[jtburf]

Gang I have said this in the past and will keep saying it we need to police our selves or we are going to fish our sevles out of the game. I'm posting a quote from another thread that states the importance of not killing sows...

The problem was the Commercial long liners killing the brood stock not juvenile snapper caught in shrimp trawls. Sow Snapper spawn billions of eggs in the Gulf of Mexico. Shrimp bycatch was a symptom but not truly the underlying Cancer the long liners were. This Council has approved two million dollars to further study an effective bycatch reduction device. The Recreational sector is being held hostage due to ill thought out plans as far as who is really the problem. The Commercial Snapper Fishermen were rewarded with IFQ's to fish 30 days. They can not be properly supervised in a ten day season as evidenced by public comments all across the Gulf of Mexico.

When the longliners were moved to the fifty fathom curve the sows were not being killed.

Texas was forced to use an 18" Red Snapper size limit which did untold damage to our brood stock. The loss of those fish with an eighty percent mortality rate was again and open indictment of this Council's Judgment causing tremendous damage to Western Gulf Stocks.

Jim Smarr
Texas RFA
[email protected]

361-463-1558

We need to approach the fishery like a cattle feed lot... Where they fatten and slaugther Steers not COWS !!!!.

Cows = Sows= millions of fry each!!!!!!!!

As long as we continue to target SOWS we are doing a disservice to our selves and the fishery!!!

I'm infavor of looking at a slot limit for snapper say 15-20".

I know this will get bashed, slammed and what knoted but it's time we approach it from all sides not just headon like Jim and Tom are doing.....

Keep up the great work guys ...

John

 

[BEER4BAIT]

The best eaters I think are the 16-20". JMO.

 

[Txfishman]

John-

I have some what of the same thoughts. I went fishing this weekend and we hammered the big snapper. I don't know enough about the red snapper species to have any valid input, but I look at the overall take we had thought is was an awfully lot of fish ( especially after cleaning all of them), but all within the set limits.

The problem is effectively releasing the big fish. If you catch a big sow in 125 feet of water, vent it, what is the probability it will survive? We released a few fish over 12 pounds after venting and they went down, but one really big fish was too exhausted. So, we re-gaffed it and put it in the box. The same rationale would apply to the one warsaw per boat rule. Those fish seem to come up practically dead.

Furthermore, I will throw out the commercial fishing argurement that if I catch and release the big fish, the commericials will catch and keep the fish and I will see them on the seafood aisle at Central Market.

I read Jim Smarr's post that you quoted from and did not get a warm feeling about keeping a box full of large snapper. I have know idea what the answer is, but I think a slot for snapper would result in a lot of sows floating on the surface after being released.

 

[captncutbait]

slot 15-22. is fine with me. cca took off the red snapper because of this. I never ask a guide to put me on big snapper. I fish for what I like on the table.

 

[Ernest]

The vast majority of fishermen are scratching out a limit of (3) 16.00001 inchers and maybe one 18 to 20 inch fish. Couple sows thrown in here or there. This is especially true on the upper coast with the shallower waters.

The folks catching repeated and decent numbers of big fish are the pros. Not commericals, but big snapper pros.

 

[B-Money]

Whether your conservationvation motive is "dead-to-rights" or not is only secondary. Being conservation-minded and forward thinking is the big success.

 

[Bellyup]

The slot sounds fine until you try to release that 20+ pounder and it is floating on the surface. Ouchhh! A slot sounds great, but I don't know how it can be done successfully.

 

[Calmday]

I'm with you John. Charlie has been preaching this for a long time and it makes a lot of since.

 

[Kyle 1974]

I don't know why anyone would slam this idea, at least without doing a little research into the reality of what would actually be saved....

in short, if a slot is good enough for trout, redfish, black drum, and other freshwater species...why wouldn't it be good enough for the most popular offshore fish in the Gulf?

as a matter of fact, why not do a slot with one fish a day over XXX inches?

that way, you still have the oppourtunity for state records, tournament winners, etc..

