Posted by Jackson Chapman The striped bass is everyman’s trophy fish. It is the only large sport fish accessible to virtually all Californians regardless of their income level. It does not matter whether they have a new boat with all the most modern electronics, a simple skiff or is shore bound. It does not matter if they fish the rivers, the bay, the ocean or the surf. It is the only fish that gives the average angler a chance to catch and mount a 40, 50 or even 60-pound monster, his once in a lifetime fish. Even if he never does land such a fish it is his only opportunity to do so and it is this possibility that keeps him coming back time and time again. This mystique has made the striped bass the most sought after game fish in California. Remove the possibility and you remove the mystique and reduce the striped bass to just another fish to be admired from afar by those enamored with the ascetics of fishing. In 1879, just 10 years after the last spike was driven in the transcontinental railroad, 162 striped bass were shipped from the Navesink River in New Jersey by railroad to California. Twenty-five of the bass died en-route and several more were thrown away. The remaining fish, all 132, were dumped into the Carquinez Strait at Martinez. Three years later another 300 fish were brought from the Shrewsbury River and released at Army Point in lower Susin Bay, 3 miles above Martinez. Multiplying with incredible speed striped bass became so plentiful that within 10 years commercial fisherman began netting and selling them. After 20 years the commercial catch was over a million pounds and 1915 it was over one and three quarter million pounds. One historical account reports that a 17-pounder was caught in Monterey Bay 4 years after the original planting and that a 45 pounder was sold in the San Francisco Fish Market 10 years after the planting. Transplanting the San Francisco striped bass to other Pacific locations has been tried; Humboldt Bay (1899), Santa Ana River in Orange County (1903), San Diego River (1916), Morro Bay in San Luis County (1919) and Honolulu Hawaii (1919). All these plantings failed to take. Only the San Francisco Bay and Delta in California and Coos Bay in Oregon meet the necessary requirements to maintain striped bass colonies. By the way no plantings were made in Coos Bay. Yet enough San Francisco fish found their way there and settled there to create a commercial fishery by 1922. The first limit on sports fishing for striped bass in California was established in 1915, permitting each angler, during the months when commercial netting was closed, a daily catch of 5 fish at least 12 inches in length. During the commercial netting season the sports angler was permitted to take 5 stripers daily between 12 and 20 inches, establishing the first striper slot size, and any number over 20 inches in length (the minimum commercial netting size). In 1935 the sports catch and possession limit was made five fish per man all year round. A weight limit was established in 1949, that did not change the minimum size or five fish limit but added a prohibition against keeping bass in excess of the formula of “25 pounds and 1 fish. In other words if 4 6-pounders and a 50-pounder were caught in that order they would be within the weight limit; but a 12-pounder, a 13-pounder and 2-pounder, caught in that order would be weight limit of only 3 fish. There was also a proviso that regardless of weight an angler could keep at least 2 fish. There have been many many changes since then in the striped bass regulations all the way to the present 2 fish 18-inch minimum size. By the way in Oregon there was no limit on sportsman catch until 1942 when a catch and possession limit of 10 fish per day was established. The limit was removed the following year but was re-established at 15 fish in 1947 and was reduced to 5 fish in 1950. Have these restrictions, limits and regulation of the recreational angler had any real impact on the striped bass fishery? No. Are any similar or further regulations of the recreational striped bass fisherman likely to have any real impact on the fishery? No. The greatest enemy to striped bass is undoubtedly the diversion of water for irrigation through the various water projects. The projects pump water and fish from dead center of the greatest bass spawning and nursery ground in California. The pumping plants, at full capacity suck as much water as the Sacramento River carries some seasons. Until the water projects started running the rivers backward the greatest threats to the striped bass fishery were dredging (mudding the water and covering feeding grounds with silt), irrigation ditches where thousands of fish, including carp and catfish as well as stripers, die each summer when they dry up. Pollution, both human and industrial, poisoning the fish and absorbing the oxygen from the water kill thousand of fish every year. Pollutions worst effect though is the destruction of the food supply off which the striped bass live. Poaching still remains a significant factor in the striped bass fishery. Thousands of fish are illegally caught and sold each year. When poachers are caught they generally receive a small fine and sent on their way. Most poachers just consider this part of their normal business expense. Am I opposed to the current limit and possession regulations? No. But this fishery and the recreational fisherman do not need more and increasingly restrictive regulations (and usually expensive) placed upon them. What they need is for the state to address the real threats to not only the striped bass fishery but also the entire San Francisco Bay and Delta fishery. If they do this striped bass, salmon, steelhead, shad, sturgeon and all the great game fish that comprise the bay and delta fishery will thrive.
on 8/10/2006, 9:51 pm
24.10.56.128
Everyman’s Trophy Fish
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