ILLEGAL STRIPED BASS SEIZURE SPURS SHUT DOWN OF FEBRUARY GILL NET SEASON

[clt_capt]

stringing up an untended net isn't that much different from putting iron spikes in Douglas fir trees... I've known too many tree huggers who believe that the end justifies the means...

I wouldn't put it past them... But I hope that whoever did it gets the book thrown at them.

[bigfish4me]

Frank, I have been round the block enough times in my short 36 years to realise things are not always what they seem.......that is why I never pass judgment before I hear both sides of the story...you make a very valid point and you make more sense than alot of people are willing to see.....looking at the pics you do make a very good point......it seems that no matter what we are screwed, first the commercial waterman....next the recs, at first glance we...me the recreational fisherman applaud the actions....but we both know that the VOICE against the ridiculous regulations are the hard working people that make their living off of the water......

[Flatdog]

Ok I will play devils advocate, Is keel hauling still aloud in the USA!!!!
Guys you drop a net that kills a couple of hundred fish ducks etc, whether you are a commercial or not it is "WRONG" full stop, no ifs butts or maybes it hurts the whole fishing community, why because the big man with the stick will beat us all.

[seapower]

I can tell you from experience, that fishing with a gillnet can be a very clean and targeted fishery. Just from time in the seat behind the wheel, I could tell what kind of fish I was looking at on the paper machine, fishfinder and now color scope. We used to set on school's of fish we wanted. There is no need of working yourself to death shaking out what you can't sell. I used to, on a daily basis set outside of the rock(striper's) that were schooled up on the beach. Can anyone say that they are 100% by-catch free no, but I can tell you of countless 50 to 100 box set's I made with maybe 100lb's of by-catch (mostly false albacore or fat back's, still 1% ain't bad). The size of the webbing and the Captain make all the difference.
I'm not defending what was done, but I hate that all will be judged by this one act. Regardless of who set the gear. That's my point, make all commercial guy's and their gear evil to the rest of the public, then some enviromental wacko group will help "you" put them put out of business. Then when they are done with the commercial guy's, the rec's are next. I've seen it play out just like this for the last 35 year's. They have an agenda, they don't want you to catch, hurt or eat fish, eat meat, cut tree's, wear fur, etc......... It's taken a little longer than I expected it too, but just look where all these folk's are placed in our Governmental Agency's right now. I smell a rat boy's, I smell a rat. Just sayin, Frank

[captnemo]

If it was a net set by a conservation group (which I highly doubt, not based on anything other then gut feeling) Then good, maybe this media will be enough to ban nets altogether.

I know the popular cool thing to do here is applaud the honest waterman, but right or wrong, legal or not, if left un checked they will detroy every fishery on the planet with no regard for waste.

the Honest waterman down in NC aren;t breaking any laws, but obviously have no moral turpitude, or care for the resource. Same with the long liners, yes it is legal to kill hundreds of marlin and dump them over the side, is it right? nope.

HOOK AND LINE SPECIES SPECIFIC COMMERCIAL FISHING ONLY. THE WHOLE OF THEM HAS SHOWN US TIME AND AGAIN, THEY WILL KILL ANYTHING IN THERE QUEST FOR THE DOLLAR, WITH NO REGARD FOR THE SUSTAINABILITY, LEGAL OR NOT, THEY ARE ALL INDISCRIMINATE KILLERS.

NETS AND LONG LINES HAVE GOT TO GO; END OF STORY.

[seapower]

You said it yourself, "if left unchecked", that's what the law is about. I feel that the law's for all should be enforced. But if you simply feel like alot of the rest of the world feel's, "as long as it's what I do, it's OK", then there's no need to debate any further. If that's how it is, just say it, that's the way it sound's on this end. By the way, good luck catching your shrimp with a hook, better get used to the "crappy" taste of the oversea's import's. Cause that's what they eat. Crab's, clam's, oyster's, not to mention butterfish, tailor blue's, fatbacks, ballyhoo,squid and any other bait used in bulk.
Funny thing I remember as a kid growing up on the lower Chesapeake Bay and seeing all the dead bluefish buried in the sand, laying on the beach, stuffed into dumpster's after being caught by rec's with hook and line. Sorta like the marlin that are brought in for "science". Again, if "I" do it it's OK, mentality. Same arguement I've heard for 35 year's, just a different set of player's on a different week. Frank

[Dave Sikorski]

-D