As a fly fisherman and someone who loves catching striper, I am so confused by this post.  It seems to be full of rhetoric with no backing of data or even forcasts for future stock levels.  Its hard to get behind Dean Clark when articles like this seem so hollow. 

This is an “article”? Gosh, Seasteward you really do need to look beyond this short, simple notice from Stripers Forever to educate yourself on the striper issue. A starting point would be my piece in FR&R at:

http://www.stripersforever.org/Info/Stripers_BBoard/I011EB99C.0/TedWilliams%20July%202009.pdf

Huge issue, and one begging for national attention. I watched the number and size of the landed fish drop precipitously before moving form N.H.  to N.C. where another battle is brewing on the same front. Here, significant striper sightings are generally few and far between. Here is a link to a similar blog I posted about the Gamefish bill in the N.C. legislature now. The commercial industry is heavily funded and deeply in the pockets of many legislators. That the bill is even in front of the legislature is a significant step, but there is much work to do.
blog.greenfishmovement.com/2012/02/recreational-and-commercial-fishermen-speak-out-on-n-c-gamefish-bill/

<a href="http://www.malegislature.gov/Events/EventDetail?eventId=355&eventDataSource=Hearings">Next Tuesday at the Massachusetts statehouse, the resources committee</a> will hold a hearing to discuss several bills intended to ban commercial fishing for striped bass in Massachusetts. These bills are the product of a Maine based group called <a href="www.stripersforever.org">Stripers Forever</a>, who describes itself as:

<blockquote>
Stripers Forever is a not for profit corporation in the State of Maine.  We do not have 501(c)3 status and gifts to SF may not be tax deductible.  Donations may be sent via checks made out to:

        Stripers Forever
        P.O. Box 2781
        South Portland, ME  04116

Stripers Forever, a non-profit, internet-based conservation organization, seeks game fish status for wild striped bass on the Atlantic Coast in order to significantly reduce striper mortality, to provide optimum and sustainable public fishing opportunities for anglers from Maine to North Carolina, and <strong>to secure the greatest socio-economic value possible from the fishery</strong>.
</blockquote>

I emphasized the economic value for a reason, it's their sole motivation for what they are doing, contrary to what they will tell you.  They claim they have enormous support, but they don't tell you that the MSBA, the largest striper fishing group here in MA., doesn't support this effort.  Why? 

Their Ma. leader, a man named Dean Clark, tells us that he's doing this, because he wants to preserve the resource for the future.  Sounds all warm and wonderful, doesn't it?  Like saving baby seals or little turtles.

Let's look at who they claim they are preserving the bass for; the average bass fisherman, isn't some poor fella out there vying for a fish to take home to feed his kids, he's a typically better off than average white guy, who is spending enormous amounts of money pursuing that fish of a lifetime, that trophy bass, the one he'll be able to hang on the wall in his den and brag to all his buddies about.  He's not a guy who is on vacation with his family, usually he leaves them home.  Often these guys spend so much on this "hobby", that it creates problems at home with their spouses.   Bass fishing is not the sport of the people, it's the same sort of guys who go deer hunting to bag a big buck, not to get a deer to eat.  This is who SF wants to preserve the fish for.  The big tackle companies, like Penn reels, Bass Pro, Diawa, Shimano etc., etc., all need these guys money and SF wants to deliver this fisheries money right into their greedy hands.  The last ten years has seen participation in this fishery increase manifold and the tackle companies and the for hire industry are grasping for ways to keep the cash flowing, if they can ban commercial fishing then the rec guys will have the ocean all to themselves, which in turn equates to more money for them, at least that's what they think.

Since 2006, the year that SF wants to hold up as the standard by which all bass fish must be measured, was a great year for fishing, no argument here.  But, what made it so great?  To me, it's a bit of the chicken and the egg...  Granted there were a lot of fish, but there were also a lot more folks fishing, mainly because the economy was doing so well and gas was cheap. So, was the fishing really so great because there were so many fish, or because there were so many fishermen there to catch them?

Bass are a big fish at maturity, they are what the folks who fish for them call a sport fish.  But, how sporting is it really?  Humans are the only creatures on earth capable of reasoning, supposedly.  So how sporting is it to trick a dumb creature that is feeding by instinct, with our contrived offerings?  Not really.  But, we see tackle shop walls filled with pictures of folks proudly holding up their catches.  They look awfully proud of themselves, that they tricked a dumb hungry creature into eating something our human minds dreamed up.  Good job, you're smarter than a fish.

Oh, this makes me so sick, this hand-wringing and clamoring about this special fish, this sacred fish....it's a damn fish, get over it!

So, for better or worse, we'll all be up in Boston again, to debate this fisheries future. The future of some fishermen's livelihoods are at stake. SF couldn't care less, their supporters and sponsors only care that there are enough fish to keep <em>the recreational industry built on bass</em>, reeling in the dough.

Sport anglers: Please note John’s admonishment and change your ways or you will chase the devil’s herd across the endless sky.  As you have just learned from John, the “average” recreational angler “usually” ignores his family.  He’s rich, and he wastes his venison.  He wants “the ocean all to himself.”  He’s “white” (blacks  and Asians aren’t allowed).  And his sole motivation is “bragging.”  His marriage is on the rocks because of his fishing.  He doesn’t take his family on vacation, but selfishly “leaves them at home” to pursue his vile, expensive vice (playing with this food) while the hard working, recremercials slaughter and sell breeding-age female bass in order to feed their wives and kids.  Also, you must believe them when they tell you there are “plenty” of these “damn fish”?