Bag Limit goes from 3 to 2 with a boat limit of 6.
Slot Changes from 15-23 to 18-26
Gigging is banned for REDS ONLY.
CCA and DNR seem to be in agreement on these changes. Just curious of your thoughts.
Thanks.
Yes they should and I hope they do. Based on growth that I’ve seen in fish I’ve recaptured you would have close to the same time frame like a year to 2 years to catch them inslot but a bigger fish. They should reduce all our limits in my opinion, flounder especially, those numbers are horribly down. The guys I know that could get a cooler of doormats gigging in the 90s either don’t gig like they use to or almost never hit the fish like they use to. The inshore fishery gets far more pressure than offshore and if you look at it our inshore limits are high compared to offshore limit. I’m just appreciative that commercial fishing inshore is very limited. In my lifetime I feel that the slot changes have improved red fishing. I release more than 95% of the fish I catch any way so I’m very bias. Unless its offshore I like o keep fish then becuase very few people fish for fun offshore and barotrauma is so bad on fish.
How about giving us the biological reason for the numbers decrease and size increase.Is this in published paper somewhere?
Sounds like horse pukky to me. Wonder who’s paying the lobbyist for this latest attack against recreational fishermen. Wonder what the science behind this is? Probably the same magic as put into ARS and BSB. Looks like they did at least try a little with pushing it up to 26" THat should have been done a long time ago.
They should make a rule to stop recreational and charters that specifically target Breeder Spot tail.
I agree Fred. Also check inshore discussion. I have been in contact with DNR several times over the past 7 years with concerns over population decreases in certain areas. I have yet to get any definitive answers. It’s easy to change limits but obviously very tough to determine the cause of such population declines. It’s not fishing pressure in my area causing the decline. Young reds are vacating our flats after year 1 of their life. We used to have equal distribution of 1-4 year old fish on the flats every year from the mid 90s to 2010. What changed here? I fish all over the state and some populations are incredibly stable even with exponentially higher fishing pressure. Why?
quote:
Originally posted by RADDADDYI agree Fred. Also check inshore discussion. I have been in contact with DNR several times over the past 7 years with concerns over population decreases in certain areas. I have yet to get any definitive answers. It’s easy to change limits but obviously very tough to determine the cause of such population declines. It’s not fishing pressure in my area causing the decline. Young reds are vacating our flats after year 1 of their life. We used to have equal distribution of 1-4 year old fish on the flats every year from the mid 90s to 2010. What changed here? I fish all over the state and some populations are incredibly stable even with exponentially higher fishing pressure. Why?
You ask the million dollar question… why? We have had several conversations on this one. Cracker Larry always pointed the finger at agriculture and all the new golf courses using so many chemicals and heavy fertilizers leeching into our marshes and destroying food sources creating a dangerous chain reaction. 
I’d say there is a lot of truth to this, The amount of growth on our coasts is crazy. And everyone knows all houses have some sort of poison they use, if only for fire ants, not to mention all the effort to have a “green” lawn. It can’t be good for all our microorganisms that start the base of the food chain.
Aw come on guys , look back a few years at reasons posted not only for the reds but the marine life in general… Cracker Larry , I , and several others pointed out that pollution run off is killing the eco systems of our wetlands ; uncontrolled netting in our tributaries ; mishandling of the large breeders , kill them all,not just what you can eat , fill in that marsh, we need more apartments that need fertilizer on their yards to run off into the creeks ; and on-on-on and on… The reasons are numerous and fixable only if we’ve got the balls to address/admit them…
George McDonald ; MAD Charleston
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When you see “Old Glory” waving in the breeze, know that it is the dying breaths of our fallen hero’s that makes it wave.
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A couple of links are below. If you scroll down to the middle of the ASMFC link you get a couple of pages of graphs and numbers for red drum.
http://www.asmfc.org/files/pub/ASMFC_StockStatus_August2017.pdf
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Why have recreational fishing at all? Why not just ban fishing for a few years?
Bag Limit should go from 3 to 5 with a boat limit of 10.
Slot Changes from 15-23 inches to 15-26 inches and allow recreational fisherperson one up to 30 inches.
Gigging is banned for REDS ONLY - geez that sure gonna help out.
Do something for people that like to eat fish and who spend A LOT OF MONEY going out to do so.
Charge more for the salt water license and stock more fish.
Capt. Garry Coats
Folly Beach & CHS
@DolphinChartersSC
quote:. You seem tense bro,why you wanna kill all the spotail?Do you think the new law will hurt your charter business?You must not remember when spotail were hard to find around here.If you’re spending a lot of money fishing for spotail, I feel sorry for you,haha.If you love eating fish then whiting is best eating inshore fish around.Me thinks you are in the minority and believe me spotail can be decimated with the gig.You are out of touch with reality,lighten up while you still can,don’t even try to understand,take it easy.
Originally posted by DillyDallyWhy have recreational fishing at all? Why not just ban fishing for a few years?
Bag Limit should go from 3 to 5 with a boat limit of 10.
Slot Changes from 15-23 inches to 15-26 inches and allow recreational fisherperson one up to 30 inches.
Gigging is banned for REDS ONLY - geez that sure gonna help out.Do something for people that like to eat fish and who spend A LOT OF MONEY going out to do so.
Charge more for the salt water license and stock more fish.
Capt. Garry Coats
Folly Beach & CHS
@DolphinChartersSC
Why allow anyone to keep a redfish “up to 30”?
If the fear is a diminishing resource, why increase the creel limit at all, let alone nearly double it? Isn’t that the polar opposite of what should be done?
As sman eluded to, redfish aren’t the only edible fish available for “people that like to eat fish.”
As far as the “spend a lot of money” comment, exactly who is forcing anyone to “spend a lot of money” to fish?
