fishing decline

[thurps]

Our harbor commission said that at a meeting in Seattle, it was stated that there was a significant salt water boating decline. They stated that the biggest reason was that younger people are not getting into it because of lifestyle changes, costs, etc. and the older boaters are aging out of it. Another was regulations. I know for a fact that the number of people fishing out of my home port has declined by a huge amount in just the last five years. The fact that fish and game can change the rules at any time certainly hasn?t helped, like chopping three months off our fishing season , changing fish limits, sizes, or protected species in the middle of a season without notice.
I guess its just another sign of the times but I sure miss seeing and talking to old and new friends at the fishing grounds.

 

[pgdignan]

Re: fishing decline

Same thing is happening in the hunting world. It's far easier to hunt/fish with a video console than to do the real thing. Also the regulations have gotten absurd (and in some cases rather expensive). Hope your situation improves...it's a shame people don't actually get OUTSIDE more often.

 

[Haut Medoc]

Re: fishing decline

I haven't seen any decline here......
If anything there are more boats.....
I'd be more likely to blame the economy.....
If you are gonna lose your house, you sell your boat or don't take it out.....​

 

[PW2]

Re: fishing decline

Not sure what area you are talking about, but there are lots of reasons for reduced fishing seasons and increased regulation.

It boils down to fewer fish, and lots more population chasing those fish.

Beyond that, it's likely to evolve into a political discussion which is, of course, verbotten

 

[thefairlaneman]

Re: fishing decline

I think when our state decided that they could make some money by having a SALT WATER licence in addition to the fresh water licence they did not think about how it could affect the fishermen. I have gone to the coast(rented a motel room. bought food and supplies. bait. tackle and paid a pier charge which has gone up often and not even catch a fish. Now that I cant even try a little surf fishing without the expensive extra licence I dont go as often. Even the charter boats stand over the big buck paying customers with a strick ruler checking the size and limits which doesnt help them either. Add the fact that the numbers are down on many shore fish and this is what happins. A reason for many like me to get their older boats back in the water.

 

[Tail_Gunner]

Re: fishing decline

Not sure what area you are talking about, but there are lots of reasons for reduced fishing seasons and increased regulation.

It boils down to fewer fish, and lots more population chasing those fish.

Beyond that, it's likely to evolve into a political discussion which is, of course, verbotten

......No No Not the P word...........

 

[QC]

Re: fishing decline

No No Not the P word...........

Did you mean P for Pornography? ^^^^^ Put yer pants back on

 

[pgdignan]

Re: fishing decline

I think Fairlane has summed it up rather nicely, you can't just toss a rod in the back of the car and head to the pier and drop a line anymore (even if you don't plan on keeping a thing). Here in Maryland they've got an inland fishing license, a saltwater fishing license and a tidal license (for the tidal estuaries and rivers) and another license to go crabbing, it's totally a pain in the butt.

 

[Haut Medoc]

Re: fishing decline

Same thing in Wa.....
It's called a combined license.....​

 

[Tail_Gunner]

Re: fishing decline

Did you mean P for Pornography? ^^^^^ Put yer pants back on

 

[Mark42]

Re: fishing decline

Oh God, I hope that NJ and NY never institute a salt water licence.

How the heck did NC get that law passed anyway?

Everyone asleep at the wheel down there?

If they try it up here I will writting letters and crying on the Ellen DeGeneres show....

 

[Boatist]

Re: fishing decline

Here in Northern California you now must be a lawer. For 5 years could not fish deeper the 120 feet. This year can fish up 180 feet. 4 of the most popular rock fish your can not retain even if the fish is dead when you get him up and he just floats off for the Seagals. Cordell Banks the best fishing area we have has been closed for 10 years and no sing of Opening again.

Since you can only fish out to 180 feet deep means within about 2 miles of shore so even the few that still go are all fishing the same area with a few small fish. The limit changed from 15 to 10, cut the hooks from any number to 2, put size limits on 6 more fish and took all the fun out of fishing. Now must have a law degree and carry charts of the 60 or so near shore fish so make sure do not keep one that has a size limit or no retention.

Still I love the Ocean on a nice day.

 

[Haut Medoc]

Re: fishing decline

Here in Northern California you now must be a lawer. For 5 years could not fish deeper the 120 feet. This year can fish up 180 feet. 4 of the most popular rock fish your can not retain even if the fish is dead when you get him up and he just floats off for the Seagals. Cordell Banks the best fishing area we have has been closed for 10 years and no sing of Opening again.

Since you can only fish out to 180 feet deep means within about 2 miles of shore so even the few that still go are all fishing the same area with a few small fish. The limit changed from 15 to 10, cut the hooks from any number to 2, put size limits on 6 more fish and took all the fun out of fishing. Now must have a law degree and carry charts of the 60 or so near shore fish so make sure do not keep one that has a size limit or no retention.

Still I love the Ocean on a nice day.

Much of the same up here, but ya just can't ignore depleted fish stock or they will be wiped out completely......
Regulations should have been in place long ago to put the brakes on it.....

