Striped Bass Spawning Success Remains Low
If you love striped bass like I do, you should be concerned. Despite a decent number of striped bass of spawning age, striper success on the spawning ground is d1smal, both in the Chesapeake Bay and in the Hudson River. If this continues it is apt to have a major effect on the striped bass population in the next few years.
The chart below shows the stark reality in the Bay. The average spawn index is eleven, a number we have not reached since 2019. Instead, we have 7 years of very poor success. You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to realize that is problem.
Meanwhile to the north in the Hudson, there have been three failed years. In February the New York Department of Environmental Conservation stated serious concerns about the striped bass population’s future, remarking this spawning issue could reduce the number of bass on the coast by 1930.
Together, the Hudson River and the Chesapeake Bay account for roughly 90 percent of the bass on the coasts. When both are in trouble, face it we are in trouble. Why is this all happening? At this time there is no definitive answer, although many suggest it is effect of climate change on the spawning grounds.
