Reds, I doubt the catch and release season could be shortened. I know I would be one of the first in line to potentially challenge that under the Freedom to Fish Act. As Baldy stated, we
all stood together on that subject and I know that would be the same.
Point of my thread was to address the growing sentiment against the practice of trolling, not attack those that primarily enjoy fishing in other ways. Also, my addressing the issue wasnt solely based on Shawn's articles at all but a growing judgement that is becoming clearly evident, particularly on Tidalfish, through many other responses. There are numerous posts that show either an sense of elitism over those who troll or deragatory remarks because so many people enjoy the practice this time of year. Some may believe it is an over-sensative concern but lets also face the facts that:
- DNR targetted trolling specifically with their catch and release restrictions without any science or information on the efficiency or impact of the practice
- DNR is now interviewing anglers at access points to how they are fishing and how many rods
- Representatives on the SFAC have shown little appreciation for the act of trolling during the catch and release debate with their vote/recommendation(CBF member stated that he didnt think it was particularly sporting, Lateral Line/TidalFish rep wanted to limit the number of days one can troll, CBF presented a compromise that all but eliminated trolling through gear restrictions of one rod per angler and it was deemed acceptable by others on the commission)
- DNR has noted the increase in "efficiency" by recreational anglers in their report to why Maryland recreational anglers drastically increased the fish harvested during the trophy season (went from about 1 fish for every 5 trips taken to almost 1 fish per 3 trips taken by recs- they did also note larger min of 2006, no take slot of 2007, fuel prices of 2008, and more "fishable" days of 2009)
There are just concerns over this growing sentiment by some from within our community and it encouraging our fisheries managers to further restrictions are valid. I thought enough so that it is worthy of addressing publicly.
My post was not to "call out" anyone or specially target Shawn or Jamie, both of who I and many others have the highest level of respect for. However Shawns article and the thread that Jamie started, whether innocent or just having fun, do contribute to the other fires that have seemingly been burning. Lets face it Jamies post can easily be read that he was implying this:
Quote:
Just curious...I was just wondering, some guys have had great success so far this week and some have not...just wanted to see how big your boat is and how many rods do you troll....
I will start...I use 1 rod (because I am so good I dont need more)...st. croix med action avid...3000 Shimano saros....of course not (lowly) trolling it's only for Light tackle (which is a better method of fishing because it doesnt require multiple rods for effectiveness) ......
Sometimes I throw trolling rods on the boat... (only because) it looks really cool riding down the road with the parachutes waving and all lined up.....
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To state other-wise is naive. Why would he ask how many rods people are trolling then state that he will start the thread by stating that only uses one rod to jig? He also noted that he will bring trolling rods but doesnt say how many (the whole point of his thread!) and only notes that he thinks the parachutes waving in the wind look cool. If he was looking for real information on efficiency he could have asked how many fish were caught and how many rods were being trolled to see if there was a link given the opening statement of his thread. Like I said, I normally would find it innocent and did initially until my phone was ringing off the hook with guys questioning what is going on with DNR interviewing anglers at SPSP about trolling effort after what we went through over the winter.
If it makes me a bad guy for asking all recreational anglers to not foster these-types of sentiments or fuel the fire, whether the posts are in fun or not, then so be it. I have tried not to criticize those who enjoy fishing in different manners than myself. I have strived to point out that we all have the same creel, size limits and season length. We also strive to maximize efficiency on the water with the methods that we choose to use. Again, I dont target Shawn or Jamie but do want to target the judgement against trolling. Jamies post just was the best place to communicate it publicly since the thread had so much attention.
I should also note that I probably make almost as many trips jigging a year as I do trolling. The trips are just shorter and mostly through the summer and fall until late oct/november when the migratory fish show back up. I have also learned a lot from shawns articles and Jamies posts and believe I have become a better fishermen because of them.
I hope this clears up why I started this thread and took the time to respond to the the thread on TF the way that I did. It is not my intentions to be critical of any person specifically or the method in which one choses to fish.
If anyone wants to call to discuss further, my cell is 410.533.1435.