It's A Great Start!

ECU_Pirate

Banned
I never saw any difference Anbush, none. I moved to Florida in the 70's, lived there til December of 2008 and fished saltwater regularly. I had no idea they'd even enacted a ban, don't even have a clue when they did it. I wasn't running nets for a living, I just went fishing. I didn't catch any more or any less fish in saltwater than I did before. And I'm not just saying that, it's true.

My oldest brother grew up on the water in Pamlico County just like I did. He has a commercial license as a hook and line fisherman, lives in Jacksonville, FL. I can't remember what their limits are but they're drastically more than a rec fisherman. He regularly goes out and makes money, maybe not as much as he would if he ran nets but that's not his thing anymore. He should, he's good at it.

I know of other people from Florida who share a different opinion. Just because you can consistently catch fish does not reflect the fisheries as a whole. You might just be the best damn fisherman there is. Though one persons fishing experience is a pretty poor way to judge fisheries management effectiveness.
 

Justin

Old Mossy Horns
I know of other people from Florida who share a different opinion. Just because you can consistently catch fish does not reflect the fisheries as a whole. You might just be the best damn fisherman there is. Though one persons fishing experience is a pretty poor way to judge fisheries management effectiveness.


Then why the hell are you pushing for gill net bans when there are PLENTY of people having no trouble catching what they’re after?
 

Ambush

Twelve Pointer
Then why the hell are you pushing for gill net bans when there are PLENTY of people having no trouble catching what they’re after?

Rock fish crash along with other species . Overall poundage numbers don’t lie. I’m actually surprised some of you think gill nets and trawlers should be in our nursery areas.
 

Justin

Old Mossy Horns
Rock fish crash along with other species . Overall poundage numbers don’t lie. I’m actually surprised some of you think gill nets and trawlers should be in our nursery areas.


Where have I said trawlers should be allowed?
 

Longrifle

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
Water looks clear to me. Where is the sewage?
You do understand the principles of reflection don't you? There's never been a time when the Neuse River or any of it's creeks has ever been clear. There was a time when it was pretty clean though and kids didn't get ear, nose, and throat infections from swimming in it.....
 

ECU_Pirate

Banned
You do understand the principles of reflection don't you? There's never been a time when the Neuse River or any of it's creeks has ever been clear. There was a time when it was pretty clean though and kids didn't get ear, nose, and throat infections from swimming in it.....

So do you think the state should regulate farmers, businesses, golf courses, and residents on what they are allowed to do as far as practices that hurt water quality?
 

Ambush

Twelve Pointer
Where have I said trawlers should be allowed?

OK, you are against trawlers in the nursery areas. So, why do you think we need gill nets there? From what I’ve personally seen for example, a 6’ deep gill net works the way it’s intended to in 8’ of water. But, in 4’ of water it’s a tangled mess that very little of anything can get thru. Like I said, every gill net I’ve ever checked had half eaten fish, that the crabs were feasting on. Total waste of our resources in our nursery areas for little gain to the public.
 

gangrig252

Guest
So do you think the state should regulate farmers, businesses, golf courses, and residents on what they are allowed to do as far as practices that hurt water quality?
Yes....IMO what is happening now is no different than DDT in the past.
 

Longrifle

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
So do you think the state should regulate farmers, businesses, golf courses, and residents on what they are allowed to do as far as practices that hurt water quality?
What I believe is that they have a huge dog in this fight too but I see very little done to stop their pollution of the rivers and estuaries. What I see daily is that the number of lawn care services and homeowners spraying herbicides and pesticides around here is at a ridiculous level in these waterfront subdivisions. The resulting depletion and intrusion into the marshes and wetlands by housing and marinas plays a huge part in water quality as well and is far too often overlooked. Why? Because it's easier to blame the damage on the most obvious, the people out there working every day.

You need to understand something. I am for all intents and purposes a recreational fisherman only these days, haven't fished a net in years. But I grew up, raised on the water, by grandparents and a grandfather who was a commercial fisherman all of his 83 years on this planet. Accordingly, I spent every summer of my life on a commercial fishing vessel. I know what bycatch is and our first priority was to get it back over the side and out of the way, alive, as quickly as possible so that we could get to the task of culling and boxing the remaining catch. The culls went back overboard next, before the remaining catch was rinsed, boxed, and iced.

What you seem to have a hard time understanding is that these folks care about the resource just as much if not more than any of us, it's their livelihood. Not all commercial fishermen are devils and not all recs are saints. I will defend the good ones from both sides.
 
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Longrifle

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
Yes....IMO what is happening now is no different than DDT in the past.
You can't seriously believe that adding massive quantities of homes and marinas where there were none before doesn't have an exponentially detrimental effect on pollution. More intrusion always brings more pollution and destruction of the wetlands with it. Prove me wrong.....
 

gangrig252

Guest
You can't seriously believe that adding massive quantities of homes and marinas where there were none before doesn't have an exponentially detrimental effect on pollution. More intrusion always brings more pollution and destruction of the wetlands with it. Prove me wrong.....
It doesn't help...no matter what we as a whole do, there's always gonna be some level of pollution. Its un avoidable.
I'm not a scientist by any means but if I were (and I'm sure the ones that be all ready know) I'd take a real good look at the chemicals that are being used and the effects they are having not only in our environment but also to our health as well as our children's and theirs
 

ECU_Pirate

Banned
What I believe is that they have a huge dog in this fight too but I see very little done to stop their pollution of the rivers and estuaries. What I see daily is that the number of lawn care services and homeowners spraying herbicides and pesticides around here is at a ridiculous level in these waterfront subdivisions. The resulting depletion and intrusion into the marshes and wetlands by housing and marinas plays a huge part in water quality as well and is far too often overlooked. Why? Because it's easier to blame the damage on the most obvious, the people out there working every day.

