Why was today the last day of the rockfish season?

[Hockleyneck]

Originally Posted by JigStix

Marty, this is not targeted at you, more for people like, well Skip and his lemmings.

I love you guys that preach conservation while practicing kill all you can within your limit, and then ponder why noone takes you seriously. You hope and wish for a longer season to kill Rockfish, but throw out "put back all fish over 40". Conservation when it's convienient to you, like when they limit Catch and Release. You stand there at meetings and defend actions like trolling through a gannet storm, state that you are for saving the future of the rockfish population, and then in the same breath post on a public message board that you wish you could catch and kill later into the year. If you truly just love fishing, go catch and release and stop hoping for a longer kill season. You want to eat it, go buy it or eat one of the hundreds of fish you kill all year long that have to be overflowing your freezer.

Where's the icon for the guy eating popcorn?

[Hockleyneck]

Originally Posted by JigStix

Marty, this is not targeted at you, more for people like, well Skip and his lemmings.

I love you guys that preach conservation while practicing kill all you can within your limit, and then ponder why noone takes you seriously. You hope and wish for a longer season to kill Rockfish, but throw out "put back all fish over 40". Conservation when it's convienient to you, like when they limit Catch and Release. You stand there at meetings and defend actions like trolling through a gannet storm, state that you are for saving the future of the rockfish population, and then in the same breath post on a public message board that you wish you could catch and kill later into the year. If you truly just love fishing, go catch and release and stop hoping for a longer kill season. You want to eat it, go buy it or eat one of the hundreds of fish you kill all year long that have to be overflowing your freezer.

Since we are just giving opinions and Marty asked us to be respectful, here is my assessment. The larger fish are targeted and harassed from New England to NC. They are targeted in and on their breeding grounds here in Maryland. How can this be good? I am guilty of targeting the larger fish as well, who in this group is not guilty? I personally would support a longer C&R period in the spring and extend the winter season for the smaller fish. Once the larger fish are gone due to low water temps, who cares if you keep a 20 inch local fish? Those in charge also need to do something about the commercial guys whether netters or hook and liners. While we are at it, it would be nice to limit Omega. It would seem the striped bass is in trouble, let's hope something is done before another moratorium is necessary.

[Mikie]

The season was scheduled to close on Dec 15th - it did. The anomaly was LAST year when it was extended.

[Skip]

JigStix - I've done my best to ignore your constant jabs at me but since you called me out by name this time - I'll reply.

That multiple hook up under the Gannets was a once in a lifetime event - figured someone with your expertise would understand that. So many factors came together and I happened to be right there when it did.

Letting the bigger fish go is my way of conserving fish for the future.

Me taking a legal limit when I fish is not the trouble. You really need to direct your anger at the poachers.

[reds]

Mikie

It was 2008 that the rec season was extended 16 days to Dec 31.

Skip

The reason for the Dec 15th cut off date is two fold.

The original date was Dec 1 so as not to conflict with the gill netters. The 15th was asked for by the Maryland charterboat people so they wouldn't lose as many customers to the Virginia fishery. The gillnetters didn't oppose the 15 day extension and it has remained that way for awhile now. (except for 2008). I don't think 5 percent is correct as to rec fishing in the winter in Maryland. It's maybe one percent, if that.

The second reason is that there has to be a cut off on Maryland's Striper fishery to satisfy Maryland and ASMFC's agreement on the size and quota numbers.

[5th Tuition]

I was simply trying to figure out how DNR is thinking. It just seems counter productive to extend the season on a "good" year when people are catching lots of fish. But then; on a year (like this one) when catching was difficult (and less fish were taken) why didn't they extend the season?

I was wondering if this was a subtle message from DNR that they really do believe the stock is in jeoperdy. By not extending the season, they have at least saved a small portion of the stock.

kill lots of rock...extend the season
kill fewer rock...end season on the 15th

The above didn't make sense to me. I believe DNR is concerned about the size of the stock and felt it prudent to close the season on time this year.

Thanks for all the responses.
5th (Marty)

[B-Faithful]

Law of averages. They dont shorten the season when a good year has been had either. It at least gives consistancy in the seasons and consistant access and opportunity. If they shortened seasons on good years and someone had taken a week off to fish for Thanksgiving, they could be SOL. Also industries around rec fishing benefit more from consistant season lengths. It is why rec fishing works better with targets and not having quotas like the commercial side.

[JigStix]

Originally Posted by Skip

Me taking a legal limit when I fish is not the trouble. You really need to direct your anger at the poachers.

Poachers or Illegal Charters? Both are bad, I'm assuming you only do one, so you constantly harp on the other. I'm overwhelmed with illegality. PS I have no anger, just dislike for hypocrisy, I'm very Zen.

