I don’t think I have ever seen, a Federal Warden? Coast Guard, sure but not a Warden! I must live a sheltered life, as I didn’t know they even had such a thing.
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Originally posted by EasyI don’t think I have ever seen, a Federal Warden? Coast Guard, sure but not a Warden! I must live a sheltered life, as I didn’t know they even had such a thing.
You obviously don’t duck hunt much. I’ve never encountered one fishing, but I’ve ran across one on more than one occasion hunting around here. They’re pretty spread out, but I assure you that you are much better off dealing with a local warden.
Fish and Wildlife are “federal wardens” Been stopped by them up in the Bay before.
www.advoutdoors.com
“I have tomorrow open!”
It would be best if this discussion could b e kept impersonal since it applies to all who fish- for bottom fish or marlin. All of us should be interested in seeing a resolution to the question of who manages our game and fish and what goals they are trying to achieve. But, some of us look at this sitution from a slightly different point of view - myself included. So I’ll make it a little more personal.
Fritz, you mentioned you have been on the water for 15 years. I know you are very experienced, but you are probably still young compared to some of us. I’ve been fishing for sixty years, a lot of the time in salt and as much as possible offshore. There are not many people older than I running around on the ocean in center console boats.So, we don’t have a lot of time for this closure to resolve itself. Someone who knows moreabout marine biology than I do needs to take the bull by the horns and exercise their authority. The feds are too bureaucratic and are too influenced by the Pews and Peta to do anything but sit there saying “no” to us who want to fish. Our only hope is
SCDNR, but as long as theyare in bed with the feds this thing could go on forever. DNR has been noticably quiet throughthis long ordeal, but now they’re sending our guys to enforce fed. regs. There is no way I could justify this, no matter who’s paying for the gas.
I’ve been checked by a US Fish & Wildlife warden at Wappoo cut ramp coming home from shrimping this fall. Was really unexpected - the guy was polite enough and half-heartedly checked our licenses, but didn’t seem too interested in the shrimp. So they are definitely around occasionally, but I don’t think there are many of them.
I don’t think it’s fair to expect SCDNR to refuse federal funding to enforce federal regs, if that’s really what’s going on. State money, yeah that would probably be better spent elsewhere. But, given the current state of the Federal Gov’t’s budget, I can’t imagine that there is too much federal funding out there either.
The guys out there enforcing the rules aren’t the ones making the rules - they’re just doing their job. As much as I hate the closures, the right answer isn’t to break the rules and try to get away with it, it’s to get the rules changed. And that’s pretty much on us (the fishermen) to do, not the State. And is much easier said than done…
Angler 204 FX
Yamaha 150
quote:You misunderstood my 15 year comment. I've been fishing for close to 40 years myself.
Originally posted by RealfinIt would be best if this discussion could b e kept impersonal since it applies to all who fish- for bottom fish or marlin. All of us should be interested in seeing a resolution to the question of who manages our game and fish and what goals they are trying to achieve. But, some of us look at this sitution from a slightly different point of view - myself included. So I’ll make it a little more personal.
Fritz, you mentioned you have been on the water for 15 years. I know you are very experienced, but you are probably still young compared to some of us. I’ve been fishing for sixty years, a lot of the time in salt and as much as possible offshore. There are not many people older than I running around on the ocean in center console boats.So, we don’t have a lot of time for this closure to resolve itself. Someone who knows moreabout marine biology than I do needs to take the bull by the horns and exercise their authority. The feds are too bureaucratic and are too influenced by the Pews and Peta to do anything but sit there saying “no” to us who want to fish. Our only hope isSCDNR, but as long as theyare in bed with the feds this thing could go on forever. DNR has been noticably quiet throughthis long ordeal, but now they’re sending our guys to enforce fed. regs. There is no way I could justify this, no matter who’s paying for the gas.
www.advoutdoors.com
“I have tomorrow open!”
The NMFS has 1 officer to cover from Va / NC border to Key west! The CG cutter “Yellowfin” carries a fed fisheries detatchment on board and works the commercial boats real hard. We have been stopped by a boarding party from the Yellowfin inside the harbor, and the poor guys got run off by DGYF34, as the crewmen were clueless about regs and requirements.
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NMFS = No More Fishing Season
“Back home we got a taxidermy man. He gonna have a heart attack when he see what I brung him”
IT’s always about the money. When it’s not about the money, it’s about the money.
DNR accepts the FED money so they have to play by thier rules to keep getting it. I support SCDNR and have enjoyed the priviledge of puchashing licences to enjoy the State resourses for more than 28 years now. I can support an organization and still question the decisions they make. I only offer opionions on this site. I assure you I talk with the legislators and ones in charge.
Again, there is a reason why there “aren’t that many feds around”. You can rest assured that if we didn’t enforce their laws, that there would be more around. This is what “big government” looks like folks. The feds take tons of money from the states courtesy of the IRS and make us do their bidding to get it back…
Striker, I, too, have always had respect for DNR. I’ve never knowingly broken a fish or game law. I know all of the wildlife officers in my county by their first name, and they know mine (though they insist on putting a 'Mr." in front of it). I was a conservationist and an environmentalist before it was snazzy, and I’ve put my money and my time where my mouth is. For the first time in my hunting and fishing career, however, my mind is confused about what is right and what is wrong. On the one hand, I know that it is right and necessary to obey the laws of the land as laid down by our elected representatives. We can’t pick and choose which laws to obey. On the other hand, I am confident that the closure of the black sea bass fishery is not only depriving my friends, family, and me of a pastime that we have enjoyed responsibly for years, but it is very likely destroying other fisheries as well. I am convinced by the in-action of the people overseeing this closure that they are not concerned about the health of the fishery, but about the perpetuation of their jobs.
