The striped bass population is in trouble. There are multiple factors both man-made and ecological. Harvesting, targeting, and even catch and release have hurt striper populations everywhere. Combine this with six consecutive bad spawns, and you have a concoction of destruction. It's now or never to save striped bass. No action is not an option. 

But, there’s a glimmer of hope. The 2018 spawning class was above average, not great, but the best we’ve seen since 2015. These fish are just coming of age to enter the slot (28-31in). Our worry is that if we don’t protect this class of fish we’re in trouble. This healthy population of breeders is our best shot at reviving the species.

Harvest closures are effective and easier to enforce. If there’s a striper in your cooler, you’re in trouble. If you bring back clean ice, you're in the clear. If we can get the strong 2018 class to maturity and push them through the slot, they can hopefully support the next generation of fish and pray they crank out strong spawns in the future.

The 2018 class of fish should be under the protection of the Secret Service. Followed around by men with earpieces in trenchcoats. Like a young buck on opening day, these fish are subject to slaughter when they enter the open harvest slot. If we can reduce the slot size these fish will be grandfathered into a long life of swimming, eating, and breeding, unmolested. We can lower the slot to ensure these critically sized stripers survive.