Starting next week, ASMFC is holding Menhaden Amendment 3 hearings… and we need to be there. I’m not going to wax this time about how recent aggregations of menhaden have created extraordinary conditions for fishermen targeting striped bass, sharks etc., or all the other life the massive pods have drawn, most notably the whales. It’s […]
Author Archives: John McMurray
No… It’s Not Okay…
Photo: Bluefin Tuna, by Captain John McMurray As we get into the thick of tuna season right now, and plenty of “large-medium” and “giant” class bluefin tuna are being caught by anglers around Cape Cod, and “small mediums” as well as good-sized yellowfin in the New York Bite, I thought it more than appropriate to […]
Thanks New Jersey…
Some may be cheering the Secretary of Commerce’s decision to overrule ASMFC on summer flounder, but in the end, Jersey may have really screwed us If you are a regular reader, you likely know the controversy surrounding summer flounder (aka fluke). And I’m guessing you’re probably up to speed on the striped bass situation, too […]
Why Bunker Matter
As numerous “50s” are being caught off the coast of Jersey, it’s pretty darn clear… If you are a striper fisherman, unless you’ve taken some sorta sabbatical from social media, I’m guessing you’ve heard about the downright epic fishing off the Jersey Shore right now. I mean, complete insanity. “Last night was one for the […]
The Straight Dope on Squid
Localized depletion and bycatch are real in this fishery and need to be addressed If you fish at all, really, you know that just about everything eats squid. Fluke, striped bass, black seabass, scup, weakfish, bluefin and yellowfin tuna, billfish, mahi… I could probably go on. And hey… I eat it too! Because it’s pretty […]
On Being A Council Member
Tough decisions that benefit the “public trust” come with the territory For the last 9 years I’ve served on the Mid Atlantic Fishery Management Council – one of eight regional federal fishery management councils – holding New York’s “Obligatory” seat. It is no easy gig. There is nothing more I’d rather NOT be doing than […]
Right…Baitfish Don’t Matter
A recent study funded by the large-scale extraction industry claims that forage fish abundance doesn’t affect marine predator numbers…As anglers we know better. Top photo courtesy John McMurray Just when I thought I’d seen everything, I opened my email a few weeks ago to find a half-dozen messages about some new “ground-breaking” study funded by […]
At ASMFC, Fluke Wins, Striped Bass Loses
The Difference Between These Two Species Shows Why We Desperately Need to Keep Federal Law Intact Just back from Alexandria, VA… So while all of this is still fresh in my head, I thought I’d get it down. First, summer flounder (aka fluke): As readers likely know, there’s been lots of controversy here. Because… well, […]