Menhaden Bill introduced

[JohnR]

Mike - thank you & your brother on this. Also, let us know what we can do to support this...

Thanks!

[DZ]

I have mixed feelings about this development. It will hurt the local bait shops big time and they’re already hurting enough. I think there will be opposition on the bait front – from bait shops and lobstermen. And, like has been said already, pogies make bass to easy to target and catch (which I admit is not always a bad thing). But think about this for a minute – the run of pogies in Narragansett Bay this year was great, and I bet lots of fishermen took more large bass than any time of their life. So you have lots of pogies AND lots of big bass harvested. Is that good? I’m not so sure.
Secondly, it’s one stinking company – and a company that has always shared its catch with sport fishermen. To me this is stabbing Ark bait in the back.

Just a few thoughts to ponder….

DZ

[Nebe]

Originally Posted by DZ

I have mixed feelings about this development. It will hurt the local bait shops big time and they’re already hurting enough. I think there will be opposition on the bait front – from bait shops and lobstermen. And, like has been said already, pogies make bass to easy to target and catch (which I admit is not always a bad thing). But think about this for a minute – the run of pogies in Narragansett Bay this year was great, and I bet lots of fishermen took more large bass than any time of their life. So you have lots of pogies AND lots of big bass harvested. Is that good? I’m not so sure.
Secondly, it’s one stinking company – and a company that has always shared its catch with sport fishermen. To me this is stabbing Ark bait in the back.

Just a few thoughts to ponder….

DZ

Thank you. I was a little over caffinated last night and when i read this bill I posted my thoughts a little too quickly. Today i am a little more level headed and hopefully i can articulate my feelings better-

To clarify, I am 100% for the protection of pogies. Theres no argument that a bass who eats alot of them will grow to be fat and healthy. I really think they should be protected down in the chesapeake, but thats adifferent story.
Sure, if in a few years there are ample amounts of pogies distributed everywhere, then thats awesome.

NIB- how was the fishing along the NJ beaches where the pogies had left?? Any bass? Did NJ still have resident fish along jetties that had seen pogies a few days before?

Agian i am for this, i just want peope to know (especially the surfcasters) that having alot of pogies around will make things very intereresting..

[NIB]

Originally Posted by Nebe

NIB- how was the fishing along the NJ beaches where the pogies had left?? Any bass? Did NJ still have resident fish along jetties that had seen pogies a few days before?


..

I had a 35 on a jig an a 34 lber on a MAC Pikie before the pogie madness started..Sure fishing was tough even with the live herring..
U gotta work ur but off in NJ..
After they left it was almost august..
We had good fish well into july.
in fact I went to BI on 7/16-7/21 an that saturday they while i was away they got some..
U will get the usuall cries from those who give half assed efforts.
Do they create a bass vacumm when the big pods arrive yes..
But the fishing to follow is something many have never ever seen.. Guys fishing 40 yrs..
Never seen the the likes of what we had since we kicked the reduction boats out..
When I say I had 30-40 fish over 30 lbs it's no lie..
Think about it...
Thats several lifetimes of fish that size for a good angler...
NJ still has the bait boats..
I wonder where them ARK boats will go if RI kicks em out..

[JohnR]

Originally Posted by Nebe

but Steve's excellent surf fishing was done with the aid of #^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&'s boat and going to areas as close to where the pogies were.

E - I think you are off the mark a bit and trading literally a handful of trips in Bill's boat for many trips in Bill's boat. As for the surfcasting from the island, I dropped them off so I know a bit about that trip. Bunker weren't involved, eeling & sluggos were the trick.

Originally Posted by Nebe

you are a boat fisherman with a comercial liscence. I bet you have a hard on the size of prudence island after hearing there are going to be more pogies for you to snag and drop.

E - I think you are off the mark a bit again as you don't understand Clammer when it comes to fish, commercial or otherwise. He'd rather catch that 6# bass from begin a rock on a little swimmer than chasing big fish all day long Yo-Yoing Pogies. Now if he happens to catch "money fish" in season he'll sell them but he also understands the bassonomics of RI isn't a very profitable gig unless they are close to you...

Not a big deal but I wanted to point out a couple things when concerning friends of mine.

Originally Posted by NIB

I wonder where them ARK boats will go if RI kicks em out..

Nibtastic - I believe they go to NJ after they leave RI every year. They are typically in RI for a week to three weeks...

What I would like to see is less pi$$ing contest more debate (if needed) in ths thread. There are good arguments made here just a little less arguing please

Thanks

[NIB]

Seems any discussions involving a few guys around here turn ugly..
It's unfortunate that it has to come to that..
I say we set up the octagon.
Lets Get It On...
...

[eelman]

Originally Posted by DZ

I have mixed feelings about this development. It will hurt the local bait shops big time and they’re already hurting enough. I think there will be opposition on the bait front – from bait shops and lobstermen. And, like has been said already, pogies make bass to easy to target and catch (which I admit is not always a bad thing). But think about this for a minute – the run of pogies in Narragansett Bay this year was great, and I bet lots of fishermen took more large bass than any time of their life. So you have lots of pogies AND lots of big bass harvested. Is that good? I’m not so sure.
Secondly, it’s one stinking company – and a company that has always shared its catch with sport fishermen. To me this is stabbing Ark bait in the back.

Just a few thoughts to ponder….

