Not that this is news to anyone here, but at least the ST is noticing.
Nils
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Charter fishing hitting some snags
New Bedford Stamdard Times
March 15, 2008
Fish aren't the problem, local fishing guides say. They know where the fish are and how to catch them.
The harder trick is catching a break.
"I think it will be a tough year, with the price of gas and everything else," said Gary Church-Smith, a charter captain who runs Fanta Sea Charters. "I'm not sure how much of it I'll do this year."
"I think it will be a lot worse this year than it has been in past years," said Keith Baker, captain of the 35-foot Kelly-Ann. "There were people who booked 10 trips a year with me. Last year they booked five. This year they've booked four.
"It is definitely catching up to me and to everyone else. If it keeps up, there will be a lot of boats for sale."
The season is shaping up to be tough, those in the local sport fishing trades say.
The price of fuel is shooting through the roof ? gas is already $4 a gallon at the docks and diesel is more. Federal fishing regulations are also cutting into the bread and butter of the fishing guide trade, guides say.
"The head boat charters, the party boats, are getting killed," said Jim Mullin of Westport Marine Specialties. "It costs so much to run the boats that the captains have to raise the prices.
"But with the new regulations, the customers aren't allowed to keep enough to make it worthwhile."
The head boats are the bigger fishing boats that take out 30 or 40 people at a time. Generally, they fish for scup, a small fish that many say has the most delicious meat of any fish in New England.
New limits prohibit fishermen from taking more than 45 scup in a day ? not enough for many fishermen to make the trip worthwhile, guides say.
"These people are pretty serious about their scup," Mr. Baker said. "People fish scup for food. Guys stock up and then they have big parties and church cookouts.
"With what captains have to charge, some of the fishermen are deciding it just isn't worthwhile."
That is happening all over, Mr. Mullin said. His company once supplied charter fishing boats with squid and clams to use as bait. That market has all but disappeared, he said.
But the rising cost of gas is putting an even tighter squeeze on fishing guides. Fishing trips cost more and fishermen are cutting back on their trips out because of the rising prices, according to those in the trade.
Chris Aubut spent 12 years splitting his seasons between Fairhaven and Key West, Fla., as a guide. He gave that up this year to take over as a tugboat captain in Fairhaven.
"I had to let go of the whole business," he said. "I fish for fun now.
"Financially, I feel much more secure with that."
Fewer people are willing to spend the $600 or $700 it costs for five or six hours with a guide on a 20- to 30-foot boat, Mr. Aubut said. For the guide, the first cost is for fuel ? even a short trip can burn 30 or 40 gallons. A full day on the water can burn 70 to 100 gallons of fuel. Then there are the expenses for the boat, for docking, for a mate on the boat.
"I have friends who guide, and I worry about them all the time," Mr. Aubut said. "They are good anglers and they are good sailors, but the business part is tough."
"There are plenty of fish out there," said Bart Fessender, captain on the Shooting Star Charters out of Wareham. "I never worry about the fish.
"But the gas prices are a problem. There really is only so much you can charge your customer."
Mr. Fessender runs a 25-foot Sea Hawk and is familiar with the fishing all around Martha's Vineyard and in both Buzzards Bay and Cape Cod Bay. Like almost all the local guides, he is also comfortable heading out south of Cuttyhunk and Block Island in the fall for the run of tuna and shark.
"The fishing for the bass and for bluefish has been amazing," Mr. Fessender said. "I hope that will be enough to keep people coming back.
"I'm getting calls. I've heard from my regulars who come back every year. But it is just getting started now. It has been slow."
The limit on scup is a concern for several fishermen. Others are worried about reports that federal rules next year will prohibit taking fluke, a popular fish that is also called "summer flounder."
"In our area, they've closed down on clamming and on some of the fish," Mr. Fessender said. "Maybe I can get by taking people sightseeing or on trips to the beach."
"Family outings have picked up," said Bobby DeMello, who runs his boat, a 25-foot Pursuit, out of Padanaram in South Dartmouth. Calls are down, but there is reason for hope, he said.
"A lot of the new people I'm hearing from tell me they sold their boat and they want to go out for the day with their family," Mr. DeMello said. "They are tired of the price of gas and the hassle of getting a slip, so I'm picking up some business."
That will be good, as long as fishermen are allowed to fish, Mr. Baker said.
"It is all starting to catch up to people now," he said. "The price of gas and the regulations.
"The regulations put my dad out of business years ago as a commercial fisherman. Now they are pushing guides that way, too."
