Gun safety should be mandatory in all schools

Not too long ago, I wrote an article espousing the idea of teaching young people while they are still in elementary school about gun safety. Come to find out, several states have already passed laws requiring their schools to do just that. Arkansas, Tennessee and Utah were the first states to pass these laws. Utah does have an option for parents to opt out for their child if they so desire. Just one, Arizona, had the bill vetoed by their Democratic governor. This is according to an Associated Press article by Kristin Hall and Adrian Sainz.

Not every state set up the curriculum the same way. Some used instructors from the state’s fish and wildlife department. Others used police officers. Some had programs using cartoon creatures, while others used regular question-and-answer lesson books.

The idea of all the programs is to instruct the children what to do if they find a gun – don’t touch! Tell an adult!

The most important part of this is “Don’t touch.” A kid’s natural curiosity will have the child pick up a gun just to see how it works. In doing so, they often kill a sibling or themselves. Exactly why anyone, including the governor of Arizona, would object to such a law is way beyond me.

Beyond me or not, I expect quite a bit of resistance from our democratic legislature when I try to get them to introduce, let alone pass, such a bill. Resistance or not, I am going to try.

Sector separation 

As the only recreational fisherman on the Advisory Council for Summer Flounder, Black Sea Bass and Scup, as well as bluefish, I was very disappointed when my microphone didn’t work at the last virtual meeting Oct. 29. I had to sit here and listen to all the charter and head boat operators complain about the various laws that make their jobs difficult. The one I had to agree with is the 13-inch size limit on black sea bass. There is no question that many fish are wasted because they are in the 12- to 13-inch slot. Dropping the size limit back to 12 inches would save many sea bass from dying after release.

I was surprised that sector separation did not come up during the meeting. I guess the for-hire sector must think this is a done deal. I hope not.

While I could not make a comment during the meeting, I wrote one right after the meeting that I was promised would be included in the minutes. I said that sector separation was fine so long as it does not remove so much as a scale from the recreational quota. The for-hire sector has already stolen bluefish and blueline tilefish from the recreational fishermen, and any further such actions would be opposed in the strongest terms possible.

Now it’s up to you. When public hearings are held, show up. If you belong to a fishing club, bring as many members as you can. If you can’t roust the members out of the house, start a petition drive. Get someone to carry a petition to the club meetings and have everybody sign it. Take a vote at the club and claim the total membership as being against sector separation if it means a loss for recreational fishermen. 

Fishing report

Thanks to the relentless wind that has blown from every point of the compass, fishing trips have been limited. Even those who fish the Indian River Inlet or the Outer Wall out of Lewes have been hampered by the wind.

While black sea bass have been the most popular target for most of the year, it seems that tog have taken over the top spot in recent days. Burt at Hook ‘em and Cook ‘em told us Nov. 8 that Eric Marsh, fishing on the head boat Judy V, caught a 7.1-pound tog. He also reported that Dave Lyman fishing on a private boat caught a 11.3-pound tog.

Then a good friend of mine, Dave Nichols, told me about his 8-year-old great grandson, Colton, who told his dad, Stewart, he wanted to catch a tog. His dad explained that tog are very difficult to catch, and there are many small tog and few keepers. Colton was insistent, so his dad took him out to the Ice Breakers and anchored up.

On Colton’s first three drops, he caught three keepers. Now I figure he must have thought, “What’s so hard about this?” I fear he will soon find out.

Should he continue to fish for tog, he will discover, as we all have, their easy way of stealing bait. How quick they can run back in the wreck or under a rock and leave you hung up. Yes, there is much for young Yoda to learn.