The Fishing Thread

[O Really]

From the Center for Biological Diversity:

The Obama administration just released a new action plan to crack down on illegal fishing. The plan includes a system to track the origin, fishery and method of fishing for all seafood entering the U.S. market.

Federal officials plan to track every fish and crustacean shipped to U.S. ports

While better seafood tracking is an important part of saving imperiled overfished species like bluefin tuna, eating less seafood is ultimately the only way to save our ocean wildlife. A 2014 study estimated that 85 percent of the world's commercial fish stock is being harvested up to or beyond its biological capacity to meet the growing demand for seafood-heavy diets.

Barring the occasional cafeteria or buffet where I think it will go to waste, dinner at a family member or friend's, clearance rack at a store, or the theoretical purchase at the wharf like O Really of something I know to be sustainably caught, I have quit eating the seafood that I love.

Yer a better man than I, Gunga Din. No, I don't buy Chilean Sea Bass, and I don't buy Red Snapper (thanks, Paul Prudhomme for contributing to its endangerment), but in the remaining years I have in this existence, I'm going to enjoy as much salmon, mahi, trout, and grouper as I can grill. I'm going to eat as many oysters as I can find, along with Blue Crab, King Crab, Maryland Crab Cakes, Maine Clams, and the occasional Crawfish. If some generations down the line have to make do with fish sticks, oh well. It's not like I can single-handedly make a real difference.

[O Really]

I eat trout and crawfish - freshwater, catfish and freshwater mussels, too.

Chesapeake blue crabs (Maryland Crab Cakes) are declining rapidly.
Some King crabs are struggling.

Abalones, now threatened with extinction, were my favorite along with lobster. I've really enjoyed swordfish, but most of the fish I don't miss as much as the shellfish.

Say, why don't you invite me to dinner but don't tell me what we're having. I'm not so extreme that I would be rude.

I know there's a problem. I wish I could fix it. I can't. I'm sixty-ish and the amount I eat between now and when I am extinct won't make any difference. If I eat blue crabs or not, it won't matter in whether they become extinct. It's like the poster formerly known as Vox - people think their vote counts, but really one vote rarely really makes a difference one way or another.

[O Really]

You have readers, people you cook for, people you buy dinners for, restaurants you choose to take people to/recommend or not, and a circle of family and friends.

Not that I care what you do, but your argument about how little impact you have has holes in it.

Good point - but add all those things together and I still have minimal impact on the eventual result.

[O Really]

For example - can I save Miami Beach by riding my bike instead of driving? I think not. http://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/news/mi ... ar-BBiwKyv

[O Really]

There are quite a few fish species that can legally be called "grouper." And more than a third of what is sold as "grouper" is something else, maybe talapia, maybe catfish, maybe shark.

But then there's right-off-the-boat Florida Gulf or Keys Grouper.

[O Really]

Might be worth checking the Centers for Disease Control alert just to be sure.

From the 2013 report... "The CDC report said there was a significant increase in ciguatera poisoning cases in New York City among people who ate locally purchased barracuda or grouper in 2010 and 2011. Until then, ciguatera poisoning was fairly uncommon in the city.

During the period August 2010 through July 2011, city health officials received reports of six outbreaks and one single case of ciguatera fish poisoning, involving a total of 28 people."

[JTA]

Ohh yeah time to go fishing!

[O Really]

Ohh yeah time to go fishing!

Catch anything?
I caught a couple of nice tuna steaks. Nicely grilled medium rare and served with fresh asparagus and brown rice.

Fishing reminds me of an old proverb -
Give a man a fish, and you'll feed him for a day;
Teach a man to fish, and he'll spend every weekend sitting in a boat drinking beer.

(hope you had a great day!)

[JTA]

Ohh yeah time to go fishing!

Catch anything?
I caught a couple of nice tuna steaks. Nicely grilled medium rare and served with fresh asparagus and brown rice.

Fishing reminds me of an old proverb -
Give a man a fish, and you'll feed him for a day;
Teach a man to fish, and he'll spend every weekend sitting in a boat drinking beer.

