Striped Bass Public Hearing Old Saybrook, 2025
Last night the ASFMC held a public hearing in Old Saybrook on proposed regulation changes for 2026. The meeting kicked off at 6PM. Packed house, standing room only. I’d venture there were about 60 people in attendance. By the way, the man in the foreground with his hand up is legendary surfcaster Pat Abate. The first hour was a complete run down on the options being offered by the board. If you have been following this subject you know there is a good deal of complexity to these proposals. Many of which are likely unenforceable. The second hour was reserved for Q&A.
In Chesapeake Bay, there has been no meaningful striped bass reproduction success in 6 years. And 3 more years of failures in the Hudson as well. Damn! So the big bass we see right now, are all we have. Without them, there are no bass in the wings. Clearly striped bass are in dire straits, much like they were back in the early 198o’s, when all we have left was one year class…the 1982. I remember that well. But we put aside our own self-interests and united behind saving striped bass from extinction.
And we did with Amendment 3 to the plan, which had only regulation north to south – a hook-and- release moratorium. Yes, we took the medicine and together became an unstoppable f0rce. Man we were High-Fiving at the docks and up and own the beach. Can’t tell you how proud I was to be part of it. And best of all, it worked like black magic, sending the Spawning Stock Biomass soaring to over 250 million pounds. Now we must do again, close ranks, put aside our self-interests, lock arms, and demand a moratorium. Striped bass are worth it! Striped bass deserve it!