[Breakaway]

Originally Posted by 5th Tuition

Greg; I'm a bit confused. The past year is what we should expect to catch in a NORMAL year? We (rec.'s) hit our target number of fish this year?

This is the worst year I can remember for not only myself, but for most of the guys I fish with.

Based on the "cost" it took to try to put a limit on the boat, I wouldn't think about buying a new boat. I won't be buying much additional tackle over the winter (I"ll make do with what I have), and if gas prices either continue to rise, or remain at $3/gallon, the number of trips will be decreasing.

If this year is the new "normal", you will find many anglers who feel the cost/return factor is not enough to stay in the game.

To be perfectly honest, I could care less about eating/harvesting them. I enjoy catching them. Catching was slow this year (on our boats). If the population doesn't rebound soon, less and less rec. fishermen will be on the water. This doesn't bode well for tackle shops or boat builders.

If my livelyhood was based on fishing/boating, I would be screaming for something to be done to improve the stock.

I was looking for validation that "this is the new normal". That's sad.

5th (Marty)

Marty, so which is it? Are you concerned with how much it cost to put a limit on the boat or are you happy just catching fish? If you truly could care less about "eating/harvesting them" then why start this thread? If you just enjoy fishing, then go fishing.....no one is stopping you.

[5th Tuition]

Originally Posted by Breakaway

Marty, so which is it? Are you concerned with how much it cost to put a limit on the boat or are you happy just catching fish? If you truly could care less about "eating/harvesting them" then why start this thread? If you just enjoy fishing, then go fishing.....no one is stopping you.

See if you can follow me on this. I enjoy fishing/catching rockfish. I like being on the water, the sun rising, the birds diving, setting lines, and reeling in fish. I would like to repeat the seasons of the past where I could go out and be relatively sure we would put 8 to 10 fish in the boat. I run a 22 ft boat and usually fish three people. This lets my guests reel in three fish each and I may get two. For me, this is a good day. It's worth the time and effort (and cost) associated with running the boat. OFTEN, we will only bring home only one fish for my two guests. Who needs more meat than a 39 inch rock can provide? Beside, I would rather eat a 28 inch fish.
I enjoy taking many of my friends (who are rookies) fishing. If they can catch a couple fish each, they are excited. Many have never caught a fish that big. But this year was different (at least for me). I mostly fished with fellow anglers who realized this was a down year. If we rode around all day and got skunked, they understood. The rookies would ***** and complain about the cold or inactivity.
You are right, no one is stopping me from fishing. But who (or what) is keeping me from catching. This is partially what this thread is about. Is DNR managing the stock efficiently? Is the EPA doing enough to help clean up the bay? Is Omega Protien consuming too much of the forage fish? Are poachers (both rec and comm) doing too much damage? Is the MSSA proposal to reduce the quota from gillnetting a good start? I just received an email from the CCA stating they just met with the Governor, yet they didn't tell me what came out of the meeting (why not). Are the organizations that are supposed to be representing the rec. angler doing a good job? If DNR really believes the stock is in trouble (just the opposite of what they say in print), what might be the new restrictions to be imposed - planer board line length, slot limits, starting the season later to allow more spawning, any other ideas.
This is why the thread was started. I wanted to know what's the current thinking inside the DNR? If they aren't going to extend the season when less fish are caught, then when are they ever going to extend the season? If less fish were caught this year, why is that. Is it just because the guys I fish with are crappy fishermen, and we can only catch fish when there are enormous numbers of fish in the bay, or is something else going on?
Sorry to spoonfeed all these topics to the group; but Breakaway was having trouble understanding why the thread was posted and in which direction I had hoped it would travel.
I'm concerned about the stock, I was trying to get a feel of how others felt and what could be done to help increase it. Some feel the stock is in good shape and nothing needs to be done. That's ok too. It's an opinion I can respect, but I need to find out why you feel it is good shape.
I suspect that Red's is a comercial fisherman and I get a different perspective
each time he posts. Did he and other comm's have a banner year? I know the gillnet season was cut short by a couple days, how come?
Were the fish in the bay at the same numbers as last year, but they were CONCENTRATED to certain area's where the knowledge of their whereabouts lead to great fishing, and the rest of us just ran around in circles dragging baits.
Breakaway; if you want to contribute to the discussion, pick one of the above topics. Love your Judge, they are sweet rides.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year
5th (Marty)

p.s. I'll gladly sit on the sidelines and not post such topics in the future. I just get frustrated when I log on and find nothing new to read on the website. Someone else can take the lead. It's a long winter ahead. Go for it!