What we've doing isn't working.

[Scrubby]

It isn't. Donations, time, letters, rallies, meetings, and we keep getting donkey punched. What now?? It seems something else, something different needs to be done. Something that will finally and truly say, enough is friggen enough. Is it going to take total anarchy on the water? If not, then what? Please don't say keep on fighting the good fight blah blah blah. Someone once said, insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. So seriously, now what?

[frugalfisherman]

My personal goal is throwing back at least 1000 dead shorts this summer. My cousin and many at his marina are in with this approach. I think by showing that this is the result of screwing us and handing these fish to the draggers things will change. Been trying to get things going here by rubbing 2 sticks together but I think my kindling is wet. Maybe I'm wrong but desperate times call for desperate measures or should we stick to the tried and true method.

[reason162]

Originally Posted by frugalfisherman

My personal goal is throwing back at least 1000 dead shorts this summer.

You sound like a reasonable person

[Gerry Zagorski]

Unfortuneatly there's no silver bullet or magic fix to our fishing regulations. I wish there were and if someone finds a way or has a better idea, then I'll get behind them 100%.

The root of this entire issue is we are fighting over scraps. We got a 30% quota reduction this year and who knows what it's going to be next year.

Does everyone want to draw a line in the sand and risk going out of compliance and take our chances? The risk here is either a total closure of our season or a 2 month season with 2 fish @ 20. All federally documented vessels in NJ like party boats and charter boats that carry more then 6 passengers, could opt to surrender their federal permits but that would restrict them to only fishing in NJ state waters...

Thats pretty risky but if you are in favor of that, I suggest you go down to the meeting in Avalon and make that opinion known. It's Wednesday 5/17 @ 4:00

Avalon Community Center
3001 Avalon Road
Avalon NJ 08202

Any way you cut it all the options suck and we in NJ were hung out to dry when all the other states decided to fall in line.

Can we go it alone, we can try but it's not without risk or pain.

[bunker dunker]

lets say we get together and get some boats to take us for fluke.we all catch and keep 1 short fish.we then go back to the dock and call the f&g.they come and write us all a tickets.they say its 35 bucks and you can pay by mail.we say no,and want court dates.we fill there courts with fisherman pleading their case costing them lots and lots of money and time.yes it would cost us some also but
imagine how this would slow if not stop the court system.this is all hypothetical of coarse.

[frugalfisherman]

OK Gerry here we go

So the federal government shuts us down outside of 3 miles

1= You can't fish for stripers there now
2= Where do you fish for blues inshore
3=Where do we fluke for almost the entire season within 3 miles.
4=Where do we blackfish within 3 miles
5=If the state allowed sea bass fishing all year where would we fish until November inshore.
So I see no problem with a federal shut down in fact I see it as a plus. We don't have to deal with those pecker heads anymore.

[Gerry Zagorski]

I hear you Frugal but this is your perspective.... How about the boats who are doing the combo deep wreck or bluefish trips outside the 3 mile line, the boats that fish the canyons for tiles, tuna or sharks. Are they willing to make that sacrifice?

No easy answer or shortcuts here, whichever way we go someone gets screwed... Pick your poison, take your chances or take your lumps and settle for the scraps we're being thrown.

Everyone needs to decide for themselves what their best options are but keep in mind what's best for one might not be best for another. Also keep in mind if you want your option you need to go down to Avalon and fight for it.

At the end of the day we're all getting screwed and worse yet, they now they have us fighting against each other and eating our own..

[Gerry Zagorski]

Originally Posted by bunker dunker

lets say we get together and get some boats to take us for fluke.we all catch and keep 1 short fish.we then go back to the dock and call the f&g.they come and write us all a tickets.they say its 35 bucks and you can pay by mail.we say no,and want court dates.we fill there courts with fisherman pleading their case costing them lots and lots of money and time.yes it would cost us some also but
imagine how this would slow if not stop the court system.this is all hypothetical of coarse.

That's one way to do it but what happens next year, the same thing? If so we all end up spending more time in court then we do fishing. Further this fight is with the feds, not our state. If we do this our own state suffers for it by overwhelming our court systems...

If you're going to stand up and pick a fight you need to be swinging at the right people Bunk....

[Down Deep Sportfishing]

The writing has been on the wall many years. We give they take. Limits always go down. You could talk, kick, scream, show real factual data and do you think for one minute it matters. It hasn't and it doesn't. Meetings for every single season located somewhere, place and time at their choosing for minimal attendance. I figure Exit 80 off the GSP would be central for many to attend. But the 7 guys in Avalon will be there, it's a buckin joke. The next time you are on the water, take a picture because you will not be seeing many here in business anymore, that I can guarantee. Good luck and god bless everyone involved in this mess.

[Gerry Zagorski]

The actual center of the population of our state is East Brunswick....
http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/201...rnpike_in.html

It doesn't matter any way since all the power and real decisions are made in DC. That's only a 4 hour waste of time away