 

[BEER4BAIT]

It should be on your honor deal. Like they say the big one would float away. Just like the trout guys that say "just keep five" we could just target the slot snappers. It should not be hard just like the guys that catch a bunch of 13"and 14" they move to another spot, If you get into some big ones move on. We are targeting the dogs and beliners with a mix of triggers this year. You don't have to stop at 4 and the eat as good or better. Last weekend when we went out with 6 on board we did not worry about a limit of Snapper cause there were enough ling and mahi to play with.

 

[gostomskij]

the slot will put us in the SAME or WORSE position that we are in now. keep the first five and you will see the snapper population explode. on my last trip we caught 4 sows, but, we COULD NOT find the "slot" size. we did find one of the largest schools of juvinile snapper I've seen yet, all 12-15" (maybe 15). The school returned a 40-50 foot deep echo on the sounder, a true cloud of fish.

Victor

PS - there is no need to slam anyone, these are opinions right? and, like they say, we all have one.

 

[jim smarr]

No Slam Just Facts 80% mortality kills slot idea

Guys we ran a mortality study. Nearly all fish brought die vented or not. A slot will not work. Looks good on paper but not in reality. We need to keep what we bring up.

Commercials are killing four to five times their TAC. We need to stay focused on the real problem. Commercial Fishermen are stealing our future to the tune of
an additional 20,000,000 pounds a year. It is very difficult if not impossible to crash a fishery with a rod and reel.

You are right on and so is Charlie we should not target breeders in the Snapper fishery.

ERNEST- where in the world did you get the idea the Commercial boys do not
target sows. The Commercial Longliners target them. You should look at the
catch reports as they will change your thoughts.

Jim Smarr

 

[Crossroads]

This slot idea has been kicked around for years. However, in IMO first 3, 4, or 5 is the only way to go for reef fish whether its sows or babies. All those throw-backs in the winter months have a limited survival rate no matter how well you vent the things.

 

[Fishhog]

Just take what mother nature gives you and move on..

I reap what I sow.

 

[jtburf]

The Commercial Longliners target them. You should look at the catch reports as they will change your thoughts.

Jim Smarr

Jim can you provide some of these reports???

john

 

[Rsnap]

Firing is not enough!

I was in Matagorda when the longline fleet (Florida) headed up by the boat called "Iornside" was
Illeagly longlining for Sows inshore of the East Breaks. I watched them unload. All Sows
up to 52 lbs. Thats right, I said 52 lbs. This was reported by us and the NMF did nothing.
Thats right I said nothing. They are worthless as a body. The slot will never work and
until we fire the council I am convinced we are going nowhere. After we throw them out we should JAIL them for their crimes against nature. Rik

 

[Tom Hilton]

snapper

I was in Matagorda when the longline fleet (Florida) headed up by the boat called "Iornside" was
Illeagly longlining for Sows inshore of the East Breaks. I watched them unload. All Sows
up to 52 lbs. Thats right, I said 52 lbs. This was reported by us and the NMF did nothing.
Thats right I said nothing. They are worthless as a body. The slot will never work and
until we fire the council I am convinced we are going nowhere. After we throw them out we should JAIL them for their crimes against nature. Rik

RIGHT ON RIK!!!!!!!

Tom

 

[jim smarr]

Jtburf and Rsnap

JT- I will get a copy. There have been two studies done. One by Barbra Dorf while she was at UT Port Aransas.

Rsnap- Rick ole ironsides did this when. This proves my point. I wonder how many Billions of eggs that one boat took out of the rebuilding program on one trip much less if they can fish 30 days with IFQ's Lord help us. There are about fifteen Florida boats over her from what I understand. Maybe we need some
Texas Navy action.

Jim

 

[Rsnap]

Exactly! This happened about 5 or 6 years back. When they left everything went dead in the area and has not made a comeback. Rik

 

[Spigot]

Most logical post I've seen yet.

It is very difficult if not impossible to crash a fishery with a rod and reel

Jim Smarr