A Year Class Worth Saving

This October, both Chesapeake states reported better striped bass spawns. Virginia’s 2026 young-of-year index came in at 9.52 fish per seine haul. That’s up from 5.12 last year and above the long-term average of 7.77. The Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) calls it an average year class. You can access their news release here.

Maryland is climbing too, from 2.0 in 2024 to 4.0 in 2025 to 5.5 this year. That’s its best index since 2018. That being said, news of positive trends is not a recovery.

Maryland’s 5.5 is still its eighth straight below-average year, against a long-term average of 10.8. That matters, because Maryland’s waters produce an estimated two-thirds or more of the Bay’s striped bass. One average year in Virginia’s smaller rivers can’t make up for eight weak years upstream. And while striped bass spawning has been documented further up the Atlantic Coast, those sites are still largely inconsequential. The Chesapeake Bay states produce more than 80% of all striped bass born each year. This coast wide stock goes as the Bay produces.

The coast wide stock is still overfished, and managers are working toward a 2029 rebuilding deadline. This year’s fish (the 2026-class) won’t reach fishable size for three to four years. They’ll need even longer before the females spawn, and more than just one chance at spawning to start generating abundance.

The 1982 year class (an 8.45 in Maryland) showed up after years of poor spawning. Managers protected it. Amendment 3 required states to protect at least 95% of the 1982-class females until they had spawned at least once. Maryland shut down harvest entirely from 1985 to 1989. Those fish went on to produce more than 90% of the eggs in 1989, generating a 25.2 index that lead the stock rebuilding.

The major takeaway is that one single spawn didn’t rebuild striped bass from rock bottom. How managers chose to act after Mother Nature blessed them with a positive opportunity led to the results we needed. Now, the ASMFC Striped Bass Management Board must do the same.

The 2025 and 2026 year classes are our next chance to right decades of wrongs. Managers have to think long-term and protect these year classes so they survive to spawn. A better year is a reason to triple down on conservation, not a reason to relax.

The next big test is the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s 2027 benchmark stock assessment, which uses data through 2025. Its results will shape how striped bass are managed for years. That’s where the foundation for significant change will be built, though our Association recognizes we’re run out of “time to wait and see”. Our striper policy platform will reflect that urgency in the coming months.

Follow along and become an ASGA member to stay in the loop for striped bass conservation. Becoming an ASGA advocate is completely free. We’ll share critical reources going forward that empower you to impact management. Be ready to speak up for these fish! We’ve waited too long for even “slightly positive news” to mess it up now.