Crushed It

Attention striped bass anglers! As stocks continue to deplete, it is becoming obvious that more conservation efforts are need in order to protect this valuable marine resource. This season, I ask you to use #crushedit on your social media platforms when posting your striped bass pictures. The idea behind this is to promote the benefits of crushing your barbs. Whether targeting 20-inch or 20-pound striped bass, crushing the barbs on your hooks has some fantastic benefits. 

By crushing your barbs, you will greatly decrease the damage to the jaw of the fish, enabling it to feed to the best of its ability. Furthermore, crushed barbs will dramatically decrease the chance of the fish have extensive damage to the gill plate and internally if it were to be gut hooked. All of these benefits will help in increasing the survival rate of striped bass upon release. As an added bonus, crushed barbs will also minimize damage to the angler if they were to become hooked. I think far too many of us have some stories about a treble hook becoming embedded in our hand during an all-out blitz. Trust me, it’s not fun. 

If you could please spread the message this season by using #crushedit on your social media platforms it would be greatly appreciated! Let’s work together to protect this fish as they struggle to avoid another collapse. Through continued community outreach and individual efforts, we can work to conserve this species, seven stripes at a time.

Tight Lines

@stripedsurvival (Instagram)