MSBA Action Alert--Stripers Forever Bill Could Pass- Only One Hearing--This Thursday

[JohnnyD]

Originally Posted by CowHunter

I know you want whats best for the fish, so do I, as do all I would hope.... Im not arguing that... The problem is your with a very small group if fishermen that want a catch and release fishery for themselves. define Gamefish for me please? New jeresy is a Gamefish State, So you dont have a problem with me killing 12,000 lbs on my charters in May and June, but you have a problem with me killing 11,500 lbs in mass July and august because Im killing them and then selling them???

Game fish status as I understand it is no commercial take and severely limited Rec take. If "Jersey Shore" on MTV has taught us anything, it's that NJ shouldn't be taken as the rule with regards to anything.

Just because you RARELY Keep a bass doesnt mean others should.... I happen to eat Bass regularly, so does my family, whats wrong with that??? You want to have people dictate what your allowed to eat or not?

There is a lot wrong with it, if you have read recent reports concerning mercury and PCP content in Striped Bass. As Makia stated, some studies have shown that women and children shouldn't eat *any* striped bass.

Its a shared resource that needs to be shared, and managed properly...

Exactly. And the most effective way to properly manage it is to drastically limit how many fish can be taken. The tons of juvenile SB being netted in the Chesapeake isn't doing anyone any favors, nor is 2 fish @ 28" for Recs or 30 fish/day and 5 on Sundays for Comms.

Let's lay it all out there. You're a commercial guy and you run charters. Legislation like this would certainly take money out of your pocket and many others. Nothing about this legislation is beneficial to you. You are also in a drastic minority and you're right, it's not fair. On the other hand, there is no way you can argue that no Commercial take and 1 fish/day @ 36" for everyone is not in the best interest of the Striped Bass. You'd still be able to eat striped bass for dinner with your family and no one is telling you what you can and can't eat.

[CowHunter]

Jersey Shore, I heard some simple minds were entertained by it, dont know, because I have better things to do than waste my time and watch an episode... But Hey, thats just me..

Severely limit the rec take??? I like the one at 36", but killing 5 million pounds vs 10 million pounds is severe??

I really dont think what people eat is of mine, nor your concern... Theres alot of stuff thats bad for you.... Been eating striped bass quite often for 22 years or so, last I looked Im still here and healthy... Besides, You can always sue the state that allows sale if you get cancer or something...


Nothing in the legislature is benificial to me? THE HEALTH OF THE STRIPED BASS POPULATION IS BENIFICAL TO ME....I do care about a healthy striped bass stock, and I am well aware of what goes up and down the coast. Im all for the cuts, but to wipe out and blame striped bass commercial pinhookers for what ANYBODY that kills a striped bass is guilty of is wrong...

As a commercial guy I dont see a 10% catch as wrong... As a Charter guy I m saying we kill more fish than need be recreationally. Im saying that we dont need to kill 2-3 fish a man... Coming in with 15 dead bass on a charter is a bit overkill, I know alot of that meat will be wasted or given away to people that dont appreciate it...

Am I that wrong??? I mean hello, only .5% supported StripersForever...

[CowHunter]

Striped Bass fishing is getting tougher, people want somebody to blame... A group like stripersforever and other individuals seesmass commercial fishermen kill 1.1 million pounds of fish, 30 fish a day! They say Ha! That is the problem!!! Turn a blind eye to what the real number recreational catches are... I assure you, they are STAGGERING... well above what people think.... The only thing we are in agreement on JohnnyD is 1 fish @ 36".... Im against the new regs charter guys are pushing in NJ, a slot fish 24-27.99"... I know the damage that it does and they are trying to make limiting out in the early spring and fall runs easier for them... Im all for giving the fish a break....

[intrepid24]

"whats best for the fish"
a very strange concept, as both recs and comms are debating the best way to kill them.
hey, whats best for the fish is no one allowed to kill them at all !!
however both sides love fishing for sb, and need to unify in order to save their enviornment/forage......us being divided is also bad for sb,
this division is shortsighted.

[CowHunter]

Intrepid24, My biggest problem is they want the Striped bass a Gamefish, BUTTTTTT They want to be allowed to kill one for the table... They want to go from Harvesting 90% to Harvesting 100%????

[intrepid24]

Originally Posted by CowHunter

Intrepid24, My biggest problem is they want the Striped bass a Gamefish, BUTTTTTT They want to be allowed to kill one for the table... They want to go from Harvesting 90% to Harvesting 100%????

i feel that there are some bruised ego's in play here, if you are a are a known producer, then you just can't care about the resource...cuz you kill soooo many. being good is a curse in this front.

[kearp1]

Lots of opinions here and after all we do live in america where you are allowed to have and voice an opinion.
I will not voice my opinions here but leave some food for thought.

1 What can we as fishermen do to ensure the health of our stock? (ie. just because you can take two doesn't mean you have to) Think about it, (there are lots of answers) do it, and encourage others to do the same.

2 Is letting more government control another aspect of our lives the right answer? (remember we do already have an agency that regulates the fisheries)

If you want real change get educated on how to get those changes made. Most people are logical and a logical argument can go a long way in unifying people with a common cause. Extremism never works.

