Sector separation would be bad for recreational fishermen

Last week, we mentioned sector separation that would divide the recreational fishing sector into different groups. Most likely, those groups would be the for-hire sector and the rest of us. The for-hire sector would be divided into two groups, head boats and charter boats. All other recreational fishermen would be a separate sector.

The reason for this separation is to award the majority of the fish to the for-hire sector. Right now, they do have the majority of the bluefish and blueline tilefish. Charter and head boats may keep five bluefish per person, while recreational fishermen fishing on their own boats or from shore may only keep three blues.

The for-hire people or their leaders refined the larceny further when it came to blueline tilefish. Here, they allowed recreational fishermen who fish from head boats to keep seven blueline tiles, while charter boat patrons may keep five and those who fish from their own boats or from a friend’s boat may only keep three blueline tilefish. That means if you invest the time and the money to run to the Poorman’s Canyon, you may only keep three blueline tiles.

OK, so you don’t run your 20-foot center console out to the canyons. You stick to the inshore grounds and fish for flounder and black sea bass. If this sector separation passes, you will be looking at 20 fish per person on head boats for black sea bass, 15 per person on charter boats and 10 per person on private boats.

Flounder will go to six on head boats, four on charter boats and two per day for all of the rest of us.

Now, none of this has been proposed; these numbers are just my idea of what could happen judging from past experience. You can bet good money that if sector separation becomes law, the average recreational fisherman will suffer a major loss.

There will be a chance to comment on this subject either at a public hearing or via written comment. I strongly suggest if you are a recreational fisherman that you show up at the public hearing or take the time to make a written comment. If you do not get involved, you will only have yourself to blame when the bag limit for flounder goes to two fish. 

Inlet observations 

Last week, my son Ric and I went down to Indian River Inlet just to check it out since the current was running out. The next fish I catch from Indian River Inlet during outgoing current will be the first fish I catch during outgoing current.

After parking on the north side, the first thing I noticed was the absence of the small pavilion, although the remnants of it being there remain. Since I am still recovering from a broken hip, I had hoped to sit there while Ric explored the Inlet. So, I got to explore the new concrete sidewalk with him.

We came upon three young men fishing under the bridge. It appeared one of them was hooked up. Unfortunately, the tackle he and his two friends were using was better suited for fishing for trout and sunfish at White Clay Creek. He had no chance of controlling whatever he had hooked and ended up caught on the bottom. Since he was a young man, he was able to walk across the rocks and free up his rig. He and his friends were using a single hook and a very small sinker. I think the bait was sand fleas. If you ask me, and no one did, I would say he had a small tog or sheepshead. 

Since I had been here before, I knew I could not fish under the bridge because you have to walk out on the rocks and those days are long gone. Ric could, but why bother?

We continued to walk on down to the end of the sidewalk and watched the bulldozer spread sand on the beach so the next big storm can wash it back out to sea.

As we walked back to my truck, we passed our freshwater fishermen. One of them caught a black sea bass about the size of a small sunfish.

Weekend outlook

If the weather report holds, you should be able to fish wherever you want this weekend.

There should be plenty of croaker, spot and kings in Delaware Bay, with the reef sites the first place to look. The Back Bays will hold the same fish plus the occasional keeper flounder.

The inshore ocean from the Old Grounds to Reef Site 11 on out to the Del-Jersey-Land Reef should produce black sea bass and flounder.