WHY should I care? WHY should I get involved? Why ME?

[DarkSkies]

Finchaser posted up some good reasons to get involved. I wanted to highlight them here:


[For all recreational fisherman which encompasses people who fish on party boats,charter boats and the beach. Plus most tackle shop owners fish.

I do all three, as many saltwater fisherman do. Surf is dead so we fish boats for cod,pollack,hake and ling.
Always fish boats for fluke,blackfish( fish that are good eating)
We no longer can fish for seabass, which is part of the fight the RFA and SSFFF are undertaking.

1.The commercial guys pay lobbyists to get there way from government ( large fish quota's) they want ours.

2.The RFA (Recreational Fishing Alliance) lobbies for us from the donations and memberships, thats where all the money goes.

Remember the money which goes to the economy is what government looks at. The money spent by beach fisherman is like a pimple on an elephants *** compared to boat sector. With out the boat sector we would have no quota's it would all be commercial,which government (DR. Lubchenco) wants.
The more fisheries they shut down the worse it's gonna be.

Just this year 2009 since Ms Lubchenco took over NOAA thanks to Obama (she came from PEW)
For 2009
1. Seabass shut down here
2. Red Snapper,Amberjack in florida shut down
3. Weakfish here

For 2010
a. seabass 2 months instead of 12 months
b. weakfish 1 fish instead of 6
c. new fluke regulations
d. possible new striper regulations


These are all fights the RFA is involved in to over turn,hence the seabass lawsuit against government,fighting to keep fluke and Striped bass regulations and quota the same. They fight to keep recreational fish quotas from going to the commercials and other fisheries from being shut down. There are 2 groups Recreational and Commercial period thats how fish are split up.

If we fish for them from land or sea really has no bearing we are recreational fisherman it's our quota we want to save. Remember with out bass and blues beach guy's disappear and no one would care especially beach front home owners who also support government against us with political contributions. ]

[DarkSkies]

Guys, kudos to all who are concerned enough to ask questions. There are no stupid questions. Learning is a process, and I commend anyone who wants to learn more.

The motive behind this thread is to educate people more so they will have the incentive to make conscious choices to keep learning, and possibly getting involved.

I may seem like I'm preaching here guys and girls, but this is our fishing future.

The Bill of Rights gives citizens the right to bear arms.
However it doesn't give us an automatic right to hunt or fish. As I see these rights trampled on, I can't help but become more and more involved.

I'm inviting some of you here to do that as well. I realize the decision is entirely up to you. I just want to be able to present some things which I hope will help you in your research.

[DarkSkies]

A lot of people laughed this off. If you think about it rationally, it's a brilliant campaign designed ultimately to prevent or restrict us from fishing.

These devious eco-freaks have designed a very intelligent campaign to get into the minds of schoolchildren and get them to think about fish as delicate creatures that they can adopt as pets or feel sorry for.

Make no mistake about it, the obvious intent is to turn the young generations against fishing. A very well placed strategic move in their war against anyone who fishes.

I could merely just say to PETA and the PEW trust people, but have realized that just because I give them an they won't go away.

In fact, they become stronger every year as they place their disciples in key gov't positions.

They get stronger, while we fishermen argue among ourselves.



A key disciple of theirs is Dr Jane Lubchenko, current head of the NOAA. This is the most powerful gov't organization today that has control over fishing rights.

OUR fishing rights.

And this one woman is in a position of power to shut off our rights as easily as someone turns off a light switch.

She has done this several times.

When will she come gunning to shut the striped bass fishing down?

Not possible, you say?
Don't bet your house on it.

[DarkSkies]

Let's hear what you guys have to say, positive or negative. That's the only way for people to learn.

[Monty]

Where as a few years ago I would look at what is better for everyone, its not that way anymore.
I love fishing, do not need to catch fish to have a great time. I am all for restricting catch limits, raising minimum sizes and eliminating the commercial fishing industry. In the case of the commercial fishing industry, I believe constant pressure on them to reduce their catch and bycatch amounts is required. I also have big problems with charters limiting out +bonus fish on stripers.
If there was an organization that I agreed with on their views and what they were doing to reach certain goals, I would join it and support it. I am sick and tired of compromise.
Till then I will choose for what "action, proposition, etc." I write letters and sign petitions for.
That said, do we really want the fishing to be better than this year? Have you read Finchaser's reports this year? What challange would it be for him if there were more fish?

[finchaser]

Where as a few years ago I would look at what is better for everyone, its not that way anymore.
I love fishing, do not need to catch fish to have a great time. I am all for restricting catch limits, raising minimum sizes and eliminating the commercial fishing industry. In the case of the commercial fishing industry, I believe constant pressure on them to reduce their catch and bycatch amounts is required. I also have big problems with charters limiting out +bonus fish on stripers.
If there was an organization that I agreed with on their views and what they were doing to reach certain goals, I would join it and support it. I am sick and tired of compromise.
Till then I will choose for what "action, proposition, etc." I write letters and sign petitions for.
That said, do we really want the fishing to be better than this year? Have you read Finchaser's reports this year? What challange would it be for him if there were more fish?

Sorry you feel that way,
And by the way fishing this year sucked compared to years past. It is on a decline from the mass desrtuction done by bunker snaggers and charter boats in Virginia and NC in the winter.

