:claps:
I agree 100% w/ what #^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^& posted above. Although it may somewhat change the way everyone fishes, bringing bunker back in large #'s will outweigh (pun intended) any other effects.
In a few years you would also the see the effects on the ocean beaches

Cleaner Bay, more fish etc.
 

here we come.
#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^& has a good point about getting this to become law. You never know whats going to happen in the legislative process. However, these gents in the House that signed the bill are serious about the issue. They are committeed to getting this done and on the books. How do I know this you ask? I am proud to say that my brother is the co-sponsor. Hold on, this is going to be a good one. Kudo's to RISAA.

I definitely agree w/the good outweighing the bad. I think I said that, or meant to. It just makes things a little more challenging for the shore bound. I don't quite see how you can disagree with that. Personally, I'm not a huge fan of flat water fishing. I prefer the open ocean. Doesn't mean I won't adapt, just means it's not my preference.

I don`t very often get involved anymore, too many battles fought without a victory. But my wife fights on, heavily involved with local politics. I`ve allready phoned both my Rep and Senator and expressed my opinion and told them that I would be closely following this bill. A personal call is worth a hundred form letter E-mails.
Slinger

Ahhh.... Finally a winter flame war! :vamp:

I personally don't attribute the lackluster fishing in SoCo to the abundance of Bunker in the bay. When the guys were slaying fish in the Bay in boats... there were plenty of fish to be had from shore too... just had to look in different places sometimes... they're not always in the same places every year. The summer did SUCK but it has to be because of the outlandishly warm water.. no? The bay was no longer loaded with big fish in the summer or pogies... and then August... brought the fish back... although it seemed like almost no one knew it. The fall was excellent. I'll vote for this one twice if I can... :)

I do. Have you ever fished schools of bunker? Where theres bunker, theres fat hungry bass slamming just about anything you can put in front of them.
It makes pros out of goons, just look at me :D
Only in NE would guys complain about bunker coming back

Here you go lads (H-5165)
 

House committee members:

http://www.rilin.state.ri.us/ComMemb...omChoiceR=HENR

Eben,
I really don't think you have to worry about your concerns. All the environmental benefits aside... If bunker were at historic levels, they would be all along the coast, in the salt ponds, etc. They would not be only in the bay. Maybe for the summer, but they would drop out in the fall and you would have blitzes all along the coast. The bunker are with out a doubt a GOOD thing. With the decline in herring, flounder etc. they are critical to sustaining the bass population.

Ebe- I think the idea of protecting bunker as being detrimental to South County fishing is preposterous(!) if you really think the only guys who are gonna benefit are th boaters in Gansett Bay, you're way off....... besides, who says that you aren't the guy whose fishing style has adapted to the "wrong way" of fishing without bunker??

Mike - thank you & your brother on this. Also, let us know what we can do to support this...

Thanks!

I have mixed feelings about this development. It will hurt the local bait shops big time and they’re already hurting enough. I think there will be opposition on the bait front – from bait shops and lobstermen. And, like has been said already, pogies make bass to easy to target and catch (which I admit is not always a bad thing). But think about this for a minute – the run of pogies in Narragansett Bay this year was great, and I bet lots of fishermen took more large bass than any time of their life. So you have lots of pogies AND lots of big bass harvested. Is that good? I’m not so sure.
Secondly, it’s one stinking company – and a company that has always shared its catch with sport fishermen. To me this is stabbing Ark bait in the back.

Just a few thoughts to ponder….

DZ

I don't fish the bay. Having said that, from what I read there were plenty of ogies left after Ark bait got done with them. The boat fishermen will still be able to catch pogies for their own bait, but 99.99% of the shore fishermen will be SOL when it comes to getting pogies for bait. The bait shops will also take a hit, from not hving them to sell. I just don't see this as a win-win for everyone.

You must not have fished all that many years then, the presence of bunker make the shore fishing fantastic, in the 80s areas like fort Varnum were red hot due to all the bunker that were around, also you may want to take a closer look at the bay itself, there are plenty of places that have wave action, the bay goes all the way to its mouth at Beavertail light I would call that Surf in every sense of the word. The bay doesnt end at Conimicutt point...Anyway most of the 50lb fish landed in Rhode Island in the 70s and early 80s came from the bay and many of those came from shore fisherman..

This is a stupid argument and not on the right direction....The bottom line is that This bill is a great step forward and will benefit all fisherman.

Thank you. I was a little over caffinated last night and when i read this bill I posted my thoughts a little too quickly. Today i am a little more level headed and hopefully i can articulate my feelings better-

To clarify, I am 100% for the protection of pogies. Theres no argument that a bass who eats alot of them will grow to be fat and healthy. I really think they should be protected down in the chesapeake, but thats adifferent story.
Sure, if in a few years there are ample amounts of pogies distributed everywhere, then thats awesome.

