Has to be GLOBAL WARMING!!!
C.Madison Utsey
People often ask how to make these guys quit yanking your Ballyhoo or stealing bait while you’re bottom fishing. A lot of these shearwaters are pretty good at stealing baits without getting hooked.
A good way to get rid of them is to bribe them.
If you only have a few birds pestering you, you can toss them undersize bottom fish (which usually float real well), some fish guts, a hunk off a Reef Donkey, vienna sausages or any other hunk of protein.
Then they will go off and eat it or fly around fighting over it for a good while. When they fight, they make weird squealing noises like Flipper on crack.
When you’re trolling, a lot of times you can shake them while they stay fixated on the goodies you gave them.
Even if the stuff you throw them doesn’t float, they can dive and get it if they start out fairly close to the boat.
So people might want to save their fish guts in the freezer over the next couple of weeks to take on the next trip. Dolphin stomachs float great and they are tough and last a long time in a shearwater tug-of-war. Or just stock up on the jumbo cans of Vi-eeners.
The good news is that these guys should thin out before much longer…
Good idea. We oughta throw 'em some food when we see 'em anyway. We need those buggers. They show us where the fish are.
Are y’all sure it’s not just the side-effects from a “vast, right-wing conspiracy”?
Gotcha Covered,
Lee Strickland
Strickland Marine Insurance, Inc.
843-795-1000 / 800-446-1862
Wait, so you guys don’t think that cigarrettes have anything to do with it?
quote:No,but it could have something to do with the over abundance of square groupers:smiley:
Originally posted by skinneejWait, so you guys don’t think that cigarrettes have anything to do with it?
Prowler 306
Yamaha F225’S
quote:
Originally posted by OldSchoolHope its not a disease, or someone shooting them for sport as they feed them scraps of ballyhoo(not unlike shooting pen raised mallards in a flooded cornfield).
24 Scottie Craft
Twin Chrysler 454’s
Semper Fi - USMC 67’
Old school guessed it! I have been raising them in my basement so that I can release them and shoot them offshore when the bite gets slow. Looks like some of them are dying because they could not find food naturally. Not many Walmart gold fish out there you know. Sooner or later this awful practice that non-sportsman such as myself do will destroy every last bird on the planet.
“Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a
pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly
used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming–WOW–What a ride!!!”
-Stuart Wilde-
All Rise - 31 Contender Fish Around with a pair of 250 Yamahas
quote:Don't worry, they will make a good meal for our endangered sharks.
Originally posted by Scoutin 4 Goodiesquote:
Originally posted by OldSchoolHope its not a disease, or someone shooting them for sport as they feed them scraps of ballyhoo(not unlike shooting pen raised mallards in a flooded cornfield).
24 Scottie Craft
Twin Chrysler 454’s
Semper Fi - USMC 67’
Old school guessed it! I have been raising them in my basement so that I can release them and shoot them offshore when the bite gets slow. Looks like some of them are dying because they could not find food naturally. Not many Walmart gold fish out there you know. Sooner or later this awful practice that non-sportsman such as myself do will destroy every last bird on the planet.
COULD THESE BIRDS BE DYING FROM GLOBAL WARMING CAUSED BY OLDSCHOOL’S TWIN 454 CHRYSLER ENGINES:frowning_face:
Prowler 306
Yamaha F225’S
No, not really “Spearfishin’ for Doo-Doo Sharks”. I wonder how long it will take your friends to realize you’re no hunter, but a mere poser, with several stickers on the back of your SUV to justify your outdoor lifestyle. I bet you kayak with your wife on vacation at Edisto too, punky.
24 Scottie Craft
Twin Chrysler 454’s
Semper Fi - USMC 67’
quote:OldSchool,do you fish with artificial skirts and frozen ballyhoo that you purchase while fishing from your 24 scottie craft or do you strip down buttnaked,walk down to the ocean,declare I'm going to bring home supper then dive in?If you don't,then pour yourself another drink,shut up and go get in the bed with Edith:smiley::smiley:
Originally posted by OldSchoolNo, not really “Spearfishin’ for Doo-Doo Sharks”. I wonder how long it will take your friends to realize you’re no hunter, but a mere poser, with several stickers on the back of your SUV to justify your outdoor lifestyle. I bet you kayak with your wife on vacation at Edisto too, punky.
24 Scottie Craft
Twin Chrysler 454’s
Semper Fi - USMC 67’
Prowler 306
Yamaha F225’S
quote:
Originally posted by OldSchoolNo, not really “Spearfishin’ for Doo-Doo Sharks”. I wonder how long it will take your friends to realize you’re no hunter, but a mere poser, with several stickers on the back of your SUV to justify your outdoor lifestyle. I bet you kayak with your wife on vacation at Edisto too, punky.
