New Bahamas Fishing Reg's 2007

[wanabe]

Originally Posted by Gaitor

I'll bet the Bahamian marinas will take a hit in their collective wallets come the next opening lobster season.
I could barely afford going over there before and now it won't be worth it. I understand why they are doing it ... they need to preserve what they have to ensure long term tourism and a means for their own fishermen to make a living. All I can say is ... Good luck Mon!

[FINSnTAILS]

These regs are ridiculous. Making the crossing just won't be worth it. Will be keeping alot more of my money in the states. It seems like the their economy will head south. The same heading more recreational fisherman and divers will be setting ...south The Florida Keys will get a boost. Good luck Mon

[captadamr]

I just love how everyone thinks the BAH economy depends soley on Weekend Warriors. The fishing community proabbly contributes a small percentage to the overall GDP of the Bahamas. Certain Islands may suffer but the majority wont be bothered.

[lcosta02]

Capt,

It's kind of funny. I just read your post on the wahoo section. I guess you won't be catching 7 wahoos any more. Wonder how that will affect your charters.

I wonder what you're going to tell your customer when they pay for a full of fishing and they catch the pelagics in 1 hour. Sucks for you buddy. But I bet you won't give three damns about the new regulations when it affects your pocket.

Way to go buddy, keep on defending something thats going to hurt your own pocket.

[quack quack]

Originally Posted by lcosta02

Capt,

It's kind of funny. I just read your post on the wahoo section. I guess you won't be catching 7 wahoos any more. Wonder how that will affect your charters.

I wonder what you're going to tell your customer when they pay for a full of fishing and they catch the pelagics in 1 hour. Sucks for you buddy. But I bet you won't give three damns about the new regulations when it affects your pocket.

Way to go buddy, keep on defending something thats going to hurt your own pocket.

See if he is a local Capt the regs will not apply to him

[lcosta02]

Originally Posted by quack quack

See if he is a local Capt the regs will not apply to him

No WAY!!!!!!! That is so much bull$&!^

[kyle]

I am young and have not been to the Islands many times. Twice to walker's
and 7 times to Crooked Island.

All I can say is the upper Isands are trash compared to the Islands that are not as big and popular. The plane to Crooked flies in on Wednesday and Sundays, and the whole island goes to the airport to welcome their new guests. The first thing you hear from all of them is "Welcome Home Brother" and a handshake or hug. Tell me the last time you heard that on a big island

I can tell you that tourism plays a huge part in the economy down there.

Dinner, there are three resturants down there, and we make sure we eat at all three of them to spred the $$$ around. Dinner is great, usually buffet style starting with conch fritters/conch salad, then a salad, then usually to fish or steak, then Lobster, after all that we get ice cream. Tell me what a meal like that would cost on Nassau??

I guarantee its not the 20 bucks we pay for it down there.
But wait why is it so cheap?? Its cheap because those people have realized that without the Americans they are nothing. And they appreciate everything that we do for them.

Since I'm going, before we got an ice machine down there we used to buy the ice from a guy. Do you know we gave him 5 dolphin and a tuna, and for the rest of the week the guy was on the boat putting ice on it at 5 in the morning.
But wait WHY you ask? because he was really appreciative for what was given to him. And he had no other way of thanking us other than doing what any other decent human being would do, a show of GRATITUDE.

So as far as I'm concerned I will still go to the Islands, but only to Crooked. Were the money goes to the people that need it to survive, and to were probably some of the nicest people in the world live!!!


Kyle

[The BEAST]

Originally Posted by captadamr

I can catch them til im Blue in the Face Im a Bahamian. .
Not that I will kill them up, but a charters gotta do whata charters gotta do.

This was is an excerpt from the Wahoo section where our Capt AdamR makes his thoughts known on prudent Bahamian conservation measures!?!

The Bahamas are bass ackwards, but what's new. Do you think, even for 1 minute, that the American fisherman who comes over there 3 times a year are decimating your fish stock? Wouldn't logic dictate that the thousands of Bahamians who fish every day and take whatever they want are more likely the culprit? You already answered that with the above quote. Seems to me that the leadership over there is mentally challenged!

I wish the US would adopt your countries philosophy. We don't have special laws governing Bahamians fishing on my boat and we don't impose special limits on you while fishing on your private boat over here, either. We both have equal catch limits. Our country is a little smarter. You see, my country realizes that people come here because they are considered equal.

The US would never be so ignorant as to blame the foreign tourists for our fish stock depletions. Our average "Joe Citizen" is intelligent enough to recognize that. In all the conservation debates we have, I have never seen the finger pointed at the toursists. That is absolutely ridiculous! We also understand that tourist dollars are important to our economy. We try to make the tourists feel welcome!!! We don't adopt the "Bahamian philosophy of toursim"... give me your dollars now get the f**k out! Your country will learn that lesson in the very near future and pay for it, for years to come. 5 years from now "Oops, we made a mistake" won't bring it back. Ask the Ft. Lauderdale chamber of commerce about their spring break tourism numbers, they are still paying for their blunder over a decade ago.

