Just got this Email regarding Cicle Hooks at the Big Rock

[Bite Me]

http://www.thebigrock.com/OnlineNewsletter/default.asp


Now I ask you, WTF? Why the Big Rock, I thgought that we were the land of the free and the home of the "J".

Hit the link for the whole page.

[whitey]

Stop reading my emails.

[Bite Me]

Stop reading my emails.

I knew I should have changed that password!

[brandon558]

Its amazing aint it

[WAHOONBOX]

I CAN LIVE WITH IT....THIS AIN'T BAD

WANNA KILL A SLOB? YOU ARE GOING TO USE 400-540 LB TEST LEADER ANYWAY AND A J HOOK IS ALLOWED....

AND MY 80 LB PITCHBAIT STUFF....A CIRCLE IS FINE BECAUSE YOU GET MORE RELEASE POINTS WHEN USING A CIRCLE...

AS FAR AS I AM CONCERNED....WE WON THE BATTLE FOR 2007

.

[Deep C]

I'll be dipped in...

In the meetings I attended on the subject. No single group was more vocal about the elimination of the ruling than this group. They came with an entire entourage lobbying for change for and now they knuckle under like this??? Compromise yes but this is a stretch. I white marlin fish with 25 class tackle and line maybe up to 40. I think most of you do too. Do any of you pitch or run dinks even on 50 gear? Thats where I start my blue spreads....

I'm 100% in favor of circle with dinks. Circles with live should be a no brainer. Artificials were exempted from the begining and combos should have been. I'll continue to carry that fight... 200 leader?... My combos for blues run that any way. 80 Mainline?... I guess I needed to respool any way...

[neilinov]

I CAN LIVE WITH IT....THIS AIN'T BAD

I can't believe that anyone would put up with this, especially a tournament geared toward catching blue marlin. WAHOO you are way off base and are going to be part of the problem here. Yes I agree that if you are after a slob you are not going to use 80# leader and a dink. You are however going to be possibly using a 50 class reel and the right drag setting to get the fish to the boat. I can't remember the last time our 40# main line on our 50 # gear broke on a big fish. Set your drag right, crank up the pressure and run that fish down. You can bring it to the boat in a reasonable amount of time, release it and use a J-hook. F*** these circle hook nazi's that are trying to ruin the way we fish. Incrimentalism, it is the slow taking away of our rights. First it starts with the restrictions on tournaments, because 1. they are high profile and 2. can make a huge statement. Next comes the full on rule for all rec fisherman. The next thing you know we will be facing full on closures. Imagine a season without being able to fish from the point off of Hatteras down to Jacksonville. That is the agenda of the circle hook only crowd. They won't stop at circles only in a tournament. Your attitude here demonstrates how effective this kind of campaign can be. You get a couple of high profile professionals to say stuff like

I CAN LIVE WITH IT....THIS AIN'T BAD AS FAR AS I AM CONCERNED....WE WON THE BATTLE FOR 2007

and they are well on there way to closing down our fisheries. I enjoy all of your stuff you put out and would like to attend one of your sessions WAHOO, but on this issue, I would not take this stance and grab your ankles.

[ocalex]

I agree and disagree. It was not a win, but not a loss either. Rec fishermen stood up and showed that they would not just sit and be walked over which is the win. The loss is the fact that the tournament that from what i understand was against the ruling the most set those rules, not nmfs. That is somewhat puzzleing to me. One would think that tournament directors would have a better understanding and make it 50lb and up but you cant win them all. Overall we can still run combos which i feel many people were most concerned about.

[Glenn W]

I can't believe that anyone would put up with this, especially a tournament geared toward catching blue marlin. WAHOO you are way off base and are going to be part of the problem here. Yes I agree that if you are after a slob you are not going to use 80# leader and a dink. You are however going to be possibly using a 50 class reel and the right drag setting to get the fish to the boat. I can't remember the last time our 40# main line on our 50 # gear broke on a big fish. Set your drag right, crank up the pressure and run that fish down. You can bring it to the boat in a reasonable amount of time, release it and use a J-hook. F*** these circle hook nazi's that are trying to ruin the way we fish. Incrimentalism, it is the slow taking away of our rights. First it starts with the restrictions on tournaments, because 1. they are high profile and 2. can make a huge statement. Next comes the full on rule for all rec fisherman. The next thing you know we will be facing full on closures. Imagine a season without being able to fish from the point off of Hatteras down to Jacksonville. That is the agenda of the circle hook only crowd. They won't stop at circles only in a tournament. Your attitude here demonstrates how effective this kind of campaign can be. You get a couple of high profile professionals to say stuff like and they are well on there way to closing down our fisheries. I enjoy all of your stuff you put out and would like to attend one of your sessions WAHOO, but on this issue, I would not take this stance and grab your ankles.

First of all, I respect your opinion. But this attitude is the old NRA attitude-- zero consessions, zero comprimise, zero cooperation.
This old NRA tactic may or may not be the most effective to mitigate changes in regulations--- I really don't know. But what I do know is that the decision makers are a pretty small group of people ( unlike 50 state legislatures) and the big tournament committees do carry some weight with their knowledge, expertise and money.
Consider what we are up against--- Possible designation of White Marlin on the endangered species list, an already passed regulation requiring circles for all dead bait-- but for a one year extention granted after alot of hard work, scientific study after study upon which the govt relies showing circles are safer than J hooks, NMFS' primary responsibility to protect marine species and not rich sportfishermen, the stated lack of data relating to blue & White Marlin mortality when using the agreed upon rules ( cirlcs for less than 80 lb leader-- J allowd for large tackle)-----
What I am getting at is possibly the attitude of "work with me and I'll work with you"---- maybe this is not the smartest tactic for our interests--- I really don't know. It seems like a reasonable solution that may help us, and perminantly prevent the alternative circles for all bait requirement.
Time will tell.
The only thing I disagree with totally is that no serious tournament fisherman is going Blue Marlin hunting with a 50.

[Deep C]

My first post heree was a bit knee jerk reaction...

Thought about it some. While a lot of what I said there is dead on, asome misses a point. NMFS was clear as the back room reasons for having the rule in the first place. To quell the screaming lawsuit happy bunny huggers whos true objective is to ban long lines all together in all places the pacific.
Thats right. Bio Diversity a bunch of bunny huggers have that as their goal. They went at NMFS to get that done stating all longlines are bad. They chose depleted white marlin stocks in the atlantic to base their claim on hoping to prompt action. When NMFS told them to pound sand, they sued. NMFS had to make a stand and show good faith. Thus the feel good circle hook reg which was being pushed at them by orgs like TBF any way.
There was a clear need to COMPROMISE laid out at the meetings. Big rock and the Carolina contingency was worried about effect on Blue MArlin fishing and in the options for softening or ammending the regulation, this was one discusssed. Covers their blue marlin concern to some degree but falls short of where I was headed with exempting combos from it. Those being used on 50 and 200 leader gear.
I think this may be an attempt to find if compromise is feasible then bring that data back to NMFS for ammunition in ammending the rules. Id say if your not happy still at this point, calmly let the tourney that it still falls short of what you the tourney angler want...