Tuna regs have just changed. Read...
 

1 fish 27"- 47"
1 fish 47"- 72"

Read everything here.
https://hmspermits.noaa.gov/News.asp#news265

Thanks for the update!

I don't worry about bag limits and size limits, I always eat skunk!

Good move, I think.

Worry about what you can control - can't control the Mediter. and oversea's practices, but can exercise some control here.

Some of the small charter fleet up here were going to only start taking 2 instead of three per trip anyway - just alot of meat on those things.

Just my opinion,
But it should have gone down to 1 fish 27-72
No one can eat that much fish!
Way too many of these babies being killed!

plus 1 73" or larger per boat per year. If I catch on of those, I bridle it to drive back to the dock.

Amen to that, Ron

A lot of release mrtality on light tackle caught fish too IMHO...
if Bass have ~8% mortality, I shudder to think what Bluefin have after a 30min battle on spin gear...

And a lot die I'm sure when you get into the sbft that are real small and the hook goes blowing through their eye and hook-up. That was a real problem a few years ago when the fish were very juvenile and were jumping on the trolled gear. I wish the regulations read more like 1 fish @50" - 72" and 1 trophy per vessel per year (giant). This would be a fair and reasonable starting point. Plenty of meat for all and this would help propagate the fishery. Let the small ones grow up to be big ones. Light tackle fishing for them is fun but at the end of the day did you help or hurt the fishery? Fighting a 50 lb tuna on spinning gear for 45 minutes just to release it and watch it sink like a stone helps no one. Plus a fish fought that long and hard doesnt help but rather hurt the quality of the meat if you choose to keep it. You are actually cooking the fish from inside out. Light tackle fishing for them is LEGAL, FUN and ACCEPTED but is it morally and ethically right knowing that a majority of the released fish will probably end up dead on the ocean floor? Something to ponder.

Already pondered it and the answer for me is no, its not ethically right. Same goes for using 30-pound gear in the canyons.

Already pondered it and the answer for me is no, its not ethically right. Same goes for using 30-pound gear in the canyons.
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****MakoMike****


someone should tell Tred Barta that..

Hoop how do you prepare the ole skunkaroo anyways? HA - welcome to my world. But 2008 will be different for both of us! I hope all is well. Stay safe my friend.

Whats the point of a "Trophy" for the recs? What does someone do with 300+ pounds of fish?? 90% of people wouldn't know what to do with a fish that size other than to take pictures.

Feed the neighborhood!

Max,
I agree,

My understanding of the "trophy" is to allow for state records to be broken or to allow for tournament winning fish to be landed. Only a handful are acutally landed in any give year coastwide. Just like the world record bass thread there can be large finacial rewards associated with landing one of these fish, without actually selling it. Or like stated above, one hell of a sushi party.

Also groups like Second Harvest, will take meat donations for their programs.