Too Many Seals

[moosh]

I saw a seal today at one of my favorate spring spots ,I never seen one there before ,seems like every year theres more and more, Has anyone else noticed this ? How big of a striper can a full size seal take down , I saw one about three years ago munchin on at least a 24 " one like an ear of corn

[BigFish]

I saw one tossing back about a 15 pounder once! One of them big, black monsters from down the backside!

[Diggin Jiggin]

Moosh, my first time out this year I had seals in front of me at a spot in buzzards bay, first time I ever had them with me in there.

[moosh]

I saw alot last year hangin around the mouths of inlets ,

[moosh]

Diggin jiggin that rod is working out very nicely for me you did a great job on it ..

[gone fishin]

I saw a bunch of them at the race during the MBBA conservation project. They seemed to be following tagger. I wish we could train them to go after bloos only.

[2na]

Guys, you may have notice people such as Karl, Slipnot, Rappin' Mikey (among others) and myself decrying seals, and we're not joking - they are a serious threat. If you're seeing them it's only a matter of time until they start taking your fish, and they'll take any size - I've had a 25# snatched from me, know of guys losing larger, even a tuna in the 20# class that a guy had released. If you are seeing the big grey seals (aka horsehead seal) the males weigh in at 4-600+ pounds. There is no pressure on the seal population from predation, so it is exploding. They are eating machines, and after they have eaten all of the easy targets such as skate, fluke, sand dab, etc., they are going to learn to watch you for a bent rod. Bass are easier targets for them than blues because the bass on your line will just wallow out there, while a blue will zig and zag, and the blues even though they are hooked, when they see that seal coming the hook in the mouth becomes a secondary concern to them - you can tell when a seal is after your blue because the blue will act just like a herring with a bass after it.

If you guys are seeing them for the first time, I would estimate your window to be 3-5 years. Sightings will go from being a novelty, to a common occurrence, to nuisance once other food sources become depleted. First it was Nauset, then the rest of the back, then the islands and it would be logical to assume that adjoining areas are next. It is a sad state of affairs.

[Rappin Mikey]

I had one take a fish well into 30# range 3 feet in front of me last year.

[Blitzseeker]

You will not catch a bass big enough that they won't eat it off your line....simple as that.

I agree with the timeline stated above.....on the back beach they were a novelty item for a while. Around 2002 a guy I fish with had a seal grab a fish from the end of his line and we all laughed at what we thought was the story of a lifetime.

We're not laughing now......

[Slipknot]

ugggghhh don't get me started on seals

I think they look good with face ornamentation

[maddmatt]

when i'm incharge........

get rid of the marine mammal protection act and bring back the bounty!!

death to the seals!! death to the seals!! death to the seals!!

[GonnaCatchABig1]

just wait.. nature has funny ways of fixing it self. more sharks will eventually find them.

of course since sharks aren't cute and cuddly we will then have a "shark problem" and measure will be taken to rid our waters of the evil killing machines feeding on the cute little seal babies.

[DZ]

Originally Posted by GonnaCatchABig1

just wait.. nature has funny ways of fixing it self. more sharks will eventually find them.

More likely it will be disease or a virus that controls the seal population.

Just recently out on the west coast authorities found quite a few dead sea lions that were shot and killed around the steelhead runs.
I can envision that happening here.

DZ

[FishermanTim]

Just remember to yell "He's coming right for us !" right before you shoot. (from "Hunting with Jimbo and Ned on South Park.)

[2na]

Why so madd, Matt?

[likwid]

Originally Posted by maddmatt

when i'm incharge........

get rid of the marine mammal protection act and bring back the bounty!!

death to the seals!! death to the seals!! death to the seals!!

and this is why you will never be "in charge"

[FishermanTim]

Here's a thought..... Since people have been catching (and killing) sharks for food and fun, we had already set the stage for this type of explosive growth of seal population. Secondly, since"we" had enected strict rules for the harvest of specific fish species, we allowed those species to make somewhat of a comeback, providing plenty of feeding opportunities for the seals. (see the vicious circle?)
If the seals are not a completely indigenous species 'round these parts, but more of a migrating species, then why not push them back towards a migratory lifestyle..... by allowing culling of the heards.
If the seals feel threatened, they should leave the area, and if they are threatened enough, maybe leave for good.
Think about it: Exactly what purpose do the seals fill in our watery environment? At least the sharks help clean the ocean of dead/dying animals. When was the last time you saw a shark attack a fish on your line or heard of seals doing ANYTHING except looking cute with those puppy-dog eyes?


