The news, blood boiling, and reflection

[longislandtomd]

The commercial season has begun. Let the comms v. recs debate begin. I know what it feels like to be a part of a profession that is ridiculed and maligned by the masses. Its all in a day's work some would say. I wouldnt want to be on a boat in Feb. working like a dog just to keep the lights on. My hat goes off to them.

But then we see the articles of illegal nets...finding tons of fish. (See the front page of the baltimore sun) and your blood starts to boil. A waste of resources? Sure. Illegal? Absolutely. But here is what really gets to me:

How often has the following scenario happened to you...

You spent a good portion of your week at work as an internet fisherman. Reading the reports, checking the tides, hell, you even checked the lunar tables. The day before you stop by bass pro to pick up a few things you dont really need. With some fishing show on the television, the night before you are tying rigs, re-tying rigs, loading up your car with gear, and hoisting the kayak onto the top of your truck. You lay down the night before and you set your alarm clock knowing that you are going to have a full night of "is-it-time-to-go-yet" type of sleep. Not exactly restful. Finally the alarm clock goes off, telling you its finally time to get the party started. You jump up, kiss the wife, run out of the door (then you run back in the door when you realize that you forgot something), you hit dunkin donuts and put gas in the truck. You head to Wawa to meet up with your message board boyfriends, i mean, fishing buddies. You drive dozens of miles to your selected location and you unload with thoughts of big fish. And then you troll. And troll. And throw. And re-tie. And troll. And you look at your watch, knowing that it is almost time to go home. And all you want is just one. If you could only get that one fish, you would feel so much better about it all. You aren't being greedy, are you? I mean, the kayak is peaceful and it is called fishing not catching, but damn....just one fish would be so nice.

Its at that very moment, after all of the effort that you think about the illegal nets. What if your fish for the day was caught months earlier...illegally?

Yeah, thats when my blood boils. It shouldn't though. Its time to go fishing.

[mdmakaira410]

lemme guess you are either an attny or a cop?

[longislandtomd]

two of the professions hated by all...until you need them.

[Redfish12]

And all for what? $2.50 a pound? What a waste. Imagine how much those fish are worth recreationally! I wish the striper would be given gamefish status, the menhaden would be left alone, and we hired these coms to clean up the bay instead. Even if they would just restrict commercial fishing to hook and line it would be a step forward from indiscriminate nets and trawlers.

I fish with a hook and line guy sometimes, he doesnt take his fish to market, just shares them with friends for free. We hate the gill nets that go up just as much as everyone else.

[DOGFISH]

I agee with the gamefish status for stripers and with limiting the take of menhaden. As you have seen, I have ranted about this before. Ditto on my past discussion. If I write about it again, I'll need more blood pressure pills. These are just common sense measures. ...But, lobby money talks. It will be along fight. The best thing all of us can do is to join an organization that supports recrational fishing. We all need to vote our sport. Maryland is not a very conservation or environmental sensitive state. The bay is continually wasted.

[Memory Maker]

It's a way of life to them ............ small number of people with the attitude that the bay belongs to the waterman, the laws are for others attitude all the way to the judges, and if you're caught you pay a fine that is just a fraction of the normal catch so it is a cost of doing business. The net they found over the weekend had $12,500 of stripers and the fine would have been upto $2000 but the Eastern Shore judges seldom give the big fines or convictions because they are elected by that same community.

And when they are caught or receive criticism, they cry that I'm just trying to feed my family .......... yeah ....... feed them quite well with $12,500 for less that 5 hours work ........

Impose a regulation and they cry you're putting them out of work and want compensation like the oystermen ........ and people consider raising fees to actually buy out these guys ........ can you tell me ANY other profession where the government buys out the workers/businesses ........... everybody else just retrains and finds other jobs at their own expense ........ shoot .... we taxpayers even pay for an icebreaker to let these theives steal the spawning resource ..........

Although, I Guess I would get upset too if someone interfered with me making $12,500 for less than a days work ..........

Time to impose some SERIOUS penalties on these theives ........

[eastonkayaker]

I didn't post this last week when I went fishing but since the subject came up.

Went to one of my favorite fishing piers on the Tuckahoe, a commercial white perch boat was there off-loading. They had 10 half drums full of fish. That didn't really bother I am used to seeing it, both catfish and perch caught by net.

What bothered me were the dozen or so striped bass 10-15" long floating in the water beside their boat because they can't keep them.

[surfdog]

its too bad they didnt stake out the net and catch them red handed. all indiscriminate comm. netting should be banned.

[the_kegs]

Appears there has been a rash of illegal gill net discoveries. I was happy to read that they are counting these fish towards commercial fishing's 2011 Gill Net allocation.

http://www.ccamd.org/publications/Ti...s_02-03-11.pdf

[DOGFISH]

This is why I will not buy rockfish at the market or while out to dinner. Many of those fish are caught by illegal means and over limits, being which is beyond what is allowed by the already wasteful commercial methods. This will go on and on as long as stripers can be sold. If stripers are declared a gamefish, this will stop. It will take a major effort among the Atlantic states to put a stop to this sort of thing. This is not about making a living, it is about greed.

Stripers need to be a gamefish. It will be a major step towards saving the bay. The Chesapeake Bay is a jewel that should be taken care of. All recreational fisherman should belong to an organization that supports their interest. It will be but a few dollars towards saving the sport.