Archive for Fisheries
Fishing Line That Keeps on Catching
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A Mess of Old Fishing Line
In a recent post I discussed re-spooling all my reels with new line for the upcoming season. Today I came across a post on a favorite forum of mine discussing the need to responsibly and properly dispose of our OLD fishing line. The post included an image showing a dead osprey hanging below it’s nest due to being tangled in old fishing line. A very heart-breaking image to say the least.
The timing of the post I read could not have been any better. With the new fishing season rapidly arriving, anglers across the country will be taking care of their preparations for the 2011 season. One of these tasks includes replacing the old line on our reels. This old line, if not disposed of properly, finds it’s way into the landfills and garbage dumps. Since it pretty much lasts forever the old line can cause problems for wildlife that come in contact with it for a very long time.
I would like to encourage everyone to take the appropriate course of action in disposing of your old line so that you can be sure it was not YOUR old line that tangled a bird or animal. It really is something that only takes but a few extra seconds but is time well worth it.
So, what are the appropriate steps you may be asking?? Probably the very best option would be the recycling plan that Berkley Fishing has been sponsoring since 1990. I believe they have been the leaders in the discarded fishing line recycling since their programs inception. Here on Long Island, a lot of the local tackle shops have cardboard bins used to collect the old line that is then returned to Berkley to be re-used in the manufacture of other products. During your next visit to the tackle shop you bring your bag of old line and just drop it off in the collection bin.
I prefer to take the old line from the reel and wrap it around my hand and then cut the coils across the top and bottom with share scissors. This leaves the line in small lengths that will not be able to snare any wildlife.
Another option, although probably not the Greenest, would be burning it. I’ve tried this in the past and it is a pain in the neck, not to mention stinking to the high heaven. The stuff melts away to practically nothing but my thought here is that the effort is not really worth the results.
The bottom line here is that all of us anglers need to do SOMETHING to make sure our fishing lines are not continuing to “catch” long after we are finished with them.
If anyone has some other methods of disposing of their old line I would love to hear about them. Please take a moment and post a comment letting us all know. Our local birds and wildlife thank you
Tight Lines.........
Capt Paul Mandella
captpaul@maybetonightcharters.com
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Coast Guard Plan Against Poaching Striped Bass
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USCG Against Striped Bass Poaching
There has been a lot of noise in recent years about the striped bass population in the EEZ (Exclusive Economic Zone) being targetted illegally. From the sounds of the statement below released by the Coast Guard that noise is being heard.
Coast Guard to cast net for striped bass poachers
PORTSMOUTH, Va. — The Coast Guard, state and federal agencies are intensifying efforts to stop the illegal poaching of striped bass off the Atlantic coast this winter season.
In an effort to ensure the health of the striped bass population, the Coast Guard is working to raise awareness of the federal regulations governing striped bass and to increase enforcement efforts to protect the migration and spawning of the fish from illegal poaching activities.
Striped bass populations are moving farther off shore into warmer waters and fishermen are often pursuing the fish beyond the authorized state waters. Atlantic striped bass may not be caught, harvested or possessed in the Exclusive Economic Zone. A person caught fishing for striped bass outside of 3 nautical miles and into the EEZ is subject to fines starting at $100 per fish.
The Coast Guard has established an Atlantic Striped Bass Reporting Hotline at 757-398-6598. The public is encouraged to report any suspected poaching activity to the hotline. Calls should include a description of the activity, those involved, the location and the time of the suspected offense. Such information greatly increases the effectiveness of law enforcement operations.
“The Coast Guard is working with state law enforcement and the National Marine Fisheries Service to enforce regulations prohibiting fishing for striped bass outside of 3 nautical miles,” said Lt. Kevin Saunders of the 5th Coast Guard District’s enforcement branch. “By working to curtail the illegal actions of a few fishermen, we can help ensure future generations have the opportunity to participate in this fishery.”
Tight Lines.........
Capt Paul Mandella
captpaul@maybetonightcharters.com
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National Saltwater Angler Registry Impacts to NY Anglers
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NOAA/MRIP Saltwater Registry
There is some confusion circulating around between the NY State Marine Fishing License and the National Saltwater Angler Registry. The Federal Government has mandated all saltwater anglers be listed in a National Registry. Effective January 1 2011, anyone living in a coastal state that does NOT have a Marine Fishing License already in place will need to register with the National Registry.
New Jersey being the closest example of a state WITHOUT a saltwater license program in place. NJ anglers will be required to register with the Federal program to be compliant for the 2011 season. According to the NOAA site registration before 1/1/2011 is free with the cost after this date being $15.
As NY anglers are already aware the State voted for a NY Saltwater license in 2009 which has been in place since. NY anglers who already have their NY Saltwater license are EXEMPT from having to register with the Federal program. Folks who fish on NYS Licenses Charter/Open/Head boats are also EXEMPT as the boat carries the license for it’s fares.
Check out the NOAA/MRIP program’s website for the FULL story on the Registry and the planned benefits MRIP is supposed to provide the recreational saltwater fishing sector.
Tight Lines.........
Capt Paul Mandella
captpaul@maybetonightcharters.com
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Menhaden (Bunker) Management
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The spring of 2010 will be remembered by many anglers along Long Island’s south shore for the excellent action with large striped bass feasting upon schools of menhaden for over a month as the fish made their eastern migration. Just about every day in June and into July had south shore anglers catching their personal best stripers, all pulled from beneath schools of bunker the likes of which have not been seen along the Island in recent years.
As good as this action was, those of us who search the Great South Bay and local canals for these same baitfish can tell you that finding them was a difficult task at best. For each day the schools were easily found there would be several days without a sign of them anywhere. The bunker were just not in the back bay areas in the numbers of years past.
The lack of bunker in the bay this year had me thinking way back to the days where Great Cove on the north side of the Great South Bay in Islip would be paved with the schools from one bank to the other, the State Boat Channel Drawbridge would have the schools of baitfish the entire width of the span. In the evenings, the 3rd bridge on the Meadowbrook parkway had schools from shore to shore and as far out as you could see into the darkness. I could go on but the bottom line is the bunker were everywhere.
Consider this graph from http://savemenhaden.wordpress.com/ website
I understand that it is very easy to talk about the old days and how the fishing for virtually everything was better back then. However, we also need to consider the fact that this very key species numbers have been declining for a very long time now. The menhaden is a key ingredient in the diets of many of our favorite gamefish. Studies performed in recent years are linking certain diseases found in striped bass of the Chesapeake Bay estuary to the scarcity of menhaden.
Plenty of further information on this matter is available on the Save Menhaden site listed above. Striped bass anglers are asked to keep an eye on this matter
Tight Lines.........
Capt Paul Mandella
captpaul@maybetonightcharters.com
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Ban of Lead for Fishing DENIED!!!
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Score one for the good guys. This has been an ongoing battle between the fishing community and extreme environmental interest groups for some time. The article in the link below discusses how the EPA has sided with the fishing community on this topic.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The angling public and the fishing industry once again have beaten back an attempt to ban the manufacture and sale of fishing tackle containing lead.
This time around, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) denied a petition by the Center for Biological Diversity and four other groups. Check out the full article here Lead Ban Denied
We can now safely use our sinkers with a clear conscience 
