According to magizines like In-fisherman, the quantity and quality of fish, as a whole is better now than it has been in 25 years. Catch and release, fisheries management, and conservation efforts are making a difference.
I would agree that fishing in places where just about everyone can fish, is probibly down. I'm thininking about the florida keys, where you jump on the boat and your on the grouper 20 mins later. Fishing in those areas is a lot tougher than 30 years ago when I fished as a kid.
Joined: May 02, 2008 Posts: 335 Location: Pittsboro, NC
Posted: Thu Sep 18, 2008 2:57 pm Post subject:
I'll jump in here just to fan the flames.
I think it is somewhat short sighted to think that because there are grouper now there always will be. A little conservation goes a long way. I don't see anybody on here ever knowingly break the regs, but I think the philosophy of "since I can, I will" is at times misguided. I am in no way in favor of a closure of fishing for certain species, but I might be in favor of a seasonal closure to let them get their groove on.
I remember going on the headboat a few years back in March and being told I had to release all red porgies (aka silver snapper/pinky). I caught a couple, but not many. Now everybody says there's too many of them? Correlation???
I'd want my theoretical kids to have the opportunity to go out and catch a 20 lb red grouper and if giving the epinephili an occassional honeymoon will increase the odds of that happening, so be it.
I would hope that fishery closure would be a last resort when all else fails, so another goal might be to not put the fishery in a position where that appears to be a possibility.
One bonus of the groupers is that by being offshore and mostly non-schooling, you can't net them very well, so I'd think they're somewhat insulated from large scale commercial pressure, aside from what the Rough and Ready guys appear to do!! (and that's a compliment to their ability, not a jab at them being commercial)
Joined: Dec 20, 2007 Posts: 22 Location: Fayetteville
Posted: Thu Sep 18, 2008 3:20 pm Post subject:
Ohhhh man there are not any more Gropuer left in our oceans, next the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council will be telling everyone there are NO SHARKS either....lmao....what a joke
Joined: May 22, 2008 Posts: 480 Location: Hampstead, N.C
Posted: Thu Sep 18, 2008 4:07 pm Post subject:
Haha guys calm down! it was just my personal opinion! nothing to get all serious about and stuff! But thanks for all the replys and stuff! _________________ "Reelaxin"
23' neptune sunbird
200 johnson
Posted: Fri Sep 19, 2008 4:47 am Post subject: YOU FAN THE FLAMES......
Bilzo wrote:
I'll jump in here just to fan the flames.
I think it is somewhat short sighted to think that because there are grouper now there always will be. A little conservation goes a long way. I don't see anybody on here ever knowingly break the regs, but I think the philosophy of "since I can, I will" is at times misguided. I am in no way in favor of a closure of fishing for certain species, but I might be in favor of a seasonal closure to let them get their groove on.
I remember going on the headboat a few years back in March and being told I had to release all red porgies (aka silver snapper/pinky). I caught a couple, but not many. Now everybody says there's too many of them? Correlation???
I'd want my theoretical kids to have the opportunity to go out and catch a 20 lb red grouper and if giving the epinephili an occassional honeymoon will increase the odds of that happening, so be it.
I would hope that fishery closure would be a last resort when all else fails, so another goal might be to not put the fishery in a position where that appears to be a possibility.
One bonus of the groupers is that by being offshore and mostly non-schooling, you can't net them very well, so I'd think they're somewhat insulated from large scale commercial pressure, aside from what the Rough and Ready guys appear to do!! (and that's a compliment to their ability, not a jab at them being commercial)
I'll stoke the fire.
The only thing IMO that has saved the grouper from the overfishing by commercial harvest is the fact that there has not been a boom in overseas demand. It really has nothing to do with their schooling habits or habitat.
I have witnessed in my lifetime up in the northeast the decline of tautog stocks. They are a very slow growing fish that I think is one of the best tasting fish that swims. I grew up haunting the rockpiles of NJ and it was nothing to catch a burlap sack full of fish from 5 to10lbs. in just a few hours. BTW, those fish were from 10 to 20 years old. Very few people fished for them as they were considered "trash fish"
In my mid teen years, more and more people began fishing for them and soon a commercial market became a viable source of income,though they were hard to catch because of their habitat. The commercial guys would trap them the way the guys fish for BSB down here, targetting the wrecks and other nearshore structure.
