Quote:
Originally Posted by Doublerunner
Seriously though. As I have said from the beginning...a multi faceted approach that has slot limits and restrictions on quantities from both rec and commercial. And also the complete elimination of dragging for menhaden
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1. Why does it have to be an F'ing slot.
Make it 1 fish. 36" and things will improve! No need to do a 20-26", alternate Tuesdays with one over 48" on a Friday slot limit. The average person, myself included is an idiot. Keep It Simple!
2. Does anyone actually drag for menhaden, or are you spouting off on what you don't know?
Ban reduction. The pogie debate is oft rehashed, and searchable here, I'm not going to waste my slow typing on rewriting the past. The controlled seining in local waters is pretty closely monitored, and there are tons of pogies in the bay after the boats leave....
go after Omega protein, not Ark Bait et al....
think about it. 1 fish @36" and I bet you cut the number of fish caught and kept by rec angers by 35% (not 50% b/c I don't think everyone keeps 2 all the time, and I don't think as many people catch "Keepers" at 36" than the would at 28".
@ 1/day 36" every 6-pack charter boat goes from being able to take 26 fish / day (assuming two charters/ day) down to 14 fish/day (assuming the capt/crew each keep a limit/day). Think about how many charters are maxed out during a season at any given place on the coast. Or, think of it this way. For 1000 charters with 6 guys keeping a limit, you go from 12000 fish down to 6000 fish (not counting captain and crew). Apply similar reduction to rec boats as well. Apply this up and down the coast. The numbers saved will DWARF the commercial harvest.
UP ENFORCEMENT! Make sure commercials are selling bass to legit dealers ONLY, and make the penalties very stiff for buyer/seller not in compliance.
Up the limit/reduce the season on pre-spawn wintering fish...
Last; I would wager that the number of rec bass caught and killed (not accounting for the release mortality of every light tackle jamoke fishing fish on 12lb gear in deeper water) in just a few weeks this year at BI was vastly larger than the entire RI quota! Lets get some good numbers on release mortality, and some good estimates of recreational fish caught and killed by itself, no estimates of mortality just # of dead fish period. If that means reporting, and a license/registry so be it, but be careful what we wish for. If it works, the rec numbers are going to jump way up IMHO!