Changes to Striped Bass Regulations
The other night, I was scrolling through the Fly Lords Mag website, I was looking for a little late night hype for the following days fishing trip when I noticed a recent article titled, “NOAA Threatens to Weaken Striped Bass Regulations”. As some of you may know, I was born and raised in Rhode Island. If there is one notable fishery in RI, it would definitely have to be Striper. Striper fishing in Rhode Island is phenomenal to say the least. Starting in the early spring with the worm hatch, great striper fishing continues through the Summer and ends in the Autumn with an often epic fall run. Striped Bass are an incredible sport fish and keep the guides and headboats in full swing for a solid chunk of the year. Populations of striped bass in Rhode Island and the surrounding waters have been healthy over the past decade as they recovered from devastating conditions in the 80’s. Part of the reason their rebound has been successful is the regulations put in place by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission and NOAA. Under these regulations, fishing for Striped Bass is not allowed in the federal waters, otherwise known as the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). However, NOAA is now considering opening up these waters around Block Island, a small island of the coast of Rhode Island (not an island), to Striper fishing.
At the moment, the Rhode Island Striper fishery is great. It is under no direct attack, but these proposed threats raise a question. Why open these waters to fishing? Especially when they have been managed so well. This question has got a lot of anglers around the North East a little nervous. The waters off of Block Island are home to a lot of Striper and large ones at that. These fish are extremely vital to the growth and success of the fishery and need to be managed with the utmost concern and respect. If you are a north east fishermen, an avid Striped Bass angler, or just someone who doesn’t want to see a great fishery mismanaged, I strongly urge you to head over to the NOAA Regulation Comment Portal and leave them a comment voicing your concern for the fishery. In the Fly Lords article, there is a message you can easily copy and past written by Kyle Schafer. Please take a second to take action and help conserve a great fishery and if you happen to find yourself in Rhode Island, hit up @riplinecharters. Captain Zach will put you on some Stripers that will make you think twice about this fishery. Thanks for your support and to Fly Lords for helping to get the message out there. Cheers.
-Mike