Determined to conserve the Atlantic's most important gamefish. Since day one, ASGA has engaged in every major striped bass management decision, with research, data analysis and thousands of anglers' voices behind us.
From Maine to the Chesapeake Bay, striped bass are the backbone of recreational fishing on the East Coast. Anglers take millions of trips for them every year, and the guides, tackle shops and coastal towns that depend on those trips feel every change in the stock.
Striped bass are managed by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC), a compact of 15 coastal states. Every major decision runs through its Striped Bass Management Board. That’s where ASGA does its work: reading the science, analyzing the data, and making sure anglers who care about abundance are heard.
Anglers released the fewest stripers since 1994.
The smallest harvest since the stock was declared rebuilt in 1995.
Down from 2.48 in 2017, the lowest since 1984.
Continued poor production from the Chesapeake Bay, where 80% of all striped bass are born.
2026 status
The stock is still overfished, and the next two years will decide whether it rebuilds by 2029. That being said, ASGA is focused on sustainability long past the this deadline. In October 2025, ASMFC passed Addendum III with no further reduction after an equal 12% cut for both sectors failed 5–11. After 7 straight poor spawns, we are running out of options to rebuild this fishery to the balance and quality it deserves.
The data behind management has also changed. In August 2026, NOAA republished 43 years of recreational fishing data, cutting estimated trips by 41% and harvest and releases by 43%. Lower catch estimates mean a smaller estimated stock, not more fish in the water. Meanwhile, anglers harvested 1.14 million stripers in 2025, the fewest since 1995.
history is repeating itself
Striped bass have collapsed and recovered once before. Here’s how the fishery got here, and what ASGA has done at the table since the stock was declared overfished in 2019. Hover or tap to see what happened!Swipe the timeline and tap a year to see what happened.
NOAA revised 43 years of recreational catch estimates. The Striped Bass Board opened a review of hatchery stocking. ASGA uncovered rotten commercial discard mortality estimates that hindered accountability.
Led the charge with The Great Striper Recount, helping advocates understand the gravity of data revisions. Investigated and published bias of management report. Supported Connecticut bill HB 5333 to establish winter harvest moratorium for concentrated fish.
Science and management
Good management starts with accurate numbers and trends. ASGA supports the latest research efforts and actively leads new projects to better understand the fishery. Our team runs independent analysis and puts the results in front of managers.
New research project
Connecting the Coast
Building on Massachusetts DMF's research up north, ASGA is tagging 200 striped bass on Maryland's Choptank River in 2027 to learn how many released fish really survive in the Chesapeake Bay, where most of the coast's stripers are spawned.
Explore the Striper Project →
Featured analysis
NOAA revised 43 years of recreational fishing data this summer. We ran the striped bass numbers, and the trend hasn't changed: anglers are catching fewer fish per trip than at any time since 1984. That being said, balance between sectors and fishery's total abundance need major consideration.
Explore the RecountFeatured analysis
NOAA revised 43 years of recreational fishing data this summer. We ran the striped bass numbers, and the trend hasn’t changed: anglers are catching fewer fish per trip than at any time since 1984. That being said, balance between sectors and fishery’s total abundance need major consideration.
For 30 years, managers assumed 9% of released stripers die. ASGA supported Massachusetts DMF’s study. More than 8000 fish were studied via acoustic tags and/or angler logs. The study found the real rate release mortality rate is about half that previously assumed.
We reviewed every ASMFC striped bass and menhaden vote from 2017 to 2026. The record shows which states consistently stand in the way conservation and who to keep an eye on going forward.
ASGA worked with tackle manufacturers and retail tackle shops to educate anglers on the importance of single-hook, release-friendly lures when striper fishing. We partnered with the GotOne app so anglers’ catches “count”, bridging the gap between angler and scientist while respecting data standards and angler privacy.
Our positions
Following the 8 worst consecutive years of spawning on record (MD JAI), the stock needs conservative management until abundance is reestablished. Fish in the water is what keeps guides, shops and coastal towns flourishing – and its better for the ecosystem.
Recreational anglers have taken almost all of the recent cuts. Commercial reductions should come from real harvest, not quota that was never being caught. If you benefit from the resource, give back.
They’re punitive and hard to enforce, and the new release-mortality science doesn’t support them. ASGA never opposed commercial fishing or recreational harvest; we opposed policies that don’t rebuild the fishery. The SB Board kicked the can too many times. Now, the new release-mortality science makes it clear we only have one management lever to pull: harvest.
Retire the outdated 9% release mortality figure, use the corrected catch data, and rebuild wild fish and their critical habitat rather than relying on hatcheries. We have done it before and we will do it again.
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