Cause for concern?

Late last year I posted regarding what I consider to have been a deterioration in the numbers of fish that I expected to catch on a day by day basis in Wexford. That deterioration was significant running at 65%. Surely a reasonable post for discussion.

At this stage of the 2012 season that deterioration has continued and worsened to the extent that anticipated versus actual returns is down by 88%.

This post is not a discussion regarding debate across techniques or learning curves or methods employed, I measure very accurately across all factors. This post is a wave of a red flag that something is not right. This may be viewed as contrary to popular belief – but it depends on what and why you want to believe I guess!

Ensure comparisons, logic and timescale are valid – one or two big fish don’t make a season.

Today was a classic example of how tough it is –fishing with Pete Browne, who is a return customer who suffered last year too, Pete is a capable fisherman and under my guidance we can make a strong team and yet Pete had an extremely difficult day today, fish yes, fish missed yes but only at extraordinary effort and with minimum returns.

Throughout this blog and for the five years of its existence I have emphasised the extent of the influences that the fishery is prone to. To a large extent those influences are hard wired into the reality of the business, this is reflected here almost daily. The essence of what you see here is a reflection of the fishing, always has been.

Understand the influences and their effects on the marine environment/fauna and you can understand a large part of the challenges of bass fishing.

Remember ‘bass fishing’ is easy and fun and can be done by any person – other elements create the challenges.

Last year and into this year I believed that ‘weather’ was the major reason for such a tough season during 2012 and I guess I tried to validate that. Don’t get me wrong I know what bad weather is, but this is different. I like to believe that the fish are just a short distance off, inshore in ‘suspended’ mode waiting for ‘better’ conditions. A poor growth year perhaps. Just like 1986.

But I cant help wondering at this stage is it something else. Hopefully it can turnaround.

Whatever it might be, a big thanks to all for your patience and perseverance!

Jim Hendrick

the 'prevailing' south west wind, we should be experiencing, has become the 'prevailing' north-north west wind, it has definitely had an affect, combined with very little 'settled' weather (i.e. high pressure)................. until we get better, settled, conditions they lure fishing will be tough-ish

T

Having spent ten years in 'toughish' conditions for five months at a time there is a significant difference between last year this year and the previous eight years - I'm not dissagreeing with you as this post first published last year http://www.probassfisher.com/2011/10/ch ... s-why.html

You can see the dips caused during 2007 2008 and 2009 due to tough weather - but its more significant this year than ever.

jim surely the amount of flood waters going in to the ocean from the rivers from the wettest summer in my memory would have to have some bearing on the problem.last month the sea water was nearly choclate brown showing the amount of fresh water maybe there just out futher?

I think it is poaching and netting on a large scale. Too many stories going around and all involving you know who crowd and others sometimes.
As in the lakes they do not stop until empty. I have seen them practically measuring a place in wexford for an onslaught and werent impressed
with us fishing there, the daggers we got. I didn't cop what they where up to until I read something here about whats happening. This place needs
help I would love to live near and not up in Dublin. I havent got one this year but to tell you the truth I have rarely got the conditions either. I really
hope the lack of them is the weather because that changes!!!
Tommy

Strangely enough have had this coversation just a few days ago with a few of my good fishing buddy's.Its the same back here as well.Diaries have been compared and there is definately a drop in bass numbers since around late 07.Yes plenty of small under 45cm fish been caught by everyone but ask anyone how many bass over 70cm have they caught over the past few years .Areas which always produced real quality in numbers appear to be barren of larger breeding fish.
The conclusion is that the illegal netting is a huge problem,along with lots of anglers now keeping the legally correct bag limit all this is going to have a detremental effect on bass stocks as they are creatures of habit and once removed from an area will take years to comeback.
All the rain in estuarine marks will obviously have some affect but surely the surrounding beaches should be having a bonanza.Not going to state the obvious but even looking through the report section here tells its own story.The people who normally report there bass catches dont appear to either fishing or not catching or else they too having seen their catch numbers diminish are now a bit more savy about reporting their catches
I mean when you arrive on a mark that years back used produce plenty of quality bass with no other angler in sight and now you are met with 7 or 8 anglers who are targetting "seabass"[word i hate] and been told they had a big one last night 3lb mark you really know times have changed and not for the better i might add.
I know people are going to say not another bass topic but when a fish is classed as "protected" then the numbers should be increasing ,but they are not.If so then something is up and i for one believe that for too long certain people have been having a royaler on the strength of illegal fishing and when you hear that the local yobs are now after buying smaller mesh nets for bass then you know its a slippery road ahead.
Tight lines

