They are only worried about the South Carolina specific species being in danger. By that I mean the fish that come into the port royal sound every year to spawn. It’s only a specific genetic strain of fish that does this. They’re not concerned with the fish that are being caught offshore for the most part. Yes one of those fish could be caught offshore… But no real damage is being done to them at the wrecks. The damage is being done inshore where these specific fish are spawning.
Larry…I talked to Al Segars last night as I posted. The 80% was of the fish SURVEYED. DNR could not possibly survey every boat, and much of it was from volunteers.
Please don’t take this wrong, but the only politics in this is up in Columbia. DNR has no dog in the fight except sustaining a very important fishery and relaying to the fishing public what the data says. No manipulation, no misinformation…“just the facts ma’m” as the good Sgt. Joe Friday used to say. There is simply nothing to gain whatsoever by misreporting the condition of the fishery. This decline is not “new” news. It is simply time to act. At best, it will take 2 or more years to get the state legislature to enact anything meaningful.
quote: This decline is not "new" news. It is simply time to act
Agree Jim, it time for us to act individually. Fishermen know the fishery better than scientist do. We know it is hurting, lets fix it.
For the record I’ll say that the SCDNR does a better job of fishery management than any other state that I fish in IMO, and is light years ahead of the feds. They do a good job.
Capt. Larry Teuton
Cracker Built Custom Boats
“Ships are the nearest things to dreams that hands have ever made.” -Robert N. Rose
quote:Early 1970's follow up: I remember just as many boats fishing the Broad River for cobia as now,
Fishtools, I see that you are very new to this forum, with only 2 posts. I also see that you know what you speak of. Stay around. We need people who know, not those who just speculate and spout, who have never even caught a fish in this river.
Capt. Larry Teuton
Cracker Built Custom Boats
“Ships are the nearest things to dreams that hands have ever made.” -Robert N. Rose
quote:Easy process, just call the number when you get the fish close to the boat, see how it is hooked, if solid just hold in the water, if a risky hook set net the Cobia and leave in the water until the boat gets to you. If they are too far from you they will let you know. They need brood stock badly, this is one of the best things we can do to help the Cobia fishery in the Broad.
Dan, I might be wrong, but my information tells me that service is available only on weekends in the daylight hours. Am I wrong? Sure could be, but I fish nights and weekdays. What then? Turn them loose.
Capt. Larry Teuton
Cracker Built Custom Boats
“Ships are the nearest things to dreams that hands have ever made.” -Robert N. Rose
quote:Easy process, just call the number when you get the fish close to the boat, see how it is hooked, if solid just hold in the water, if a risky hook set net the Cobia and leave in the water until the boat gets to you. If they are too far from you they will let you know. They need brood stock badly, this is one of the best things we can do to help the Cobia fishery in the Broad.
Dan, I might be wrong, but my information tells me that service is available only on weekends in the daylight hours. Am I wrong? Sure could be, but I fish nights and weekdays. What then? Turn them loose.
Capt. Larry Teuton
Cracker Built Custom Boats
“Ships are the nearest things to dreams that hands have ever made.” -Robert N. Rose
I don't think the collection crew is out at night, but most days especially during May they are out. I saw them several times last year between the Turtle and the bridge. I tried like heck to catch them one but had no luck.
Fishtools. The blue crab you once caught are being sent convoy style by the truckload to Washington DC. They are going for around $300/bushel up there. They’ve ruined their crab fishery, so they are exploiting ours. It’s what DC does. A local crabber just told me last Saturday he sells nothing locally. All heading north. Good for him. Bad for us.
As far as the Cobia, it’s an easy fix. 1. Up the size limit. (Duh) 2. Everyone must apply through DNR for a 5 tag limit per season. Once you catch your 5, that’s it. Honestly, what are you going to do with more than that anyway? I had a good buddy just last year come back from the Ross with 15!! (FIFTEEN) Cobia. Great. Now what? Just take what you need. Leave the rest for the next time you’re there. Lastly, listen guys, I’m not saying it’s fun, but when DNR or whomever is concerned about a fishery and decides to act via closures or new limits, it’s not to be mean. These guys are smart. They are biologists and scientists. They are doing it because there is a problem and they might can fix it. It keeps fish in our waters, which we all love. Also none of this sh*t will matter after the first oil spill off of Beaufort Co in 2017 anyway. Then it’s game over for all the fish…
^^ There is another man who knows what he’s talking about.
