getting to know thy enemy

[Slipknot]

I figured I would research a bit on the seals that keep mugging us on the seashore.

there are some informative sites.

here is a paragraph I found interesting

"Only five significant horsehead breeding rookeries survive in all of North America, and all come under Canadian jurisdiction. They are on Amet, Camp, and Hut Islands along the coasts of Nova Scotia; on offshore Sable Island; and on the pack ice that gathers in the Northumberland Straight. the later site seems to be a new development, the result of desperate efforts by seals that once bred on islands off the west Cape Breton coast to find a whelping place that will not be turned into a charnel yard by the Conservation and Protection Branch.A recent rookery on Deadsman Island in the Magdalen archipelago has now been virtually exterminated. There is a relic breeding population of grey seals in the Muskeget Island area near Cape Cod, but only eleven pups have been recorded since 1964."

this whole site has their history but it's long. They speak of the $5 bounty and then the $10 bounty. http://www.greyseal.net/ABOUT/history.htm


Unfortunately, it seems like we have to put up with them because according to alot of people that put animals interests ahead of humans, they are and may continue to be protected.

I am really getting tired of catching fish for the seals, I catch them for myself not them. Surfcasting on Cape Cod is dying an ugly death And the horrible part is that the acceleration of that death in the past 3-4 years is very surprising Between the plovers, the seals and the mung caused by that outflow pipe, the Capes' economy will once again suffer Only the richest of the richest will be left to enjoy their pallacial palaces on the cliffs, us peasants must suffer and complain

So instead of spending my time making plugs to feed the seals with and reading internet fishing reports and actually fishing, my spare time will be spent more writing to legislatures because I am disgusted. I think I will start with trying to get the federal funding that keeps plovers on the endangered list stopped. Then onto the seals, then to the outflow mung. .............

[BigFish]

I agree Slip.....they have moved around to the bayside off Wellfleet harbor and set up camp on Jeremys Point and are headed towards Boston for sure.......5-6 more years and we will be fighting them on the south shore!!! You will see!!!!

[Slipknot]

Originally Posted by BigFish

I agree Slip.....they have moved around to the bayside off Wellfleet harbor and set up camp on Jeremys Point and are headed towards Boston for sure.......5-6 more years and we will be fighting them on the south shore!!! You will see!!!!

YUP, I saw them out there with my own eyes yesterday in 77 degree water, I couldn't believe what I saw

Oh, and I guess you haven't been around the corner from Whitehorse beach, they are there also. That IS the south shore.

Wait till the guys in Jersey get them



here is another site, check it out and see what they say about what they feed on
http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homep...p/greyseal.htm

[BigFish]

On the brighter side Slip....saw a dead one washed up in the Harbor and another one near death!

[Slipknot]

Originally Posted by BigFish

On the brighter side Slip....saw a dead one washed up in the Harbor and another one near death!

did it have my plug stuck in him?

[BigFish]

Talked to someone who had a seal surface in front of them with a plug stuck to its face!!!

[Back Beach]

Originally Posted by Slipknot

Surfcasting on Cape Cod is dying an ugly death And the horrible part is that the acceleration of that death in the past 3-4 years is very surprising Between the plovers, the seals and the mung caused by that outflow pipe, the Capes' economy will once again suffer.

Outflow pipe? Are you kidding Slip? I agree with you on everything but the mung and its origin. Mung has been there forever and its not related to pollution. The stuff primarily moves around based on the wind direction and time of year. When I fished heavily out there, we used to look for mung to find fish.A northwest wind with a dropping tide will clean the entire seashore out in less than one tide.Southwest/southeast wind will put it back. The summer fishing actually crapped out in 2000 when I quit and hasn't been good since. I wouldn't say the seals ruined it directly, but they did show up heavy a couple years after the fishing began to decline. We still had some good fall fishing from 2000-2004, but its gone to pot since.
All the guys I fished with out there kind of saw the writing on the wall in the late 90's, so we just found another place to fish. The cape is/was very dear to many of us, but you gotta know when to fold em. Buy some korkers, we'll be happy to drag you out on the rocks

[Slipknot]

ya well I'm just adding to my list

seals still suck

and swimming in mung and seal poop is nasty not to mention toilet paper

time to sell the camper

[fishpoopoo]

shhhhhhhhh

[Backbeach Jake]

for parking lot shots

[MakoMike]

Better of forgetting about the plovers and concentrate on the seals. The seals are not endangered, just protected by the marine mamma; protection act. The plovers are on the endangered list and its almost impossible to get soemthing taken off that list. Look at the fight going on about wolves and grizzly bears!

[JohnR]

Bruce - you are always welcome in RI...

as for the seals? For the plovers? For the access?

Seems like we are in a bit of a box, aren't we?

[Rappin Mikey]

Slip did a lot better then me getting em by the seals this weekend. He calls it "combat fishing". I need to bring a video recorder with me next time. Slip, skipping a fish atop the water at lightning speeds, the big wake of a giant seal right on it's arse. Lots of cursing, splashing, and plug losing. On one of Slips attempted speed retrieves a seal came close enough to him I thought it was literally going to knock him over. Not my idea of fishing. Thank God they were just rat blues, or no fish would have gotten by. It seriously is almost getting impossible to land a nice fish at first light out there. If the good fish are there, the seals are there too. The way I'm starting to look at it is I'm 2hrs closer to RI.

