Fishing Report: Loosening striped bass rules would be a mistake

It is illegal to fish for striped bass outside the 3-mile limit in federal waters in the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) along our coastal shores, including outside the 3-mile limit around Block Island.

NOAA Fisheries is exploring opening up the EEZ around Block Island, however, and has introduced an Advanced Notice of Proposed Rule Making (ANPRM) for public comment to allow striped bass fishing in the Block Island Transit Zone. The rule was posted in the Federal Register with a written comment period that ends Nov. 19. Anglers need to comment on this important rule.

NOAA is considering opening up the EEZ because charter and party boats from New York have put pressure on government officials through U.S. Rep. Lee Zeldin, R-N.Y., who has proposed legislation over the years to open the EEZ at Block Island to striped bass fishing. The initiative is being considered without research on what impact opening up these 150 square miles will have on large striped bass (many in the 30-, 40- and 50-pound range with great spawning potential) that are caught there and the fishery in general.

Many have said it is too hard to do research on these fish. Massachusetts, however, has found a way to do striped bass research in federal and state waters along their coast. Two studies explored striped bass movement from the EEZ off Massachusetts (at Stellwagen Bank) to Massachusetts state waters.

Both striped bass studies were done by researcher Jeff Kneebone of UMass-Dartmouth, the New England Aquarium and the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries. As the studies note, within 30 days, 55 percent of the fish tagged in federal water moved into Massachusetts waters. In one year, 95 percent of the fish were in state waters and in two years, 96 percent of the striped bass tagged in federal water moved to state waters.

The studies indicated that Massachusetts striped bass move from the EEZ to state waters, so claims from some fishermen that they were missing out on fish was not true. The studies left one to believe that if the Massachusetts EEZ were to be opened for striped bass fishing, many large fish with spawning potential would be killed, not make it to spawn again and would not make it to state waters to be caught by anglers closer to shore. The studies also tracked striped bass migration movement south to spawn and then north again.

No such studies have been done in the Block Island EEZ, so in my opinion, we need to press for this. Block Island is not Stellwagen Bank and migration patterns are different. But if a study can be done like this in Massachusetts, one can be modeled in Rhode Island.

I question the wisdom of opening fishing in the EEZ around Block Island without research. We don"t know if it would kill a lot of large fish with spawning potential who might not live to spawn again or travel to Rhode Island state waters.

The fish in the water belong to all the people in Rhode Island and all the people in the United States — not just a few Connecticut, New York, New Jersey or Rhode Island boats fishing in the EEZ illegally today, or legally tomorrow, if the rule is approved. We need to enforce the law now, arrest and prosecute those that break the law. And find out what opening the EEZ will do to large spawning fish before we open it.

Submit comments electronically to NOAA at regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=NOAA-NMFS-2018-0106, click the “Comment Now!” icon, complete the required fields and enter or attach your comments. Comments may also be sent by fax to (301) 713-1193, or mail comments to Kelly Denit, Division Chief, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, 1315 East-West Highway, SSMC3, Silver Spring, MD 20910.

Where’s the bite?

Tautog fishing remained strong for those who made it out in windy and rough conditions this week and over the weekend. Anglers are catching their limit at rock piles and on ledges off Newport, Point Judith and off Narragansett Pier. Ken Ferrara of Ray’s Bait & Tackle in Warwick reported: “The tautog bite is very good in the Bay, with nice keepers being taken at the Coddington Cove jetty, Hope Island and around the bridges.” Dave Henault of Ocean State Tackle in Providence said: “Tautog fishing paid off for those that got out in high winds and bad weather. Nice plump keepers have been taken at Conimicut Light, at Bold Point and at Pier Five, Narragansett.”

Striped bass, bluefish and false albacore fishing has been very good. In Mount Hope and Narragansett bays, bluefish with striped bass under them have been surfacing. “Angler Jim Gilbane was able to hook up with striped bass in the 21- to 25-inch range fishing under blue fish in Mount Hope Bay Sunday when fishing with his son," Henault said. "We also have some large gator bluefish in the Providence River basin and in front of the Hurricane Barrier in Providence.”

Cape Cod Canal. “I plugged the east end this morning," Ed Doherty of Mattapoisett said Monday. "Only school bass taken by a few guys until I fooled a 30-inch with my trusty, soft-plastic, white, 5-ounce Bill Hurley paddle tail lure. It was a beautiful healthy fish. As soon as I released him, he headed west for South Carolina and is probably spending tonight in the waters off of the Ocean State."

-- Capt. Dave Monti has been fishing and shellfishing for more than 40 years. He holds a captain’s master license and a charter fishing license. He is a RISAA board member, a member of the R.I. Party & Charter Boat Association and a member of the R.I. Marine Fisheries Council. Contact or forward fishing news and photos to Captain Dave at dmontifish@verizon.net or visit his website at www.noflukefishing.com.

Source: http://www.providencejournal.com/sports/20181029/fishing-report-loosening-striped-bass-rules-would-be-mistake