Understanding the decline in the fisheries...

[surfstix1963]

Well that about sums it up.

[buckethead]

Simply said and true. There are more folks fishing now than ever before. Its elementary that there would be less fish. Try telling that to some of them and they accuse you of being for peta. I have seen the decline and the lean years of the 80's. I think the only way for some of them to understand that is to live through it. My .02

[surfstix1963]

Yes Sir live and learn...If you don't learn from mistakes history will repeat itself....

[DarkSkies]

What gets to me is it is easier than ever to find actual data to learn about the past.
You have those who are adamant that there is nothing wrong with the fishery....
Tom Fote...
some who only fish the Raritan Bay area....etc......and some with Commercial Agendas...

I say over and over that either these people:
1. Don't fish that often
2. Are gullible and easily mis-led by others.
3. Or have a hidden agenda for why they are claiming something that's obviously untrue (to most of us).

I can't understand why.... with all the research information now available at our fingertips.....many people will not research an issue to become better informed.....

When I call those people lazy, they get mad..:don't know why:..but it is what it is.....

If you can't be bothered to use a few keystrokes to become better informed, and you listen blindly to the claims of others without fact checking, then you are truly lazy, and deserve to be called out on it.

In the last 5 years I have seen a trend of apathy and laziness when it comes to the internet. I know I can't change that. However, I find it incredible how some are so quick to make snap judgements when so many are unwilling to do even the most basic research. These are just my observations and experiences, others may agree or disagree.

[surfstix1963]

Just a little humor.I'm not that lazy,but all the factors point to the main reason as to why the fishery is almost dead in the water so to speak,more anglers catching more fish equals less fish they cannot reproduce or grow that fast.Then you have poaching,environmental factors,commercial by-catch,poor spawns,poor C&R practices,poor fisheries management, being part of the food chain etc. the list goes on.Quite honestly numbers are numbers it all depends on whose counting them,what I see and hear in the last 10 years is a repeat of the 80's.

[storminsteve]

I probably have not been fishing as long as some of you guys here. Wanted to ask this question for anyone who could answer it. If as you say these same parallels are being drawn to the past. The conditions are the same as the 80's. The bass are declining in the same proportions. Why would not all fishermen be up in alarms to try to stop it? Why would they wait till the exact same thing happens again to realize that they just experienced deja vu?

[surfstix1963]

Greed,swollen ego's,stupidity.As one of the older guys we have been preaching the troubles ahead because we have seen it in the 80's back then IMO the commercials put the major hurt on the fish,this time the rec's have done it.The population of the fish recovered some but not completely after the moratorium then came a giant increase of fishermen hammering the bass stocks before they were fully recovered, perhaps the moratorium should have been longer.So every time this situation happens it will take longer to regain the numbers again without proper management(which we do not have)that is if the stocks are able to recover in the next 5 years or so.Just my .02 cents without getting scientific on you.A little common sense is all that is needed really it just takes a group effort.