I have personally decided to stick with my fishing club, MSBA, become more educated in the way the regulations work,learn the proper ways to go about changing them, and become more active in the process.

I invite you all to join a club where you can voice your opinion,stand side by side with fellow fishermen, and become involved .

Perhaps you will achieve more finding the middle of the road and getting something you can live with ,even if it isn't exactly what you want.

[JohnnyD]

Originally Posted by CowHunter

As a commercial guy I dont see a 10% catch as wrong... As a Charter guy I m saying we kill more fish than need be recreationally. Im saying that we dont need to kill 2-3 fish a man... Coming in with 15 dead bass on a charter is a bit overkill, I know alot of that meat will be wasted or given away to people that dont appreciate it...

If you're so against coming in with 15 dead bass per charter and know that a lot of the fish will go to waste, then maybe you should stop doing charters. According to you, you can catch big fish whenever you want to - you've posted your slips. So, you're part of the problem.

You're trying to play both sides of the coin and it doesn't work like that. It also makes it impossible to take you seriously when you talk at all about conservation. Either you fish commercially and run charters allowing people to take their max keep, or you're think killing that many fish is wrong with a lot of it going to waste and you stop doing charters. Sometimes you argue for both positions in the same post and are continually contradiction yourself.

Pick a side.

[CowHunter]

Maybe I'm BiPolar???? So let me see i have to choose only one????

a) I am a surfcaster fishing for fun, releasing my fish, what I am happiest doing for me, and only me... Its my time and what I love most...

b) I am a commercial rod and reel pinhooker...

c) I am a charter Captain, putting clients on to fish, I may not agree with the regs, but the law says 2 fish @ 28", plus bonus tag in NJ and its what my clients want...


d) I am a tournament fisherman, enjoy the challenge, new places to fish, and a shot to win some $$$...


So according to you JohnnyD, I can only pick one of the above... I have to pick a side as you say..... Yes its one vs the other.... Geez I am sure I am the only one in this situation???


FYI, I posted a slip for everyone that is crying how the fishing used to be, how there are no fish..... Im sorry but sometimes we have to work for them... You understand we cant have a slaughter everytime we go out, wheres the challenge.... And no I dont claim to catch big fish everywhere. I fish for striped bass from NC to Maine, both boat, and surf... I have yet to break the 50lb mark in every state, but yes, one day I will have a 50 from every state I fish for my trophy room. That is my personal Goal. So I got a few states covered thus far. We all have personal goals..Is that so bad??

Im sorry you have such Hatred for Commercial Bass fishermen...

[numbskull]

[QUOTE=CowHunter;739362]I have yet to break the 50lb mark in every state, but yes, one day I will have a 50 from every state I fish for my trophy room. That is my personal Goal. So I got a few states covered thus far. We all have personal goals..Is that so bad??

[QUOTE]

Depends on how you define "bad".

A fifty caught and released in every state you fish would be a better goal....at least as far as your kids, other's kids, and other people are concerned. When others pay a price for someone else's goals some people would see that as "bad". Your business, however.

[CowHunter]

Numbskull... I have released 50lb fish... How many can say that???

Not directing this at you numbskull, but people think just because you commercial fish that you kill everything you catch everytime you fish... I happen to let go more than I kill in a season...

[JohnnyD]

Originally Posted by CowHunter

Numbskull... I have released 50lb fish... How many can say that???

Almost every person I fish with, multiple times... except for me unfortunately. Still hunting for my first.

[numbskull]

Originally Posted by CowHunter

Numbskull... I have released 50lb fish... How many can say that???
.

And I think I've released a few, too..........only I never got to see them .

Hopefully someday releasing large SB will be the norm, just as in freshwater the norm is to release a 10 lb LMB.

That isn't happening, however, as long as large fish have monetary value when dead (be it for commercial sale or charter/recreational purpose).

I agree that the attitude of recreational fishermen causes more harm to SB population than commercial (obviously).......but I think that the commercial take is a major factor in setting the mindset of most fishermen (both recreational and commercial) that SB are something to be exploited. Until the monetary value of dead striped bass becomes insignificant, attitudes are unlikely to change. Eliminating commercial take is a necessary, but not sufficient in itself, step to getting there.

I don't expect you to agree, your perspective is different than mine and neither perspective is more right than the other. Those differences are settled by legislative actions and since professional fishermen are way more organized than amateur fishermen I don't expect to see a change until either the fishery collapses and/or the legal system (under environmental challenge) shuts us all down.

[JohnnyD]

Originally Posted by CowHunter

So according to you JohnnyD, I can only pick one of the above... I have to pick a side as you say..... Yes its one vs the other.... Geez I am sure I am the only one in this situation???

...

Im sorry you have such Hatred for Commercial Bass fishermen...

I'm not saying you have to pick one of those, I'm saying you can't advocate for conservation and go on about how terrible it is about how many fish get killed by charters and how bad for stocks commercial fishing can be, then go out and run charters and commercial fish.

The hypocrisy of it is what I'm bringing up. Or is it a "Do as I say, not as I do" type situation. It seems like you want everyone else to make adjustments, but you don't want to change the way you fish.

You may not agree with the laws, but you sure have no issues taking advantage of them. Basically, you're posts come off like a PETA person that eats steaks.