All the "touchy-feely" tree-huggin, PETA-lovin weirdos will be singing a different song when the seals start wiping out ground fish along their favorite "private beaches" and the seals take over the beach and turn it into a festering cesspool. This is our real-life "nature-gone-wild" scenario, and we can't do a thing (legally).

I wonder what grilled seal taste like?

[likwid]

Originally Posted by FishermanTim

All the "touchy-feely" tree-huggin, PETA-lovin weirdos will be singing a different song when the seals start wiping out ground fish along their favorite "private beaches" and the seals take over the beach and turn it into a festering cesspool.

We already beat the seals to that.

[Slipknot]

Originally Posted by FishermanTim

All the "touchy-feely" tree-huggin, PETA-lovin weirdos will be singing a different song when the seals start wiping out ground fish along their favorite "private beaches" and the seals take over the beach and turn it into a festering cesspool.

Originally Posted by likwid

We already beat the seals to that.

Likwid, maybe you haven't noticed Pleasant Bay and P-Town harbor, I understand your point though, but the seals have a LARGE part in the loss of flounder in Pleasant bay. And I don't like swimming in seal poop anymore than anyone else
We have to ask ourselves who is more important in the food chain, seals or us? I know which way I lean.

[Grapenuts]

Originally Posted by maddmatt

when i'm incharge........

get rid of the marine mammal protection act and bring back the bounty!!

death to the seals!! death to the seals!! death to the seals!!

Well! if you can't kill them perhaps the brok-back dune gang in PT can breed them out.

[Rappin Mikey]

Likwid, the way you break down people's posts is very passive aggressive. I have a list of questions and statements for you.
1. Are you a biologist?
2. When was the last time you fished from shore on the outter cape?
3. Do you like gay tuna?
4. When was the last time you tried to rake sandeels inshore??
5. I believe the horsehead seals are different then the seals at Sea World
6. Before I made my statements I said don't quote me these were told to me a few years ago and someone could go digging if they wanted to.
7. My dad is an engineer, he is a very logical person, not the type to make things up out of the blue. The data that he told me was quoted from something he had read. Again this was a few years ago so I might not be accurrate.
8. When was the last time you fished from shore on the outter Cape? From your comments I would guess it was a very long time.

[likwid]

Originally Posted by Rappin Mikey

Likwid, the way you break down people's posts is very passive aggressive. I have a list of questions and statements for you.

Because its the same things over and over without any evidence. It gets old.

1: Nope, but what I quote is from biologists

2: Last fall

3: I loves all the tunas equally. Om nom nom nom.

4: I don't rake, I go by what I see in the water.

5: Grey seals (Halichoerus grypus) a larger seal, are being seen more frequently but harbour seals still outnumber them. The grey seal population in the Bay of Fundy appears to be on the increase. Males reach lengths of 245cm (8') and weigh 450kg (990lb), females 215cm (7') and 270kg (600lb). The head is long and the seal is often called the"horsehead" seal.
Kinda like aussies call bluefish tailors. Same thing.

6: Ok, but too many people run around with facts and figures that came from someone else that said something else that they read in a book that was written in 1902.

7: I can provide links and/or books to prove what I say.

8: Repeat, last fall. Thats not very "long ago". And I'm down there just about every other weekend just for the hell of it. (Including all winter long. Nice place to take the dog for a walk.)

If people (in general) don't educate themselves, they're doomed to failure. Walking into something (say the seal problem) blindly with just speculation and heresay won't solve the issue. It'll just make it worse.

[Rappin Mikey]

However you want to look at it, or where ever you get your data from, it is visibly obvious that the seals population is in the midst of an explosion. You might see balls of bait "offshore" but ask anyone that has been raking sandeels over the years and you'll get the same response I'm giving you. I haven't seen one skate pulled up on the beach in three years. I would say roughly 50% of the fish I catch now are chased by seals, as opposed to 0% four years ago. You hear it all over the outter Cape that buisnesses are struggling. I just find it odd that someone who is out there as much as you claim you are hasn't noticed any of this. I know seals can't be held 100% responsible for all of this. But I also do know that they are contributing to the problem and to close your eyes to the whole matter confuses me a little bit. Anyway, that's all I have to say on this. You all can flame on now.