Help save NJ shellfish.

[Delawareriver]

https://www.change.org/p/nj-marine-fisheries-council-save-new-jersey-s-shellfish-industries-by-legalizing-saltwater-bowfishing?recruiter=8564608&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=autopublish&utm_term=mob-xs-share_petition-reason_msg

Bowfishing is a great way to help reduce the huge population of cownose rays that invade our inland bays every year and hammer our crabs, clams and oysters. believe it or not are pretty good fried up as well. Take 30 seconds and sign the petition to help legalize a great sport in saltwater

[NoLimit]

What do they taste like? Anything like skate?

[Delawareriver]

Never had skate but cow nose are a mild tasting fish but have a slightly different texture then you would expect from a fish many wpuld compare to scallops. We clean our rays as soon as they come in the boat, cut the wings off and in to a cooler full of ice. Once we get back to the dock you fillet each wing top and bottom giving you four fillets off each ray. We typically chunk and deep fry in bread crumbs. Cownose have darker readish meat compared to southern and Atlantic rays.

[Capt. Debbie]

Taste just like Chicken. LOL Like everything else no one has eaten or actually has made skate scallops from.

What do they taste like? Anything like skate?

[dakota560]

Just another resource people are looking to exploit. Why don't we instead focus our efforts on saving the sharks so nature's balance maintains itself. Instead we decimate the shark population, which has a positive impact on the cow nose ray population so we should decimate that fishery as well so that the clam population can improve and be over harvested as well. Sounds like a sound plan to me. How about we stop &*^%#$@ around with nature, give everything a chance to rebound and let natural selection run it's course. Sounds like a more prudent course of action. Was out at the Chicken Canyon a few years ago chasing blue fins and we encountered school after school of migrating cow nose rays. One of the most beautiful things I've ever seen. I'm not sure I have seen anywhere this past summer where clams weren't on the menu so doesn't seem like the fishery is in distress. Not looking to wipe out another species just because we can.

[dfish28]

If I didn't like my neighbor I'd just build a higher fence...

[Dino]

just what we need in the NJ saltwater .. bunch of freshwater guys with bow and arrows in the bay trying to shoot stuff

[rumster]

Before you know it, guys will be defending doggies too!!! Maybe we should allow someone to voice an opinion without responding with negative remarks that suits their views. There is obviously a problem with many species that create an in balance in the eco system and have a devastating impact.

[Capt. Debbie]

I did not think bow fishing, spearing or harpooning anything but endangered species or out-of-season fish was illegal in salt water.

Since when are rays endangered?





https://www.change.org/p/nj-marine-fisheries-council-save-new-jersey-s-shellfish-industries-by-legalizing-saltwater-bowfishing?recruiter=8564608&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=autopublish&utm_term=mob-xs-share_petition-reason_msg

Bowfishing is a great way to help reduce the huge population of cownose rays that invade our inland bays every year and hammer our crabs, clams and oysters. believe it or not are pretty good fried up as well. Take 30 seconds and sign the petition to help legalize a great sport in saltwater

[dakota560]

Before you know it, guys will be defending doggies too!!! Maybe we should allow someone to voice an opinion without responding with negative remarks that suits their views. There is obviously a problem with many species that create an in balance in the eco system and have a devastating impact.

Nature has a way of balancing itself out without assistance. The imbalance you speak of is almost always caused by human intervention. There's two sides to every argument and many more points of view. Idea of a public forum is to voice your opinion. Personally I think opening up the cow nose ray fishery to bow and arrow interests would be the beginning of opening it up to other salt water fisheries and I personally would not be for it. That's my opinion, if it offends you don't read my posts. As I said the cause more so than anything is the absolute decimation of sharks world wide. I'd rather see restrictions put in place there as opposed to wiping out another resource which has temporarily benefited from that slaughter. Is that a logical enough argument for your satisfaction or would you prefer me to blindly sign the petition and agree with everyone's posts going forward?

[rumster]

Buddy, your higher than thou tone is quite funny.... It may impress your fellow tree huggers, but not me. Your one size fit all argument where you turned the original post regarding cow nose rays, that may or may not cause damage, into a plea to save sharks is not what the original post was about. Yes, this is a public forum and if you choose you can rant about what ever you would like.
As a previous poster has already brought to your attention there are no regulations regarding cow nose rays, so promoting your green agenda will always draw fire. The fishing industry has enough regulations by the government based upon faulty data, without goofs like you looking to be equally irresponsible by looking to add more regulations.
I personally, am a conservation minded angler that is fortunate enough to fish several times a week for multiple species throughout the year.
If you feel the need to beat this topic to death lets spare everyone and just send me a pm, opposed to jumping on the soap box. Happy Holidays.

[dakota560]

Before you know it, guys will be defending doggies too!!! Maybe we should allow someone to voice an opinion without responding with negative remarks that suits their views. There is obviously a problem with many species that create an in balance in the eco system and have a devastating impact.

You refer to me as holier than thou but your reply incorporates the same negativity the body of your post accuses me of. I guess your a "Do as I say not as I do" kind of guy. When you figure out your logic maybe we can have an intellectual conversation.

[rumster]

I am very impressed with your intellectual prowess.... How about contributing to the forum constructively rather than high jacking someones post. What a dick!