(hope you had a great day!)

I caught a turtle that was chilling in the trail, caught a toad that was hopping around, and almost caught a baby black snake but he slithered away before I could grab him.

No fish though . I did lose a really good lure to a tree. Dammit! Overall though I still had a great day. A little hiking mixed with a little fishing even if nothing was caught is a win-win no matter what.

Finally got a fishing kayak though. I've been wanting one for a while now. I can't wait to take it out this weekend provided the weather cooperates. It's a sit on top kayak. The only thing I don't like about the SOT kayak's are the seats. They don't seem to be the most comfortable, but I think I can probably make some modifications to provide some more back support. Either way I can still get down and lay back and relax.

[Mr.B]

Where do you set the beer?

[JTA]

Where do you set the beer?

I fill my camelback up with the best bud light money can buy.

[O Really]

Where do you set the beer?

I fill my camelback up with the best bud light money can buy.

I never had a sit-on-top, but one of the things I like about my Perception SunDance is that it has a nice water tight storage area behind the seat. Toss in a couple bags of ice, some beer and whatever else you want keep cold, and head down the river. The added cool and insulation of the water around the boat makes it work like a really good cooler and keeps the beer cold for hours - or however long it lasts. The SunDance has an extra large cockpit to provide room for the dog or extra gear.

[JTA]

Where do you set the beer?

I fill my camelback up with the best bud light money can buy.

I never had a sit-on-top, but one of the things I like about my Perception SunDance is that it has a nice water tight storage area behind the seat. Toss in a couple bags of ice, some beer and whatever else you want keep cold, and head down the river. The added cool and insulation of the water around the boat makes it work like a really good cooler and keeps the beer cold for hours - or however long it lasts. The SunDance has an extra large cockpit to provide room for the dog or extra gear.

You have any suggestions on some good paddles? I read somewhere online a good paddle makes a huge difference, not sure how true that is.

[O Really]

You have any suggestions on some good paddles? I read somewhere online a good paddle makes a huge difference, not sure how true that is.

I wouldn't say huge, except in circumstances like paddling hard upstream several hours. The difference is in the material of the shaft, either aluminum or carbon fibre. Mrs. O Really has a carbon fibre paddle. But there isn't much difference in weight, and besides, you're paddling a sit-on-top, which isn't the sleekest most sensitive boat in the water. I'd get the standard paddle.

[JTA]

You have any suggestions on some good paddles? I read somewhere online a good paddle makes a huge difference, not sure how true that is.

I wouldn't say huge, except in circumstances like paddling hard upstream several hours. The difference is in the material of the shaft, either aluminum or carbon fibre. Mrs. O Really has a carbon fibre paddle. But there isn't much difference in weight, and besides, you're paddling a sit-on-top, which isn't the sleekest most sensitive boat in the water. I'd get the standard paddle.

Good deal thanks for the info man!

[O Really]

Good deal thanks for the info man!

The aluminum starts around $40, up some for the fibreglass, up more for the carbon fibre going up to over $400. But for your use, paddling a sit on top around places to fish on lakes and lazy streams, you would never get your money's worth from the expensive ones. Don't forget to get a dry bag, and I've found it helpful to have a leash for the paddle - at least in roughish water.

[JTA]

Whaaaat what what whaaattt now?

[Mr.B]

Whaaaat what what whaaattt now?

Looks like a fish......

[JTA]

Whaaaat what what whaaattt now?

Looks like a fish......

Dang. And I thought I had finally caught my first alligator...

[Mr.B]

"And I thought I had finally caught my first alligator..."

I imagine this fellow might have wondered what in the world he had finally caught....
On deep sea fishing trips, I have caught some rather large Black Sea Bass, but never in my wildest dreams would I have thought that they could grow this big!

(Given the date of this photo, maybe they don't grow this big anymore due to all the junk in our oceans)

The World's record black sea bass Caught by Edward Llewellen.
It weighed 425 lbs. He brought it in alone. [1903]