DZ

I am surprised dennis, do you really know how efficient and how many pounds that "one" company takes? Of course they give bait to fisherman, they want them to stay happy and quiet, its a small price for them to pay...I watched them up close many times this year from my boat and they take bunker in devestating numbers...I am all for more Bunker!

[eelman]

Has everyone gone nuts???? I cant beleive some of the posts I am reading?? Look back at all the crying threads of the past complaining of the lack of bait, here you guys have a bill that will do something about it and what do some people do?? They cry that they won't do as well because there is to much bait un-F@#$^&()in real..what f!@#$in Joke...Its hopeless and very weird.......

You guys want a bill that make fishing for bass a "Plug only" sport.....To many paint fumes

You cant have it both ways, you cant say one year that there are no fish because there is no bait and then say the next year that a poor season is due to TO much bait...doesnt work like that.......

[DZ]

Originally Posted by #^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&

I am surprised dennis, do you really know how efficient and how many pounds that "one" company takes? Of course they give bait to fisherman, they want them to stay happy and quiet, its a small price for them to pay...I watched them up close many times this year from my boat and they take bunker in devestating numbers...I am all for more Bunker!

Bill,
Please don't get me wrong Bill. I know where you're coming from on this.
More large bunker will mean more dead cows - plain and simple.
It's always been my priority to protect large bass. To put a hurting on a commercial guy by hiding behind an environmental smoke screen so that sport fishermen can have all the pogies is wrong. If RISAA really wanted to protect the pogies so they can protect the bay then they should try and ban the taking of pogies by anyone.
Just my opinion.
DZ

[Nebe]

Originally Posted by DZ

Bill,
Please don't get me wrong Bill. I know where you're coming from on this.
More large bunker will mean more dead cows - plain and simple.
It's always been my priority to protect large bass. To put a hurting on a commercial guy by hiding behind an environmental smoke screen so that sport fishermen can have all the pogies is wrong. If RISAA really wanted to protect the pogies so they can protect the bay then they should try and ban the taking of pogies by anyone.
Just my opinion.
DZ

EXACTLY!

[zimmy]

Originally Posted by DZ

Bill,
Please don't get me wrong Bill. I know where you're coming from on this.
More large bunker will mean more dead cows - plain and simple.
It's always been my priority to protect large bass. To put a hurting on a commercial guy by hiding behind an environmental smoke screen so that sport fishermen can have all the pogies is wrong. If RISAA really wanted to protect the pogies so they can protect the bay then they should try and ban the taking of pogies by anyone.
Just my opinion.
DZ

That makes complete sense.

[Krispy]

Originally Posted by DZ

Bill,
Please don't get me wrong Bill. I know where you're coming from on this.
More large bunker will mean more dead cows - plain and simple.
It's always been my priority to protect large bass. To put a hurting on a commercial guy by hiding behind an environmental smoke screen so that sport fishermen can have all the pogies is wrong. If RISAA really wanted to protect the pogies so they can protect the bay then they should try and ban the taking of pogies by anyone.
Just my opinion.
DZ

Works both ways. More bunker means more big fish.
Your also talking about 1 commercial venture reaping the reward$ at the expense of the entire fishing community. Comm. fishers and recs alike. Also, keep in mind alot of other species benefit from bunker other than SB

[JohnR]

Hi Ed

I think the shore anglers will benefit from this greatly as well. I think the Bay will benefit greatly - forget about the bass.

Will shore and boat recs snagging pogies amount to one day's haul from Ark? Probably not. It probably would equal how much Ark gives away in "PR" only...

Personally I think it's a good thing for just about everyone...

[riverrat2]

I don't think local tackle shops will suffer greatly due to the fact that the amount of profit on fresh bait is usually very small. I work at a tackle shop and although it is not in RI we do keep fresh pogies in the shop whenever possible. We would be making maybe around $.50 on each fresh pogie sold. I say maybe because the price of fresh bait is more than just how much you pay for each pogie but also the amount of hours that are spent finding them and picking them up. In the end the tackle shop is not making a killing on fresh pogies at all but rather supplies them simply to satisfy the customer. Also here in Mass we don't have any large commercial pogie fishery that I know of, and most tackle shops that get fresh pogies are getting them from a few local guys that get them with throw nets. Protecting the pogies will bring nothing but good things. I think the fact that people are complaing about more big fish being killed or less big fish in there local spots is absolutely ridiculous. If more Big Fish are being killed doesnt that equate to more big fish period?

[Ed B]

Originally Posted by DZ

I have mixed feelings about this development. It will hurt the local bait shops big time and they’re already hurting enough. I think there will be opposition on the bait front – from bait shops and lobstermen. And, like has been said already, pogies make bass to easy to target and catch (which I admit is not always a bad thing). But think about this for a minute – the run of pogies in Narragansett Bay this year was great, and I bet lots of fishermen took more large bass than any time of their life. So you have lots of pogies AND lots of big bass harvested. Is that good? I’m not so sure.
Secondly, it’s one stinking company – and a company that has always shared its catch with sport fishermen. To me this is stabbing Ark bait in the back.

Just a few thoughts to ponder….

DZ

I have to agree with what Dennis has said . It's hard to see how this legislation can be interpreted as anything other than a "Fish Grab" by some recreational striper fisherman in the upper bay. If the menhaden is truly "the most important fish in the sea" should not everyone be banned from possessing it?