[dakota560]

Buddy, your higher than thou tone is quite funny.... It may impress your fellow tree huggers, but not me. Your one size fit all argument where you turned the original post regarding cow nose rays, that may or may not cause damage, into a plea to save sharks is not what the original post was about. Yes, this is a public forum and if you choose you can rant about what ever you would like.
As a previous poster has already brought to your attention there are no regulations regarding cow nose rays, so promoting your green agenda will always draw fire. The fishing industry has enough regulations by the government based upon faulty data, without goofs like you looking to be equally irresponsible by looking to add more regulations.
I personally, am a conservation minded angler that is fortunate enough to fish several times a week for multiple species throughout the year.
If you feel the need to beat this topic to death lets spare everyone and just send me a pm, opposed to jumping on the soap box. Happy Holidays.

Again look in the mirror dude, you're making a fool of yourself. Show me where I said there were any regulations regarding cow nose rays in my post. Sharks were brought up because if you bothered to read the article in the link you'd see one of the reasons sited was the over fishing of sharks. Point being don't solve the problem by addressing the effect, address the cause. And please tell me where I suggested adding another regulation, you won't because I didn't.

So before ignoring your own advise and going off half cocked on someone's comments, get your facts correct before making unintelligent posts.

[dakota560]

I am very impressed with your intellectual prowess.... How about contributing to the forum constructively rather than high jacking someones post. What a dick!

Another internet muscleman.....just what the site needs!

[CubasFinest12]

Recreational fishing isn't going to harm a population. If draggers started netting those rays then the population would be taking some damage.

[dakota560]

Recreational fishing isn't going to harm a population. If draggers started netting those rays then the population would be taking some damage.

Cubas I completely agree recreational fishing will never destroy a fishery. I guess I just don't consider bow and arrow fishing the same as recreational fishing in the true sense of the word.

[Captain Rich]

Dakota

" Personally I think opening up the cow nose ray fishery to bow and arrow interests would be the beginning of opening it up to other salt water fisheries and I personally would not be for it[/QUOTE]"

??? Like bow hunting for tog ??? or maybe bluefish ???

"I guess I just don't consider bow and arrow fishing the same as recreational fishing in the true sense of the word."

I think bow hunters (and I am not) could really school you on how difficult their sport is.

Your points are sophomoric at best.

[dakota560]

Capt. Rich,

Unlike Rumster I respect the fact that you have a different opinion. I'm sure bow hunters (which I also am not) could school me but if it's that difficult what's the point of introducing the petition to begin with if the powers to be don't believe it will significantly reduce the cow nose population. My point is the supposed problem was created by the almost complete destruction of the shark fishery which the article comments on. Focus on rebuilding the shark population and the ray problem goes away as opposed to trying to decimate another species which is exactly what will happen.

Yeah tuna and marlin as well. Maybe bass for starters or maybe fluke. Maybe we can start a bow hunting fishery for drum migrating along the coast every year as well. Personally I'm not a fan of salt water bow hunting and my opinion is you open it up to one species it'll be opened up to others......it's the way shit always starts. Or a bow hunting proposal will lead to a commercial fishery on rays and again another species will be destroyed so a few families can make a million dollars a year farming clams.

As they say, opinions are like *******s, everyone has one. You don't agree with mine, I respect that. You insult mine, you can kiss my ass.

[rumster]

Before you know it, guys will be defending doggies too!!! Maybe we should allow someone to voice an opinion without responding with negative remarks that suits their views. There is obviously a problem with many species that create an in balance in the eco system and have a devastating impact.
Dakota, How about we discuss fishing reports rather than BS, which is what this site is for. Rather than do that, you chose my initial response to the original post, which was not even directed specifically to you to further promote your views. I even asked you if you wanted to continue this discussion, lets do it through a PM and spare everyone.
It`s your choice now, as it was then, to put the golden key board to rest rather than continuing to mention me in your posts.
If your a frustrated fisherman that likes to get on the soap box to run his mouth via a website you know where I live, I sent you a PM with my address. I am hoping that you have the intelligence to stop this here.
Happy Holidays and Tight Lines.

[dakota560]

Rumster if you heeded your own advise this thread would never have taken this course. And yes it is sad the site has to listen to your blather. Any view or opinion is fine as long as it represents yours. You can dish it out but as soon as someone challenges you, you cry foul and run for your binky. So as I said to you yesterday, take your meds, calm down, move away from the keyboard and maybe if you're good Santa will bring you lots of Xanax for the holidays. Happy Holidays to you as well and tight lines. And yes I'll be over for dinner tonight so you can kick my ass per your pm......what a freak!

[acabtp]

Rumster if you heeded your own advise this thread would never have taken this course. And yes it is sad the site has to listen to your blather.

Disinterested third party here...

Dakota has got 8 of the 21 posts in this thread, double anyone else, very clear who is taking the thread down this course. Even funnier he's the one talking about listening to blather.

[dakota560]

Acabtp make it 9. I posted 1 reply to the initial poster. The other 8 posts are rebuttals to dumpster for the most part which doesn't include the 5 or so pm's he sent me last night inviting me to his house to kick my ass. Don't want to embarrass him in front of his boyfriend so I turned down his offer. We'll leave it at that and I'll take further discussion off line.

[Capt. Debbie]

The nasty banter on this subject is mind boggling.

The subject matter of "sight fishing" with a bow and arrow a bottom hugging fish is puzzling. Are we in the Keys with flats a mile wide? I'd be concerned if they considered bow and arrow on basking Atlantic Sunfish offshore. That would bother me.

Sight hunting/fishing a bottom hugging fish in the murky water of NJ, is like going to the beach and looking for leprechaun's pots of gold. You may find a quarter or two, but it's not going to be the new past time.

So tell me how you would bow fish for Taug or fluke? Why not crabs and lobster too.

It's a tempest in a teapot. So let 1000's bow fish for rays.. they may get a one or two next year. I doubt the NJ ecosphere will be upset for very long.