Nils
<><><><><><><><><><>
Charter fishing hitting some snags
New Bedford Stamdard Times
March 15, 2008
Fish aren't the problem, local fishing guides say. They know where the fish are and how to catch them.
The harder trick is catching a break.
"I think it will be a tough year, with the price of gas and everything else," said Gary Church-Smith, a charter captain who runs Fanta Sea Charters. "I'm not sure how much of it I'll do this year."
"I think it will be a lot worse this year than it has been in past years," said Keith Baker, captain of the 35-foot Kelly-Ann. "There were people who booked 10 trips a year with me. Last year they booked five. This year they've booked four.
"It is definitely catching up to me and to everyone else. If it keeps up, there will be a lot of boats for sale."
The season is shaping up to be tough, those in the local sport fishing trades say.
The price of fuel is shooting through the roof ? gas is already $4 a gallon at the docks and diesel is more. Federal fishing regulations are also cutting into the bread and butter of the fishing guide trade, guides say.
"The head boat charters, the party boats, are getting killed," said Jim Mullin of Westport Marine Specialties. "It costs so much to run the boats that the captains have to raise the prices.
"But with the new regulations, the customers aren't allowed to keep enough to make it worthwhile."
The head boats are the bigger fishing boats that take out 30 or 40 people at a time. Generally, they fish for scup, a small fish that many say has the most delicious meat of any fish in New England.
New limits prohibit fishermen from taking more than 45 scup in a day ? not enough for many fishermen to make the trip worthwhile, guides say.
"These people are pretty serious about their scup," Mr. Baker said. "People fish scup for food. Guys stock up and then they have big parties and church cookouts.
"With what captains have to charge, some of the fishermen are deciding it just isn't worthwhile."
That is happening all over, Mr. Mullin said. His company once supplied charter fishing boats with squid and clams to use as bait. That market has all but disappeared, he said.
But the rising cost of gas is putting an even tighter squeeze on fishing guides. Fishing trips cost more and fishermen are cutting back on their trips out because of the rising prices, according to those in the trade.
Chris Aubut spent 12 years splitting his seasons between Fairhaven and Key West, Fla., as a guide. He gave that up this year to take over as a tugboat captain in Fairhaven.
"I had to let go of the whole business," he said. "I fish for fun now.
"Financially, I feel much more secure with that."
Fewer people are willing to spend the $600 or $700 it costs for five or six hours with a guide on a 20- to 30-foot boat, Mr. Aubut said. For the guide, the first cost is for fuel ? even a short trip can burn 30 or 40 gallons. A full day on the water can burn 70 to 100 gallons of fuel. Then there are the expenses for the boat, for docking, for a mate on the boat.
"I have friends who guide, and I worry about them all the time," Mr. Aubut said. "They are good anglers and they are good sailors, but the business part is tough."
"There are plenty of fish out there," said Bart Fessender, captain on the Shooting Star Charters out of Wareham. "I never worry about the fish.
"But the gas prices are a problem. There really is only so much you can charge your customer."
Mr. Fessender runs a 25-foot Sea Hawk and is familiar with the fishing all around Martha's Vineyard and in both Buzzards Bay and Cape Cod Bay. Like almost all the local guides, he is also comfortable heading out south of Cuttyhunk and Block Island in the fall for the run of tuna and shark.
"The fishing for the bass and for bluefish has been amazing," Mr. Fessender said. "I hope that will be enough to keep people coming back.
"I'm getting calls. I've heard from my regulars who come back every year. But it is just getting started now. It has been slow."
The limit on scup is a concern for several fishermen. Others are worried about reports that federal rules next year will prohibit taking fluke, a popular fish that is also called "summer flounder."
"In our area, they've closed down on clamming and on some of the fish," Mr. Fessender said. "Maybe I can get by taking people sightseeing or on trips to the beach."
"Family outings have picked up," said Bobby DeMello, who runs his boat, a 25-foot Pursuit, out of Padanaram in South Dartmouth. Calls are down, but there is reason for hope, he said.
"A lot of the new people I'm hearing from tell me they sold their boat and they want to go out for the day with their family," Mr. DeMello said. "They are tired of the price of gas and the hassle of getting a slip, so I'm picking up some business."
That will be good, as long as fishermen are allowed to fish, Mr. Baker said.
"It is all starting to catch up to people now," he said. "The price of gas and the regulations.
"The regulations put my dad out of business years ago as a commercial fisherman. Now they are pushing guides that way, too."
