Fishing & the internet

[Charter Tofino]

quote:Originally posted by TheBigGuy

Not trying to drag this too far off topic, but I know several long time fishers at china creek who have bragged to me that they have kept over 200 sockeye in a season. To me there is no way you can justify that kind of retention for personal use. They both do weekly runs home to drop off as many fish as possible. Then people wonder why the Sockeyes shut down more often than it's open? Hopefully, with forums like this people may change there attitudes a little bit, and realize how destructive that is.

x2 there are some gross things going on at china creek... I know alot of guys are keeping crazy numbers of fish/prawns there.

 

[profisher]

Hootchie, I take 3 or 4... 20-25 pound springs early in June when I can get out and before I get really busy with charters. That fish is sent up to St. Jeans and is canned, smoked and canned and made into Indian Candy. If sockeye open up (didn't this year) I will try to get 1/2 dozen of those to send up to St Jeans and get canned as well. I don't like freezing fish for the table so I usually keep a 4-5 pound spring once a month or so for the barbi. Dinner for the family of 4 and a sandwich or 2 the next day for lunch and its all gone...no freezing. Took a couple of small hali's too, ate some fresh right away and froze the rest.

 

[scott craven]

quote:Originally posted by profisher

Hootchie, I take 3 or 4... 20-25 pound springs early in June when I can get out and before I get really busy with charters. That fish is sent up to St. Jeans and is canned, smoked and canned and made into Indian Candy. If sockeye open up (didn't this year) I will try to get 1/2 dozen of those to send up to St Jeans and get canned as well. I don't like freezing fish for the table so I usually keep a 4-5 pound spring once a month or so for the barbi. Dinner for the family of 4 and a sandwich or 2 the next day for lunch and its all gone...no freezing. Took a couple of small hali's too, ate some fresh right away and froze the rest.

Now throw in the 200 + (?) Springs,not to mention Coho, Pinks and Halibut you've guided customers into and multiply that by say 500 (conservative guess)guide boats on the west coast and you can see the further impact.
Not to knock anyone's business, but the number's are there
and i don't think that can be argued.

 

[profisher]

RS yes, only mentioned my personal consumption in last post. Like I said earlier, all guides should be licensed and considered commercial operators and at some point..maybe now.. and finite numbers determined and allowed to work in certain areas to prevent overfishing local stocks. A number on the boat, like commercail boats would identify us and allow us to self monitor others who might try chartering without the license.

 

[Olde School]

Hello, all.

My 2cents
1) fish move alll the time (yes there are spots that are more reliable than others) so giving away a hot spot isn't as bad as many make out
2) underwater insects don't move as much, so I rarely give my spots for those away!

Smiley.

 

[profisher]

Fish move around Smiley but they all end up at their native rivers almost to the day each year. We know that and lay in wait...more and more of us now leave less productive home waters where fish pass by and visit productive terminal fisheries. Boats are increasing in these areas but not the number of fish available.

 

[highlights]

Started out with VHF. I definitely give info while out on the water in order to recieve. Networking over a vast area is only one more tool in my arsenal. Thanks to all you guys that I regularily talk to on VHF by the way.I love to hear what may be going on at the other side of the pond. Gathering information wheather it be "matching the hatch" or just having an ear to the ground is what has led me to be a consistent angler out there. Love it or hate it, the use of the internet and the sharing of infomation is what our generation is known for. It's not called the "age of information" for nothing. As a species we are becoming more efficient as we go. Someone has made the analogy that the human race is something that closely resembles that of the common virus. Consumes everything in it's path to ensure it's own procreation.

 

[Charlie]

quote:Originally posted by smiley66

So there you we go you said we need to focus on getting those numbers up of fish up not worrying about everyone else fishing.

Some of comments in here really do seem to directed on chartering not recreational. It is a little disappointing becase you guys are making it sound that you want the resource to yourself, and if a few extra boats are around your secret spot you start reacting.

If you charter you still must keep in mind you operate a business, and the guys you are bitching about have equal rights to the resource bottom line. They have as much right as you do to drop ther lines near you if they wish.

We are all in the sportsfishing industry together, and I would hate to see charter, and rec guys turn on each other. We neeed to focus on DFO etc to get those stocks up! If you look at it we wouldn't be talking about this if the sea was flowing with fish. If we had stocks of the 50's we would we bother?

Fact of the matter the internet etc. is here to stay, and people we keep communicating you can't stop it. If you cooose to accept that is your thing. With the technology coming out we are going to see more changes: AIS in all recreational boats, more sophisticted GPS,communication etc. Roll with the technology!!!

Smiley66

Smiley... 99.99 percent of the guides on WCVI</u>, to my knowledge have done "nothing" but support the sport! I will fish with any of them, anyday! The other .01 percent, I havn't met yet!

As far as DFO, I am now up to 14 letters and still writing, but as I stated before, I am a "Yank", and I am sure they aren't really interested in what I have to say? And, I am also quite sure my letters get filed! The letters need to come from you "Canucks"!

 

[chris73]

Send your letters to me Charlie and I will re-mail them from here to make them look Canadian !

 

[profisher]

miley..you need to re-read my posts...I've clearly stated that guides/lodges should be assessed to limit there impact on runs, guides should have a license with a cost attached... I'm definitely not about wanting the fish for myself (as a guide/charter operator) I like catching my share when I'm fishing but have no issue with anyone else doing just as well. I have concerns for the fish and all my posts on this site in any forum reflect this. You know what would be the best thing that could happen to get EVERYONE together, end all the BS and be truly serious about getting fish back to the streams. The serious threat of a total 10 year salmon closure!!! Overnight all sectors would want to work together to prevent 10 years off salmon. The cooperation would be motivated by preserving ones opportunity to continue fishing in some capacity...who cares why, the fish would win.

 

[beemer]

right on profisher!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[drhook]

quote:Originally posted by chris73

Interesting discussion, however I disagree with you. Yes we are better equipped and better informed but compare the catch rate to 20-30 or more years ago. 8 - 12 big salmon per day was no exeption in those days and the retention limits were retardedly high. On a good day in Sooke you have what 3 good sized salmon in the boat nowadays? So even with more boats and fishermen around and better equipment I do not believe the actual total catch went up significantly. Also, I think getting more people successful and permanently involved in sportfishing does way more good in the long term in terms of more political and economical influence of this user group. And if the stocks can't afford 20 more people catching 4 additional salmon (due to increased efficiency) more per year then the stocks are way beyond the critical state and the problem is somewhere else and not the extra few fish taken. When trying to solve a problem you have to find the best bang for the buck not the next best factor you run across. I truly believe that responsible and proper sportfishing can NOT have any significant impact on healthy salmon stocks. Or halibut for that matter.

Just started reading this thread. Right on the money Chris73!!!! Your comments are worth repeating!

 

[Tin Bear]

Fishing is about people enjoying the sport for recreation period!
The internet, TV shows help more people enjoy the sport.

The key is to make the experience sustainable for everyone, you, your kids, your grandchildren...

Catch & Release as needed is the way to go!