Here’s some info from SCDNR on this thread.
DNR biologists do not actually conduct any recreational creel surveys offshore. Almost all of our angler intercept work is done at public boat landings. We do occasionally visit some marinas and fishing piers, but the focus with our limited staff has been to concentrate on interviewing private boat anglers (the majority of our licensed saltwater anglers). Law Enforcement does conduct fishery enforcement inspections offshore under the Joint Enforcement Agreement they have with NMFS.
Since 1981, NMFS has been collecting recreational catch and effort data in SC by also conducting interviews with recreational anglers at public boat landings, marinas, fishing piers, and through observer trips on headboats. This effort is now known as the Marine Recreational Information Program or MRIP. DNR believes that we can assist in making some improvements in the way the state and NMFS collect angler intercept-based data by taking responsibility for most of the MRIP survey work in SC. Starting March 1st of 2013, DNR intends to take on all of the saltwater recreational fishing creel intercept work in SC by becoming a sub-contractor with NMFS for the MRIP survey in our state. Our own DNR Office of Fisheries Management staff will be conducting the creel surveys conducted at private boat landings, and taking on the headboat ride along work as well. We are doing this to improve the efficiency of overall angler intercept efforts being conducted in SC (one survey instead of two), and to help with improvements to the quality of the data being used by state and federal fisheries managers that influence the regulation of our fisheries.</font id=“maroon”>
It’s in our best interest to get facts straight rather than perpetuate the old rumor mill. If any of you do have the ear of a US senator or representative, ask him/her to support moving fisheries regulation out from under the US Department of Commerce and put it under the US Fish & Wildlife Service where it
Where do I apply for the Ride along Head Boat inspection job! Now that would be, my kind of job!
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Originally posted by EasyWhere do I apply for the Ride along Head Boat inspection job! Now that would be, my kind of job!
It ain’t that kind of head boat!
BG
sells, what do you mean by “run off”?
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Originally posted by RealfinI didn’t make my point clearly enough, so I’ll try again. We The feds have shut our bottom fishing down for no justifiable cause.The way the federal government functions, that is not a surprise. I do have a major problem with our DNR going into federal waters specifically enforce federal regulations. I had hoped DNR was on our side in this issue. I have faith in our biologists. However, I believe management has sold us out to the federal government. They’ve, apparently, sold their soul for a dollar.
If DNR is supporting the law, why do you have a problem with it? Thinking the law is wrong is irrelevant, bottom line is a law breaker is a law breaker and if we do nothing about it how far will it grow? What we need to do is lobby and get laws that are senseless revoked.
Realfin I agree with you. It doesn’t appear they do care about the population of the fishery. SCDNR has changed over the past ten years from an agency that cared about the sportsmen and State resources to a money hungry organization who follows the input from the conservation groups they recieve money from.
Fred67, I thought I made it clear why I have a problem with DNR supporting the law. But, to put it another way: My observations, and those of many others who spend time on and under the water, say the closure is doing more harm than good. Black Sea Bass are voracious, and will eat anything that swims-including young red snapper, vermillions, etc. The last ones I caught were regurgitating seaweed. The closure rule is stupid. I expect the federal bureaucrats to do stupid things. I expect DNR to be in touch with the real world, be concerned about the health of our fisheries, and to be tuned in to fishermen, not the Pew Environmental Trust.
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Originally posted by skinneejAgain, there is a reason why there “aren’t that many feds around”. You can rest assured that if we didn’t enforce their laws, that there would be more around. This is what “big government” looks like folks. The feds take tons of money from the states courtesy of the IRS and make us do their bidding to get it back…
This is what “hitting the nail on the head” looks like.
Semper Fi
18’ Sterling
115 Yamaha
Big Ugly Homemade Blue Push Pole
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Originally posted by RealfinSCDNR,… as long as they are in bed with the feds this thing could go on forever. DNR has been noticably quiet through this long ordeal, but now they’re sending our guys to enforce fed. regs. There is no way I could justify this, no matter who’s paying for the gas.
</font id=“quote”></blockquote id=“quote”>Capt. Fritz…you hit the nail on the head when you said there is no room for suggesting anyone get any facts at all from DNR…rather than continue with the rumors and opinions. It’s all good fodder for a good chuckle, but it’s a darn shame no one tries hard to get some concrete facts.
And Realfin, while I respect your opinions and your right to voice them, I doubt anyone will check with you to justify DNR enforcing federal regs. I know I wouldn’t. By the way…I’ve been fishing for close to 60 years myself. Doesn’t mean the feds or DNR needs to check in with me before doing the work the are mandated to perform. I’ll suggest again…call your legislator…get fisheries under USFWS where it belongs. That would do a lot more good than trashing DNR and the feds on this forum.
Just sayin…