Are THESE things endangered too???

[bulletbob]

OYSTER TOADFISH-
Length in Inches Bag Limit season
10 3 July 16- May 14
Copied this from NY state regulations..


Is this serious?.. I have never in my life even seen a 10 inch oyster cracker, and if I did, I would have cut the line.. Have we really gotten to the point where we are limiting toadfish?... Watch out, Sea Robin fans, they're coming for you next.... sheeesh.....

[MrAC1980]

Darn it wish I knew! I fished out in Long Island Sound on Saturday and all of them were over 10in! A few were prolly around 15" and 1-2lbs! Ugly mofo's only a mother could love!

[hartattack]

Beauty !

[olbarneybasser]

I was fishing over in Pennsylvania a few years back and saw something that looked just like that picture. Wait....sorry, I just remembered that scary face was my ex-mother in law. Easy to confuse...they're both ugly mf'ers.

[bulletbob]

I used to catch them by the millions in the Shrewsbury/Navesink, and most were pretty small... Never caught one in open water in the bay... I didn't realize the could reach 15 inches or better,, In any case, HOW can there be a limit on a creature that NO ONE eats, or even wants to catch??.. bob

[thefishermanmechanic]

I caught one on a luher once and put a knife in its mouth to see what would happen? The knife lost! Viscous creatures!

[reason162]

I used to catch them by the millions in the Shrewsbury/Navesink, and most were pretty small... Never caught one in open water in the bay... I didn't realize the could reach 15 inches or better,, In any case, HOW can there be a limit on a creature that NO ONE eats, or even wants to catch??.. bob

Nothing wrong with a little proactive conservation. You never know when today's oyster toad fish will become tomorrow's "monkfish" or "chilean seabass."

[bulletbob]

Nothing wrong with a little proactive conservation. You never know when today's oyster toad fish will become tomorrow's "monkfish" or "chilean seabass."

I have no problem with proactive conservation.. I just don't understand how an abundant species like toadfish needs to be "protected", when there is no recreational or commercial pressure at all,[that I am aware of], and its near shore habitat is in good shape.. If stripers, blues, fluke,sea robins, flounder, and crabs by the millions can live in the bays and tidal rivers these days, I am sure oyster toads can as well, and no one anywhere fishes for them, or eats them.. bob

[reason162]

I have no problem with proactive conservation.. I just don't understand...

Well, it seems to me that if you understood the concept of proactive/prophylactic conservation, you would have a problem with it. Just based on what you wrote.

and its near shore habitat is in good shape.. If stripers, blues, fluke,sea robins, flounder, and crabs by the millions can live in the bays and tidal rivers these days, I am sure oyster toads can as well, and no one anywhere fishes for them, or eats them.. bob

You might be right, but I wouldn't count on it. Usually science is not done in one's head, and what "stands to reason" is often wrong. I have no idea if oyster toadfish are under pressure, and it doesn't seem like you do either.

[bulletbob]

Well, it seems to me that if you understood the concept of proactive/prophylactic conservation, you would have a problem with it. Just based on what you wrote.



You might be right, but I wouldn't count on it. Usually science is not done in one's head, and what "stands to reason" is often wrong. I have no idea if oyster toadfish are under pressure, and it doesn't seem like you do either.



ok, they deserve protection, you win.. Same as horn dogs and pout... :rolleyes:

Science?.. You mean like the "debate is over" guys concerning GW??...
Sorry, I will trust in personal observation gleaned over a lifetime instead of computer models.... bob

[Captain Ahab]

They are commercially harvested in the de bay

[kurtisb]

Just saw this on FB.
https://www.facebook.com/265519440126374/photos/ms.c.eJw9yskJADEMA8COlsiX7P4bC2hxvsPgFGq86B1mrA8~; tAkKD4Jg5tjCQCMX4kCD~_WA0PBbQGtkXjmAX6w~-~-.bps.a.1061693620508948.1073741947.265519440126374/1061693673842276/?type=3&theater

[Pennsy Guy]

Beauty !

I'm curious, caught what we called oyster crackers behind AC in the bay as a youngster; they didn't look like that, had that huge mouth but had 2 or 4(don't remember) human-sized front teeth. They looked like a tadpole or sperm-body shape-about 12" long. Was that a different fish or a sub-specie?
You've peaked my curiosity...

[Mattsea]

Protecting them with bag limits and seasons is pretty ridiculous. I get them all the time in my eel trap in the Shrewsbury. I decided to fillet a really big one one and eat it this year. It was delicious. Tasted a bit like monk fish. It took about 12 hrs before it died ( no way i was going to cut that thing until it was dead). My curiosity now satisfied, I wont be bothering to eat another one of these slimy monsters again. A 2 pound fish only gave me 1/2 pound of fillet.

[shrimpman steve]

I'm curious, caught what we called oyster crackers behind AC in the bay as a youngster; they didn't look like that, had that huge mouth but had 2 or 4(don't remember) human-sized front teeth. They looked like a tadpole or sperm-body shape-about 12" long. Was that a different fish or a sub-specie?
You've peaked my curiosity...

Pic posted looks like a monkfish to me. I would be shocked if it wasn't a monk

[reason162]

Science?.. You mean like the "debate is over" guys concerning GW??...

Assuming you mean that global temperatures are rising: yup. Debate is over.

Sorry, I will trust in personal observation gleaned over a lifetime instead of computer models....

You're welcome to do so. Just remember that several thousand lifetimes worth of "personal observation" got virtually everything wrong about the universe.