Shocking Striped Bass Bycatch Video

[backman]

This was north of the BB Buoy at a spot called the Regal Sword in Yankee Land where the bluefin used to roam. You southerners might have heard of it before Morehead City became a bluefin destination. We used to have dinosaurs up here.

I started fishing the BB in 96 and have seen the same sight myself at least 6-8 times since then. Dead and dying striped bass as far as you can see between the Great South Channel and Nantucket Shoals.

The BB and Sword lie in 250+' of water in the middle of the Great South Channel about 5-10 miles east of Nantucket shoals.

I trust the guy who did the video -in addition one of my regular crew was out that day (ex driver for the Scratcher if you know who that was) and reported the same thing. I trust him even more than Chum.

What you are seeing is dying 20 pouut for nd striped bass in windrows 1/2 to 1 mile long in 100+' of water. Chum can give you the exact depth; I'll bet a nickel its between 140 and 180'.

We have 4 things going here:

1. offshore striped bass, 30 miles from land and ranging past 300' deep water. I have trolled 30 pound bass and jigged ones "only" 20 pounds in 300' of water - no shit. The bass and tuna this time of year are near the bottom till slack tide; we have 3 knot currents here; at slack they move up - pound the sandeels - but for the most part they stay deep.

2. Pair trawlers - I assume you southern boys know about them - they move into the area this time of year and sweep along in deeper water. What they kill - who knows because they just keep going and going and going miles and miles and miles.

3. Gill netters - I assume they are looking for cod, but they seem to set up in and inside the tuna grounds, 250' all the way into 100'. I troll their haul if they are on the tuna grounds; seen dead and dying bottom fish, often floating dogfish around them.

4. Draggers - I always have seen and assumed the draggers in this area are scalloping; no clue, but they too work the 200' depths.

My experience from when I have seen them is exactly what the last guy said (gottafly??) - these fish are either dragged or netted off the bottom 200'+ down; hauled up, bloated and can't get down. I have watched them pitifully finning the surface on their back; alive, but unable to dive due to an inflated bladder. If I come on them again I will try the Florida grouper trick of needling the swim bladder to pop it and let them get down - my guess is knowing the hardiness of stripers in 60 degree water I'll get a faceful of water and a tail going straight down.

Deny it all you want; but us Yankee's know the drill; whether its pairs, draggers or gill netters; a lot of trophy stripers die each fall in the Great Sound Channel courtesy of commercial net fisherman.

Larry

[livetofishnj]

Thanks backman, that is what it looked like to me. Fish that have come up too fast and have become bloated due to the change in pressure. I actually have a really cool tool that I was given at ICAST for deflating fish, I just haven't had a chance to try it yet.

So..... back to my original point, how do we fix/prevent this...

It's the point I'm getting at. I've brought in fish that came up from the deep too fast and had bloated swim bladders. Using a deflation tool I can get them to where they can survive and have a healthy release. I can also prevent it by just reeling it up slower and letting the fish equalize on the way up.

So I ask, would it make sense that the guys would be required to do their best to ensure that discards don't die if at all possible? Whether it's using a venting tool on fish released from sets in deep water, or if that's too much, just bringing the set up more slowly?

Dead floaters are one thing, but most of those stripers look like they could have survived if they were handled in a different manner.

[scotishfisherman]

I sure wish the boat had been video taped committing this act. Without knowing or seeing the alleged bad guy it's just a shame. Perhaps you folks that fish the area can keep your cameras at the ready. This all said I sorry to say speculation is not a wise way to place blame. And if Obama is elected it won't matter we will all be tied up and "socialized".

[scotishfisherman]

Tried to defalte air bladders in pot caught Sea Bass to save them for a "Live" market it's really a no go situation and failed to save fish handled with the best of care let alone tossed back overboard which is a certain 99.9% fatal venture.

[Ebbs]

i think it was those damn gill netters

I agree. Can I get some bunker for Saturday my friend???
If your not fishing you should come out with us.

[livetofishnj]

Just to be clear, I'm not trying to put blame on anyone. It's frankly unimportant. I really do mean to ask how it could be prevented so that the resource isn't wasted, maybe have somebody throw out an off the wall idea. Having tape of the boat doing it would surely not change that though it might clear up on some of the debate.

[gottaflylee]

i think it was those damn gill netters

BB not sure what you are trying to say here, but with out knowing waht the cause was, kinda like blaming it on the flounder gigers.

laxkeeper29, I have seen similar thing happen here and I feel it comes from the turbulence of the props or the blade on the newer ferry's...

backman, good post. It would be nice to see if it was the air bladders that are causeing this. I hope if you see this again that you will try to belly "pop" the bladder of one and see if it can go down...

[Bunker Bouy]

gottaflylee........ that was a joke, just messin with a friend of mine who just so happens to be a gillnetter. i wasnt pointing fingers

[Bunker Bouy]

sorry ebbs i havent been on latley. i think that were just about done w the bunker, were gona be switchin over for scallops soon. those strippers are here we just gota get a break from this wind.