Fishing Just for Fun Damages Stocks, Study Finds

[zacs]

Interseting article....

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmp...ent_fishing_dc

if that doesn't work, try this:
http://tinyurl.com/3lhon

I have seen the c&r mortality debate on s-b.com a couple of times. From the article:
" The report cites NMFS data that show 20 percent of released fish end up dying. And many individual fish are caught repeatedly."

I am not sure how I feel about this article.... does it mean more regulation for keepers? I don't think I mind that. Other regulation like fishing bans? I hope not...

_Z_

[afterhours]

if the nmfs data is valid, 80% of c/r fish survive. not too shabby, but some room for improvement. the alternitive being 100% mortality, or the peta peckers way

[CANAL RAT]

we are going to need to license saltwater i would not mind paying. it would keep the people away that keep short stripers i just knew it was going to happen some day it sucks but its needed

[MakoMike]

Canal rat,
IMHO you are mistaken. The kind of perople who keep short fish now will just become even more of a poacher by fishing w/o the license and more people will keep shorts, figuring that if they paid for them they're entitled.

[Nebe]

This is why we should all crush our barbs.. I do it in the spring when I catch mostly schoolies that I'm going to release.

[CANAL RAT]

i replace all of my lures back tremble hooks with crushed barbed singles and crush one barb on my front tremble

[kippy]

I bend the barbs in the spring as well for the schoolies and go with single hook lures like storm shads.

[capesams]

heard last nite of a rumor that the fed's are looking into creating a saltwater lisc......

[JohnR]

Paul Diodati's survey estimates an 8% mortaility on C&R fish in our waters - might be more accurate than some the study at 20%.

Lot of factors involved like oxygen levels and H2O temps. 'Course the 20% rate probably factors in the &$%^#_ holes that can't release a fish properly...

[CANAL RAT]

Originally posted by JohnR
Paul Diodati's survey estimates an 8% mortaility on C&R fish in our waters - might be more accurate than some the study at 20%.

Lot of factors involved like oxygen levels and H2O temps. 'Course the 20% rate probably factors in the &$%^#_ holes that can't release a fish properly...

yep that too i have seen dum asses do striper football at the canal

[Rappin Mikey]

That research was reviewed in todays Springfield and Hartford paper.

[B-assman]

There was a report on NPR this morning also using the same info.

[spence]

Originally posted by JohnR
'Course the 20% rate probably factors in the &$%^#_ holes that can't release a fish properly... [/B]

Like the guys that kick them off the rocks or hold them in the Boga for 10 min to take their "trophy" photos

-spence

[schoolie monster]

I don't think you can lump everything together. I know 20% of my fish don't die. I'm sure some people don't take care of the fish they release... we've all seen that... but it doesn't mean that what the rest of us does is bad for the stocks.

Compared to the 100% mortality rate of fish kept by recs, commercial fishermen, and fish killed as bycatch in gillnets or by draggers, somewhere between 80-92% survival rates on fish caught and released seems pretty good.

If the point is to argue the comm vs rec fight, sounds like someone is trying to deflect the issue.

Buy yes, alot of factors are involved.

I use circles with bait and the few fish that are gut hooked, I clip the leader as close as possible and let 'em go. I always wait till the fish kicks out of my hands before letting 'em go.

As a light tackle fisherman, I match the tackle to the fish I target so they are not overplayed. And again, if the fight was exhausting to the fish, I give him plenty of time to revive and don't spend alot of time shooting pics and weighing and measuring the fish. Once in awhile, you get a fish in the gills with a plug or plastic and there's not much you can do with that.

I know that some people kick the fish down the sand back into the surf, I know some people jerk the guts out of a fish to save a hook, I know some people throw 'em back belly up... but some people doesn't represent the majority... I hope.

[spence]

I think a lot of respectable surfcasters do as much as they can to respect the resource. It's the morons and sheer number of people fishing that are the problem.

-spence

[TheSpecialist]

According to Al Ristori's conservation watch in this weeks fisherman, "Pressure on striped bass may be increasing so fast that anglers could be facing a one-fish daily limit next yearThis acoording to preliminary figures provided from the latest stock assesment to ASMFC commishioners last week."

[CANAL RAT]

if that what it takes i am willing to go back to one fish. do you realy need to keep 2 fish i dont think so

[spence]

1 fish is plenty...suppose the charter boats may not like it as much though...

-spence

[Clogston29]

Personally, I’d like to see it go back to 1 fish per day at 36” and have there be one law along the whole coast. As far as fishing for fun not being good for fish populations, I think that that is pretty obvious. Sticking a hook in something and pulling out of its environment isn’t good for anything. But, the people who fish for fun are the people who love and respect the fish and they are to ones who do most of the work to protect the fish. If fish such as stripers where thought of only as a food source, they probably would be close to extinct by now.

[CANAL RAT]

i still say we should still have 30 inch 1 fish slot. but tell me that this study was not half written by peta puffers and comercial fisherman part of this study is bull

[SmokeBringer]

I'd be happy with catch an release only - we eat salmon 3 times a week in my house(SB would not be missed... much). IF this comes to pass, the only thing I would ask is an out and out ban on commercial harvest. Fair is fair...

[CANAL RAT]

i love catching my own fish to eat it is a usa freedom. as long as i can keep one striper or fluke i dont care