NIB- how was the fishing along the NJ beaches where the pogies had left?? Any bass? Did NJ still have resident fish along jetties that had seen pogies a few days before?

Agian i am for this, i just want peope to know (especially the surfcasters) that having alot of pogies around will make things very intereresting..

I don't see how Ark Bait not spending its usual two weeks in the Bay before heading to greener (or Menhaden Browner) pastures is going to negatively impact local bait suppliers and shops as much as the positive impact of having menhaden feeding bass and having menhaden filtering the bay. Sure, Ark bait is able to supply fresh or near fresh pogies for shops and lobsterman while they're here for a shorter period of time and after that the local places and people get pogies from afar anyway.

I think the benefits to the bay and to the bass far outweigh fresh -v- frozen pogies. Or local supply to local shops.

well said :grins:

I never said they were as good as then and , when I was a kid was about 15 years before you were..I have a good memory...anyway, its better than it has been in a long while, there were more than enough bunker around to fish with and it was awesome fishing, it has not been like this in years, I just hope the trend continues and it looks like the bunker are coming back strong! that ,I am happy about.

Correct, I didn't start until the early 90's. Then I was in NC for 6 years, I've only been back for 6. I didn't think we we're arguing. I agree it will be good for the fishery. My opinion, (and that's all it is) is that the places i currently like to fish will not benefit in the SHORT term. I will adapt if i need to. I am no way opposed to the bill. I would , however, like to see menhaden fishing banned from ALL RI waters, not just the bay.

I am surprised dennis, do you really know how efficient and how many pounds that "one" company takes? Of course they give bait to fisherman, they want them to stay happy and quiet, its a small price for them to pay...I watched them up close many times this year from my boat and they take bunker in devestating numbers...I am all for more Bunker!

Has everyone gone nuts???? I cant beleive some of the posts I am reading?? Look back at all the crying threads of the past complaining of the lack of bait, here you guys have a bill that will do something about it and what do some people do?? They cry that they won't do as well because there is to much bait un-F@#$^&()in real..what f!@#$in Joke...Its hopeless and very weird.......

You guys want a bill that make fishing for bass a "Plug only" sport.....To many paint fumes

You cant have it both ways, you cant say one year that there are no fish because there is no bait and then say the next year that a poor season is due to TO much bait...doesnt work like that.......

Bill;
Just wanted to clarify. I know you knew what it was like.
It is nowhere near what it was. Hopefully the trend does continue.
More pogies = more fat bass!

No problem Hound ! Like I said however it was really good, I have no complaints, I had bunker just about anytime I wanted it.

Have to agree, what a joke complaining about a bunker resurgence, makes me wonder who the heck is really a fisherman.......And your right only in NE....

Bill,
Please don't get me wrong Bill. I know where you're coming from on this.
More large bunker will mean more dead cows - plain and simple.
It's always been my priority to protect large bass. To put a hurting on a commercial guy by hiding behind an environmental smoke screen so that sport fishermen can have all the pogies is wrong. If RISAA really wanted to protect the pogies so they can protect the bay then they should try and ban the taking of pogies by anyone.
Just my opinion.
DZ

I have to agree with what Dennis has said . It's hard to see how this legislation can be interpreted as anything other than a "Fish Grab" by some recreational striper fisherman in the upper bay. If the menhaden is truly "the most important fish in the sea" should not everyone be banned from possessing it?

Bill if you didnt have a boat and you were standing next to steve mckenna who has said that last year was the worst surfcasting he has experienced in 30 years including the moratorium would you be singing the same tune?

Im for this bill, all im doing is playing the devils advocate and bringing to light the negative effects of an abundance of pogies.

EXACTLY!

That makes complete sense.

Did you watch"Fishing the Ocean State" yesterday ? It was about fishing in review in 2006.
Steve M, Thomcat, RISAA member, fly fisherman and others were being interview in a open forum and chating at Quakerlane.
Steve did indicate that fishing was "great" before July 12 and once the pogie boats arrived thereafter it was the "worst" he has seen in 30 years. I don't think Steve fishes from the boat.

Yes I would eben, I fished with steve for 15 years, It was bad last season and I did spend plenty of time in the surf , Steve is a close personal friend of mine(and its funny but I am on the phone with steve right now!) but that doesnt mean I agree with everything he says, I think to many people spent way to much time in one spot and saw things though tunnell vision. As he is telling me now as I relate the post, he said he should have branched North so, take that for what its worth..He says he got stuck in the rut of "this area is so good that it should always be" sometimes that thinking is wrong.But we did do "ok" we came in 4th and 5th for the OTW cup, and we each had several fish from the beach in the 30lb class..so it wasnt all gloom and doom.

In fact he just reminded me, we went to a mid bay Island by boat in june beached it and surf fished the place all night, we HONED The fish so he as I are willing to do different things or whatever it takes.......

And yes, Steve did Boat fish with me and with Jim White, we had a blast.......