Saltwater Fishing Discussion Board Including Inshore Fishing, Offshore Fishing, Saltwater Fly Fishing and Kayak Fishing

Heard some chatter on the radio today. Someone wanted DEC contact info to report some guy fishing with short blackfish as bait. I'd have offered the info if I had it (I think I saw it posted here once and I should have saved it in my phone). The only replies he got were the "mind your own business" type. I was surprised to say the least. I know this was a common practice many years ago, but I thought the younger generation obeyed the regulations. As difficult as it is to do, I obey the regs even though I don't always agree with them.

A couple minutes later, I heard a guy warning a friend that "enforcement" was in the area and he should keep an eye out for them. Crazy stuff! Is it that common?

I headed towards the inlet to see for myself and guess what I saw? Two guys on separate boats fishing with short blacks! Should I have minded my own business? What do y'all think of this?

Never Forget September 11th

jdc946
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posted 11/04/2009 04:56 PM

Like it or not, if i see them i will turn them in. These guys are meat mongers. Go buy stripe bass at a store for $5/pound. Why ruin the future black fish population for a few fish. I don't like the regs either, but you can't deny that years ago fishing was a lot better. It just pisses me off that these guys can buy boats, but can't afford to buy fish, instead of ruining fishing for the rest of us. If more people stand up to these bullies they will be afraid to get ticketed. I carry the DEC numbers with me all the fo the time. DEC 877-457-5680 1-800-TIPP DEC or 631-444-0250. I'll be watching, I hope more of you will be too.

JASONSWWO

Joined: 09/11/2009
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Location: On The Canal, Hampton Bays

posted 11/04/2009 05:00 PM

Make sure they are tog. In those pictures they appear to be- matter of fact they probably are, but they could be Spots as well.

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BASSSURF

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posted 11/04/2009 05:02 PM

you definitely should call if you see that.

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Captneilf
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posted 11/04/2009 05:08 PM

Recreational anglers using

ILLEGAL SHORT fish as bait??? I always read posts by recreational anglers saying how it was the comms who were guilty of breaking the rules. Am I supposed to believe this? Holier than thou recreational anglers doing such things!!! What is the world coming to? Next you will be telling me that recreational anglers keep illegal numbers of certain species of fish.

Oh my!!! Shocking!!!

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AxBeetle
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posted 11/04/2009 05:10 PM

Should you do it? No.

Will you catch fish with them? Yes. But only when they are about half the size of what is shown in the pictures.

I have never used a blackfish as bait, but I have observed them being picked off in shallow water and found them as stomach contents more times than I can count. I also caught tons of fluke spitting up still alive killie size baby weaks. I was very tempted to use them, but decided to help them back into the water.

quote:
Go buy stripe bass at a store for $5/pound

The only time I ever told conservation about someone keeping shorts was when I saw a group of idiots cast netting baby stripers. They sometimes swim with the mullets and for some people the finger mullets are dinner. At first I thought they didn't know what they were and told them the stripers have to go back. They were like no way. They were getting nets full of more stripers than mullets. This was back when it was 36" - I happened to see conservation on foot one day when they were at it with the nets and told them. All I can say is that I recently heard that those same people still keep the baby stripers.

I still don't know why you would put that sticker on the stop sign at walgreens???

JC30967
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posted 11/04/2009 05:11 PM

Shorts for bait

Short blackfish- Never!!!

Short stripers, now those are some primo shark baits Wink

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likeitreallyis
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Location: Stop asking me..no spot burning..

posted 11/04/2009 05:25 PM

AxBeetle wrote:
The only time I ever told conservation about someone keeping shorts was when I saw a group of idiots cast netting baby stripers. They sometimes swim with the mullets and for some people the finger mullets are dinner. At first I thought they didn't know what they were and told them the stripers have to go back. They were like no way. They were getting nets full of more stripers than mullets. This was back when it was 36" - I happened to see conservation on foot one day when they were at it with the nets and told them. All I can say is that I recently heard that those same people still keep the baby stripers.