Like Adam and I were talking yesterday, if we push for a total closure and get it, it might never be re-opened in our life time. I like the 5 tag a year idea, that’s more than I will ever keep, but what kind of hardships will it put on local guides who take 5 people out a day? Ain’t no easy answers here, but it’s up to us to do what we know is right.
Capt. Larry Teuton
Cracker Built Custom Boats
“Ships are the nearest things to dreams that hands have ever made.” -Robert N. Rose
If a closure is what HAS to happen to sustain the fishery than I’m all for it close it tomorrow… But if there’s a less drastic approach that will sustain it in the long run than that’s the better option in my opinion. When Tags were mentioned at the meeting it was considered as something that could be done but it would be complicated. There were not any more details mentioned concerning tagging than that. I’m for 1 fish per person/1 fish per boat per day with urgency that fish caught should be released lets say for the next 5 years. If that can’t safely get the fishery to where it needs to be than there’s no other option but a closure.
Baitball ; I agree totally, uppp the size limit,decrease boat limit,and season/possession limit , maybe exempt cobia given alive to hatchery from restrictions. Above all; stop the sale until #'s are waay up.
I really don’t have a dog in this fight as something financial, I only fish the run and have to travel so far to do so, i just want to help insure the fun will be there for others like myself that only
get to play with them occasionally.
quote: commercial guys on the other side who would catch the last fish in the ocean without a second thought if he thought he'd make a buck off it.
Warbler, do you personally know any commercial cobia fishermen or their practices?
Ya wanna know something, even stupid commercial fishermen know that if they catch every fish in the ocean without thought today, then they won’t have any fish to catch tomorrow. You know not what you speak of.
Capt. Larry Teuton
Cracker Built Custom Boats
“Ships are the nearest things to dreams that hands have ever made.” -Robert N. Rose
Actually, Larry, that’s just not true. They’ll just move on to the next market.
I haven’t fished in the PRS in years and don’t care to these days. Too many transplanted yankees over that way.
Al Segars of the Waddell Center and I talked at length about this tonight. Yes, the offshore catch has been proven to be a distinctly different class of fish. Migratory, not endemic/native to PR Sound.
The latest survey stats show 80% of the Broad River fish surveyed were released from Waddell Center. 80 percent…yes I said 80 percent. Need I say it again? We can’t sustain a fishery with the limited hatchery resources of Waddell alone…not with the kind of escalating pressure we are seeing in Port Royal Sound. There has to be a naturally occurring, reproducing population in addition to hatchery efforts. What the surveys are revealing is this fishery is teetering on the edge…the edge of collapse.
Plain and simple, we need tighter, stricter regulations. Unfortunately, DNR has no regulatory authority. Zero. Even if data indicates imminent total collapse. South Carolina remains of of only 2 states in the nation whereby game and fish laws are set by the legislature. And it will take a grass roots effort of great magnitude to convince those in the State House to give up this portion of precious political power. It is up to each of us to demand action…before this tremendously important fishery is gone.
Hmmm, teetering on the edge of collapse. So, Phin, what would you do? Personally, I don’t see how any regs that require releasing big cobia is going to work. All the bubba’s would drop those suckers in the boat and let them beat themselves to death before “releasing” them.
Al Segars of the Waddell Center and I talked at length about this tonight. Yes, the offshore catch has been proven to be a distinctly different class of fish. Migratory, not endemic/native to PR Sound.
The latest survey stats show 80% of the Broad River fish surveyed were released from Waddell Center. 80 percent…yes I said 80 percent. Need I say it again? We can’t sustain a fishery with the limited hatchery resources of Waddell alone…not with the kind of escalating pressure we are seeing in Port Royal Sound. There has to be a naturally occurring, reproducing population in addition to hatchery efforts. What the surveys are revealing is this fishery is teetering on the edge…the edge of collapse.
