striper hunting in the north east

[moshup]

i am a new member to this site and would love any information on who to contact concerning fishing regulations in massachusetts. i have spoken with members of the division of marine fisheries several times but made no or little progress. specifically, i have been trying to get lawmakers in massachusetts to consider the idea of allowing people in state waters to spear striped bass. rhode island has allowed the spearing of bass for many years. i have watched the species come back from the brink and people seem to be very hesitant to allow the spearing of this fish. our waters seem to be over run with stripers. on any given dive i usually encounter 100 + bass to every 1 tautog. why is this fish stiill coveted by the hook and line guys. i know that a lot has to do with the economy and tourist/sportfishing dollars. a person off the street can purchase a commercial license that allows one to harvest up to 30 fish a day for an initial fee of $65. recreational fisherman are allowed two fish a day above 32 inches. the lawmakers seem to be so hung up on the size issue that they wont even look at spearing as an option. the argument is that spearfisherman cant measure a fish before he/she shoots. again, it is really frustrating to encounter such a prolific species on every dive and to know that this species is reserved for the rod and reel guys. why not allow one of the most selective forms of fishing? we all know the mortality rates of released fish caught by hook and line. does any one have any advice for me in how to start a dialogue with lawmakers? has anybody experienced any luck with different species in different states? happy hunting to all!

[BatRay]

That's a very good argument. I wish that good arguments won the debate, but there are so many other factors that logic often gets lost in the tumult.

Check out the spearo board and post in the 'regulations' forum, and you might get a bit more information from the db members. I hope you find what you're looking for

[octpora]

How goes the battle? hurry up and win so i can come north and kill something !

Welcome to deeper blue. We hope you can talk to someone smart...

[moshup]

still gathering info. of course i have not received a single reply from any of the state reps that i have emailed. apparently the owner of our local dive shop has been working towards the same goal of allowing the spearing of striped bass in state waters. i plan on teaming up with him and hopefully the state will at least hear our case. i'm sure it will be a lengthy process tangled with red tape, but we will push as hard as we can. as ive said before, we do not have many "spearable" fish in these waters to begin with. stripers are a perfect fish, very curious but can be a challenge to spear as well. last summer i encountered a school of 5 or 6 monsters - 50 pound plus fish. we have been catching bigger fish by rod and reel each year. my buddy won the governors cup (largest bass caught in the state) last year with a fish over 60 pounds. this species is obviously thriveing up and down the east coast. thriveing so much that bass are just about putting lobsterman out of business. 7 out of every 10 fish i catch with rod and reel end up having lobsters in ther stomachs. my point is that our waters are basically infested with this fish because lawmakers are so proud of their successful management of this species that they cant allow for any change in the law. they are still acting as though this species is on the brink. it is time to loosen regulations, to allow the taking of smaller fish, enact slot limits and raise bag limits. commercial fishing is what kills off a species, not recreational fishing in any form. we would be hard pressed to decimate any species with a rod and reel not to mention a spear.