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A Maryland Department of Natural Resources surveyor holds a juvenile striped bass from the Nanticoke River. (Joe Zimmermann/Maryland DNR)

Striped bass reproduction has remained below average in parts of the Chesapeake Bay since 2018, and this year is no different.

The annual juvenile striped bass surveys from Maryland and Virginia give insight as to how the next generation of striped bass will sustain the population. With continuing poor results, the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission is considering stronger catch limits.

Striped bass are top predators in the Bay and support commercial and recreational fishing. They are found along the East Coast from Canada to Florida, but they spawn and spend the first few years of their lives in the Bay.

The Virginia Institute of Marine Science has conducted its annual survey on striped bass since 1967. This year, scientists caught more than 1,000 juvenile striped bass at 18 sites in the Rappahannock, York and James rivers with a 100-foot seine net. Fish are captured, counted, measured and thrown back.

This year’s survey from Virginia recorded an average of 5.12 juvenile fish per seine net catch, which is below the historic average of 7.77. It’s slightly better than the last two years, but the survey hasn’t found the average level of reproduction since 2022.

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources sampled fish from 22 sites in the Choptank, Nanticoke and Potomac rivers and in the upper Bay. Maryland’s results were even more stark. This year, the young-of-year catch averaged four per seine haul, far below the historical average of 11. This marks the seventh year the striped bass juvenile population hasn’t met that threshold.

Carrie Kennedy, director of the Tidal and Coastal Monitoring and Assessment Division at the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, said she doesn’t think anyone…

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NANTICOKE — Wyoming Area’s offense provided the big plays in the first quarter while the defense and special teams stepped up in the second quarter as the Warriors rode a complete game performance to a 60-7 defeat of Nanticoke Area Friday night at Frank Chicknosky stadium.

Wyoming Area moves to 8-1 on the season and continues its march into the District 2 playoffs and solidifying one of the top two seeds heading into next week’s showdown with Pittston Area.

“Our goals tonight were to come out and play a clean football game and execute at a high level and give our guys playmaking opportunities,” Wyoming Area coach Randy Spencer said. “Our momentum is important going into the last week of the regular season with a big rivalry game and also then going forward into the playoffs.”

If it was momentum the Warriors were looking for, it was certainly found early on in the contest.

Trustin Johnson punched home an early touchdown, turning Wyoming Area’s first drive into a 7-0 lead after just two plays. Starting at its own 49-yard line, quarterback Jack Gravine dropped a long pass into the hands of a streaking Luke Kopetchny, who was ruled down at Nanticoke Area’s 1-yard line. Kopetchny’s next catch would be for far less yardage, though with much more effect.

On the following possession, after Johnson picked up 50 yards on a pair of carries, the Warriors were again a yard away. Looking at first-and-goal, Gravine took the snap and lofted a ball toward the back of the end zone. Kopetchny, blanketed by a Trojan defender, reached up and over just enough to get one hand on the ball before falling backward and somehow completing the one-handed catch in bounds, holding the ball up and away from his defender for the 14-0…

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