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

[DarkSkies]

If I told the story about catching 30 and 40# bass regularly in December in NJ and NY, from the surf, I'm sure a lot would want to hear it.

If I told the story about catching bass and blues in the fall run for days on end, people would want to hear that too.

If I told the story how the spring runs historically had you catching big bass both day AND night, people might pay attention.


Then why is it so hard to get people to pay attention to the fact that those days are distant memories?


Even the "great fall fishing" that people are talking about this year is a slim reminder of what it once was.

You don't have to go back 20 years to see this. Just go back 5, look at some catch reports, see for yourself.

[DarkSkies]

No judgement here, but I'm seeing this enough in the fishing world that I think it merits discussion. I'd like to use this thread as an ongoing dialogue as to what's happening to our fishing resources, laws and legislation, and why we should give an eff about it.



"Well Dark I only fish a few times a year, why should I care?"

"Well, I have a family to take care of, and small kids at home. They take up all my time."

"Ya know how bad this economy is!@!! The best I can do is hold on to my job. I don't have time to do anything else!!"

"Well why should I get involved in something if most everyone doesn't care about it anyway? Why should it be only on the shoulders of me and a few other guys?"

"What's the use? They're only going to shut down our fisheries anyway. Ya know what they say, you can't fight city hall!"


"Get involved? You sound like Chicken Little, dude!! There's plenty of bass and other fish to go around for everyone. You make too much out of nothing, dude, you're delusional!"


"Besides, even if we do get involved, what's the use? How can one person make a difference?"

"I'd rather leave it up to the other guys. I just don't have the time"

[DarkSkies]

As I said, all of the above are valid comments made by us as fishermen who need to balance fishing with family, maintaining a job, and being involved with all the responsibilities we face every day.

Maybe asking people to participate is asking too much? There's a small group of people who will always do what they can and become big supporters of any issues fishermen face.

Historically, there's a much larger % that can't be bothered. (the 90/10 rule which accounts for fishing success as well as political involvement)

We all know that, I don't expect to change that with my words alone. However, if I can grab the attention of a few of ya, and attract then interest of a few others to go and do some research, then I'll consider my long-winded posts to be worth the time and effort.

[DarkSkies]

(I'll fill in later)

[DarkSkies]

I wondered if all the guys out there were aware of the comprehensive nature of these changes. A brief overview:

Winter flounder:

Summer flounder/fluke:

Weakfish:


Grouper:

Red snapper:

Sea bass:

[DarkSkies]

So why should I give an eff about all the rest of those?

[nitestrikes]

Historically, there's a much larger % that can't be bothered. (the 90/10 rule which accounts for fishing success as well as political involvement)

I think that holds true for a lot of things. People don't get involved unless the issue is right in their backyard. Good thread, I'm joining Stripersforever this week.

[dogfish]

I got a better peta one for ya Steve. Ducks unlimited.

[DarkSkies]

Here's a little more about Bob and the things he was involved in:

Stripers Forever members - some of you may have read about the recent passing of Bob Pond of Attleboro, MA, the creator of the Atom plug. We can quickly count at least half of Stripers Forever's board who were members of the now defunct Stripers Unlimited organization which Bob Pond founded. **** Russell, author of Striper Wars, was an old friend of Bob's and consulted him while he wrote that book. **** sent us these words about Bob Pond to share with our membership.

"The passing of Bob Pond at 92 is a great loss, for he was the true pioneer of striped bass conservation. Without Bob's sounding the alarm about the striper population in the mid-1960s, long before anyone else thought there was a problem, this magnificent fish would likely have disappeared from Atlantic coastal waters. After creating the legendary Atom plug used with success by so many anglers, Bob devoted his life to preserving striped bass for future generations. It is our job now to carry his legacy forward. Thank you, Bob Pond, and may you rest in peace. - **** Russell."

We at Stripers Forever share those sentiments

Picture below of Bob Pond from Attleboro, MA newspaper