You need to understand something. I am for all intents and purposes a recreational fisherman only these days, haven't fished a net in years. But I grew up, raised on the water, by grandparents and a grandfather who was a commercial fisherman all of his 83 years on this planet. Accordingly, I spent every summer of my life on a commercial fishing vessel. I know what bycatch is and our first priority was to get it back over the side and out of the way, alive, as quickly as possible so that we could get to the task of culling and boxing the remaining catch. The culls went back overboard next, before the remaining catch was rinsed, boxed, and iced.

What you seem to have a hard time understanding is that these folks care about the resource just as much if not more than any of us, it's their livelihood. Not all commercial fishermen are devils and not all recs are saints. I will defend the good ones from both sides.

I have fished nets as well in the past and even been on a shrimp boat all night once or twice. I too have seen what they can do in person. Some goes back in alive and some doesnt. Some is already dead when it hits the deck. I can say for sure that there is waste, and lots of it.

I agree about all the spraying and stuff. I do think it should be regulated. Go on google maps and look at most creeks on the Pamlico, Pungo and other rivers. A the back of many of them is a a man made dredged ditch that runs for miles. Square miles of farm land drain into this one ditch flowing into a creek and subsequently the River. Drive through eastern Beaufort County. Miles of farms with no buffer strips or any kind of run off prevention. Literally all the farms drain directly into a ditch which drains directly into a creek. Why is this still allowed in this day and age? We dont have to say no spraying but right now literally nothing is being done to prevent this massive run off.

Many golf courses are on the water and do the same thing. It all drains into some pond which has a drain pipe running directly into a creek or river. There is one right down the road from me on the Neuse that does exactly this.
 

ECU_Pirate

Banned

If you check out that link you will see a google map of part of Beaufort county. All the farm land you see drains either directly or indirectly into those creeks through ditches that run straight through the fields with no filtration system whether it be natural or not.

My dad knows some people during his time working with some organizations that did some water quality tests on the Pungo river within the past year or two. Every time it rained the river would test at unsafe levels for days afterwards. Even miles away from these creeks toward the mouth. It was actually a fair amount worse than what the tar river was testing at in Greenville in the same time frame. Thats insane.
 

nccatfisher

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
There are already plenty of rules in place about all this spraying as far as commercial applicators go and farmers, plus fertilizer application. But you think game wardens are spread thin, you ought to see how many pesticide inspectors there are for the state. They are really spread thin. There is one right here that posts regularly but I seriously doubt he will chime in on this thread.
 

gangrig252

Guest
Road side ditches and power lines are being heavily sprayed now too....right up to the creek banks and most likely across
 

ducknut

Eight Pointer
Longrifle's starting to creep me out. Everything I'm about to type you've already written. No one's mentioned all the septic systems in these waterfront developments. With enough rain or storms that's enough to create a major water quality issue. It's a shame the comercial fisherman are taking the blame for what should be spread around to many offenders. Guess it's the easy target. It's always one bad interaction with comercial fisherman and they're all slobs. Most people would be shocked to find out theyes care about the resource too. They're livelihood depends on it.
 

Ambush

Twelve Pointer
If the water quality is that bad, I wouldn't eat the fish that come out of our sounds...if I were you guys.
 

ducknut

Eight Pointer
If the water quality is that bad, I wouldn't eat the fish that come out of our sounds...if I were you guys.
No one's saying it's a nuclear waste zone, just pointing out how odd it blame gill nets and turn a blind eye to other likely factors.
 

Ambush

Twelve Pointer
No one's saying it's a nuclear waste zone, just pointing out how odd it blame gill nets and turn a blind eye to other likely factors.

I'm not saying it isn't a factor either, but when net pressure is reduced, those same fish seem to thrive in the same waters. Example the rock fish when they crashed, net & rod pressure was reduced and stripers soared again. Regulations relaxed and they crashed again. Do you think gill nets need to be in our nursery areas? We are the only state that thinks it's a good idea.
 
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Ambush

Twelve Pointer
And, if pollution was such a factor in decreasing harvest numbers, I don't think you'd be able to catch mud & mullet minnows around ever small creek, subdivision and marina in our sounds. They seem to grow up just fine all year. Like I said, run off needs improvement, but I don't think it's killing our rock, flounder, trout, drum...etc, or harming their spawning.
 

ducknut

Eight Pointer
I don't see why there a reason to completely ban them. If the science says there needs to be less of them, make them occupied so be it. But I question much of what comes from marine fisheries. While creating the doing the research they need to include comercial fisherman. Don't really care what other states do. Every place is unique.
 

Justin

Old Mossy Horns
Didn't know our drum fisheries were in trouble. Seems every Tom, Dick, and Hairy comes to cedar island to catch an "old drum" these days.

Everything is in trouble if you don’t catch one. Everyone’s and expert and should catch them when they go.
 

Wanchese

Twelve Pointer
I'm not saying it isn't a factor either, but when net pressure is reduced, those same fish seem to thrive in the same waters. Example the rock fish when they crashed, net & rod pressure was reduced and stripers soared again. Regulations relaxed and they crashed again.
At no point in time has there been less gillnets in the water than over the past few years. The recovery you are talking about occurred with way more gillnets in the water.


The regulations on gillnets have done nothing but constantly increase, at no point have they relaxed any regulation put in place.
 
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