Bunker for free, is there such a thing as being too greedy?

[cowherder]

There was a guy on another site who said he needed some bunker, and bragged that he filled a 110 qt cooler with it. Fine, it's free, and there are no laws against it. I fished at Staten Island with my uncle last year, I think it was Princes Bay or something like that. The first time, the place was full of bunker, and we got some big bluefish. The next time, there was no bunker at all, and we didn't catch anything. Are some guys being too piggish with cast netting bunker, all because it's free? And do you think that it affects the fishing, or not? :burn:

[plugaholic]

I read that post, I think we must have been reading it at the same site. On that site the guys also post daily movements and locations of the bunker. I know a harbor by me where they were thick as **** 2 months ago. Guys come in there every day to get some, and now there are hardly any left. The water is still colder there, so I don't think the temperature has pushed them out to somewhere else. I think like you said some guys are too greedy.

[DarkSkies]

Are some guys being too piggish with cast netting bunker, all because it's free? And do you think that it affects the fishing, or not? :burn:

I would say it definitely affects the fishing, cowherder. Jamaica Bay wjhere I just fished a few days ago has a noticable decline in the bunker numbers. The bass are still there because the water is cold.

I don't know that bay as well as others, but I feel there should be more bass action, instead of the scattered action available mostly to the boats who can chase the remaining pods. There were areas weeks ago that had so many bunker you couldn't go 100 yeard without finding a few. That wasn't the case when I went over there this weekend.

I have seen that happen in Great Kills the last 2 years. As the bunker thin out, so does the fishing.

It also happened in a river we were fishing in for awhile. For the 2 weeks bunker were back there, fantastic fishing as the bigger fish came in to feed every night. Now the place is dead, except for fluke. I wondered if it had something to do with the 15 boats we saw there every morning netting bunker as the word got out.

I don't have any answers to this, the law is the law. I think expecting people to moderate their behavior, and not be greedy, when it's entirely voluntary, is a tough one. If anyone has any further thoughts or possible solutions I would love to hear them.

[BassBuddah]

I don't really use bunker that much, but I go by the old adage that my dad taught me when going over to someone's house for the first time for dinner- take what you can eat, and eat what you take. Maybe this concept is lost on some people when the resource is free.

[plugcrazy]

For guys to take bunker and not use them is nothing but a waste. I have a friend of mine who takes lots of bunker home with him and freezes them. He takes so much that at the end of the season he uses them for chum.