Striper Slot Status Survey - The Fisherman

Striper Slot Status Survey

Hopefully by now you’re well-aware of the new regulations for striped bass which went into effect this spring. In short, every state from Maine to New York has a 1-fish bag limit and a harvestable slot range from 28 to less-than 35 inches, and most states south of there have the same or similar regulations. This means that all striped bass measuring less than 28 inches, as well as any that are equal to or greater than 35 inches must be released as quickly as possible. I’ve already written about how surprised I’ve been as to how many people claim ignorance when confronted with a harvested fish outside of the slot range, but I’m not planning to rehash that issue today.

Instead, as we are right around the halfway point of the season here in Southern New England, I’d like to know how the slot has affected your season so far by way of a rather informal survey. I feel it is WAY too early to see any positive or negative results from the new regulation just yet; that won’t be felt, positive or negative, for several years at least. But what I am looking to find out is how it has changed your fishing effort. I asked this of my YouTube followers, and will probably post it online if it hasn’t already been done so by the time you read this. Once I compile some of the responses, I plan to put this into an editorial either in August or September, depending on how many responses I receive. I will also likely do a follow-up come winter to see if your responses change much as the season wraps up.

So please take a look at the following questions and email me your responses at tlapinski@thefisherman.com. If you’d like for me to keep your responses anonymous and not quote your reply in the editorial, feel free to simply say so in the email and I will honor the request. And please keep your responses purely related to how the slot has influenced the questions, not other factors such as the state of the fishery, etc.

 

  1. Are you aware that new recreational fishing regulations have been implemented for striped bass in 2020?
    1. If so, how/where did you find out about them?
  2. In which state do you primarily fish?
    1. Has this changed because of the slot?
  3. Do you primarily fish from shore, private boat, charter boat or kayak?
    1. Has this changed because of the slot?
  4. Has your effort for striped bass (number of days/hours spent pursuing them) changed because of the slot?
    1. If so, how?
  5. Are you targeting other species instead of, or in addition to, striped bass due to the slot?
    1. If so, which ones?
  6. Has the amount of money you spend fishing for striped bass (spent on tackle, travel, related food, etc.) changed due to the slot?
    1. If so, how?
  7. Have you found yourself harvesting more, less or the same amount of striped bass as under the previous regulations?
  8. And finally, is there anything not addressed above that you’d like to say regarding the slot?

 

Again, please shoot me your response to tlapinski@thefisherman.com and we’ll see how this turns out. Thanks in advance!

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