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I told you something like this would happen.
DZ, you want to feel sick, watch them unload 30 big fish, day after day boat after boat.
You will find most comm guys bend the rules...many of the comm guys cull out the smaller fish for the jumbos now. (dead or alive) the guys that fish with scup **all** fish with undersize fish. How do I know this? When the officer approaches the fleet, they all dump and run wide open in all directions. He nabs one guy for a few 9" scup. I have seen this myself more then once. Why dump and run if you are not breaking the law. Some catch 30 fish, sell them, then go back out and get more and sell them under a lic that is idle for a percentage, few guys get caught and the fine is not significant . Then you have the black market (which does not exists in the eyes of the state), the by catch dumping of dead fish and the fishing in the eez that also does not go on.) There are a million ways to work around these rules. They should JUST TAKE THE PRICE OFF THE FISHES HEAD and all will be well.
Most Comm fishermen don't think the rules apply to them and they think they are better fishermen then everyone else and because "we can't" catch 30 fish in a day we are jealous and want to ban them from doing it. This is a childish perspective. They should not be allowed to enter a rec contest.
**IF** this really happened to this guy I want to know what actually was done to him. Did they impound his boat? they should have. Did they remove his comm lic forever, they should have. Did they fine him, they should have. OTW must take some firm action IF this actually happend and perhaps ban him from further entry forever or the contest is doomed. You must hold in high regard the ethics and sportsmanship qualities or foregetaboutit, this is a test for the contest IMO.
All that said, I am confident OTW will do the right thing, they have some good people over there that know what they are doing and know what they want this contest to become.
I am not so sure the state will do the right thing however.
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