MONTAUK, N.Y. (AP) — Bill Jakob, an avid striped bass fisherman for more than 60 years, remembers a time when he would cast his line into the rough surf near Montauk all night long and catch eight or nine fish weighing 40 pounds (18 kilograms), a big catch by anyone’s standards.
Then, after years of heavy fishing, the big striped bass fishery ceased.
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“I was part of this problem years ago,” said Jacobs, president of the Montauk Surfers Association on Long Island’s easternmost tip. “I ran party boats and we killed fish with reckless abandon.”
Fishermen like Jacob are increasingly worried that the good days of catching striped bass are coming to an end. Fish aren’t showing up like they used to, and young stripers are becoming harder to find.
Scientists who study striped bass say East Coast anglers are right to be concerned, saying years of overfishing are only part of the problem. Regulators said last week that the fish have reproduced poorly in their most important habitat in the Chesapeake Bay for eight consecutive years, and their populations have declined along much of the Atlantic coast.
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Years of warming waters (cited as a major problem by many scientists), poor river flows, drought, pollution and possible increased predation by seals and sharks have experts and fishermen questioning whether tighter fishing limits will be enough to allow striped bass to recover. Losing these advanced predators, which help regulate small fish species, would threaten $8 billion worth of fisheries and tens of thousands of jobs.
Striped bass fishing is a long-standing East Coast tradition
Striped loaches are valued in part because they fight hard and can be caught from shore. From the slippery rocks of the Maine coast to the warm waters of Florida’s St. Johns River, anglers wearing headlamps can be seen plunging into the predawn darkness in hopes of landing a bite.
In recent years, interstate regulators have made changes to how migratory fish are managed, including standardizing how they are measured based on size requirements. But regulators are hesitant to lower recreational fishing levels. Some fishermen say current initiatives may not be enough and that more stringent action — including a possible fishing moratorium, a tactic used in the 1980s — is needed to ensure future generations of anglers can still catch striped bass.
“They’re not renewing themselves at an adequate level. That’s obviously concerning to everyone,” said Beth Versak, striped bass program manager for the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. “People all along the coast are passionate about striped bass.”
Fishing guides, boat trips, gear, bait, hotel rooms – in the United States alone, it all has an economic impact of about $8 billion and creates as many as 100,000 jobs, according to industry insiders.
The future for the fish it depends on looks grim.
“The striped bass as we know it is about to collapse,” said Patrick Paquette, government affairs coordinator for the Massachusetts Striped Bass Association and a member of the Interstate Regulations Advisory Group.
“Sometime around 2029, 2030, it’s going to fall off a cliff,” he said, “and it’s going to be ugly.”
Scientists say multiple factors, including warming ocean waters, contribute to poor spawning
Striped bass hatch in fresh or salt water and then spend the first few years of their lives in estuaries where rivers meet the sea. Their ability to reproduce and bring new fish into the population depends on the environmental conditions that favor them—especially cool, moist springs.
Scientists have identified four main spawning groups along the Atlantic coast. The Chesapeake Bay is where 90% of striped anchovies spawn and grow. Toni Kerns, fisheries policy director for the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, which regulates striped bass, said when freshwater flows are too low, such as during drought periods, or when temperatures are too high in the spring or summer, the fish are affected and populations can decline.
Chris Batsavage, chairman of the commission’s Striped Bass Management Committee, said conditions have been poor in recent years, with fewer fish entering the population since 2019.
“Low precipitation and rapidly warming ocean waters result in lower grade levels,” Bartsavage said. “It appears to be environmentally driven.”
The situation leads to a “bad year decline,” making it particularly difficult for fish in the Chesapeake to maintain their populations, Vansack said.
Fishermen fear the iconic species will disappear if the trend continues
John Skinner has written a book about striped bass fishing and runs a YouTube channel on the subject that has more than 100,000 followers. He has been fishing on Long Island for more than 50 years and said the once reliable fishing spots have completely dried up.
“I’m not saying the fishing is bad. I’m saying, when you go out there in perfect conditions, you’re not going to catch anything,” Skinner said. “Absolutely nothing.”
Many other striped bass fishermen in the Northeast have shared a recurring story this summer and fall — once-abundant stocks have dried up, and the remaining individuals are clearly older, meaning years of failed reproduction are starting to take their toll.
Some fishermen say stricter regulations or a fishing moratorium may be the only way to prevent fish stocks from falling to dangerous levels. They lamented what they were seeing in the waters – smaller fish stocks, many of which were older and larger, with few juveniles entering the population to provide a future.
They also see more factors at play than just a warming environment. Some believe that years of heavy fishing for striped bass is now evident in the population’s decline. Others blame the shark’s recovery on years of conservation efforts that compete with the reintroduction of the fish.
Regulators have taken steps, but some are calling for a pause
The Atlantic Nations Council considers the group to be overfished, although it says overfishing is not currently occurring. These fish are harvested both commercially and recreationally, but recreational fishing is done on a much larger scale.
Most recreational catches are thrown back into the sea alive. Still, some fish don’t survive the encounter. Regulators have historically expected that 9% of people will die upon release, and the latest data suggests that number may be lower than 5%.
Size limits for catching and keeping striped bass generally range from 28 to 31 inches (71 to 79 cm), with specific rules varying by state and location. Striped bass are popular with catch-and-release fishermen, and these days it’s more common to catch larger bass, many over 31 inches.
Paquette, a longtime angler and coordinator of the Massachusetts Striped Bass Association, said he fears the striped bass fishery will be over if drastic action is not taken.
“If you’re someone who thinks you’re going to retire and raise striped bass, and you’re planning on retiring soon, take a different plan,” Paquette said.
Whittle reported from Portland, Maine. Associated Press video reporter Liu Mingsen contributed.
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