DNR catch/release meeting - Thurs /21st
 

Meeting at 6 pm at the church next to DNR bldg on Thursday.
New rules are the topic. Might be a last chance to be heard.

I'll be there. Anyone else going?...................Mark

mark, I am going to try. I need to find a baby sitter as my wife will have my one of my daughters at a "daisies" event.

i will try and get a hall pass.

I'll be there.

I dont think I can get a sitter. I have checked all our regular girls and my father in law is working for the legislature rightnow and it is a lot for him during the work week so I may be out of luck.

How did the meeting go? Sorry I could not make it!

Went well. Just a few turned out and all but one seemed to be very supportive of C&R.

Here are just some of what I remember:

• I spoke out against the rod restictions based on the fact that they have no indication that those trolling are handling more fish than others fishing using other methods and the fact that the gear restrictions could have a negative impact on small business (ie.local tackle shops)
• There were several people who spoke out for moving the start of trophy season back a week or two as a more effective way of protecting the spawning stock due to the high percentage of prespawn females kept during the trophy season before May 1st according to DNR studies.
• One person did a nice job challenging restrictions all together being imposed given the unknowns. He basicly noted that DNR has an obligation to act on known issues prior to regulating the unknown.
• One person thought that the restrictions placed on preseason C&R should be carried over into the keep seasons based on the fact that so many fish get released during the open seasons (due to undersize, over the creel limit, was fishing for another species, etc.)

Those were the comments that stood out to me. (I dont agree with all of them for various reasons but was trying to remember some of the noteable comments made)

My "Official Comment" which went on record was the following:

I told them I was looking forward to a DNR press release which states the following:

MARYLAND RESTRICTS IT'S CATCH AND RELEASE SEASON IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN IT'S CATCH AND KILL SEASON, IN THE NAME OF CONSERVATION

5th

So what comes of this comment period? Sectary Griffin has already circled the wagons. No changes will be made to the current proposal. When and if changes have to be made in the future it probably will not be directed at catch and release. :rolleyes:

The DNR representatives emphasized several times that plans are already under way at DNR to look very hard at the "entire" fishery. Reading between the lines last night makes me feel as if there will possibly be big changes coming in 2011. I look for a shortened spring season as well as additional restrictions on all anglers. The purpose of the 6 rod limit per DNR was to limit "encounters" with the pre-spawn fish. I would not be surprised if additional restrictions to limit "encounters" will be imposed during the catch and kill season as well. Stay tuned!.........................Mark

Mark, I didn't want to be so direct. I was talking to a DNR official a few days ago. I came away from the conversation with the same felling. As you say stay tuned……. :(

I think the MCBA will be sorry they ever put a microscope on the spring spawning season. 5th (Marty)

think they will fight for an exemption citing larger parties and need for efficiency? :rolleyes:

I somehow totally missed this one...not spending enough time on these boards anymore. Marty where were you to tell me???

Mark (Baldzilla); the new DNR lady was too pretty. If you had been there, you would have just babbled on and on about nothing. Even I had a hard time keeping my mouth shut. Skip offered to take her out fishing, I was leaning more toward dinner. Sorry you missed it. 5th (Marty)

:D - I could guess by her answers - she had never been out on a spring C/R trip - so - it seemed only proper to invite her.

Think the wife will buy that ? :p:p

Sad when the one's in charge have never done it.

Sad when the one's in charge have never done it.[/QUOTE]

That's too easy Skip:eek:. I'd better not comment:D. 5th (Marty)

Why try to split the recreational user group?

What you seem to be forgetting is the charter people are trying to make a living.... Food, housing and boat payments depend on a viable Striped Bass fishery in the Chesapeake. The appearance of mistreatment of fish during Catch and Release only periods, could weigh heavily on ASMFC decisions.

Pushing for payback for the sake of getting even, will only divide the user group at a time when all should stick together.

Pushing for payback for the sake of getting even, will only divide the user group at a time when all should stick together.[/QUOTE]


Now we should all work together:eek:. Good luck with that:D.
I don't think the rec's are the ones you need to worry about. I think the genie is out of the bottle. Now that DNR is going to take a close look at the whole fishery; my opinion is that more restristions are coming next year, and they will include charters as well. I certainly understand how stressed your business is in this economy; and I feel for you. I just don't understand why the MCBA asked DNR to LOOK at the PSCR fishing and complain that we were harassing those prespawn fish. All this while KNOWING that your business is partially based on KILLING those same prespawn fish two weeks later. DNR has you on record stating that if just one prespawn female is harassed and doesn't drop her millions of eggs, the fishery is impacted. They also have one of your representatives (Keene I think), on record stating that when we had the slot limit, all those slot fish he tossed back died.
Now in the name of conservation, what do you think DNR is going to do in the future? They can't expand C/R; the eggs are in jepordy. They can't adopt a slot limit; all the throwbacks die. What's left, NO TARGETING STRIPERS UNTIL MAY 1st.
I can see them proposing this. Then everyone gets involved (charters, MSSA, RFA, etc.) and another compromise comes about. It will say no planner boards (or reduced length), continuation of only six rods into the season, and circle hooks all year for bait.
All this will increase stocks; and after all, this is what you advocated. I may be wrong, but this is like a chess match; you have to try to see what your opponent (DNR) is going to do several moves ahead. Unfortunatley; the MCBA has been playing checkers, not chess.
Only time will tell. 5th (Marty)

All I see coming from these steps to "protect" the stripers is a bunch of regulations that don't impact the fishery at all. All governmental B.S. meant to please everyone. They should start with water quality and ban all netting from the bay. Period!!!! This would help all the fish as opposed to stuff like "must be a non-offset circle hook, no off-set circle hooks. These small rules do not amount to much when one considers all the fish in the bay. I would campaign against the officals that made these statements on the basis that they are treating us like infants and also out right lying to us! Just an old mans' thoughts, Bob

The thing that really bothered me the most was DNR saying so much was unknown on the C/R issue - then saying there was no money to study the unknown.

Got to laugh at ASMFC being concerned over C/R fishing yet not saying much about the thousands and thousands of big spawner Rock killed by the poachers.

Then again - nothing ASMFC does surprises me anymore.