BB - thanks for excellent post. I have just finished fishing along the Wexford coast with two men - One who travelled from Idonesia the other from London (they are long term friends) -

Having guided both anglers on Wednesday evening, Thursday morning, Thursday evening, and this morning from 04:00 to a few minutes ago (36 hrs) - the net result was one bass. Irrespective of their competence level or techinique, which were both, fine and most of the time we fished in pristine conditions that have produced lots of fish for me over the years - the end result is the reason for my concern at this stage.

I appreciate this is a very 'wide' topic that probably cannot be discussed properly/fully here on this forum.

I have everything crossed in the hope that its just another wider 'influence'!

Jim

Speaking to friends who freedive and spearfish around Wexford, they also confirm a bizarre drop in Bass numbers within the last few weeks / months. Normally you might see 20+ bass in one hour they can go several sessions without seeing any.

However I do not think its poachers or netters as they have noticed a huge drop in Flounder numbers also. Mullet are about the same and pollock are the same too.

Haven't a clue whats causing it, but with the red tides and freakish weather who knows...

I had another friend freediving a few miles off Cork last night and he spotted a leatherback turtle!!!

Nature is certainly a little wonky this year! Who knows, maybe the bass and flounder will come back with some Tuna

[quote="Donnyboy1"]Speaking to friends who freedive and spearfish around Wexford, they also confirm a bizarre drop in Bass numbers within the last few weeks / months. Normally you might see 20+ Bass in one hour they can go several sessions without seeing any.

However I do not think its poachers or netters as they have noticed a huge drop in Flounder numbers also. Mullet are about the same and pollock are the same too.

Not trying to start anything here but again here is another factor that maybe affecting numbers[never met a spearo 5 years ago,differant nowadays.Obviously its not going to wipe out an area like nets,but this selective form of "fishing" is totally down to the individual ie do i spear a larger breeding fish or do i target a smaller younger fish.Know of a person down in ardmore who only targets bigger bass nothing under 7lb mark from a reef just off the beach.He may only get the odd one but still is removing the breeding fish from a small area,many factors involved.Maybe flucuations due to natural causes who knows,but one thing is for sure the illegal side of things is having a huge effect and that is onething i and others are 100% sure of and to think otherwise is off the scale silly.Just look on your own doorstep last november 9miles of nets set to meet migrating bass from ballycotton area,surely that would have an affect would it not on future years bass levels in the area,you bet it HAS.

Lets not go off topic here...

1) I am talking about a noticable drop in bass and flounder within the last 2 months observed by local freedivers and spearfishermen that appears to correlate with what this thread is discussing.

2) Obviously illegal activity has a huge impact in general but the observed effect was on both bass and flounder and there is no illegal activity ongoing for flounder so I suspect its something else in "addition" to illegal activity.

But... it ain't me nicking them all so I could be wrong

3) Yes some spearfishermen can act unethically, as can fishermen from shore or boat.

What happened in Ballycotton was a disgrace and was in part one of the reasons a new spearfishing body was established which will work with fisheries to stomp out this crap...
The goal is if any shore fishermen spot anything seemingly illegal, like nets, they will report it to fisheries. If fisheries think there is something to it they will contact the spearing body and they will go out and dive on the site and investigate. It is very dangerous as getting cought in a net whilst holding your breath is the worst thing you can consider... But who or what else is there to be done?


The point of my comments in this thread were to help shore fishermen with info from spearfishermen... working together can help both of us etc. "We" are not the enemies.
But beachbuddy if you see a spearo doing anything illegal report him and anything unethical confront him... Most spearfishermen will do the same to sea anglers etc.

From my own personal records it has been a noticeable five year decline from and including 2007, with a slight improvement in 2010. This is in comparison to the time at which I started guiding and taking exact catch returns from 2003 2004 2005 2006 - There are less accurate personal numbers available prior to 2003.

This is not a 'new' phenomena and as people who have bass fished regularly and actively prior to 2007 they too can see similar patterns.

