seals

[ratherbefishin]

I have nothing personal against seals- except when they're following my boat 50' back waiting for a salmon to hit.There are some area's we can't even fish anymore because of them-they slid off the rocks when you pick up a rod, or even the sound of a reel will bring them to the boat- just like a dinner bell.<br />Wayback when we had bounties on them, they were wary of boats and kept their distance, but not anymore as the populations have skyrocketed.<br /> What sets me off is some annimal rights zealot telling me I should be prepared to ''share'' my catch- and with charters running $250, I;m less than enthusiastic about feeding the seals.<br /> Is there any solution short of shooting them?[ which is illegal and dangerous]

 

[neumanns]

Re: seals

Use a larger trebele hook?? I'll bet they put up a good fight!

 

[Bigfun]

Re: seals

modify your equpment so that you are fishing with a taser type attachment. Only solution is for them to fear boats. We have a similar problem with cormoants here (over population of a protected bird). Juries still out on their effect on fish pop. Zebra mussels, water fleas, gobys, cormorants, lamprey, big head carp (not yet) things are changing here to. Gotta adapt and try to control. Good luck. Wonder what seal tastes like?

 

[Fly Rod]

Re: seals

Your not alone with that problem. We may not have as many seals,a population of about 50 year round. And they are pretty smart when it comes to taking the bait off the hook. While tuna fishing I had three baited rods out with balloons for bobbers.One bobber goes under and you think you had a hit and then you see the other two move and sure enough the seal stcks its head up and smiles,"bait gone"<br />Years ago we got 5.00 a nose for em.<br />Seen on tv where in California they took over a marina a couple years back.<br />Around here,Maine afew have washed up on the shore skinned. They say that there is a black market for em

 

[ratherbefishin]

Re: seals

ya, I've seen a few carcasses rolling in the surf, some mysterious malady that takes them sudden like.But- the usual- it's illegal and they'll throw away the keys if you get caught- I think you;d get off lighter for manslaughter.Populations have exploded around here, we have hundreds of them.,and they are a nuisance.

 

[Fly Rod]

Re: seals

I believe in conservation. Being a commercial fisher man and an avid hunter most of my life I've seen what happened over the years. We are the true conservationist. But once we reach over what the capacity of the area will hold then it is time to hunt or fish em. Animals aren't humans running around in fur coats.

 

[ratherbefishin]

Re: seals

Hunters, trappers and fishermen are on the scene- and the first to know what is going on with populations, whether they be increasing or declining.It doesn't take a university degree to see it either, all you need is to be there.<br /> What bothers me is ''politically correct''views that are nothing more than the whim of the protest industry[ I say''industry'' because that's what they are- a high profile industry that brings in multi-millions in donation money,and to keep the money coming in they need a ''cause''preferably some ''cute'' seal pup]<br /> Ourdoorsmen know full well habitat and the loss of a healthy food chain is the biggest cause of declining populations, plus of course harvesting any species above self sustainable numbers.<br /> ''Cute'' has nothing to do with it

 

[ChrisMcLaughlin]

Re: seals

Chum the area and then fish with a BAT.

 

[gss036]

Re: seals

Lead posioning used to be the answer. The gill netters could get permits to protect thier nets, but there just hardly anyone left that gill nets. Around here mostly the tribes and they pretty much do as they please. The fisheries would seize your boat if the they you trying to feed them lead pellets. Just live with it for now, maybe some day things will change and they will allow leagal seal hunting again.

 

[catmania]

Re: seals

Darn seals, they stole a nice tyee from me last year. I dont think that the seal could have caught it by himself, but once it was tired and almost in the boat he thought it was easy pickings. I am pretty sure that that behaviour is not healthy for them as a species. <br /><br />How about cut-plugging a pink salmon with big hooks, whole new sport, and you could practice tag and release, that might discourage them. Big game fishing! <br /><br />Only once did I ever gett my salmon back from a seal, I had a lot of help from my helmsman. We stayed on top of that sucker for 45 minutes with steady tension and trying to limit his breathing chances. The salmon only had half a head when it came aboard but other than that it was okay. However that was it. The seal took it personally and followed us till we gave up and headed in.<br /><br />Now we are hearing stories about seals attacking kayakers and swimmers near Texada Island. Up in the Queen Charlotte Islands they are swimming up rivers and into lakes where they have never gone before due to thier protected status and staggering numbers, look for the Haida Indians to open a hunt on them soon, they are lobbying like crazy for it!

 

[ratherbefishin]

Re: seals

it gets a bit rediculous when seals and sea lions position themselves right at the mouth of spawning rivers and pick off a good number of returning salmon-especially when that particular run is endangered.There's not a lot of point in enhancing streams and spawing beds if you don't controll the preditors.<br /> Pretty simple solution- you just shoot them until the rest go away.This nonsence aboutrelocating them or using flash bombs simply doesn't work either, and they well know it.<br /> That reminds me of the time a black bear was trapped close in, and the CO asked me if I wanted it[I did- they make fine eating] He said when the media was involved they made a big production of trucking the bear 50 miles away out into the bush-local TV coverage and all- and he then shot it 3 days later when it returned.<br /> Animals aren;t stupid- they are food oriented and once they locate a food source, they come back to it.Simple as that.

