Just got the

[Pennsy Guy]

latest edition of The Edge Big Game Fishing Journal. If you do nothing else read Karen Hall's editorial and also at the other end of the magazine, Tred's article---both are MUST READS if you give a damn about fishing and the continuing fight over the accessibility of all the oceanic fisheries.....

[Capt. Lou]

Treds article depicts the commercial fisherman as partners in this fight to save our fisheries resources , however this is not always the case .
Their the commercial Fishermans greed has devasted fisheries world wide not only in our backyard !
One need only remember the Cod father case in Mass & more recently the Cheasapeake striped bass incident where one commercial waterman helped himself to several tons of striped bass using illegal netting procedures !
Our sport limit is a couple of striped bass this guy helped himself to 20 year + limit !
Unfortunately the commercial,entities have painted the,selves into a corner & want our supply of paint to finish the job !
Wake up sport fisherman at every level we all our paying the price for draconian fishing laws mainifested upon us by commecial fishing practices that firmly believe every fish in our oceans belong to them !

[Capt. Debbie]

These are a few commercial guys as you point out. I' sure they realize they can fish themselves out of business too. And unlike Rec guys, they don't have a day job to go back to.

SO not all commercial guys can be painted with the same sh*t colored brush.

As I am sure there are Rec guys that keep everything clearing their gunwales.






Treds article depicts the commercial fisherman as partners in this fight to save our fisheries resources , however this is not always the case .
Their the commercial Fishermans greed has devasted fisheries world wide not only in our backyard !
One need only remember the Cod father case in Mass & more recently the Cheasapeake striped bass incident where one commercial waterman helped himself to several tons of striped bass using illegal netting procedures !
Our sport limit is a couple of striped bass this guy helped himself to 20 year + limit !
Unfortunately the commercial,entities have painted the,selves into a corner & want our supply of paint to finish the job !
Wake up sport fisherman at every level we all our paying the price for draconian fishing laws mainifested upon us by commecial fishing practices that firmly believe every fish in our oceans belong to them !

[Capt Joe]

these are a few commercial guys as you point out. I' sure they realize they can fish themselves out of business too. And unlike rec guys, they don't have a day job to go back to.

So not all commercial guys can be painted with the same sh*t colored brush.

As i am sure there are rec guys that keep everything clearing their gunwales.

huh?

[Pennsy Guy]

Treds article depicts the commercial fisherman as partners in this fight to save our fisheries resources , however this is not always the case .
Their the commercial Fishermans greed has devasted fisheries world wide not only in our backyard !
One need only remember the Cod father case in Mass & more recently the Cheasapeake striped bass incident where one commercial waterman helped himself to several tons of striped bass using illegal netting procedures !
Our sport limit is a couple of striped bass this guy helped himself to 20 year + limit !
Unfortunately the commercial,entities have painted the,selves into a corner & want our supply of paint to finish the job !
Wake up sport fisherman at every level we all our paying the price for draconian fishing laws mainifested upon us by commecial fishing practices that firmly believe every fish in our oceans belong to them !

I just said read it; don't have to agree with it. As intelligent humans, we make our own decisions, some right, some wrong...some with varying shades of gray.....I'm 50-50 with Tred on this,; mostly less and seldom more @ other times...

[Capt. Lou]

I did read it and don't agree with it at this time , since a commercial violation tends to have far more reaching effects then the whole dam fleet of sport fisherman not retaining proper limits .
There simply is no comparison and unlike sport fishermen , the commercial entities fish for survival many instances on dwindling fisheries they helped create.
I'm not vilifying all commercials but the bad ones can cripple a fishery to a point in which sport anglers are now fed limits many can barely stay in business with on all levels ! Sans our wonderful 200 mile limit was that good or bad for us ?
If u don't think so u better take note of ur local mud hole fishery 30 / 40 yrs ago and now , sport , party boats did that . I don't think so!!

[Capt. Lou]

These are a few commercial guys as you point out. I' sure they realize they can fish themselves out of business too. And unlike Rec guys, they don't have a day job to go back to.

SO not all commercial guys can be painted with the same sh*t colored brush.

As I am sure there are Rec guys that keep everything clearing their gunwales.

I'm not sure how many trips u take on charter or PB but I do over 30 some seasons since I sold my boats ! I can honestly say most adhere to limits & try to maintain decent catch rates doing so ! I've never personally been on any boat that greed sport fished have u !
I'm not saying it doesn't occur but I personally find most anglers policing themselves on boats I hire anyway !

[Capt. Debbie]

I guess you're graced by fishing with the elite.

Plenty of private boaters and land fisherman don't live the life you seemed surrounded by.

My sample is based on working pretty much every weekend May to October and seeing, as well as towing many boats and talking to the RB and NY fishermen on board for last 18 years- you see quite a bit that's not kosher.

One person who I will not name is part time PB fill in captain in north NJ who calls "limits are actually just guidelines" while laughing. And "I'm not my brother's keeper."

There are those who striper fish and empty their fish into the car cooler and go back out fishing and "Re-limit" as they say.

Walk a dock and you will 5 gal buckets full of fish( no ice of course) many well undersized.

I've got one Fish & Game guy of speed dial. But often they are no where near.

True, I believe you and definitely I follow the rules as best we can. However, its naïve to believe there are not rec fishermen with their own rules.

Ever see under sized fish thrown overboard. Happens when the marked F&G boat starts going boat to boat and is headed their way in the fleet in RB. A handful of dead 18 inch stripers did float off an offshore commercial trawler into Sandy Hook bay.

It's easy to blame someone else, in fact that's normal these days.

Yes there are dirt bag Rec and Comm fisher guys too.



I'm not sure how many trips u take on charter or PB but I do over 30 some seasons since I sold my boats ! I can honestly say most adhere to limits & try to maintain decent catch rates doing so ! I've never personally been on any boat that greed sport fished have u !
I'm not saying it doesn't occur but I personally find most anglers policing themselves on boats I hire anyway !

[june181901]

It will all stop when boats are seized for bag limit violations.