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I am with you, Joe. I have not gone to the Canal as all of my surf fishing has really been limited in the last few years due to my knees. I have never fished the Canal, having no desire to go try to learn the area, especially with the crowds that were there recently.
I'm sure that there were plenty of folks fishing that caught their first, biggest and best action of their lives and deserve to have had some fun. I can't knock the guys with the upside down spinning reels catching a fish either. Everyone should have an equal opportunity to enjoy the fishery, regardless of their skill or effort level.
What I'm heartbroken about is the carnage. How many fish have been wasted during this epic fishing frenzy? Do you really believe that people catching fish night after night and taking their one fish per night home will ever live to know that all of that fillet made it into someone's stomach and did not get tossed out of the freezer when it was old and soured? Yes, I too eat striped bass and I'm not against keeping a couple per season, but I feel no need to try to feed my neighbors with fillet that I'm not even certain they will enjoy.
And I don't profess to know the answers to managing this cherished fishery. Maybe we need to have an allotment of tags for each angler that allows each to only tag and keep a couple of fish per year. but what happens to the extra fish on these banner tides? I know that not everyone takes the time to get down to the waters edge, carefully land and unhook their fish and help revive it prior to the release. Too many fishermen carelessly haul their fish on shore, tear the hook out and toss the fish back towards the water, the only care being to get the lure back out there and repeat the process.
I cherish the fishery too much to see any fish disrespected by being killed when there is no need for more meat and negligence in a proper release. I am with you, Joe. It would be a pleasure to fish with you and respect the fish that we catch.
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