Sure they weren't Striped Mullet? we have a few types in the bay that swim together...

Posting reports on ******.com is fine but it must be a general report not specifying exact location of the fish caught. These will be edited.

likeitreallyis
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posted 11/04/2009 05:44 PM

some guys HAVE to cheat to catch something. It's cheating and wasn't it during a tourney ?? This is why I don't pay $75 to go fishing in them.

Posting reports on ******.com is fine but it must be a general report not specifying exact location of the fish caught. These will be edited.

jimgleiss

Joined: 08/22/2001
Posts: 702
Location: Amity Harbor, NY

posted 11/04/2009 05:56 PM

jdc946 wrote:
I carry the DEC numbers with me all the fo the time. DEC 877-457-5680 1-800-TIPP DEC or 631-444-0250. I'll be watching, I hope more of you will be too.

Thanks for the numbers!

JASONSWWO wrote:
Make sure they are tog. In those pictures they appear to be- matter of fact they probably are, but they could be Spots as well.

I saw one of the guys at the RM bridge not an hour earlier.

AxBeetle wrote:
Will you catch fish with them? Yes. But only when they are about half the size of what is shown in the pictures.

The guy in the second picture caught a fish with one. See pic below.

likeitreallyis wrote:
It's cheating and wasn't it during a tourney ?? This is why I don't pay $75 to go fishing in them.

I think the Riverview tourney was yesterday. Not sure if there was another one today.

Never Forget September 11th

BOBBYWALDBAUMBS
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posted 11/04/2009 06:06 PM

No to using shorts for bait Finger

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AKA "BOBBYWALDBAUMBS"
" ONE MORE CAST"

bobbo

Joined: 04/27/2002
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Location: margaritaville

posted 11/04/2009 06:07 PM

Are those bergalls or blackfish? Why did you cut out their faces? If those are togs those guys deserve to be humiliated. did you take those pictures? just curious because if your pissed off enough to post those pictures why are there no faces.

Hunt n' Fish
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posted 11/04/2009 06:56 PM

Any fish caught in the Riverview, or any tourney, on an illegal bait should be disqualified. I fished that tournament once, and saw the Roda loaded with guys pitching short tog as baits and was really aggravated. Is it wrong, yes, does it work, yes. So do seabass, porgies etc.

It's really a shame we don't have better bait options up here for nice medium size baits for bass. Large adult bunker or killies. Very few in between. But the new spots that are being delivered locally are making a good option. The mullet are great when they're around.

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VooDooChile

Joined: 12/24/2005
Posts: 119

posted 11/04/2009 07:02 PM

Bobbo, I first thought they might be bergalls also. They do look similar. The first picture is blurry, but the profile does look like a tog to me.

jimgleiss

Joined: 08/22/2001
Posts: 702
Location: Amity Harbor, NY

posted 11/04/2009 08:05 PM

bobbo wrote:
Are those bergalls or blackfish?.

VooDooChile wrote:
Bobbo, I first thought they might be bergalls also. They do look similar. The first picture is blurry, but the profile does look like a tog to me.

I've been fishing the bridge for a few weeks now and I haven't caught a single bergall. The guy in the first picture was at the bridge for slack tide. After I took the picture, I was drifting near him and after we passed the rips he started reeling up. When I sat watching him, he stopped reeling up and waited till I was out of sight before bringing his baby blackfish back into the boat. These guys were being cautious and it was obvious. 12x optical zoom goes a long way though.

bobbo wrote:
Why did you cut out their faces? If those are togs those guys deserve to be humiliated. did you take those pictures? just curious because if your pissed off enough to post those pictures why are there no faces.

I cut out the faces because I wasn't sure the reaction that I'd get on here. The reaction to the guy on the radio was the opposite.

Never Forget September 11th