[EndlessQuest]

I've noticed the number of draggers berthed at the fish dock has increased over the last month or so.

Used to be only 6 or so and lately I've seen the usual vessels and two rows of 5 or 6 moored on the hip and even a couple moored in Reynolds Channel.

Is the commercial fishing doing better in this area that is attracting the draggers or fewer locations to process the catch?

 

[CaptPaul]

There are several people here better qualified than me to respond, and many w/ a factual answer. But I would imagine that the scallopers are looking to shorten their ride, and Pt.
Lookout is just about the closest dock to a good area.

Paul

 

[LobsterD]

The out of town scallop fleet

Scallops are out front of Jones,anywhere from 1 mile to 5+ miles give or take, I guess even closer as some of the out of town capys ask how far from the inlet they can drag. So close that they go out and in a couple of hours there back at the dock to wait the day out.

Seems like most local comm boats either gave up or not using,or lost their scallop permits due to scallops not being here for a while. Now,the boats you see in Point Lookout are mostly from N.C -- and one boat from as far away as Fla. It's unfortunate that no local boats that I know of have active permits or are using their scallop permits.
The Feds want me to put a VMS on my boat in order to keep my scallop permit, so there goes my permit.

These southern boys have the permits and are using them,but I think that the dock is the only one really making any money.
No processing of scallop in PL,just pack and ship.

 

[baywatch]

Did they ever raise & remove that other boat that was sunk?

 

[togmaster]

not locals

Those southern boys have found many of our Wrecks rather quickly if you know what I mean. I have seen 3 of them investing into our realestate recently

 

[MakoMike]

LobsterD wrote:
The Feds want me to put a VMS on my boat in order to keep my scallop permit, so there goes my permit.


There are exemptions from the VMS requirements. Anyone know what the criteria are to secure and exemption?

 

[codman]

I was in the inlet Sunday afternoon around 330pm and counted 8 trawlers going out the inlet. Every trawler that I saw had nets. I was always under the impression that Scallopers use cages like the clammers do (as thats what i've seen with the offshore scallop fleet). Am I wrong?

 

[Aquarius]

Lobsta D, What is the approximate cost of the VMS? I would imagine that it is something like an EPIRB, no??

And by the way, how far offshore do they need to be before they drop thier sleds (nets??)?

I was out a week ago and noticed that they were about 2.5 miles straight south of Jones. I was under the impression that there was no dragging allowed inside of 3 mil3s.

 

[MakoMike]

Aquarius wrote:
Lobsta D, What is the approximate cost of the VMS? I would imagine that it is something like an EPIRB, no??


Depending on which of the three vendors you select and which options you go for they runs around $3,000, and they are a lot bulkier than an EPIRB, You alos need a onboard PC to connect to it.

 

[648457]

all boats at pt lookout are currently day scalloping 25 miles out. many are laying up closer to the beach becouse their is simply no room at the dock

 

[648457]

all boats are using nets

 

[Miss Beryl Charters]

I was wondering the same thing Codman - does anyone know how the
scallop boats work? Is it a combination of dredge and net?
The boats ganged up in Reynolds all seem to be set up with nets
as Codman stated

 

[LobsterD]

how it works

Kev's dredge
wikipedia

 

[Miss Beryl Charters]

Dickie, Thanks for the vids. Good education on scallop fishing. Seems like all of the scallops taken are using dredges not nets. So I have to wonder why all the boats in PL seem to be rigged up with nets?

 

[codman]

unless they are double-dipping. Getting their scallop load and then taking the rest of the fluke, sea bass, striped bass with their nets.
They appear to be making multiple runs a day. If the scallops were that hot and heavy in our area, how come its taken so long for them to pick up on it instead of travelling 40-70 miles?

sketchy

 

[commfish]

ROTFLMMFAO...............YOU CAN'T CATCH SCALLOPS WITH A NET.......SILLY,SILLY.THEY MUST BE DOUBLE DIPPING.DUH,MOST OF THE INSHORE DAY BOATS ARE USING A NET DESIGNED FOR SCALLOPS.

 

[cowkiller]

There are only two Beam Trawl boats ,(Dredges) the rest are using nets, and it is only day trips.Depending what permit they have they are allowed 400lbs of meat per 24hour day, or 40 lbs per day.

 

[paulh]

Nets ? Now ? Nearshore ? They are FLUKING , duh ....

 

[LobsterD]

Somewhere out there, there is a better way to scallop fish.

 

[fishon2407]

invincible wrote:
all boats at pt lookout are currently day scalloping 25 miles out. many are laying up closer to the beach becouse their is simply no room at the dock
Theres room behind oil city in Oceanside.One of those draggers sunnk over the past weekend.DEC, Nassau PD ,and the Coast Guard all were involved on Saturday.Hogs Channel was nothing but a slick with all the diesle that thing dumped.