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Quote:Check out this article about the overfishing of squid by net in the Nantucket/Martha's Vineyard area. http://conservefish.org/2017/01/23/marth...o-stripas/
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 I think this may be why we're not getting as good squid runs as we are used to.
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Interesting read. I'm not sure the reduction in stripers (which happened up and down the coast) has anything to do with commercial squid fishing in MV, exactly. However, I recall from my childhood that you could go down to GI and fill a 5-gal. bucket per hour. The woman across the street from me used to fill 3 buckets per night. She would also haul in buckets of tinker mackerel, which have been mostly gone for decades. As the season rolled on, she would bring home buckets of snapper blues, which used to load into Newport harbor all summer. And, of course, the herring runs and the eel runs are mostly gone too. So we used to have tons of bait around for 12 months of the year and now we have less bait for a shorter period of time. So it's possible that a general reduction of bait has caused some localized depletion of stripers. That said, of bigger concern is that this same type of scenario is happing in the Chesapeake, Delaware, and Hudson River areas where the stripers spawn and spend their first year or two of life. So they have reduced quantity and quality of food, thereby increasing fish mortality in the 0-3 year range.
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Quote:Â
Interesting read. I'm not sure the reduction in stripers (which happened up and down the coast) has anything to do with commercial squid fishing in MV, exactly. However, I recall from my childhood that you could go down to GI and fill a 5-gal. bucket per hour. The woman across the street from me used to fill 3 buckets per night. She would also haul in buckets of tinker mackerel, which have been mostly gone for decades. As the season rolled on, she would bring home buckets of snapper blues, which used to load into Newport harbor all summer. And, of course, the herring runs and the eel runs are mostly gone too. So we used to have tons of bait around for 12 months of the year and now we have less bait for a shorter period of time. So it's possible that a general reduction of bait has caused some localized depletion of stripers. That said, of bigger concern is that this same type of scenario is happing in the Chesapeake, Delaware, and Hudson River areas where the stripers spawn and spend their first year or two of life. So they have reduced quantity and quality of food, thereby increasing fish mortality in the 0-3 year range.
We are rather radical on this subject. Eventually, all commercial fishing will have to end just as market waterfowl shooting did almost 100 years ago. Any seafood found in stores will be aqua-cultured. A recreationally caught fish is much more valuable to the economy than the same fish caught in a net. A number of years ago, I was involved in a study in Alaska on king salmon. We found that a single fish perhaps worth $100 to commercial interests, was worth $5000 to the Alaska economy when caught by an angler.
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That said, it is a ways off. Probably not in our personal lifetimes. Humans have a habit of waiting until it is too late. Look at the American shad fishery around Chesapeake Bay. They waited until the population was 1% of its original number before a ban was put in place. The shad never came back. The same almost happened with striped bass. Retention was stopped when the numbers were between 10-15%. And they did make a comeback. Who knows what would have happened if they waited longer: Perhaps the unthinkable, no stripers.Â
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While a complete ban on commercial fishing will not happen soon, perhaps stricter regs, especially on commercials will help. We traveled Iceland and Norway and they did quite well with their cod fisheries when compared to N. America. The answer was very strict regs and good enforcement.
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We do not pretend to have all the answers but greater restrictions on the commercial MV squid fishery certainly would not hurt and would probably help larger predators like stripers. Â And certainly make for larger runs for the casual squidder.
Martin and Ruta
Outdoor writing: Subsistence living, living off the grid, foraging wild plants, mushrooming, prospecting, hunting and fishing.Â
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Squids are still out there, but NOT cruising around in groups like they were before predator fish arrived. Â Everything eats squids in the ocean. Â Their only defense is their ink, swim away, and hide. Â Â
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You will have to think like a squid to catch them during this time of year. Â Goodluck all!
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Has anyone been out? Last time for me was June 7th. Got about 18 small tubes. Lots of stripers though.
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Squidding has been very slow.
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Last Gail Frances squid trip for season last Saturday was a bust and so were most trips. Not a good year!!
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Thats for sure, 5 squid for the year for me.  Ended up buying my squid for bait. Â
No where close to fresh caught.  But fortunately the fish haven't been to picky.
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Any Activity to report? This thread has been quiet for sometime.Â
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Quote:Waiting for Fall run!
When does that usually start Matsquidman?
Martin and Ruta
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That's funny that I just checked the forum for the first time in a month and a half and you guys posted yesterday... I hope to get a few in the fall as well. Bear hunting now though!!! Baiting season opens this weekend!!!
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New England fall run can start as early as September, but has been later in October for the last few years, and can run into mid November. My buddy on the Vineyard got some in early Dec. last year, but they were sparse until the second week of Oct. The old business of water temp, storms, hurricanes, etc. There are always some hanging around all summer but the spring and fall "runs" are the best time to get a lot of them. The spring had been great for a few years recently, seemed to be poor this year. Hopefully the fall will be fantastic!!
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I agree with Gillighan. It depends on the Fall weather and conditions. Some of my best days the last several years have been in November.
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Last night at GIB: 21 squid from 8-11?
Mostly small with a
Few mediums mixed in. Not great but
better than expected.
Martin and Ruta
Outdoor writing: Subsistence living, living off the grid, foraging wild plants, mushrooming, prospecting, hunting and fishing.Â
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Great! Newborns? Any fish chasing them? Using lights?
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Not many fish chasing the squid.
Yes,we were using
an underwater green light.
Martin and Ruta
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And....we are back! Â In case yall missed it, there was a good run of squids this past weekend. Â
Sorry no pix, but I'm sure you will hear about it soon. Â Or maybe not lol!
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Quote:And....we are back! Â In case yall missed it, there was a good run of squids this past weekend. Â
Sorry no pix, but I'm sure you will hear about it soon. Â Or maybe not lol!
Thank you OneEyedSquid, is this from GI?Â
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Not on GI. Â But within a mile radius.
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