Quote:
Originally Posted by Skip
IMHO - there should not be any live Spot sold as bait.
Here's my opinion on why: If it takes less then an hour or so to get enough Spot for livelining - most anglers will do it.
If it takes 2-3 hours - some still will but most will not.
If it takes 4-5 hours to get enough Spot - very few will.
If it takes over 5 hours - doubt any sane angler would invest that much time.
Instead - they will troll or cast or chum.
Most liveliners have a back up plan if the Spot are tough to catch.
Hook and line catching them almost has a built in time limit. They get scarce - anglers stop trying for them.
I know first hand some legal commercial Spot potters who take over 2,500 of them a week. They sell for $10.00 a dozen - almost a dollar each.
In Delaware - some shops sell them for $20.00 a dozen - just shy of $2.00 each.
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Some rec fishermen choose to buy bait rather then spend the time trying to catch it legally. If the commercial fishermen are using illegal gear then they need to be ticketed. I also know first hand of commercial spot catchers who catch and sell legally.
$1.00 a piece sounds like a bait shop price..... $ .50 is more the norm off the boat.