Out of control gill netting

[JMS-ILM]

Originally Posted by fishpicker

Mr. Bad Angler is there anyway that your friend Matt could join this community ?????

here you go Mr Picker...have fun!
http://www.sportfishermen.com/board/...adventure.html

[rich]

I have MAJOR issues with that last video. numero uno no self respecting commercial fisherman is fishing his net out of a jon boat. number 2 what is your buddy doing tampering with that mans property. Number 3 it is illegal to cut a cove off completely so there is no way those gill nets are always set back to back. There has to be a gap.
I think someone should report Captain Wirt for tampering with that net. clear video evidence that he tampered with it.

[fishpicker]

Originally Posted by rich

I have MAJOR issues with that last video. numero uno no self respecting commercial fisherman is fishing his net out of a jon boat. number 2 what is your buddy doing tampering with that mans property. Number 3 it is illegal to cut a cove off completely so there is no way those gill nets are always set back to back. There has to be a gap.
I think someone should report Captain Wirt for tampering with that net. clear video evidence that he tampered with it.

Rich I made sure that the NC conservation officers and Marine Police were sent this video. Yes Myself and a few other irate Gillnetters along the coast are going to fallow this through.

[bad_angler]

Hey guys,

I don't know Captain Wirt but I have sent an email to him at your request. I just saw his video posting and passed it along.

ba

[gottaflylee]

I have debated with myself, tonight, wither or not to post this post or not, hoping that typing it would be enough venting but I feel that this post is getting out of hand and this needs to be said in this thread...some more of the other side and the "Rest of The Story", Things sometimes are not all "black or white"



Oh crapola!!!!!! Here we go. I know Mat and get along with him, will stop and talk to him from time to time in the boat, were both guides! First I want to say that I have been fishing and hunting that area in Mats video since I was 3 years old...I turned 55 this year, you do the math. THIS IS NOT A EVERYDAY OCCURRENCE! I fish this area a lot...does it happen there...YES. Does it happen every day...NO!
For the record, in that video, that net IS IN one of my spots that I like to sight fish Red Drum and I have found them (nets) in that area from time to time when I have gone there to fish with clients, but I have also watched a school of 20 or so fish swim around one of those nets.. I feel in watching that/ those video(s) you are getting a 1 sided story. I'm not saying that they are bad videos from either Gordon ( which I also know and have known for 10 or so years) or Mat, Lord knows Gordon's video now has you aware that gill nets in the hands of non trained netters ( Recreational) can and does have bad effects on wasted stocks of fish, in this case, both Red and Black Drum.
From what I have seen, when the nets are in that area for a short time the Red Drum move out of there for a while and if you want to catch them, you go and find them in a different area. Yes in both videos they are large marsh Flounder nets...the kind the report speaks of and the most damaging to the Red Drum. Now let me PISS off the rest of you and CCA! This thread is like trying to explain to CCA members why they can't catch fish where they use to 20 years ago. FISH MOVE AND AREAS CHANGE...CHANGE WITH IT PEOPLE!
I'm NOT defending NETTERS with what I am saying...I'm just saying that we need "The Rest of The Story" and NOT jump to conclusions which seems to happen a lot on the web, before we go off half cocked and spout off how bad it is. Remember this, in North Carolina, Red Drum Stocks are higher that they were 30 years ago. Flounder Nets have been/ were around long before I was born and I'm sure that they will be around for a while more. We and the Red Drum can and will live with it wither you and I like it or not.
As I said before "I am NOT for the proposed increase for Red Drum in NC for the recreational (in higher bag limits) or commercial fishermen (Higher bi-catch poundage for the Red Drum and what you see in the video is why they want the higher poundage quota but that is another story) as far as the fish stocks stand now...at least for my area and keep the minatory net attendance all nets as well as Flounder which seems to be doing the most damage to the Red Drum fishery...next!
One last thing, if you want to bash me for what I have said here, do it in a PM to me, this board is not for bashing...I think most people on here will agree with that!

[Reel Adventure]

Hey Guys, this is Capt. Matt Wirt. I was going to sign up...but heck Im already a member!!

I am going to reply ONE time and ONE time only to this. I have fought this net stuff for too long on the internet and it is a waste of time. Untill us recs step up and attend the meetings nothing will happen.

First I will start with Capt. Lee Parsons post, I completley agree with his view on guides and recs taking fish and that it could be in line with the commercial catch waste ratio. Capt. Lee has been around along time and knows his stuff. I dont like the nets set where drum are targeted for the simple reason nets cant count. Once there is 7 drum in the net it does not stop catching drum. The rec limit is one and then that customer stops keeping and releases the rest. I easily catch over 200-300 ( I fish off shore too) drum a year and my customers might keep 20 or less. Lots of catch and release customers, Flounder seems to be a different story. They need help!!

