These are unprecedented times. We have some of the best striper fishing ever for large fish (over 28 inches). I never remember a period in time where it has been better than this. And, with this abundance of large fish, they are being caught and taken out in record numbers by recreational fishermen.
But, there are problems coming. The striper population is top heavy. Nearly all of the fish are over 25 inches. While I've landed (and released) thousands so far this year, I can't tell you the last time I caught a striper under 20 inches. Maybe back in May. There are just no small ones around. All you have to do is take a look at that Young of the Year Index from Chesapeake Bay to realize that we have a problem. This barometer of striper spawning shows a dismal year for 2022. In fact, this is the 4th dismal year in a row. There are few small ones coming along in the population, and that spells trouble for the future.
The situation we see today is similar to the good ole days before the crash in the 1980's that led to the moratorium. But, today's situation is a bit more complicated. There are far more recreational fishermen today than back in the 1980's. The outstanding fishing has brought out masses of new striper fishermen. Even guys with little or no experience can easily catch slot stripers these days. Heck, there were so many stripers one week in a spot that I fish that fishermen were snagging them on a daily basis. As the DEM would say, "legal but not ethical". Many recreational fishermen are also keeping as many as they are allowed to keep. Good fishermen have no problem getting a keeper every time out. I know fishermen who are taking their 7 slots a week (a fish are day times 7). Yes, legal, but why not let a few go for the sake of the fishery? So, record numbers of slots are being caught and taken out of the population. How long can this go on?
Add to that, poaching is at epidemic levels here in RI. On just about every outing, I see this devious stuff going on. I've seen fishermen hiding multiple fish in the rocks. Still, others use runners to bring fish back to hide in the trunk of their cars as they continue to catch more. Some boaters will fillet their illegal catch while out on the water. The latest tactic that's come up in the last week is anglers keeper over slot fish. When confronted they will get very defensive, and tell you it's their right to keep whatever they want, and you should mind your own business. DEM has made a few well publicized busts in recent weeks, but they will catch only a small fraction of the law breakers.
So, when you add up the recreational catch and the poaching catch (which I believe is almost as high as the legal catch) you can easily see that we are heading for trouble down the road. The fishery just can not sustain this pressure with no small ones in the pipeline to take the place of the larger fish being taken out of the population in record numbers.