24 Scottie Craft
Twin Chrysler 454’s
Semper Fi - USMC 67’
Yea we kayak together and nibble on strawberries. She thinks my truck is sexy. I come home with my bread fed mallards and stand in the back yard next to the pink flamingos and plastic flowers and show her all the secrets to getting them to come in to my duck whistle I got from the late night paid TV advertisement. Works like a charm.
BTW, while in edisto last week I looked for your bote but never saw it. The wife wanted to stay away from the heavy diesel fumes so we could not look very long. We had to get home so that we would not miss the afternoon tree hugging. They all need attention you know and that island is bigger than you think.
“Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a
pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly
used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming–WOW–What a ride!!!”
-Stuart Wilde-
All Rise - 31 Contender Fish Around with a pair of 250 Yamahas
quote:Scoutin,don't tell me you have a surf board strapped to the top of your Land Rover:sunglasses:Maybe a bike rack:smiley:
Originally posted by OldSchoolNo, not really “Spearfishin’ for Doo-Doo Sharks”. I wonder how long it will take your friends to realize you’re no hunter, but a mere poser, with several stickers on the back of your SUV to justify your outdoor lifestyle. I bet you kayak with your wife on vacation at Edisto too, punky.
24 Scottie Craft
Twin Chrysler 454’s
Semper Fi - USMC 67’
Prowler 306
Yamaha F225’S
I saw 25+ dead birds on a weedline yesterday as well. It seems that the dye off was occuring in Florida over the weekend as well. My wife is a wildlife biologist. Here is what she was able to find out concerning the matter.
Copied from an SCDNR email:
NEWS RELEASE
June 19, 2007
Contact: Wendy Quigley (727) 896-8626
FWC searches for cause of east coast seabird die-off
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) has received reports of more than 200 dead or sick greater shearwaters, a gull-like bird, since Saturday along Florida’s east coast. The birds have been found from Hobe Sound in Martin County to South Ponte Vedra Beach in St. Johns County. Local wildlife rehabilitators report receiving numerous emaciated and dehydrated birds as well. FWC biologists are examining the dead birds to investigate the cause of this die-off.
Researchers with FWC’s Fish and Wildlife Research Institute are calling the die-off of birds significant and have collected some of the birds for testing. Initial necropsy results are not definitive; however, preliminary findings indicate starvation during the migration process played a role. Additional test results are pending.
“As only one species appears to be affected and the sick and dead birds have similar symptoms, we believe the seabirds are suffering from the same ailment,” said Dan Wolf, research biologist. “In 2005, a similar, but less severe shearwater die-off occurred.”
According to the Peterson Field Guide for Eastern Birds, shearwaters spend their lives at sea, well offshore in the open ocean except for when they breed, nest and rear young. Greater shearwaters breed primarily on Tristan da CunhaIslandin the South Atlantic and wander the sea north to Greenland and Iceland, and back. Storms at sea can weaken the birds and cause them to become sick, dehydrated and die.
The public can assist the investigation by reporting sick, injured or dead birds online at MyFWS.com/bird. The public is asked not to handle birds
you mean i cant eat them? uh oh!
capt. joshua sigler
Sigler’s fishing adventures
2660 sailfish
More info on the dead birds in Florida… FL’s game and fish department is reporting that the die-off is probably nothing more than juvenile birds that became weak and died during migration. It happens every few years.
28 Mako CC with a pair of 225 Opti’s - Blue and Back
saw alot of shearwaters over the past weeks but none dead. we had at least five reeled all the way to the boat. figured that if fish were in the area the birds would be following them and not our baits so we moved. hope someone doesnt tell the guys at the animal treatment agency about he dead birds or next thing you know well be boarded to make sure were not selling their kidneys or something:smiley:
Cat Sass
32’ Hydrocat with Yanmars
“Eat… Sleep… Fish…”
I took the dog for a walk on Folly yesterday and saw about a dozen dead birds all in the weed that washed up on the beach.
And yes it was after 6:00 pm. for you internet police know it all types.
“They who would give up an essential liberty for temporary security, will not have and deserve neither liberty nor security.”
Benjamin Franklin
Are dogs and booze illegal on Folly? I thought you could have dogs on the beach as long as they were on a leash.
JPW
quote:
Originally posted by Henry OldAre dogs and booze illegal on Folly? I thought you could have dogs on the beach as long as they were on a leash.
JPW
I think dogs only after 6:00. Jesus. So many rules and laws to keep up with these days. Makes your head spin.
“They who would give up an essential liberty for temporary security, will not have and deserve neither liberty nor security.”
Benjamin Franklin
All of the dead Shearwaters that we saw died from shear lead poisoning.
“I took the road less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.”
I released 2 of those Shearwaters during Low Countrys Tourn. when we fished Shady Grady.They were a pain in the butt all day but they atleast entertained us alittle. My wife says I made a couple new friends that day.
JAY SPEER
“EYE-SEE-FISH”