 

[woodrat]

Re: fishing decline

careful there Haut! besides, RR had nothing to do with Washington's state's pathetic fish management policies, which are still pathetic and politically driven decades after ron left power.

I for one don't mind regulations, since it was the lack of regulations throughtout the 50's 60's and 70's that at least partly led to the collapse of so many fish stocks. Rockfish in puget sound have been fished almost to extinction, mostly by unregulated sport fishing back when rockfish were considered trash fish and there was no limit on them.

Sometimes I think that we should just stop ALL fishing for 10 or 15 years or so, but that wouldn't solve the habitat degradation and the impact of hydroelectric projects. And I'm saying that as someone who lives to fish.

I sense that this thread may be teetering on the edge of a political discussion and I can almost hear the slamming of the iron door and the clicking shut of the lock....

 

[Haut Medoc]

Re: fishing decline

That was for Boomie, Woodrat.......
RR was the Gubner of Californy in the timeframe you mentioned.....
I grew up on the east coast, so I really don't know what transpired here....
I questioned someone in Sekiu last year who obviously had way over the limit of rockfish & got some real dirty loks, especially when I said we'll see how the game warden likes it.....
He high tailed it out of there quick......
I don't like having to fish with a single barless hook, but if that it what it takes to preserve for the younger generation what the older generation has squandered thruogh overindulgence, then so be it......​

 

[woodrat]

Re: fishing decline

I questioned someone in Sekiu last year who obviously had way over the limit of rockfish & got some real dirty loks, especially when I said we'll see how the game warden likes it.....
He high tailed it out of there quick......
​

That kind of stuff makes me see red. As far as I'm concerned, deliberately over fishing depleted fish stocks should cause you to permanently lose your license to fish or hunt at a minimum. That guy is deliberately stealing from future generations. Sick.

recently a hake trawler was caught dumping rockfish overboard at sea since if they had reported the bycatch it would have caused the hake season to close prematurely. So what did the state do? Scolded the guy, ticketed him and then extended the hake season. With this kind of fisheries management, we are sure to run ourselves right off the cliff in a few more decades, of not a lot sooner.

Anyone read that book "Cod"? Fascinating and depressing read about the history of the east coast cod fishery.

grrr!

 

[mscher]

Re: fishing decline

In addition to the good reasons listed above for the decline, I'll add "TIME", or lack of it, as a reason.

Most everyone is working much longer hours and then have to attend to family activities, which are not necessarily geared towards the lake. Then stuff areound the house needs fixed. Then the cars need fixed, etc.

Vacations are becoming a thing of the past, as is the annual "fishing trip", for many families.

I agree that the increase outdoor fees and regulations are a serious problem, one of which the bureacrats are eventually shooting themselves in the foot.

As an example,

After at least 2 year after 911, the Colorado DNR check all launcher's boat registration, plus pull out all saftely gear, including inpecting all PDF's, which always included some free lecture on something, "EVERY WEEKEND".

If you passed muster, afterwards you were rewarded with a 45+ minute wait to launch.

That was more than enough for me.

 

[Boatist]

Re: fishing decline

I have no problem with reducing the catch, but does it make since to throe back a dead fish??
I fished all my life and there has been a slow decline in fish but the sharp drop came when they allow the netter and longer liner to come in to 3 miles offshore. I watched as many pulled in gill nets with every type fish by the tons. also the boats pulling the bottom sleds that not only take the fish but destroy the habitat. These netter came right into where we were fishing and circled nets probably 1 mile around and reeled in tons of every type fish. It was not just one or two boats but 20 to 30. When filled they took the fish out to a very large Ship off shore from many countrys and off loaded to the ships.

Along the California coast there are many areas where nets are not allowed now. Came as a result of Bird watcher counting how many birds got caught in the nets. Still today the Bycatch is more tons than the recreational fisherman catch. Pulling sleds and nets still going on today for both bottom fish and tuna.

To me does not ever make since to throw back a dead fish. Also I do not think it make since to have you catch every fish out to 180 feet and stop the production of fish in that area by catching every fish of breading age.

I would much rather they limit the season but that means both the commerical and recreational season. I know this would likely put all the party boat captains out of bisness, you can only get so many people on whale watching trips.

Another threat here is the giant squid that eat everything.

 

[woodrat]

Re: fishing decline

I hate throwing back a dead fish, but if there wasn't a rule, then scumbags would keep illegal fish and say that they were all dead when brought to the boat.

I had to put back at least three salmon this year that I don't think were going to make it.

 

[Mark42]

Re: fishing decline

I shouldn't have to pay a licence fee to surf cast or fish off my pleasure boat just because some floating fish factory sucks up all the fish. Go after the people who are depleting the stock, not the pleasure fisher who generally catches nothing at all!

If I go fishing 3 or 4 times a year its a lot. And for years I havent done it at all. The only reason I fished this year is because my 8 year old daughter likes it and is fairly good at it. The 6 or 8 fish we take a year (fluke or flounder or snapper blues) will have zero impact on the environment.