[jaredchasteen]

Just saw on rodnreel that the snapper season has been cut down to june 1 2008 - sept. 30 2008, with the same 2 fish limit and same size limit.


Guess thats just more time for the shrimpers and illegals to fish em.

 

[SkeeterRonnie]

next will be tuna.... first, blackfin (which isnt bad, more than 5 is too many per person anyways)- then Yellowfin , 1 per person... eventually our children wont even be able to afford the permits to leave land to travel on the "government's water".... sho nuff headed to hell in a handbasket!
NMFS (national marine F*^K-us Society)

 

[TeamOso]

so now the partyboat's season is 4 months?

 

[STx Fisherman]

It's not that bad Skeeter. The kids and grandkids will probably be able to keep three hardhead catfish....and maybe a mullet or two.

 

[Bellyups]

That is terrible news. Regulations are getting out of control. We all need to become more politically active.

 

[kenner21]

Don't worry the commercials will take up our slack fishing 365 days a year. I know it gives me a warm fuzzy...it's getting sickening

 

[papio]

seriously thinkin of going commercial what with all da generous and increased limits they get year after year not to mention allowed illegal fishing. Commercial da way to go.....think about it......

 

[xs_tackle]

Maybe we have it all backwards. Remember that at the start of the 20th Century you could get ducks, geese, deer, etc in restaurants, hotels. Then they ended commercial hunting of these sport species. Now we face the same with fishing. Try these ideas:
1. End commercial harvest of sport species.

2. With some limits so low (e.g., 2+2 for red snapper), forget size and tie the fisherman to the first 2 caught, regardless of size. No more trail of undersized fish drifting off from the boat.

3. Set cumulative limits per license (rather than daily take limits) on sport fish (like hunting for deer), so that inland fishermen can get their fair share of the sport fishery in the fewer trips they can make and locals don't get the option to take a disproportionate share of sportfish by being eligible for a new limit each day.

Is that too strong to stomach?

 

[lite-liner]

That's the simplest, best idea I've heard yet!
obviously, being so simple to impose, the Dem's will smash it.
-Brian

 

[SpecialK]

No kidding god forbid we make a good easy decision here. I would also liek to see a report on how many pounds of commercial fish are wated every year by resturaunts over ordering to keep in stock. I sea isle here in austin throw a couple of boxes of fish away once. Not too mention that HEB has tons of rotten fish to throw away by the week...
I know I could easily deal with not being able to order snapper in a resturaunt. Though I know some who don't fish who would not agree.

 

[atunatado]

Though I know some who don't fish who would not agree

Let them eat farmed tilapia, they wont know the difference.

 

[jig]

I ranted about this a bit on 2cool a while back. I cannot understand why we outlawed market hunting over a hundred years ago for the exact same reason, and we have not outlawed market fishing. Fish is a public resource same as game, and no one should be able to privately harvest a public resource to sell for personal profit. IF there is plenty, then I could see a certain amout of commercial harvest allowed, but since there is not this should not even be an issue. I guess it is because we don't have any big proponents now like Teddy back then. Kinda ironic since we have so many more 'enviromentalists' now days.

 

[ksh9711]

I 2nd that Jig, well said.....

 

[Fishhead56]

"3. Set cumulative limits per license (rather than daily take limits) on sport fish (like hunting for deer), so that inland fishermen can get their fair share of the sport fishery in the fewer trips they can make and locals don't get the option to take a disproportionate share of sportfish by being eligible for a new limit each day."

I do not know how to take that,
Last day trip I had on the Big E was SEP 30,
Me and 2 of my Boys = $300, Plus another bill for misc...
The trip was 54 miles out.
Local to the coast does not nessasarly mean local to the Sanpper.

Sure I got trout and reds virtualy out my back door, but the nets are gone and the freeze's have been few and the populations are good in the upper coast. (1 Sow trout limit a day is a good deal) . Of the avid bay fishermen
I assocaite with. We release a lot more fish now than decades back and generaly only keep a few for the pan "fresh".

In the 80's & early 90's I would avarage riding on the Capt Casey once a month all year long, Winter times were the most enjoyable. I would like to have those days back. It was simpler time on the water.
But alot of folks north of Conroe were also regulars on these trips along with the Snow birds.

I still feel the commercial harvest, bycatch from drag nets and
all the undersized hooked fish (Rec and Comm) are areas in need of review.

I don't feel even a 2 year Rec. closure would turn the tides on this issue with out also shutting down the by catch waste.

My $.02

Kev

 

[Fishhead56]

This was my youngest 1st snap on a Jig on Sep 30 and at the time I felt most likley my last trip on the Big E.
Us locals cherish what we are aloud to experience from the sea.
Thats why we choose to make our homes here.

 

[Snap Draggin]

I have a number you can call. I think the guy to talk to is Peter. He is one of the people in charge of all the regulations BS. He will also give you a web site with a place where you can voice your opinion there. I bent his ear for almost an hour a few days back. I mentioned the abundance of Snapper out of the Sabine Pass Jetties.

He told me that they do most of their studies out of Florida to base the seasons and limits. I asked him if that were as logical as making a nation wide Whitetail Deer bag limit based on a study done in Louisiana. He agreed there were flaws. He is open minded and willing to listen to any comnplaints and comments.

I also mentioned the sea raping commercial scum bags. He said they had more regulations on them than recreational fishermen. My reply to that was that they NEVER follow any regs, nor do they care. I have seen the carnage those vermin do first hand. I am sure there are ethical commercial fishermen. I just have not seen any out of Sabine Pass.

The number is (727) 824-5326. In my opinion the more that call and voice their opinions the better. Please tell everyone and please call and bend his ear like I did. If his name is not Peter (I really think it is though. I am just bad with names) ask for the person in charge of the Gulf of Mexico fishery.

 

[s1mple]

just to let you know shrimpers usually dont catch red snapper because they dont go near the wrecks and hard bottoms due to the nets getting ripped i know this because my dad owns one, but i do agree regulations are getting out of control