During 1997 for example I caught more bass on an Abu Krill than I have seen landed in the previous 4 weeks of this year -

Its not fabrication the fish are NOT there in many locations and numbers are deteriorating, its just difficult to believe after years of experiences that this is something I (and many others) have never seen before.

I do believe that that same reasons we cant catch them (whats left) as actively during the winter is been applied now - they are just inshore and suspended until we get a summer or something like one!

Maybe a small factor in the bigger picture is bait fish, we all know the massive numbers of mackeral taken by the super trawlers could this equate to less predation on certain baitfish making easier pickings for bass. I always put the high summer bass lull down to a big variety of available food sources, a bass does not have to work too hard to fill its belly this time of year. Also i would be slightly dismissive of the weather being to blame, water temps cant be that far off normal for this time of year and surely its not the first wet summer we had . Something else i reckon and more than likely localised to a point

Have a look on the diagram in this news release (you may have to zoom)

http://www.marine.ie/home/aboutus/newsr ... lBloom.htm

It clearly shows an algal bloom inshore around Wexford/ Waterford which includes Karenia mikimotoi,(the red patch) the causative organism of "red tide", which has devastated our fishing in Donegal. I think you have had a similar though hopefully less serious episode there. This also ties in with the reports of "dirty water" I have been reading about in past weeks down there.
I don't buy into any of the "overfishing" or "heavy rainfall" theories here. This is a phenomenon which can have sudden and devastating local effects. It may be, Jim, that you have had a succession of blooms down there for the last few years which has had the effect you describe.

Don't think so Jim, (I hope we are not going to get into another "blame the foreigners" tirade). If that were the case, how do you explain the situation in the UK, where commercial and leisure bass fishing is totally uncontrolled, and yet the bass fishing has improved dramatically year on year for a few years now?

S35

I've never really experienced a 'high summer bass lull' - some unpredictability during August perhaps, but this particular lull has extended since June 16th (and probably before that) and extended since 2011 - plus its not unique to Wexford.

Lastcast - dont mind me asking do you have a fisheries biology or similar background?

Lastcast - I think you're very wide of the mark if you consider the UK bass fishery is improving and I dont think i have ever engaged in a xenophobic tirade.

Jim, sorry if you were offended, I didn't accuse you of xenophobia, I just know how these posts degenerate once someone mentions foreigners.
I do not have a fisheries background, though I am a biologist. I am a leisure angler with no political axe to grind. If you think the bass angling in the UK is declining then you have not been reading the UK angling press for the last 3 years. Bass are now widely established right round Britain, with several very good new fisheries developing off the NE coast and SW Scotland, for example. Both numbers and size of landed bass are on the increase.

Jim, sorry if you were offended, I didn't accuse you of xenophobia, I just know how these posts degenerate once someone mentions foreigners.
I do not have a fisheries background, though I am a biologist. I am a leisure angler with no political axe to grind. If you think the Bass angling in the UK is declining then you have not been reading the UK angling press for the last 3 years. Bass are now widely established right round Britain, with several very good new fisheries developing off the NE coast and SW Scotland, for example. Both numbers and size of landed Bass are on the increase.

I'm afraid the reality of bass angling in the UK is not what is portrayed in tha UK angling press. The sea angling press in the UK sees its sole purpose as maximising revenue from advertising space. The best way to do this is to suggest that the sea is full of fish. This encourages you to buy more tackle and therefore encourages advertisers to spend more on advertising.
Bass stocks have virtually collapsed last year in parts of the UK. The Portland Bill tide race in Dorset was once noted for its vast shoals of bass but last year even commercial fishing stopped due to the lack of bass.
We are very right to be concerned about Irish bass stocks but even as bad as they seem to be at the moment they are still way ahead of the UK. If it were not the case then why do so many UK bass anglers spend their money comming to Ireland if they could catch fish at home.

No problem LC - my question was related to marine biology and perhaps you could explain the conditions that facilitate a red tide - which could 'fit' the jigsaw if hitorically these tides were more prevalent since 2007 -

Thanks

interesting topic, i wonder why you are assuming you would catch the same number of fish
in each year? my experience is there are enormous natural fluctuations in all species,
for example off the clare coast drifting for sharks over say eight miles at any stage
you could drop down 3 hooks and bring up 3 big whiting, until you got bored silly.
then on the same drift the next year, almost impossible to get a single whiting!
Same effect with cod, spurs, garfish haddock mackerel etc etc