[EarnedStripes44]

seals that bad huh...by the way, I am not familiar with the term mung. What is that?

[Karl F]

Originally Posted by EarnedStripes44

seals that bad huh...by the way, I am not familiar with the term mung. What is that?

Mung...

Red Algae... weedy fur like substance, will stick to anything, makes line unreelable...

This picture shows it at its worst.

There is no direct proven connection, (yet), but ask anybody who has fished the outer cape for the last twenty years, and yes, it has gotten much worse since the Outfall Pipe has been in operation...

Seals... over run, over populated, sea going rats, oppurtunisitic dirty disease ridden parasites.. enjoy the seal feces induced worms in your cod filets... I cannot wait for the Great Whites... send them soon.

[fishpoopoo]

okay, we can't shoot the damn stinky things, but i see NOTHING in the national seashore regs that prohibits me from taking my two-ton pet white shark out for a snack ... i mean stroll on the beach.

and he's paper-trained.

[Karl F]

Originally Posted by Bassturbed

okay, we can't shoot the damn stinky things, but i see NOTHING in the national seashore regs that prohibits me from taking my two-ton pet white shark out for a snack ... i mean stroll on the beach.

and he's paper-trained.

Ma! Ben's pet Great White bit me in the hiney!"

[fishpoopoo]

[Tagger]

Larry I've seen them local occaisionaly for years now ... not in great numbers ... always solo .. If we see Seal Gangs like down there and nothings done ,, we'll have to go freshy..

[Lower]

Just got back from a week in Chatham...couldn't believe the number of seals out there. Didn't even bother fishing if they were around...but it was hard to find those areas.

[Swimmer]

This whole seal thing bites!

[Rappin Mikey]

Death to seals!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I'm gonna make a cocktail!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[numbskull]

I actually "landed" a seal early Sun am. Gotta small s#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&g take on a needle in the rocks and an express train run. Had a 1205 Ara, CalcuttaTE, 30lb fire line, 50 fluro shocker. UNBELIEVABLE fight. Took nearly an hour with tremendous pressure on the tackle. Initially, of course, thought I had the world record bass. 15-20 minutes in without it tiring I knew that wasn't the case, thought about a seal, but since I could gain line with difficulty I discounted that. Decided I probably had a big shark by the dorsal fin, but had to see it before breaking it off. When I finally got it within 20feet, up against the submerged rocks in front of me, I could hear it hissing, put the light on it and it was one pissed off seal, probably 150-200 lbs, with my plug in it's face. Broke him off then. Left me drained, shaking, and finished for the night. Exhilarated, but a little sad too, knowing no fish I ever hook will match that fight. In truth, I also feel uneasy about leaving a mammal to suffer with a face full of 4/0 6x VMCs. Got me to thinking, how long before some group decides fisherman leaving plugs in seals' faces is a violation of the sea mammal protection act and pushes to close areas seals inhabit to fishing?

[BigFish]

You didn't put it there George...the seal did!

[Rappin Mikey]

I hope you took it's eye out!
Death to seals!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I'm gonna grab me a beer!

[fishpoopoo]

Originally Posted by numbskull

I actually "landed" a seal early Sun am. Gotta small s#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&g take on a needle in the rocks and an express train run. Had a 1205 Ara, CalcuttaTE, 30lb fire line, 50 fluro shocker. UNBELIEVABLE fight. Took nearly an hour with tremendous pressure on the tackle. Initially, of course, thought I had the world record bass. 15-20 minutes in without it tiring I knew that wasn't the case, thought about a seal, but since I could gain line with difficulty I discounted that. Decided I probably had a big shark by the dorsal fin, but had to see it before breaking it off. When I finally got it within 20feet, up against the submerged rocks in front of me, I could hear it hissing, put the light on it and it was one pissed off seal, probably 150-200 lbs, with my plug in it's face. Broke him off then. Left me drained, shaking, and finished for the night. Exhilarated, but a little sad too, knowing no fish I ever hook will match that fight. In truth, I also feel uneasy about leaving a mammal to suffer with a face full of 4/0 6x VMCs. Got me to thinking, how long before some group decides fisherman leaving plugs in seals' faces is a violation of the sea mammal protection act and pushes to close areas seals inhabit to fishing?

schweet.

[fishpoopoo]

Originally Posted by numbskull

I actually "landed" a seal early Sun am. Gotta small s#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&g take on a needle in the rocks and an express train run. Had a 1205 Ara, CalcuttaTE, 30lb fire line, 50 fluro shocker. UNBELIEVABLE fight. Took nearly an hour with tremendous pressure on the tackle. Initially, of course, thought I had the world record bass. 15-20 minutes in without it tiring I knew that wasn't the case, thought about a seal, but since I could gain line with difficulty I discounted that. Decided I probably had a big shark by the dorsal fin, but had to see it before breaking it off. When I finally got it within 20feet, up against the submerged rocks in front of me, I could hear it hissing, put the light on it and it was one pissed off seal, probably 150-200 lbs, with my plug in it's face. Broke him off then. Left me drained, shaking, and finished for the night. Exhilarated...

schweet.

[Slipknot]

don't worry Numbskull, like bigfish said, you didn't put it there , he did. I don't think it's suffering at all, they live with all kinds of nasty stuff, he'll work it out eventually. Consider them by-catch.


Lower, did you catch anything out there?