Restrictions tightened on ‘keeper’ striped bass

The New York State Department of Conservation recently issued a new regulatory slot size for Atlantic striped bass effective immediately.

Recreational striped bass catches must now measure between 28 and 31 inches, down from the prior limit of 35 inches, in order to be harvested. All fish outside of that range must be released back into the water. The limit does not apply to commercial fishing, but private anglers, for-hire boats and charters are considered recreational and must adhere to the new slot size. The one fish per angler limit remains the same.

The new slot limit was enacted June 20 to comply with an emergency action issued by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission in May. Coastal states along the species’ migratory path, from Maine to North Carolina, were given until July 2 to enact new regulations or be found out of compliance and face closure of recreational and commercial fishing seasons. The current emergency action will last until at least Oct. 28 of this year, with the possibility of extension for two additional periods of up to one year each. 

ASFMC’s Atlantic Striped Bass Board tracks striped bass stocks and harvests and uses regulations to maintain a target population of the species, a goal that is required to be met by 2029. Adjustments are made to reduce fishing mortality when stock numbers drop and a species is deemed overfished. Striped bass have been officially designated as overfished since 2019.

Last year the ASFMC found that the recreational harvest of striped bass nearly doubled from 2021. That, coupled with consistent, well-below average yearly spawns since 2005 triggered the emergency action. The 31-inch size limit was selected specifically to protect striped bass born in 2015, one of the few banner years for spawning stripers. The idea is to improve reproductive success by allowing those fish, which should be larger than 31 inches by now, to stay in the water and breed. 

The efficacy of slot limits to rebuild fish stocks remains a debate among recreational anglers and charter captains. All parties have a stake in maintaining a healthy level of stock, but disputes persist over which methods are best to achieve it.

Conservation-minded “catch-and-release” fishermen are primarily in favor of slot limits. When a fish goes back in the water, it can spawn to produce more fish and is also available to catch again. Since all the fish they catch are released, the size of each individual catch matters less.

But anglers hoping to take a fish home for the table see the slot limit as problematic. Striped bass can be targeted using bait or lures, but a clam belly or white bucktail will attract any size fish, so anglers typically need to make multiple catches to secure a keeper, increasing the likelihood of higher mortality rates among released fish.

The DEC has other rules in place to minimize fish mortality besides the new slot size. The use of gaffs to land striped bass is now prohibited for recreational fishing in all state waters, increasing the likelihood of survival should a catch not fall within the slot and need to be released.

Fishermen using clam bellies, bunker chunks or any other bait are required to use circle hooks which are designed to reduce gut hooking, an injury a released fish is unlikely to survive. If a fish swallows the bait completely, the hook ends up in its stomach, but circle hooks slide out of the throat and snare the fish in the lip or mouth instead. 

Circle hooks require a slightly different fishing technique, however. Instead of hooking the fish as soon as the bite is felt on the line, the angler needs to wait a few seconds to allow the hook to make its way to the mouth. 

Beyond regulations, the DEC also offers best practices for catching and releasing striped bass to reduce mortality. Tips include using the correct tackle size to avoid fighting a fish to exhaustion before releasing it; crushing the barbs off hooks or using a de-hooker to minimize the time a fish is out of the water; and having a measuring device and a camera at the ready so that the catch — and the memory — can be captured quickly.

To properly release a fish, hold it horizontally by the belly and tail headfirst into the current. Gently move the fish side-to-side so that water flows through the mouth and over the gills. A revived fish will swim strongly out of your grasp — often with a splash of the tail.