Spring trophy season for striped bass starts Saturday, kicking off one of the busiest seasons in recreational fishing ? an industry that brought in about $480 million to Maryland in 2001, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
From Saturday to May 15, Maryland anglers can catch striped bass up to 33 inches long.
Female striped bass that have migrated out of the Bay return to spawn starting in late February and early March.
Toward late May, the large female bass migrate out of the waters again. Anglers, in hopes of catching “the fish of a lifetime,” peg their hopes on the small window of time the bass are here.
“It?s huge,” Charles Gates, a spokesman for the Department of Natural Resources, said of trophy season. He said for many anglers, “life is geared toward April 15.”
Recreational anglers contribute to local economies in many ways, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said. They spend money on fishing equipment, bait, gas, food, lodging and transportation. The estimates also include money spent on membership dues and fishing licenses. Charter boat captains also see an increase in business during trophy season.
Fishing Expenditures in Maryland in 2001
Total: $480 million
Trip-related: $246 million
Equipment: $219 million
Fishing: $56 million
Auxiliary and special: $163 million
Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
