2013 CT Anglers Guide - CT.gov

Marine Angler Surveys
CT DEEP MARINE ANGLER SURVEY
The Marine Recreational Information Program
(MRIP) is a nation-wide program by the National
Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) to establish a
reliable database for estimating the impact of
recreational fishing on saltwater fish resources.
This survey is conducted in all U.S. coastal states.
The information is used by Fishery Management
Councils, the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries
Commission (ASMFC), as well as Federal
and State resource agencies to create fishery
management plans and to evaluate the impact
of fishing regulations.
Estimates generated from the MRIP include the:
• total number of fish caught, released and
harvested;
• weight of the harvest;
• total number of angler trips;
• number of marine recreational anglers.
Survey questions include: where you were
fishing; how long you were fishing; what species
you were fishing for; how many did you catch
and release; can we measure and weigh your
kept fish; what town do you live in; how often
do you fish, your name and phone number.
MARINE VOLUNTEER ANGLER
SURVEY PROGRAM
The Marine Fisheries Division is seeking marine
recreational anglers who will volunteer to participate
in the Connecticut Volunteer Angler
Survey (VAS) Program. The VAS Program
is designed to collect fishing trip and catch
information from marine recreational (hook
and line) anglers who volunteer to record their
angling activities via a logbook. VAS anglers
BLACK SEA BASS
INTERESTING FACTS
Black sea bass occurs along the Atlantic Coast
of the United States from Cape Cod to Florida.
Black sea bass has an unusual life cycle: they are
protogynous hermaphrodites, which mean they
start life as a female and when they reach 9–13
inches they change sex to become males initiated
by visual cues. Most sea bass are born females.
Although some fish are males from the time they
reach sexual maturity, most produce eggs when
they first mature. The age at which individuals
"switch" from female to male is variable, although
most fish have done so before they are 6 years old.
In heavily exploited populations in which larger,
older males are selectively harvested, the resulting
death of males causes females to change sex at
a younger age and smaller size than would be
the case in populations less depleted by fishing.
Black sea bass generally overwinter offshore
in deeper water on the continental shelf to 100
fathoms. In the spring, this species displays
a general northward and inshore movement,
expanding its range as far north as Cape Cod from
May to October. During the summer, adult sea bass
contribute valuable fisheries-specific information
concerning striped bass, fluke, bluefish, scup,
tautog and other important finfish species used
in monitoring and assessing fish populations
inhabiting marine waters.
* New for 2013, participants will have the choice
of either filling out the traditional paper logbooks
and mailing them back in or by entering their
data electronically by a computer web based
application. In either case, paper logbooks will
still be sent out to each angler.
Both the VAS paper logbook and the computer
electronic version are easy to enter. Each participating
angler is assigned a personal code number
for confidentiality. The paper logbook instructions
are located on the inside cover and the
electronic version will have a specified menu
with assisted help information. Upon completion
of the paper logbook, tape the pre-postage
paid logbook shut and drop it off in the mail.
All paper logbooks are returned to each angler
for their own personal records upon data entry.
Anglers that participate are also provided
with updated program results and public
hearing notices concerning recreational fishery
management regulations.
Participating is very important for marine fisheries
management. Please contact:
Rod MacLeod
rod.macleod@ct.gov
860-434-6043
CT Department of Energy
& Environmental Protection
Marine Fisheries Division
P.O. Box 719, Old Lyme, CT 06371
Holly Sulzinski with her
youth state record
black sea bass.
gather around
rocky bottoms,
sunken wrecks,
old pilings, and
wharves. At this
time of year,
they are most
abundant at depths of less than 120 feet. Youngof-the-year
and yearlings tend to summer in
estuaries, which are critically important nursery
grounds for this species.
Black sea bass reproduce from February to July,
with the spawning season starting earliest in the
southern portion of their range and progressing
northward as spring passes. Off the southern New
England coast, they reproduce from mid-May until
the end of June. The eggs are buoyant, floating in
the water column until they hatch 1½ to 5 days
after fertilization. The larvae drift in bays, inlets,
and offshore areas; they become bottom-dwelling
when they have grown to about ½ inch in length.
The largest black sea bass caught by an angler in
Connecticut's waters weighed 7 pounds 8 ounces
(Six-Mile Reef, Clinton). A 12-inch fish generally
weighs 1 pound, while an 18 to 20-inch fish weighs
about 3 pounds. Females mature at 2–4 years of
age. Approximate size at maturity is 7 to 8 inches.
Marcelo Moutinho and family
with his state record scup
4 lbs. 2 oz., 19 inches.
Fishing in Connecticut,
Share the Experience…
Take the Family or a Friend Fishing
Fred Spadaccini and son
with their striped bass
caught during the Bonus
Striped Bass Fishing
Program (see page 8
for more information).
Try Saltwater Fishing
in Long Island Sound
You will be glad you did!
46 deep.marine.fisheries@ct.gov
2013 Connecticut Angler’s Guide