Now, I could get behind an increase in license fees to support re-stocking efforts but the money from the increase would have to be earmarked specifically for re-stocking. Otherwise, lord knows what the General Assembly will spend it on once it hits the general fund.
“…be a man and PM me.”
I know… you have your thoughts and I do to. I’m all for sustainable fisheries but I want to make sure people that catch “and eat” fish get their side of the policy heard also. I don’t like a lot of regulations unless I see it for myself why the change is “necessary” and I don’t see it at all. The fish are here. If I could join up with DNR and get the data to make the decision I would still err on the side of the recreation fisherman that likes to eat fish. By the way, I avoid doing fishing trips. Too much trouble unless I feel like they just want to have a good time. Personally, however, I want to keep and eat the fish when I do fish for myself.
I also remember when S Goldfinch was running for office. Just prior he said he was “with” the recreational fishermen and I was elated when he was elected. Now I’m seeing he is caving in… less for the rec fishermen and leaning towards the normal “take away” from rec fishermen. I dropped my interest in RFA as they were going nowhere. I need to keep writing my congressman and make sure they hear me clearly.
Capt. Garry Coats
Folly Beach & CHS
@DolphinChartersSC
How is preserving a fishery and insuring the stability of its future “take away” from the “rec fisherman”? I’m a “rec fisherman” and I would consider it irresponsible management of the resource if I (the “rec fisherman”) was considered before the resources itself. I don’t believe the wants of the fishermen should take precedence over the needs of the resource. Yesa, there should be a balance between wants and needs but when push comes to shove, the needs of the resource should be priority. I’m also not a fisheries biologist so I don’t pretend to know their job better than they do. I’m also not a conspiracy theorist and therefore don’t believe every time there is a proposed reg change by the DNR that they are out to pull one over on me or somehow are pushing a hidden agenda. I believe in allowing people to do their job(s) and trust they will do their job(s) to the best of their abilities and I will always feel that way until I’m given a reason to feel otherwise.
“…be a man and PM me.”
quote:
Originally posted by bangstickWhy allow anyone to keep a redfish “up to 30”?
I’m a man and I’m not pm’ing you any more because you did not answer me.
How about a red that was fought and finally brought boat side with a hook deep. You bring the worn out fish aboard and try to de-hook or probably take a photo opt. Or maybe you do the good thing and cut the line while said fish is still in the water. Hey, you targeted a breeder Red, damgnamit thing is now going to die.
Actually the best thing for those kind of fish is to just take em home and eat them… or turn them back loose and let the sharks eat them…
People want to believe so bad that all fish released live… Capt Fritz gets it. Even in his signature he gets it. Not all fish released live. Not sure that constitutes a true conservationist, but at least he tries.
That’s my bad, Fred. I don’t get PM’s very often and therefore check them rarely, if ever.
As far as the 30" red, I guess I can see it as it pertains to “waste not, want not” but other than that, I just don’t see why anyone would need to keep a large breeder red. Sharks eat all manner of redfish, not just the tired or worn out ones. Not saying you’re one, but too many people make it sound like if it weren’t for a redfish being worn out after a fight, sharks would never eat them. It’s no more complicated than the predator/prey relationship. Big fish eat smaller fish, period. I’m not oblivious to the fact that man cannot get involved without having an impact. People mishandle fish and it leads to the death of many fish. Some do it because they simply don’t know any better and some do it because they simply don’t care. Some people put their wants ahead of the fishery’s needs and some don’t. Point being, unless you ban the fishery all together, there’s not going to be one “quick fix” to the issue. Even with a ban, we all know some people will do whatever they want to do, the fishery and legal consequences be d@mned.
The DNR can only do so much. WE need to do our part and police our own and check ourselves and educate our ranks. That would go a long way towards helping the situation.
“…be a man and PM me.”
quote:
Originally posted by bangstickThat’s my bad, Fred. I don’t get PM’s very often and therefore check them rarely, if ever.
As far as the 30" red, I guess I can see it as it pertains to “waste not, want not” but other than that, I just don’t see why anyone would need to keep a large breeder red. Sharks eat all manner of redfish, not just the tired or worn out ones. Not saying you’re one, but too many people make it sound like if it weren’t for a redfish being worn out after a fight, sharks would never eat them. It’s no more complicated than the predator/prey relationship. Big fish eat smaller fish, period. I’m not oblivious to the fact that man cannot get involved without having an impact. People mishandle fish and it leads to the death of many fish. Some do it because they simply don’t know any better and some do it because they simply don’t care. Some people put their wants ahead of the fishery’s needs and some don’t. Point being, unless you ban the fishery all together, there’s not going to be one “quick fix” to the issue. Even with a ban, we all know some people will do whatever they want to do, the fishery and legal consequences be d@mned.
The DNR can only do so much. WE need to do our part and police our own and check ourselves and educate our ranks. That would go a long way towards helping the situation.
“…be a man and PM me.”
You get it.
As for sharks, I’d bet a nickel that the Great Whites and big Tigers off our coast eat a lot of breeder reds. Wish they would take a few more dolphin instead.
? Since when has there been a redfish shortage? You can catch a spot tail when you can’t catch anything. Hell there even more dependable than crabs. Get a grip and quit attacking the weekend warrior.
2010 17’ JVX Carolina Skiff 40 Yamaha tiller
2002 14’ Alumacraft 30 Yamaha tiller
“Quit attacking the weekend warrior”…Nominee for cause of the year!
“…be a man and PM me.”
If you will recall…The last few winters have been non existent. Dont reds flood the flats when its cold…? We have been catching them in our normal spots spring/summer/fall.
I don’t believe the concern for redfish numbers has come about because of this winter. There has been chatter about decreasing numbers the last couple of years.
“…be a man and PM me.”