TheSookesOfHazzard
Member
Hey guys,
Thought I'd throw this out there to see if anyone has though about this as well.
One thing I find myself constantly thinking about when fishing is the amount of gear we as fishermen end up losing and consequently "litter" the ocean with. Lots of times its largely unavoidable, but what definitely bugs me most when losing a cannonball, rig, fish, or combination of these things is not the cost, but the fact that I've contributed to the contamination of our amazing waters. Now trust me, I'm no great environmentalist, (based on all the motors I own alone, my carbon footprint can't be great) but I do the best I can whenever possible. Keep what I catch of any legal size fish until I'm at my limit, recycle everything, compost at home, the usual things.
I wonder how much of our gear deteriorates and how much remains. I mean, tons of crab and prawn traps are lost, and even when the bait subsides, I'm sure creatures still find their way in there. I can only imagine what the bottom looks like at Trap Shack and Constance. In fact, in heavily fished areas like Constance, I'm surprised we don't hook into more things when fishing there. Maybe it blows away or breaks down.
Bottom line is, (pun very much intended) we all like to fish, and things are gonna happen. I think as responsible fisherman, we owe it to this great environment to practice due diligence and inspect our gear regularly. If rigger line looks bad, replace it. Old knots? Re-tie 'em. Line wearing out? Replace it. I know money or laziness is a common excuse, but I like to think about this amazing privilege we have to be able to fish these waters, so I try my best to keep up on things to limit the chances of break-offs and lost gear. It's not about my wallet, its about responsibility.
Also, proper knowledge and technique. This means doing your research on things so you know what should work and what shouldn't. Knowing how much weight goes in your traps so they don't float off. The right sized buoy. Strength of line for your targeted species. Not only can we help our own bottom line in the long run, it's better for the fish and environment too.
Tight lines guys!
Thought I'd throw this out there to see if anyone has though about this as well.
One thing I find myself constantly thinking about when fishing is the amount of gear we as fishermen end up losing and consequently "litter" the ocean with. Lots of times its largely unavoidable, but what definitely bugs me most when losing a cannonball, rig, fish, or combination of these things is not the cost, but the fact that I've contributed to the contamination of our amazing waters. Now trust me, I'm no great environmentalist, (based on all the motors I own alone, my carbon footprint can't be great) but I do the best I can whenever possible. Keep what I catch of any legal size fish until I'm at my limit, recycle everything, compost at home, the usual things.
I wonder how much of our gear deteriorates and how much remains. I mean, tons of crab and prawn traps are lost, and even when the bait subsides, I'm sure creatures still find their way in there. I can only imagine what the bottom looks like at Trap Shack and Constance. In fact, in heavily fished areas like Constance, I'm surprised we don't hook into more things when fishing there. Maybe it blows away or breaks down.
Bottom line is, (pun very much intended) we all like to fish, and things are gonna happen. I think as responsible fisherman, we owe it to this great environment to practice due diligence and inspect our gear regularly. If rigger line looks bad, replace it. Old knots? Re-tie 'em. Line wearing out? Replace it. I know money or laziness is a common excuse, but I like to think about this amazing privilege we have to be able to fish these waters, so I try my best to keep up on things to limit the chances of break-offs and lost gear. It's not about my wallet, its about responsibility.
Also, proper knowledge and technique. This means doing your research on things so you know what should work and what shouldn't. Knowing how much weight goes in your traps so they don't float off. The right sized buoy. Strength of line for your targeted species. Not only can we help our own bottom line in the long run, it's better for the fish and environment too.
Tight lines guys!
