BigBendFishing.Net

Well, once again I've been attacked by the commercial fishing interests. This one is in today's Democrat in the letters to the editor. I feel like I'm the only one who cares about keeping out netters, exploitive shrimpers, long lines, land-grab attempts, grouper and snapper take-aways and other environmental issues. I say that because the only comments I ever see are against what I write. There was even an invasion of the newspaper offices by a group of commercials pissed off at me. I'm not going to keep my job much longer if you guys don't back me up. Write a letter, send a Zing, call the paper, but please don't leave me twisting in the wind. Alan LaMarche is the only one who's stepped up to the plate regularly. The two of us alone can't protect your right to fish. CCA can't do much, because they get paid to advocate for the sportsman, but you civilians can. You folks have more clout. Jerry

No offense, but David is telling the truth about the mesh size not being in the amendment, it was added arbitrarily by FWC several years after the amendment passed! And the study, participated in by the FWC did conclude that there was a 90% reduction in unusable by catch with the 3 inch net

Just had a very nice conversation with Jim Lamar, the sports editor for the Tallahassee Democrat. Told him how much many of us enjoy the outdoors coverage every week and what a good job you're doing Jerry, despite what the white-boot boys are saying. Don't get discouraged.

For all recreational anglers here on the forum and for everyone who enjoys our great inshore fishing, please make your voices heard. Sportfishing is a huge economic engine in this state, second only to tourism (it's bigger than citrus). Write the occasional letter to the editor or your state representatives and tell them how important this sport is to you. Remind them how much money is generated (way more than the commercial industry, by far). Attend a meeting of the FL Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission to see how the management process works. If you fish offshore, send letters to your Congressman, since they have a say in federal fisheries. And there's always strength in numbers. Will differ with Jerry on this--Join Coastal Conservation Association so they can lobby on our behalf. It's the best $25 you'll ever spend so we'll have good fishing for years to come.

joincca.org

wevans wrote:No offense, but David is telling the truth about the mesh size not being in the amendment, it was added arbitrarily by FWC several years after the amendment passed! And the study, participated in by the FWC did conclude that there was a 90% reduction in unusable by catch with the 3 inch net

Sorry Waldo, but three-inch mesh gills fish and is therefore banned under the amendment. And numerous court cases have upheld that definition.

If only a fraction of the effort used to fight the ban was instead devoted to cast-net fishing, legal seines, hook-and-line, aquaculture and other sustainable practices, those individuals would be able to make a decent living.

silverking wrote: Sorry Waldo, but three-inch mesh gills fish and is therefore banned under the amendment. And numerous court cases have upheld that definition.

If only a fraction of the effort used to fight the ban was instead devoted to cast-net fishing, legal seines, hook-and-line, aquaculture and other sustainable practices, those individuals would be able to make a decent living.

That's my thinking. A bigger mess is a bigger hole, which would make it easier to gill/entangle larger fish such as redfish, trout & snook. Isn't that what the amendment was supposed to stop? If it is, then it would seem like the only viable options would be to decrease the mesh size and further prevent entanglement or do away with netting in inshore waters.
Just my thoughts anyway.

The mullet mafia should be glad that they actually are able to fish for them by legal means 365 days a year. They could be stuck with the charterboat captains sitting at the dock for 6 months while the season is closed. Everyone has it tough.

Its' Obamas' fault.

In all honesty, any size mesh is going to gill a fish!! The smaller the mesh, the younger the fish, the larger the mesh, the larger the fish!! The 500 square foot net is doing it's part for conservation but the simple truth is that with a larger mesh, there would be less juvinile fish caught and they would have mostly marketable fish in the net, not undersized fish that will "in all likelyhood" die from the stress or handling when released Nothing is perfect "heck, we hate releasing a 14 3/4 Trout that's been hooked in such a way that it's gonna die", but we have to do so

And Tom, just becase you are still the site admin, you have no right to be calling names!!

Adding the mesh size after the ammendment passed was simply clarification. Without being specific on the mesh size, the rule was unenforceable. And you're right about smaller fish being gilled in small mesh, but that's inherent in all net fishing. You will gill fish even in a cast net for that matter. It's like a speed limit, you can't just say "drive safely." That doesn't work. Even the Autobahn, which at one time had no speed limit, now has one. It didn't stop the carnage, but it was cut back. Gill nets are bad. I was in the net wars up close and personal and saw the absolute waste of millions of pounds of fish that would have been excellent food, but weren't because of a lack of rules and regulations on netters. And it's still going on by outlaws who want it all. Invisable mono nets are just too effecient, especially with spotter planes.

I understand how people can be upset when they can no longer do what they always have, but that's what happens when circumstances change. More people, better technology, higher demand for a finite resource, and economics are all reasons for changes, or lack of. The resource can't withstand the added pressure of gill nets.

The best testimonial is RESULTS. Since the amendment, which passed with statewide voter approval of over 70 percent, we have all been able to witness the successful return to a great redfish/trout fishery. We can also use our castnests and catch a meal for our families without a hundred casts. When I was a kid we spent summers on the gulf. The fish including mullet were abundant. But when my son was young in the eighties a mullet jumped and he asked, "Dad, what was that". My heart is with the mullet mafia (Tom needs to make no appology) in that they have to find a way to make a living without the slaughter of the resources owned by all of us.

THANKS MISTER MULLET FOR YOUR COURAGE IN REPORTING THE TRUTH AND NOT BEING INTIMIDATED BY THOSE WHO CAN'T ADJUST TO THE WILL OF THE PEOPLE!

You mean the will of the CCA and large corporations!! I have no doubt that the amendment did what it was supposed to do but the big factor in the restocking of the fish is the 500 foot nets "not the 6000+ yard nets that the fools used to use"!! This eliminated a lot of the fishers who did a lot of the damage and made criminals of those who would not conform most who still fish with nets are concerned with keeping the fishery healthy and their livelihood/heritage going strong! Most that you here about are the criminal few "just like there are thousands of legal rec fishers, but you only here about the few criminal ones that get caught" FWC did the comparison between the 2" and 3" "along with the fishers" and found that it was a better net! The fact is, any net will gill a fish, the size of the mesh determines the size of the fish and the FWC determines what size mesh constitutes a gill net. Most of us could not do the job these folks do and many of them that could, wouldn't, because of the hours and labor involved!! Calling these folks mullet nazis is not only disrespectful, it's ignorant, and I thought we had a much smarter group of people on this forum!! I've said all that I will on this subject on here, or I will end up leaving here as I did the FS forum Research the study conducted by FWC and then ask yourself, why, after 7 years, has the FWC still not released the official report from this study "maybe because it proved them wrong"!!!!!

No one called anyone a nazi. Didn't happen. The "mullet mafia" is a colloquial term that was used during the net ban fight. I just used it to emphasize a group that is notorious for making the argument. I have said on here many times that I voted against the net ban because I thought it was unconstitutional, but never the less the law is passed and we have to live within it's boundaries. My simple point was at least there is a mechanism for mullet fisherman to ACTUALLY catch and keep their targeted species, unlike the recs and charterboats who have no such opportunity with the current laws. Now tell me what is fair or unfair about that.

Dang, Tom, playing the Constitution card... you're starting to sound like a real conservative!

Welcome to the club, but be forewarned that label often comes with a ...

Thought you were an IT guy Tom, not an attorney...

Everyone has to have a label now?