Spear Fishing Stripers

[JoeBass]

I don't have anything against spear fishing. I would guess most are responsible people. But i have to say as a fly fisherman I don't think I've ever killed one of the dozens of stripers I've hooked and landed. I think it's similar to plugs in that you almost always get them at the edge of the mouth. I've never gut hooked a striper on the fly. Maybe if you were fishing too light tackle and exhausted them you could kill them.

[tlapinski]

Originally Posted by JoeBass

I don't have anything against spear fishing. I would guess most are responsible people. But i have to say as a fly fisherman I don't think I've ever killed one of the dozens of stripers I've hooked and landed. I think it's similar to plugs in that you almost always get them at the edge of the mouth. I've never gut hooked a striper on the fly. Maybe if you were fishing too light tackle and exhausted them you could kill them.

You don't think you have killed any, but I would wager any amount of money that at least a few of them have perished. It is not always about visible damage. There are other stresses on their body that can lead to death as being hooked, fought, handled and released is not a natrually occurring event for a fish. I forget the numbers exactly, but in several studies I was reading not too long ago on S-B release mortalty the average rate is somewhere between 10% and 30% even under the best of situations. The studies covered J-hooks, circle hooks, lures, etc... and brokes the findings down as such. Eitehr way, some fish died.
I am not trying to be a jerk or pick on anyone, I just want to show that no matter what we do, there are going to be a few dead fish left over. The only way to avoid it is to stop fishing all together. End of story.

[Jim in CT]

Originally Posted by JoeBass

I don't have anything against spear fishing. I would guess most are responsible people. But i have to say as a fly fisherman I don't think I've ever killed one of the dozens of stripers I've hooked and landed. I think it's similar to plugs in that you almost always get them at the edge of the mouth. I've never gut hooked a striper on the fly. Maybe if you were fishing too light tackle and exhausted them you could kill them.

"i have to say as a fly fisherman I don't think I've ever killed one of the dozens of stripers I've hooked and landed"

As a statistician, I would bet any amount of money, against any odds you feel like giving me, that you are wrong. I'm not saying you aren't being careful. I'm just saying that the data suggests that you can lip-hook fish with barbless hooks, never touch the fish with your bare hands, get it back to teh water as quickly and gently as possible, and a 0% mortality rate is not possible. It's just not possible.

If I'm spearfishing and I decide not to shoot a fish...now that is a guaranteed 100% survival rate for that fish. I also can't kill any other species by accident...I can harvest my target species 100% of the time, with no chance of injuring another type of fish, until my eyesight (or brains) start to deteriorate, that is.

Makes me want to get out my gear...been a long time.

Furthermore, I can target a certain slot size when spearfishing, allowing me to leave alone any large fish that are likely to be females of reproductive age. I target fish for the grill, which to me, the ideal is a small keeper, not a trophy. Trophy fish, in my extremely limited experience (more limited than I'd like it to be!), don't taste nearly as good.

Spearfisherman have the luxury of being way, way more selective than a rod & reel guy. You pick the individual fish to kill, and necessarily don't harm anything else.

No comparison.

Now, someone mentioned the confrontations over a popular spot, and that's a real issue, and I have seen, and participated in, more than a few heated discussions on the subject. I spearfish, and I also boat fish. I can see both sides of the argument. I don't know what you do, except to say that whoever gets there first, has dibs on the spot. I can't see why a R&R guy has any more or less claim to a spot than a spearfisherman.

[numbskull]

Originally Posted by Jim in CT

" I can't see why a R&R guy has any more or less claim to a spot than a spearfisherman.

That might hold if there was a law a R&R guy couldn't come within 100 yds of another R&R guy, but that is not the case. A R&R guy can anchor on a prime spot, but that is not going to stop other guys trolling or casting from fishing up to and past him. A diver sets up and you either go somewhere else or break the law. Big difference.

There are places along the Elizabeth's, such as the south side of Pasque, where if 2-3 divers set up (and they will since that is where the fish are) during the commercial season or the derby one helluva a lot of other fishermen are going to be shut out and pissed about it.

Truth is divers by law occupy a bigger footprint on the best spots than R&R fishermen, and that is unfair.

[likwid]

Originally Posted by numbskull

There are places along the Elizabeth's, such as the south side of Pasque, where if 2-3 divers set up (and they will since that is where the fish are) during the commercial season or the derby one helluva a lot of other fishermen are going to be shut out and pissed about it.

It could get very ugly very quickly.

[Jim in CT]

Originally Posted by numbskull

That might hold if there was a law a R&R guy couldn't come within 100 yds of another R&R guy, but that is not the case. A R&R guy can anchor on a prime spot, but that is not going to stop other guys trolling or casting from fishing up to and past him. A diver sets up and you either go somewhere else or break the law. Big difference.

There are places along the Elizabeth's, such as the south side of Pasque, where if 2-3 divers set up (and they will since that is where the fish are) during the commercial season or the derby one helluva a lot of other fishermen are going to be shut out and pissed about it.

Truth is divers by law occupy a bigger footprint on the best spots than R&R fishermen, and that is unfair.

It's not unfair to the diver, who (1) needs to have some space for safety, and (2) pays taxes to the state and feds just like the boater, and thus has the same exact rights to pursue his hobby.

Maybe you designate some spots as R&R only, and certain spots are open to spearfishermen.

How about a guy who has a huge boat? He takes up more space than a guy with a 16-footer, and I don't recall seeing spots that were off-limits to boats above a certain size.

I hear what you're saying. I like to hike, and there are some trails that I have to share with guys on ATV's. I don't like the danger posed to my kids and dogs, but who am I to tell them they can't enjoy the resource as they like to, which is what I am also doing?

[Grapenuts]

When I use to drive,I hand fed bass,grabbed their tails,pat them on the back...they could have cared less..easy target at arms lenght.Could have taped their lenght if I carried a cloth tape with me...spear one in the water..blood goes in the water..sharks in the water...pick your spots wisely if your going to be dragging bloody fish behind you.