A Research and Education Campaign
Why Stripers for the Future?
From the Pilgrims of Plymouth Colony to anglers of the 21st Century, the striped bass has captured our imagination, attention, and reverence as The Great American Fish.
In fact, of all the fishes found in coastal waters of the United States, striped bass are arguably one of the most important, having claimed more attention than many other species.
Stripers for the Future is a research and education campaign initiated in 2011. The goal of Stripers for the Future is to develop and disseminate scientific information on striped bass biology, ecology and natural history, the causes of stress in angled striped bass, and scientifically sound best practices for catch-and-release that allows anglers to contribute to the conservation and long-term sustainability of the striped bass fishery. In particular, we believe that understanding striped bass biology and proper catch-and-release techniques should be a key piece of every angler’s education.
Since its inception in 2011, Stripers for the Future has been a collaborative effort with the recreational angling community. Projects underway as part of the Stripers for the Future Campaign are highlighted below.
For more details or updates on our results, please email me at jtiedema@monmouth.edu.
Assessing Impacts of Catch-and-Release Practices on Striped Bass
Our Objective:
Develop and disseminate scientifically-based best practices for catch-and-release that reduce and/or prevent stress in angled striped bass intended to be released.
Our Approach:
- Use rapid assessment techniques to understand angling practices that stress striped bass caught in the surf
- Couple our results with other studies to develop recommendations that anglers can employ to improve the chances that stripers they catch and release are ready to be caught again another day
Sources of Striped Bass
In the Mixed-Stock Recreational Fishery in Northern NJ
Our Objective:
Identify the stock-specific origin of striped bass in the fall surf fishery in northern NJ and estimate the relative contribution of individual stocks to the local fishery.
Our Approach:
- Collect pelvic fin clips from fish angled during the 2017 and 2018 fall runs
- Use DNA genotyping techniques to evaluate population structure and identify likely source populations for these fish
Movement Patterns of Striped Bass in Northern Coastal Waters of NJ
Our Objective:
Use acoustic telemetry to collect information about the movement patterns of striped bass tagged in Monmouth and Ocean County coastal waters.
Our Approach:
- Surgically implant acoustic tags in striped bass angled in coastal waters of northern NJ and periodically download data from receiver networks to provide a record of the tagged fish’s movement patterns
Angler Education
Educational highlights of the Stripers for the Future campaign to date include:
- Production and distribution of a Striped Bass Catch-and-Release Best Practices Roundtable video where a group of respected scientists, anglers, and authors ‘talked story' about what anglers can do to ensure survival of released stripers. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z5t1vYC7Xfc&feature=c4-overview&list=UUZlJlOPTvZs2vWk0liHislw)
- Feature articles in popular recreational angling magazines, including:
- Stripers for the Future: Employing Best Practices to Increase the Survival of Released Striped Bass {On The Water Magazine, January 2013}
- Ensuring Stripers for the Future {The Fisherman Magazine, October 2015}
- The Forage Factor: The Eclectic Striped Bass Diet {The Fisherman Magazine, July 2017}
- The BOFFF Principle: Do Bigger Stripers Make Better Spawners {The Fisherman Magazine, November 2018}
- Unraveling Striper Migrations, Movements and Population Dynamics {The Fisherman Magazine, October 2020}
- A History of Cows: The Biggest Striped Bass on Record {The Fisherman Magazine, February 2022}
- Distribution of thousands of posters, and laminated weight-to-length cards highlighting catch-and-release do’s and don’ts via bait and tackle shops, marinas, saltwater fishing club meetings, fishing expos, and other recreational angling events throughout New Jersey.
- Presentations on striped bass life history, conservation, and management at saltwater fishing club meetings, fishing expos, and other recreational angling events throughout New Jersey.
Special thanks to the Berkeley Striper Club for their support of our work through their Fisheries Defense Fund
Acknowledgements and kudos also go to my colleagues:
Dr. Andy Danylchuk, Professor of Fish Conservation, UMASS Amherst
Dr. Keith Dunton, Associate Professor of Marine Science, Monmouth University
Dr. Megan Phifer Rixey, Associate Professor of Biology, Monmouth University
Dr. Geoff Fouad, Associate Professor of Geography, Monmouth University
And, thanks to the many other supporters and collaborators in the Stripers for the Future Program