Fishing is always a challenge to me ,yes I catch allot of bass from skills I've learned through the years. Many of which were acquired during the moratorium when you sometimes fished for weeks to catch a fish. If things keep up as they are we will be back there in no time. The more we give up the more we will never get back. I'm not in favor of bonus tags but remember that started for the beach guys,the government let boats do what they do with them to help them stay in business and get the recreational guys off there backs.
Remember letters fall on deaf ears and are answered with a form letter from a government officials aid while commercial lobbists wine and dine polititions and take our fish.

Pick up a copy of Sport fishing magazine there is a full page editorial on recreational fisherman loosing the fight against government nation wide and are uniting to fight back.

[jimbob]

This really needs to be about fish and the ecosystem that supports them. It is not about who can have more of the resource, commercial or recreational. If we can protect the ecosystems, everyone will have a share available. If we keep arguing who should get more fish, nothing will change, the fisheries will collapse, and nobody gets anything.
Fisheries management is broken; it is obvious that what has been done in the past is not working. We need to implement progressive ideas to make management work to save and maintain fisheries. Everything I read about NOAA management plans sound good. If you are just going to decide that a manager is going to do a bad job because she was associated with an organization you don't agree with, you may be making a mistake. She has many positive qualities.
Don't fear new management policies, they might work. The old policies are failing. I would like to see all the people who say Obama's policies will not work, come up with thier own ideas on management.

[Monty]

Sorry you feel that way,
And by the way fishing this year sucked compared to years past. It is on a decline from the mass destruction done by bunker snaggers and charter boats in Virginia and NC in the winter.

I did not mean for it to sound like I want the stocks depleted if it sounded that way (I want the opposite). I feel better fishing management is needed (recreational and commercial). As you state if I interpreted what you wrote correctly, people cause this problem.
I feel they cannot go against their nature and do the things required for stocks to recover without guidance (laws).

I also feel its hypocritical for me to be on the same side as the charter boats catching limits + of 20 pound and up bass.
That is just how I feel (now).
I know these people need to make a living, but I just do not like them killing so many fish.


I just read the article by Doug Olander "To Late to Stop the Train Wreck?". Its alarming the things mentioned in the article are happening to the recreational fishermen. Its almost unbelievable that people on certain positions are so out of touch with what is happening. Its even more troubling with so many branches in the government are so out of touch with whats happening in the USA. Views today by government officials are so skewed by $$ that its disgusting. Not sure what to do about it.

And I do realize that fishing (catching) is on the down side and share your view on where it could be headed. My reference to how many fish you caught this year was a mere reflection of your skills .


Is it us (surf fisherman, boat fisherman, charter boats, party boats and tackle manufacturers) against commercials? Trying to divide the fish quota?
Trying to set fair limits for all that will enable the respective fish stocks to recover?

[fisherofmen]

Sorry monty...I dont see any recreational fishermen selling stripers to market

[Monty]

Sorry monty...I dont see any recreational fishermen selling stripers to market

I feel that recreational fisherman kill to many bass.
Whether for the table, pumping their chests, to win tournaments or to sell.
The limits are way to generous.
Guys like johnny bucktails, the charter boats, party boats, were killing 3 bass per person. This would happen if they found a concentration of bass, they would go and try to wipe it out.
The new group "1 @ 32"" is a great start, but clowns like johnny bucktails or rip316 would never join that 1 @ 32 group, because they don't care about anything but killing their share of breeder size bass. And their share is what the limits are set on, and the people who set the limits are corrupt and really don't care that the Striped Bass population is in trouble.

The book CAUGHT by Jeff Nichols, goes into a bit of detail on the recreational sale of Striped Bass.
Seems to happen in the New York area.

Those be my thoughts.
Welcome aboard

[hookset]

Sorry monty...I dont see any recreational fishermen selling stripers to market

Sorry but I dont agree with that. In Ma and LI a lot of recreationals sell their bass. I read part of that book caught and it talks about it. In NJ there are plenty of chinese restaurants and fish markets that will buy your bass. One time we went to a chinese restaurant in sea bright. The guy cooked a bass we caught. Then later he came by and said if we bring him more he would give us free meals. So he may not have exactly bought from us but he was actively looking to barter for bass.

[ledhead36]

Sorry monty...I dont see any recreational fishermen selling stripers to market

X2 have to ask if you live in maryland did you know a lot of the poaching goes on there. Never once did you see or hear of anyone selling? If you drive down rt 1/9, or rt22 in New Jersey or go over to Chinatown in NY you can find striped bass for sale. Mostly the asian produce and fish markets. I seen bass for sale in there.

[ledhead36]

A lot of people laughed this off. If you think about it rationally, it's a brilliant campaign designed ultimately to prevent or restrict us from fishing.

These devious eco-freaks have designed a very intelligent campaign to get into the minds of schoolchildren and get them to think about fish as delicate creatures that they can adopt as pets or feel sorry for.

Make no mistake about it, the obvious intent is to turn the young generations against fishing. A very well placed strategic move in their war against anyone who fishes.

I could merely just say to PETA and the PEW trust people, but have realized that just because I give them an they won't go away.

In fact, they become stronger every year as they place their disciples in key gov't positions.

They get stronger, while we fishermen argue among ourselves.

The sea kittens campaign was stupid. I agree it was brilliant as well. We should find out where the head leaders live and send them rotting bunker heads in the mail. Maybe they can make bunker kittens out of them.

[storminsteve]

.

I could merely just say to PETA

Does PETA protect all fish?