The larger fish became more and more scarce and I saw people were taking 4-5 and even 6 inch fish.Then the netters got into the game.
They developed roller nets that had wheels on them and would hit the areas these fish lived. Not only did it decimate the fish stocks, but it also destroyed the environment these fish needed to survive and reproduce. It only took a couple of years to see the impact of this and I think the nets have since been deemed illegal.Now there are very strict regulations in place as to size and bag limits of these fish and it seems to helping the stocks bounce back a bit.
Just wait until the grouper craze hits the overseas market and big business wants it's cut. The netters will be here to help all you guys catch the dawgs and prove that there really are(or if it happens,there were) tons of grouper left in the ocean. _________________ Make something idiot proof, and they build a better idiot
Joined: May 02, 2008 Posts: 335 Location: Pittsboro, NC
Posted: Fri Sep 19, 2008 8:23 am Post subject:
Steve-
You've just started a discussion. We all have opinions. I think the grouper stock is fine now. I just want it to stay that way.
If TunaTamer's comments are valid (and I've heard about the diabolical roller nets) then it likely doesn't matter how the rod-n-reel fisherman handles the stock, because once the net meisters and fish trappers move in, it's all downhill from there.
Joined: May 08, 2006 Posts: 350 Location: Benson, NC
Posted: Fri Sep 19, 2008 8:46 am Post subject:
I must agree with Capt. Dave and Capt. Joe. These guys go out and fish and don't catch any so there must not be any out there. What do they do, they put more limits on people who rely on the ocean as their source of income.
Is there anywhere in NC that holds a "Rodeo" like we have along the Gulf? All species are in the tournament - there are prizes for snapper, grouper, kings, spanish, triggers, something for everyone. & the entry fee is less than $100 a boat. Some rodeos are weekends, some are all month long. That would be nice if they had one, IMO!!!
There are so many "limits" & regulations in the Gulf nowadays its hard to keep up with it all anymore!!! They put new regs on red snapper this year because they say there aren't many - which everyone is calling BS on because we can't get past the snapper to get into grouper!! _________________ Florida-Offshore.com
Joined: May 02, 2008 Posts: 335 Location: Pittsboro, NC
Posted: Fri Sep 19, 2008 1:19 pm Post subject:
there's the annual NC Saltwater Tournament for just about every game fish. It's the same thing as the citation program, every fish that qualifies for a cititation is entered into the tourney and at the end of the year the biggest fish per species gets something, although I'm quite certain it's not a monetary award.
Anybody here even won one of those (I mean the whole year thingy....I'm sure lots of people on here have gotten certificate fish)
These guys should roll out with Joe one day to evaluate stocks.
As to the running....I would say most of the tournament king fisherman run farther than I do to catch grouper. The big boys that run to the E side of the cape definitely run farther even when I go way out for big reds. If they had fall tournaments for grouper you could fish real close. I think the variety of grouper would make it tough....you would have to have classes for reds, gags and scamps and that would water down possible winnings. I for one am glad not to see tournaments targeting grouper! _________________ World Cat 270HT..."Bite Doc"
The real problem is that we are letting people with
very limited knowledge make decisions that affect
thousands of people lives & not being held accountable
for mistakes. The pinky or silver snapper is a perfect example.
They have never been in declined stocks and are becoming
a nuisance.The gag population has improved over the
last 10 years due to 2 size limit increases and 2 month
closure.Unless you stop these people now, bottom fishing
recreational & commercial are going to be a thing of the past.
They are aiming at recreational fishing = Catch & release.
They all ready have a choke hold on the recreational fishermen
and don't want to let go.I really enjoy taking people grouper fishing
so they get there monies worth by having some good eats.
The commercial fishing effort isn't a tenth of what it use to be 15 years ago. _________________ http://sneadsferrycharterfishing.com/
Last edited by RoughandReady on Fri Sep 19, 2008 4:05 pm; edited 1 time in total
I am studying grouper populations Joe.....I can just save gas and ride with you. Now that you have a radio I won't hear the snickers and abuse as much. _________________ World Cat 270HT..."Bite Doc"
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