NMFS Closes Atlantic Bluefin Tuna (BFT) Northern Area Trophy Fishery

[Mr. Sandman]

The charter permit rules are relatively simple but I still think all the rules are dumb. (and your right, the website sucks, it is very convoluted and confusing)

As I understand it...A charter permit holder can operate in either category..rec or comm and it is based on the FIRST fish you keep. If you take a small fish you are a rec that entire day and the charter/headboat retention rules for rec fishing apply that day. If you keep a 73+ you are a comm that day and the general category rules apply that day.
( you have to be a charter capt and have all the safety req like you would for comm fishermen to get this permit)


That said the measuring rules are downright dumb. First, it is not easy to accurately measure a live 72 in fish in water without bringing him into the boat and doing some damage to him. Yeah, if it is 50" you know he is too small and you let him go but as they approach 73, after a big battle, the waves, boat motion, excitement, and excited fish etc...it is not as easy to do a CFL measurement in the water in heavy seas.

Comms are bringing in a lot of short fish that are close but no cigar. One buyer told me he has rejected 35 fish this season so far. (he can not get caught with a undersized fish) OK..what then happens to this fish?

Rec's are fishing like mad in CC's and killing a lot of fish as well. Many are keeping illegal fish and cleaning them at sea and hiding their catch as a "who will know?" attitude. There is little enforcement out there.

I think they should stop with all the complex length measurements and just have a bag limit (what ever the number is) for all categories. Take 1, 2, 3 whatever makes sense of any size and say once you have your limit you have to stop fishing and head back to port. This would stop all the C&R (C&killing) that is going on and make it a lot simpler when a borderline fish is boat side.

As far as the equipment costs go...IMO every boat should have all that gear, not just survival suits, everything. This is no place for a small boat no matter what you see by the goons on the Saturday morning TV shows. What looks like a nice day can (and often does) turn into a nightmare in the afternoon for small boats. Inside the bay fine, but offshore is a different animal.

[likwid]

Originally Posted by Mr. Sandman

Comms are bringing in a lot of short fish that are close but no cigar. One buyer told me he has rejected 35 fish this season so far. (he can not get caught with a undersized fish) OK..what then happens to this fish?

Hoho you bringy fish to bak door. I rikey. You sell!

[MakoMike]

Originally Posted by Mr. Sandman

As I understand it...A charter permit holder can operate in either category..rec or comm and it is based on the FIRST fish you keep. If you take a small fish you are a rec that entire day and the charter/headboat retention rules for rec fishing apply that day. If you keep a 73+ you are a comm that day and the general category rules apply that day.
( you have to be a charter capt and have all the safety req like you would for comm fishermen to get this permit)

You got that part right. Good luck to anyone who thinks you can get all the required safety equipment for 2 grand. Basically the tuna permits are a trade off, you get the angling permit you give up keeping big fish but you can keep smaller fish <73 inches. You get the General permit, you can't keep small fish but you keep the bigguns. You takes yer choice.

[buckman]

Originally Posted by MakoMike

You got that part right. Good luck to anyone who thinks you can get all the required safety equipment for 2 grand. Basically the tuna permits are a trade off, you get the angling permit you give up keeping big fish but you can keep smaller fish <73 inches. You get the General permit, you can't keep small fish but you keep the bigguns. You takes yer choice.

You don't need a captains license for Commercial and for around 4k you could get the stuff you need. I have priced it out. That being said, I don't think 4k is alot of money when you consider the cos of boat and gear. I was thinking it would be smart to have the stuff regardless. Alot of Recs go where and when the Comm's go anyway.

[MakoMike]

Originally Posted by buckman

You don't need a captains license for Commercial and for around 4k you could get the stuff you need. I have priced it out. That being said, I don't think 4k is alot of money when you consider the cos of boat and gear. I was thinking it would be smart to have the stuff regardless. Alot of Recs go where and when the Comm's go anyway.

No one said you needed a Captains license for a general Category permit, what we said was you needed the Captain's license for a Charter/headboat permit. Two different permits. 4K for the safety equipment is a lot closer to reality than the 2K someone else suggested.

[Typhoon]

As a new member of the charter/headboat category this year I'd put my investment in the $5k -$7k range for safety(raft, Epirb, suits, flares etc) , captains license (course) and all of the nonsense involved for charter license (TWIC, CPR, physicals).

So far I haven't recouped a dime. My hope was that I'd get a couple of commercial fish to help recoup the investment. Unfortunately the USCG licensing process took 6 weeks and I missed the good spring bite.

So yes, I have a vested interest in selling fish.

[Raider Ronnie]

Originally Posted by MakoMike

You got that part right. Good luck to anyone who thinks you can get all the required safety equipment for 2 grand. Basically the tuna permits are a trade off, you get the angling permit you give up keeping big fish but you can keep smaller fish <73 inches. You get the General permit, you can't keep small fish but you keep the bigguns. You takes yer choice.

"Good luck to anyone who thinks you can get all the required safety equipment for 2 grand"

A new solas required raft will cost you minimum $2500
My raft repack & inspect was $1238.00 alone this year. (once a brand new raft is 2 years or older inspections & repack are required EVERY year @ an average $600 - $800 per year and at 5 years it will be close to the amount I paid this year)
Epirb batter replace $310.00 (every 5 years)
New Commercial Solas flare kit $180.00 (every 3 years)
Not sure what most guys are paying for boat insurance but I can assure you once your ins co finds out you go commercial your rates will atleast double !
Every buyer pays by check, so then you can plan to get your accountant involved also !

[buckman]

Originally Posted by Raider Ronnie

"Good luck to anyone who thinks you can get all the required safety equipment for 2 grand"

A new solas required raft will cost you minimum $2500
My raft repack & inspect was $1238.00 alone this year. (once a brand new raft is 2 years or older inspections & repack are required EVERY year @ an average $600 - $800 per year and at 5 years it will be close to the amount I paid this year)
Epirb batter replace $310.00 (every 5 years)
New Commercial Solas flare kit $180.00 (every 3 years)
Not sure what most guys are paying for boat insurance but I can assure you once your ins co finds out you go commercial your rates will atleast double !
Every buyer pays by check, so then you can plan to get your accountant involved also !

Your right Ron, but then you can write off all your expenses and take a loss come January. That alone could wash the added cost.

[Raider Ronnie]

Originally Posted by buckman

Your right Ron, but then you can write off all your expenses and take a loss come January. That alone could wash the added cost.

Steve,
Being that my wife is a cpa I'm all set in the accounting lesson !
I was just pointing out the actual cost, someone threw out the $2000.
amount, thats not exactly close, and as I mentioned there are cost every year not just the initial purchase.

[animal]

Originally Posted by Raider Ronnie

"Good luck to anyone who thinks you can get all the required safety equipment for 2 grand"

A new solas required raft will cost you minimum $2500
My raft repack & inspect was $1238.00 alone this year. (once a brand new raft is 2 years or older inspections & repack are required EVERY year @ an average $600 - $800 per year and at 5 years it will be close to the amount I paid this year)
Epirb batter replace $310.00 (every 5 years)
New Commercial Solas flare kit $180.00 (every 3 years)
Not sure what most guys are paying for boat insurance but I can assure you once your ins co finds out you go commercial your rates will atleast double !
Every buyer pays by check, so then you can plan to get your accountant involved also !

Ronnie,where did you pay $180 for the solas flares?

[Raider Ronnie]

Originally Posted by animal

Ronnie,where did you pay $180 for the solas flares?

Yes,
Hamilton Marine
http://store.hamiltonmarine.com/brow...182/4,239.html