Fishpicker.....MAJOR ISSUES?? That was indeed a commercial fisherman setting his net out of a jon boat, so NO I'm not a liar. The boat numbers were sent to the dmf and they tracked the owner of the boat. He did nothing illegial, but waste is waste. Your SECOND quote was that I was tampering with someones net and that I should be reported. Guess what, I had a high ranking DMF officer on my boat the day that video was shot, he was right beside me. Dont believe me report me and find out for yourself. Trust me im EASY to find. I would reccomend you ask questions before jumping to conclusions and accusing me of tampering with nets. I have been asked by the DMF not to post the name of the DMF "agent" that was with me so I wont, but I am sure Capt. Lee probably knows who he is. The officer saw nothing illegial that day but was "concerned" about the issue.

Hang on did someone say it was already reported??? you guys are a joke. I had Lt. Kelly with the DMF on my boat that day to observe this issue. Follow it up and find out for your self. The floating fish were from THE DAY BEFORE..imagine all the dead pups I saw dead the day the net was set when I did not have my video camera!!

I could care less about a bunch of "irate gill netters" You guys are hard working and have my respect but then you come on here and accuse me and slander me like SOME OF YOU usually do. Your scare tactics wont work with me....your keyboard tyraid is amusing, I have always encuraged anyone with the same tyraid to bring it face to face if it is that much of a problem. And no I dont have anger issues, but if it is that big of a deal do you think you will really resolve it over the internet?

And for your third issue. NO there does not have to be a gap in nets. I have seen 3 nets back to back to back along a shore line that did not cut off a cove.

And fishpecker...how am I "Irresponsibly killing fish for no reason and strengthening our case that there should not be any form of Rec Gill netting." First you dont know me and have never fished with me and I and very conservation minded. I dont care about rec nets that have to be attended, that is fine. I am all for attended nets, On my gosh..can you believe that???. If you are a commercial fisherman...I said in the video I DO NOT fault the commercial fisherman I fault the state. You only see what you want to see or cant read one. I fault the state with these dumb ass laws that favor the commercial fisherman. I only want equality, that is all I will ever ask for.

To be honest, I have had a great year. All the nets had to be attended down my way this year due to sea turtle interaction. I saw a few commercial guys setting and attending nets and I applaud them. They have and deserve MY respect. Some of the netters apparently went up north and created havoc.

We just need MORE sea turtles.

This inshore netting is one small issue, another is the gray trout. How many are wiped out by gill netters? How many juvenile gray trout are wiped out by shrimp trawls? A LOT!!

I only post what I see with my own two eyes. I dont sugar coat things. I will play things I see into my favor just like you would, and I ask and encourage any commercial guys to do the same if they see bad recs or guides. Just show me pics, videos or something of LOCAL NC recs or guides for proof. WE will weed out the bad ones if need be!!! I just want pics or videos..I have been asked to produce these items and it is only fair you show proof as well.

I use to post problems and people wanted pics. So I posted pics...then they were accused of being staged or manipulated or dismissed away. So OK...I'll post real life video...guess what...same thing.

That is why I wont argue this issue. NC will never put the commercial guy out of business!! NEVER!! But the economy, imports, coastal property values, rising taxes, price of fuel and many more issues will and it might eventually put me out of it too. Times change and things change but true commercial fisherman and their attitudes are so resistant to change, you become a main target for all the conservation groups.

Thats it...fire away....just dont expect a response. I also dont mean to be rude, I did not ask to get involved here, I posted nothing and I feel like I got bashed for a video I filmed, edited and produced last year. I do care about both sides of this issue, the problems we all face, and I hope we can all find a solution that works for all of us, but i wont be involved in this saga.

Take care.

[Capt. Jon Tennant]

Here is a link to the rule summary for RCGL in NC. http://www.ncfisheries.net/download/2006RCGLSumm.pdf

Doing away with it would help tremendously with the netting problems in SE NC.

[bad_angler]

Doing away with it

Capt. Jon, Doing away with what exactly ? ba

BTW, I love Holden Beach..it's been about 10 years since I've been but had a blast when I was there.

[Capt. Jon Tennant]

do away with the RCGL or recreational commercial gear license. it's all the small amount of backwaters can do to support the comm. fishing and rec. hook & line pressure coupled with all the over-development of coastal land in SE NC. there is no reason for recs to be gill netting. their irresponsibility & misuse of such gear has giving all netters and to a lesser extent all commercial fisherman a bad name.

[Drum Slayer]

I can't believe how quick people are on this board to go along with Fish Picker and his friends. They have a good point now and again, but they jump to a lot of unsubstantiated conclusions and never seem to be called out.

They argue both sides, but seemingly always in their favor. And somehow, people are led along to agree. Can you say agenda?

I love that recs on this board will say where we need improvement, but I never hear it from this clan. What I do hear, is calls for additional rec restrictions whenever we admit there may be a problem. Absurd.

Why would we put another restriction on recreational anglers because of a few bad apples? I can see how Fish Picker and friends benefit from decreased competition, but do we really want another restriction on that which we are allowed to do on the water? Don't we have enough? Many responsible guides net responsibly while ethically pursuing their passion and their living. Why should they, or any other recreational fisherman, not be able to do this???