Striped Bass population down... ???

Hi... I am new here this is my first post... I live at the head of the Chesapeake Bay... and have fished it for 30 years...We just experienced the worst spring run of Stripers I have ever seen. Typically we see wave after wave of fish entering the Susquehanna flats area in March and typically have good fishing til mid-may... not this year. This season we had one push of fish that stayed around for about 10 days and then gone... no other waves of fish replaced it. These were not the big breeders either only mid twenties size school fish... Very few big fish in the mix. I would like to pose this question "What is the Striper population like in your area?"

first off ...have no clue what the population is like.......sure dont want to repeat the 80's all over again.........i catch and release all my fish.......wouldnt bother me if they up the size limit on bass at all........thats just my opinion.

Welcome Slim
I maybe wrong but I think the population is on a downward swing.
Just my opinion but I think to many large breeding bass are being taken in the past years.
Also I would like to see the bonus tag ( a third fish per day ) should be stopped.
We will all see what time does to them. I hate to see it get as bad as it did when they had to close the season, but I think there's to much money evolved anymore to stop this downward turn in populations.

Dont know if I am right but my opinion I think population is just fine cause there are lots of small ones this year which means to me anyway that the stripers have multiplied and these are their young and the big ones just may not be around as much due to the new schools of stripers not enough to go around for all to feed on so maybe the bigger ones are somewhere new looking for food.

Welcome 'Sweetwater'!
Fish populations do go through swings in numbers; year-class-recruitment & average size in those year-classes. You can't have the good years without the bad. This holds for sea-fish species & freshwater ones, too.
I know you've had some unseasonable weather & we have aswell, Things are about a month behind here (no bass for me just yet) & so that needs to be taken into consideration. Fish respond to their environment & the food they predate on.
I hope things pick up for you but it may be possible these fish have needed to find their food elsewhere just now 'cos they don't have any other choice!
Good luck,
Jim.

In 2004 the estimated population of stripers was 67.5 million fish. In 2010 the population had decreased to 42.3 million fish. However, the ASMFC believes the biomass is still above the level they want to keep it at. A benchmark re-assessment is due this year. Even if the population is down this doesn't mean restrictions on the fishery because they also want to see a series of poor spawning seasons in a row before they act. I'm not saying I agree with this, just stating how it is. I don't want to return to the bleak days of the 80's either. FYI 2012 was the worst spawn in Chesapeake recorded history, and 2011 was the first above average spawn in several years. There are a lot of 12 to 14-inch fish leaving the Chesapeake this year from the good spawn in 2011, so some areas will see good catch and release with these small fish. I have a couple of chapters of information like this in my new book Bass Buff- A Striper Fishing Obsession Guide. More info about the book at bassbuff.com.

What I have personally experienced here on Aquidneck Island in Rhode Island was a late start to the season, mainly because of the water temps. I have seen and have caught many, many, schollies, and 30 inch fish. I have also seen SOME big fish caught, BUT not as many BIG fish as I think is normal.
It appears the Late start the Theory might be the correct answer, as I currently notice some VERY BIG fish just starting to be caught.
60 and now 70 pounders are showing up in the Striper Cup.

say slim......what ive noticed this year while fishing with a few SBO buddys......was no bait in the wash mostly saw alot of bait in the back.....seams the bass were far out in the ocean...like grandslam says....ive seen alot of sort bass in the delaware being caught in lambertville area and havent left for the ocean yet