A must read!

[Riptide]

After the lively debate on another site about SF and Comm fishing I was surprised to get a preview copy of FlyRod & Reel Magazine. There is an article in the Jan/Feb issue that I was quoted in. I actually forgot I did the interview and was shocked to see my name inthe article. It is the best written and most comprehensive article regarding the issues facing the striped bass. It is written by Ted Williams and titled "PLundering Stripers".

Now before you think, just another FF rag talking trash about Comms, you REALLY need to read this. It lays blame accross the board and inparticular on rec and tourney anglers. It also highlights the "bad apples" that Comm fish.

If you pick up any magazine off the rack this should really be the one!

You can read the article here >>>>> Striper Article

[Clammer]

RIP


I made a [ton} of money /back when /with the F/R >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> What better to match the hatch /// outfished guys with live [bait] just about every nite

[Blitzseeker]

I agree, well written and balanced.

[Raven]

or flesh of bass....

hybrids are the answer....

let them hold their tourneys on lakes.

[Flaptail]

The link won't open for me. Maybe they know it's me, the boys at SF lead the list in hate e-mails I get, man when I post something on that crew they go nutz and I get bombarded. Still think they are a bunch of loonies.

[JohnR]

Interesting article but STILLLLLLLLLLLLLLL misses the point. What needs to be done is a reduction of COMMERCIAL AND RECREATIONAL catch and FIX THE FORAGE FISH. Instead of fighting over who has what allocation - fix the PROBLEM. Without the bait kids, it's all over, regardless who coughs up allocation.

Buckies Forever!

[stripersnipr]

Originally Posted by JohnR

Interesting article but STILLLLLLLLLLLLLLL misses the point. What needs to be done is a reduction of COMMERCIAL AND RECREATIONAL catch and FIX THE FORAGE FISH. Instead of fighting over who has what allocation - fix the PROBLEM. Without the bait kids, it's all over, regardless who coughs up allocation.

Buckies Forever!

Absofreakinlutely.

[fishsmith]

bait bait bait, we gotta fix the bait.
If the heard doesn't get thinned by recs and comms, how much skinnier will the existing bass get?

[Flaptail]

Originally Posted by JohnR

Interesting article but STILLLLLLLLLLLLLLL misses the point. What needs to be done is a reduction of COMMERCIAL AND RECREATIONAL catch and FIX THE FORAGE FISH. Instead of fighting over who has what allocation - fix the PROBLEM. Without the bait kids, it's all over, regardless who coughs up allocation.

Buckies Forever!

John por el Presidente'!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! He is a wise man.

[afterhours]

Originally Posted by JohnR

Interesting article but STILLLLLLLLLLLLLLL misses the point. What needs to be done is a reduction of COMMERCIAL AND RECREATIONAL catch and FIX THE FORAGE FISH. Instead of fighting over who has what allocation - fix the PROBLEM. Without the bait kids, it's all over, regardless who coughs up allocation.

Buckies Forever!

[big jay]

I would hardly call that article "fair balanced". The author started out by making the point that recs kill far more bass than commercials, but only to frame his arguement as to why it has been near impossible to accomplish their goal of outlawing commercial bass fishing.

The rest of the article is just more of the same Stripers Forever rhethoric about banning commerical fishing.

[Finaddict]

I can't open the link, but I will tell that I agree whole heartedly with John, as the bait issue has been a problem for much longer than many realize -- some were warning about this problem in the early 1990s but they did not get much air - and it's from a wide array of problems that include overharvesting, but also increased coastal development ...

... that aside, here's a thought we may want to consider before slamming comms - while I don't agree with their methods, catches, bycatch, philosophies, this example could shed an interesting twist to consider ...

... a similar situation happened at Outdoor Life magazine in the early/mid 1990s, the editor in chief at the time wanted to run a story that condemed bear baiting -- luring bears in with food and shooting them -- as a form of hunting. The magazine refused to run it and the EIC quit in protest (what he claimed was a matter of principal), a brief on that appeared in the Wall Street Journal (must have been a slow news day)... problem that he failed to see -- according to others in the hunting industry -- was if you open the door to condeming one form of hunting, even the littlest crack could enable the anti-hunting types to rush in and ruin it/shut it down for all hunters.

That's a challenge that we have to deal with regarding comms and recs ... but for the fish, if we have strong supplies of bait, the fish will be here in force ... although I preferred it to one fish per day at 36 inches.