Fishing laws across the board must change. Comm fishing methods must change. Personally I believe that the oceans can not support indiscriminate fishing methods. (dragging, gill netting,purse seining etc) because of its wasteful by-catch discard. I think R&R comm fishing is OK because it is selective and does not take every last fish in a school...but is not managed worth a damn.
As for 90% of fish are taken by recs. I don't believe it. Most bass fishing by recs is largely C&R nowadays. The assumptions used to support that number are way off base and decades old. The "lic" is suppose to clear up this matter but I doubt it will do much of anything.
I believe the total bass KILLED (not just sold thru the quota) by ALL comm fishing (netting by-catch discard, illegal, undersized, EEZ fish, yoyo rig mortality, and charter boats (which are a comm enterprise) etc) exceeds the rec catch today by a wide margin. Most recs don't fish that often and most don't catch squat. The estimates are bogus. But all this is just anecdotal, from my observations, so take it for what it is worth. The only fact is that the reproduction rates are declining for the last decade and the catch rate is also declining further the "condition" or health of the fish is also declining.
IMO at the current rate, Bass fishing will collapse again. Actually I am looking forward to the collapse just to say I told you so goddamnit!
Nothing will change. We do not learn from history or mistakes. Ron is right, the comm "user group" was pushing for no change and increases during the previous collapse. I remember the shouting and arguments at those meetings. It was like trying to take a gun away from an I-rate NRA member...over my cold dead body. The same thing is happening now. Nothing is changing.
The amount of illegal %$%$%$%$ going on with bass up and down the coast is so far out of control is is laughable and can not be policed.
The ONLY solution for coast wide control is...Gamefish status and that is why I support this option. I also support
1@36 for recs with major fishery re-building efforts in the forage fish depts.
What cracks me up about the comm's perspective is they of course are in both user groups...and while they support
1@36 for recs...want no change in the 30/day@ 34 for comm.
IMO there should be no comm fishery in any fishery that is declining or is not stable and growing.
BTW...this rec has taken 1 bass home this year so far.
