GoFISHn Striped Bass Fishery Survey Results: Not Good
OutdoorHub 02.15.12
A few weeks ago, GoFISHn (www.gofishn.com) launched a very informal survey to ask the Atlantic striped bass anglers among our nearly 200,000 Facebook fans and GoFISHn audience for their opinion of the striped bass fishery.
We got 199 responses and a good distribution of anglers from Maine to South Carolina, and a mix of occasional many anglers who caught a few fish to more than 40 percent who caught 20 or more bass.
Here are the highlights:
Of all anglers, 66 percent said they believe the striped bass fishery is in decline.
But there were significant differences by state. Only 56 percent of anglers in New Jersey see the decline and 62 percent in Delaware, whereas the northern states feel the pinch much more: Maine 82 percent, New Hampshire 77 percent, Massachusetts 72 percent, Rhode Island 83 percent and Connecticut 74 percent. New York comes in close to the average at 67 percent.
When it comes to the number of fish and fish size:
- 51 percent say there are fewer fish.
- 38 percent say there are smaller fish.
- 25 percent said there are bigger fish and 13 percent say there are more fish.
- 6 percent say there is no change.
(Respondents could choose more than one.)
As far as what’s causing this decline, 83 percent say commercial overfishing is the main problem, though 37 percent cite a decline in forage and 34 percent believe the problem is water pollution. (Respondents could choose more than one.)
To solve the problem, 85 percent want to see reduced commercial catch limits, and 26 percent support making the striped bass a game fish. (Respondents could choose more than one.)
To read more details, check out the post on GoFISHn.com (http://www.gofishn.com/ned/reports/16568-gofishn-striped-bass-fishery-survey-results).
