SPEARGUNNERS FOR MA STRIPERS!

[MakoMike]

Originally Posted by WoodyCT

Our fish are already under pressure from many many directions (water quality in spawning areas, loss of forage to commercial fisheries, possibly climate change, etc..), so why add yet another threat to their continued survival as a species?

That is precisely the type of faulty logic that is going to isolate us. They are NOT "our fish." They belong to everyone and everyone is entitled to use the resource. You can bet you bottom dollar now with the salt water license and the bad economy, that if we continue to make those kind of arguments, someone is going to decide that it time for the public to stop paying for managing this resource and your going to wind up with a $50 - 100 a year special "striper tag" to be able to fish for them.

[Jim in CT]

Originally Posted by Rob Rockcrawler

I cant see it happening. There is talk about increasing the size and decreasing the limit on fish, then they want to open it up to spearfishing. I dont have a problem with spearfishing but i think that if we want to protect the stock we should not be adding another method of harvest. Let them try to "Fish" at night around Chatham.

I'm suprised at the resistance, although in disclosyure I do spearfish, which I consider to be much more environmentally friendly than hook and line (which I also enjoy). There's no bycatch in spearfishing, no released fish that will die. Also, I can avoid hurting spawning female size fish, and only harvest smaller guys. I have to believethe impact on fish stocks is way less significant for spearfishing.

Also, not many people do it. It's a lot harder.

[Swimmer]

[QUOTE=Fish_Eye;740973]Hooligans, you must be talking about Plymouth or most likely Rockport where there is a lot of daytime bottle diving for lobsters and no spearing allowed. Believe me, stripers don't follow spearos from any distance, they move when you move, but when they are in a state like MA or CT where you can't shoot them, they do behave with a little less caution. As far as offering them "small" (illegal) lobsters...sure you can chum bass where they're already conditioned to follow divers.

I was talking about Plymouth Mike. GGGGGGGGRRRRRRRRRRRR

[Sea Flat]

I am sure that there are a lot of really good spear fishermen out there that can "estimate" really well as to whether a fish is legal or not before they spear it. But, that is what it is, an estimate. You do not know for sure until you have it up and dead and measure it. Obviously, with experienced spearfishermen they know, just like us rod and reel guys know. Still, it is a very inexact science as to whether or not a fish is legal before you spear it. Especially to those that first start. I remember spearing what I thought was a world record tautog and could not believe how small it was when I got to the surface. I would hate for this to happen to stripers.

[RIROCKHOUND]

Originally Posted by Sea Flat

I am sure that there are a lot of really good spear fishermen out there that can "estimate" really well as to whether a fish is legal or not before they spear it. But, that is what it is, an estimate. You do not know for sure until you have it up and dead and measure it.

No worse than the guys who drag a 26" fish around for a while before measuring it. Lay it on the rocks, take pictures. Rummage through bag and grab tape measure. Bring buddy over, show him bass. Measure again to be sure it isn't actually 28". then 5-10min later, release the fish.

Weigh the number of potential spear guys vs rod and reel guys... it is a really small impact here guys....

[Sea Flat]

Originally Posted by RIROCKHOUND

No worse than the guys who drag a 26" fish around for a while before measuring it. Lay it on the rocks, take pictures. Rummage through bag and grab tape measure. Bring buddy over, show him bass. Measure again to be sure it isn't actually 28". then 5-10min later, release the fish.

Weigh the number of potential spear guys vs rod and reel guys... it is a really small impact here guys....

True enough, good point.

I would only add that eventually the rod and reel guys' fish gets back in the water and most likely lives. Where as, once a spear is through the fish it is dead. Short or not.

[RIROCKHOUND]

Originally Posted by Sea Flat

I would only add that eventually the rod and reel guys' fish gets back in the water and most likely lives.

You really believe that?

Think Mid-summer tourist season, 26" bass inhaling a small hook on a catch all rig baited with sand worm or squid strip....

which scenario is a lot more likely? That or one of the few spearfisherman that misjudges a fish?

I know quite a few spearers and they are very respectful of the species... maybe it comes from seeing them in their habitat.. I don't know, I stay above the surface...

[Nebe]

[Hooligans]

I thought my last calamari tasted a little funny…..But good

[Saltheart]

Great Picture Nebe!!

Because there is air in your mask or goggles between your eyes and the glass and the water , everything gets magnified. I used to know how much but not sure , maybe 25%?? A diver learns pretty quickly to factor that in when sizing up something in the water. When we took lobsters by scuba diving , the difference between taking 30 legal on an hour of air and just measuring 30 shorts in that hour was the ability to discriminate about a 1/4 of an inch. If you have ever done it , there are a gazillion about an 1/8 of an inch too small. If you waste your time grabbing them and measuring , your air will run out while you waste time. You learn in about 1 dive what a lefgal one looks like under water , even with the magnification do to the index of refraction.

Now if you can learn the difference between a lobster 1/8 inch under vs 1/6 inch over , what makes you think a diver can't learn which fish are 30 inches vs one at 27 7/8". At least as a diver they get to see the thing before they shoot it. A fisherman tosses out his offering and has no idea what will bit it until he reels it in.

Now there are probably divers who just shoot at anything and don't care just like there are guys who catch short stripers on rod and reel and drop kick them back into the water or step on them to keep them still to take out the hook. There's nothing you can do about those "one in every crowd" kind of guys. Doesn't matter if they are using a handine , rod and reel or a speargun , they just don't care about returning the fish alive. I don't think most divers fit that mold any more than most fisherman.

. I do understand they can take up a good spot where 10 boat or surf guys could fish but boaters also take up spots where surf guys can fish and fly fisherman take up anough space for 5 spincasters to fish. That's just the nature of the game.

There is no reason why divers should not be able to take a fish , same as a rod and reel guy