Ed Mitchell Outdoors

ASMFC Ready to Take on Striped Bass Again.

The ASMFC Striped Bass Management Board is gearing up to take on striped bass once again. This will be Addendum 3 to Amendment 7 of the Striped Bass Management Plan.

They meet this month to propose management measures for implementation in 2026. The public gets a chance to comment on these measures around the middle of September 2025.

Buy the way, the charter boat folks have already file suit against the ASMFC, fearing whatever the Board decides, it is going to hurt their business.

After the public hearings in September, final action by the Board is expected by October of this year. The Board’s decision then to be put in place by the start of 2026, aimed at rebuilding the stock by 2029. Under the existing 2025 regulations, the 2018 year class, the largest we have left will be open to harvest in 2026 unless protected by new size limits.

With poor striper reproduction in the Bay 7 out of the last 10 years, the striped bass stock is in precarious shape. I vividly  remember what we went through back in the 1970s & 1980s to save stripers from near extinction. And while the situation is not quite as bad this time, we need to once again rally. We need to pull together and demand strong action, perhaps even a moratorium! Yes, a moratorium although it is highly unlikely a moratorium is one of the options to be presented to the public. Hopefully the Board gets tough, refusing to simply kick the can down the road as they did last year. Keep your fingers crossed.

Dave with a Bronze Redfish

In the backcountry, the water takes on a tannic stain when the rainy season hits Florida’s Gulf Coast. The source is the mangrove roots along the shoreline.   And as it happens, redfish change color too, becoming bronze. This redfish, that my friend Dave caught, is a prime example.

When winter returns this fish will fade, becoming much paler, almost silver, especially if it decides to live over a sand colored bottom.

Did you see the touch of blue in its tail? See it in the its rim? This is unusual for summer. Typically, a blue tail is seen in winter.  This link will explain