3 fish. And I know guides are trying to make a living. But dammit there is no excuse for killing that many fish all summer long.

[mwardncsu]

Some lakes have a hard rule on it and fines are passed out. It can be fine and just takes enforcement.

Some guides elsewhere do cut the trip short when a limit is reached. I do think a “no summer limit” is the answer as heaven help us on the pounding that would happened then. Perhaps a summer limit if 3/person would help… Idk - I get the issue of paying clients but they should be educated on what the situation is. I bet many would understand

[johnr]

The dgif knows. Tough position to be in. This is folks’ (guides) livelihoods we’re talking about. Who wants to pay several hundred bucks to get up at 4am and catch 2 fish by 7am, then go home? Not really a lot of bang for your buck there. I’m sure they do all they can to respect the resource, because they depend on it, but they’re also being paid to put fish in the boat and show clients a good time.

Like I said, it’s a tough position to be in for all parties. At the end of the day, DGIF believes the resource can handle it, or else they’d regulate it in such a way that summer catch and release was illegal.

The great thing about America is that we’re granted great personal freedom to make these types of gray area decisions for ourselves. And that requires a good bit of responsibility to be sustainable. Either it’ll balance or it won’t.

[medicineman]

What is the latest number of fingerlings being released each year? I know the survival rate is extremely low- is there any room to increase the numbers ? Even if the survival rate is 1%, an extra 100,000 released means an extra 1000 fish.

[ncsportfisher]

I see both sides of it, I personally don’t target Striper during the summer because I understand their mortality rate.. the issue that we have is this is a put and take fishery, while I may not agree with that it is what it is since they do not reproduce.

As John said, if the DWR allows it and they plan on the amount of fish kept/landed I would assume they’re planning on it when they release fry.

There are also more guides out there today than there ever has been, just in my 10 years of fishing the lake I bet it has doubled, there are also many guides who have the same thoughts as everyone else and catch their limit on a day and move into something else. This is not a direct to comment about guides or a bash to them!

There are also individuals who do the same and catch 20 fish and let them go, not knowing they more than likely killed the fish. There is a ton of tourism at SML during the summer.

[medicineman]

Time will tell if the fishery can take the pressure.

[herringbone]

I thought this thread would take off, might still. So many variances of what could/should happen here, but no one in the wrong. I’m def on the side of conservation, but can’t argue with the person making a living this way either, given there’s “not a law”, just common courtesy and the thought of the fishery’s future, which is also decided by the Wildlife, to an extent. I’ve read enough about catching stripers in the summer to not target them period. It would be an awful feeling to have caught my limit of small fish, then catch a 39” pig and have to release it knowing it would not be make it. Just my thoughts, I know there were small communities of groups that were putting up signs at ramps to promote the catch your limit and change to a different target. It would be an effort at least to help get those pigs back in there. K, I’m done.

[medicineman]

I never saw an answer to my question of how many fingerlings were released each of the past few years and what the expected survival rate was. Seems like we will need to increase the numbers if the pressure has increased and we want to maintain the fishery. I would think the guides who depend on the fishery for their livelihood would be leading the discussion.

[johnr]

I think we had this population discussion a couple years ago.

Something about too many stripers, not enough bait, and stunted growth.

Typically it’s around 350k striper fry per year being stocked. If I’m remembering my wildlife bio classes correctly, a good recruitment would see 10% of those fish reach a “mature” size, so around 15-18”. If you assume a 10% per year natural mortality rate, you can get an idea for how many “large” fish are left per year class. Large meaning anything over ~24” in my mind.

Don’t forget to consider bait stocks and other gamefish competition.

[jb4sml]

I am on all sides just an observation I have not seen any dead stripers on the surface this year. If guides are catching 30 plus per day where are the dead fish they should be on the surface somewhere. That being said we need to make sure our lake is protected but how? I am sure there are those that Captain this Ship are part of this thread...

[johnr]

I think the widely accepted mortality studies show a large number of the dead stripers actually sink

If every dead fish floated the lake would be covered in them. Fish die every day.