 

[kenjudy1]

Re: seals

About 15 years ago some brains from the university of Oregon marine bioligy did a study of sealion feces(crap) and since they found no salmon ear bones came to the conclusion that sealions did not eat salmon and that all of the complaints of commercial fisherman were bull. DUH sealions do not eat heads they take the soft guts and tear a salmon apart unfortunatly commercial fisherman are unwashed and ignorant.so are ignored.

 

[Boatist]

Re: seals

Here in California they have taken over several sets of docks, and even two Sailboats. One of the Sailboat owners tried chassing them off with a fire hose and the city or fish and game gave him a big money ticket.<br /><br />New laws say not suppose to bother them or feed them or help them. But every time one comes up on the beach sick or injured 4000 people rush him to the doctor where they pump them full of antibodics and feed them and then return to the sea.<br /><br />Every rock they can get on buoy and several beaches they have totaly taken over.<br /><br />In the mean time the rock fish are endangered several types of salmon, striper numbers are down. <br /><br />One full size Seal eats more rockfish in 2 days than I do all year. Of course they have no effect on the fish population or at least the wacko claim. Only hope is due to over population they all get sick and die.

 

[gss036]

Re: seals

Once all the fish are gone, they will look for people to set up feeding stations in they can figure out some else to feed them. One gets the feeling that it is useless to fight the system.

 

[ratherbefishin]

Re: seals

Interesting comment on the rockfish- here the populations are way down and fishing restrictions on place.No one has made the connection with the increased seal populations. <br /> Same applies to the crab populations where they have repopulated sea otters-the crabs are simply gone.Again- this information is from a crab fisherman.These people may not have university degrees in marine biology- but they are on the water daily and they do have eyes.

 

[oregonducker]

Re: seals

How about a few Killer Whale hatcheries along the coast. More of them equals less seals.

 

[Homeseller]

Re: seals

A few years back we saw a seal with a four inch spoon hooked to his lower lip.<br /><br />I will bet that made for a good fish story for some guy.<br /><br />maybe some Great whites will show up on your shores soon and get rid of some seals for ya.<br /><br />Here in California we had the same thing happen with mountain lions. They really knocked out the mule deer heards in the north. Hunters said the heck with em after a few years and started taking matters into their own hands (God bless em). <br /><br />It was not long until the mountian lions killed off the deer heards and started hunting people before Fish and Game let hunters get rid of some of the lions with in the law. But even then the envirowackos got there panties in a wad.<br /><br />I will see if I can find that picture I have of the seal with the spoon hooked in his lip and post it. The thing must have been the weight of a mid sized bear.

 

[Boatist]

Re: seals

I like the Killer Whale idea but do they travel down the California coast like most of the other whales. In my years fishing the ocean (since) 1980 I have never seen a Killer Whale. See lots of other type whales all the time. In pictures I have seen they were always up in Alaska. They do have one at marine world. My wife is afraid of all the whales. We had one small maybe 25 foot whale circle our boat for 2 hours one day. It swan by within 15 feet on both sides many times, went under the boat 8 times we saw. Hole time I was telling her do not worry that eat planton not people. When we got home we looked it up in two different books and both said know to harrass fisherman and steal fish. My wife no longer want to here don't worry.<br /><br />Hooking seals is not uncommon at all. We fish 4 or 5 people on my boat every year and I bet my wife has hooked 20 Seals. No one else has ever hooked one. My Wife no longer says Lincod when the line starts ripping off the pole but instead says Seal.<br />I alway get the pole and they will run out about 50 yards then head for the surface. Some times quite hard to get your gear back. We use 80LB test with a 60LB leader and 40LB test hook leaders. Many times they will let you drag them to with in 10 feet of the boat. At about that point when they surface if you clap your hands they will pull hard enough to break the 40LB leader.<br /><br />The protected Great White will do the job also but the surfers may not like that too well.

 

[ratherbefishin]

Re: seals

there are two distinct groups of Killer whales here- the resident[ fish eating]whales and the transient[ mamme eating]whales.Neither bothers boats, although they will come right through the sport fleet without touching the gear-amazing.Many times they will surface right behind the boat, swim right under it and resurface just ahead- a real thrill, especially whenyou're siting down and looking up at a Bull's big dorasl fin that materializes right beside you.Scares the crap outta you tone fellow brought in a salmon head - a whale had taken it right in front of him as he was going to net it.<br /> I've been out when the whales were circling the rocks with seals on them- and seen the water red with blood.It's curious- seals will generally bark indescriminently, but when the whales are around- only the seals on the rock will bark that the whale is circling- all the others are silent- I guess it's their way of letting the others know where the whale is.Far as I'm concerned, they can fill their boots

 

[ratherbefishin]

Re: seals

I happened to be reading a magazine on Scotland- and included was an article on the declining salmon stocks.They have no commercial fishery, so habitat,preditors and sport fishing are the critical factors.They mentioned thatin one areea, the seal population had gone from 8000 to over 100,000 and the biologists recommended a seal cull, but the the last time that was done the annimal rights groups had set up such a public protest the government was reluctant to embark on that route again[ costs them votes for the simple reason fishermen are in the minority] So fishery policy is determined ultimatly by who has more votes- not science.