Plain and simple, we need tighter, stricter regulations. Unfortunately, DNR has no regulatory authority. Zero. Even if data indicates imminent total collapse. South Carolina remains of of only 2 states in the nation whereby game and fish laws are set by the legislature. And it will take a grass roots effort of great magnitude to convince those in the State House to give up this portion of precious political power. It is up to each of us to demand action…before this tremendously important fishery is gone.
Hmmm, teetering on the edge of collapse. So, Phin, what would you do? Personally, I don’t see how any regs that require releasing big cobia is going to work. All the bubba’s would drop those suckers in the boat and let them beat themselves to death before “releasing” them.
Al Segars of the Waddell Center and I talked at length about this tonight. Yes, the offshore catch has been proven to be a distinctly different class of fish. Migratory, not endemic/native to PR Sound.
The latest survey stats show 80% of the Broad River fish surveyed were released from Waddell Center. 80 percent…yes I said 80 percent. Need I say it again? We can’t sustain a fishery with the limited hatchery resources of Waddell alone…not with the kind of escalating pressure we are seeing in Port Royal Sound. There has to be a naturally occurring, reproducing population in addition to hatchery efforts. What the surveys are revealing is this fishery is teetering on the edge…the edge of collapse.
Plain and simple, we need tighter, stricter regulations. Unfortunately, DNR has no regulatory authority. Zero. Even if data indicates imminent total collapse. South Carolina remains of of only 2 states in the nation whereby game and fish laws are set by the legislature. And it will take a grass roots effort of great magnitude to convince those in the State House to give up this portion of precious political power. It is up to each of us to demand action…before this tremendously important fishery is gone.
Hmmm, teetering on the edge of collapse. So, Phin, what would you do? Personally, I don’t see how any regs that require releasing big cobia is going to work. All the bubba’s would drop those suckers in the boat and let them beat themselve
Never said that. I am saying that closures should be on the table as an option. If I understand you correctly, you are saying closures should never be an option.
As far as your quest for science, what would you have DNR do? “Science” doesn’t mean knowing the exact population of cobia down to the last fish. If certainty is what you want, you’ll still be looking for answers when the cobia are totally gone.
The first rule of fight club is…
Closure seems to be thrown onto the table first increasingly often by managers these days.
It’s the best way of hedging yourself for sure, if you want to protect a stock.
That’s not the only thing DNR (or the SAFMC/NMFS/NOAA) are charged with though. They should be for sustainability- not max population.
Before anyone said was science was out there, you came on here talking about Bubba in the river killing cobia accidentally. Therefore, it was clear to me you had an agenda. You’re entitled to that; just don’t call it something it’s not.
Nothing wrong with your agenda if the science supports it.
Never said that. I am saying that closures should be on the table as an option. If I understand you correctly, you are saying closures should never be an option.
As far as your quest for science, what would you have DNR do? “Science” doesn’t mean knowing the exact population of cobia down to the last fish. If certainty is what you want, you’ll still be looking for answers when the cobia are totally gone.
The first rule of fight club is…
Closure seems to be thrown onto the table first increasingly often by managers these days.
It’s the best way of hedging yourself for sure, if you want to protect a stock.
That’s not the only thing DNR (or the SAFMC/NMFS/NOAA) are charged with though. They should be for sustainability- not max population.
Before anyone said was science was out there, you came on here talking about Bubba in the river killing cobia accidentally. Therefore, it was clear to me you had an agenda. You’re entitled to that; just don’t call it something it’s not.
Nothing wrong with your agenda if the science supports it.
Never said that. I am saying that closures should be on the table as an option. If I understand you correctly, you are saying closures should never be an option.
As far as your quest for science, what would you have DNR do? “Science” doesn’t mean knowing the exact population of cobia down to the last fish. If certainty is what you want, you’ll still be looking for answers when the cobia are totally gone.
The first rule of fight club is…
Closure seems to be thrown onto the table first increasingly often by managers these days.
It’s the best way of hedging yourself for sure, if you want to protect a stock.
That’s not the only thing DNR (or the SAFMC/NMFS/NOAA) are charged with though. They should be for sustainability- not max population.
Before anyone said was science was out there, you came on here talking about Bubba in the river killing cobia accidentally. Therefore, it was clear to me you had an agenda. You’re entitled to that; just don’t call it something it’s not.
Nothing wrong with your agenda if the science supports it.
