NOAA Recreational Fishing Striped Bass 2011

[Mikie]

Originally Posted by drichitt

I have to admit that I am one of those fishermen that refuses to answer the questions of the MRFSS surveyors at Sandy Point truthfully; I do admit to spending lots of money though. They would take my answers and extrapolate my data to apply to all of the fishermen that were never interviewed (private piers/docks/marinas etc). I will answers any questions truthfully when I encounter one of the many DNR biologists that will show up at SP; except when they ask how many rods we used because we all know how that data is going to be used. I do want to participate in the process but what has been used until now is so flawed it is criminal. I hear that the new NOAA Saltwater Angler registry is finally up and running and welcome a call from these folks. Still don't know why I have to get my mother registered for the few times she will fish with with me; I think they should call and ask me directly.

I would say if you don't want to answer the questions just refuse to take the survey. If you take the survey and LIE about the answers, you become part of the problem.

[B-Faithful]

My boat was interviewed by MRFSS 3x in the last year. (usually older retired guys) Twice out of SPSP and once out of Solomons. They usually interviewed two people on board the boat. They typically asked how many fish we each caught, how many we kept (then they measured the fish kept), about how much fuel we burned, how many trips we make a year, etc.

The only concern I had about the survey was the possiblity that many fish got counted twice. We were trolling all three trips as one survey was in the spring trophy season and other two were in the late fall when the big fish were around. I was cautious with our crew to make sure if we caught say 12 fish on the boat for the trip that they they only told the surveyor how many they reeled in themselves and how many we kept that they reeled in. I didnt want each of them saying we caught 12 fish and kept 2 fish if they each reeled in 3each and we only kept one of the fish between the two guys who reeled in 6 fish. I think it is important to give as accurate info as possible. The one surveryor was laughing at how he likes the measure the fish as many recs think the fish are bigger than they typically are.

interesting tid bit: I was also interviewed by DNR last trophy season at SPSP. The surveryor noted that there were only like 3 boats out of 25 interviewed that caught fish. While last tophy season was tougher than most in the upper bay, I was surprised to hear of so few actually caught by anglers.