I, for one, wouldn't come back to the Bahamas even on a cruise ship if you paid the ticket, customs and port charges and I remained on the ship the entire stay there. The Bahamas will never see another US dollar out of my pocket.

Good luck in your fishing business!

Capt. Jim
The BEAST

[captadamr]

I apologize for the wat the comment may have come across. it does in anyway mean that we go out there and catch fish til blue in the face. it was made more in frustration about the response to the new fishing regs. That comment was made in response to the comment you made " catch them while you can". I posted my comment to say that I am Bahamian, and the new Regs will not effect me or my charters. You can ask anyone in from Nassau who is the most conservative captain fishing out of Nassau and everyone will tell you Capt Adam R. Hands down, no one releases more 6-10 lb dolphin, wahoo under 10 pounds, and ALL Billfish. Also the majorty of yellow tail below 14 inches are released. On my last charter I threw back 3 dolphin under 10 pounds and 2 10lb hoos.

I can catch them til im Blue in the Face Im a Bahamian...Not that I will kill them up, but a charters gotta do whata charters gotta do" When you take your charters out, dont you try your hardest to catch the most and largest fish for you clients? Dont you bust you ass to ensure they had a great day? Well then, why do you need to take my comments about being Bahamian and not being effected and turn them around and warp them into seeming like I am a ruthless fisherman, who kills every wahoo in sight and has no respect for the Ocean?? I said in the quote above that I would not Kill the fish up.\

Out of all the money that is spent in the Bahamas, so much is injected back into the US economy. Who is the owner the big name Marinas? its only 50% BAH. Where does all our milk, clothing, building supplies, books, come to think of it where does nearly everything that exists in the Bahamas come from? THE USA!!! There are no cars built in the Bahamas, no forests to get wood, no farms for food, its all bought from the US. So the odds are if you spent 2000 dollars in the Bahamas, 1500 goes back to the US economy
I have posted numerous times on the board that I am NOT 100% for the new Regs, that they need to be reviewed. The demersal fish limit is way too low and should remain the 20lb per person. I am getting tired of all this rambling back and forth. It comes to a simple conclusion.
Either you come or you dont.

[Beer Bones]

It is amazing how worked up some people are getting about the new reg's. To sit back and degrade Bahamians will not help your cause Beast, it just shows me that we are on the right track as our marine environment is our #1 resource we must protect it. As Captadamr has pointed out most of our tourist $$ go right back to the good old USA. I beleive 80 cents out of every $ goes right back. I am sure that Florida will feel it if the Bahamas does not spend that cash. Please do not belittle Bahamians. All that will do is create animosity towards you good old boy's and even more attitude which no one needs.

[The BEAST]

I am not belittling the Bahamians, just their lopsided thinking. If we don't come over there they won't have the money to spend here, so who loses? Floridas base revenue is tourism, as a result we don't pay state income tax as most of the other states do. Smart to be tourist oriented in our thinking, No? Would it be smart for us to govern the tourists to the point that it hurts that economy? That is my point. I personally never have gotten a warm and fuzzy feeling when going across the pond?

I took his statement with the dancing Bahama banana as an "in your face" comment.

I'll spend my money in Miami and the Keys and skip the middle man you guys painted in that US/Bahama economic picture.

Whatever, Mon!

Capt. Jim
The BEAST

[captadamr]

If the attitude displayed on this forum is one that you display when you cross the stream then you must me nuts to believe you are going to get a warm and fuzzy feeling. Locals get a bad taste in their mouth when they have a bunch of loud mouth hooligans who dont give a damn. Forutnatly those never make it to the other Islands ie crooked Isl. Those people on the other Islands are glad to see those visting the Island because they are happy to come to the Island. Nothing puts a dent in my day more than when someone comes on the boat in a lousy mood. I put that asside and try to make sure its a big when i drop them back to the dock. All the islands i have visited have very nice locals. I have been to Cat Cay and Loved it there, but refuse to go to Bimini because of the attitude of those on that Island. Exuma, Abaco, eleuthra and all the southern Islands are A++ in my book.


PS Beast: The Bananan was not " in your face" it was that I thank God everyday that I was born in the Bahamas and I hope I never leave!!!!

[The BEAST]

What attitude? I am a sportsman and if you had been around this forum a while you would know that I got my azz handed to me in a basket for preaching Swordfish release. I really could care less about the limits because I, even moreso than you, very seldom keep 5 pelagics and even more seldom than that, bottom fish (not my thing).

I call an orange, an orange! If this were truly a conservation measure it would be imposed on everyone using this recreational resource, not just a select few!!!! There is no defense for this reasoning. That is the joke of it all.

Who is calling names (loud mouth hooligans?) and belittling, now? Practice what you preach, Bro. Trying to rationalize and make sense out of this with you is tedious. BTW...Someone obviously understood in the beginning of this thread because this person PM'ed me asking permission to print my original posts to turn into the ministry? Care to admit that? What happened?

I have been to Bimini TOO many times. I've been to Nassau as a pure tourist and also as a stopover on the way to Cat Island. I've been to Chub, Marsh Harbor, and too many to bother listing. I had fun in what used to be Walkers which was left to the crabs after the hurricane with no local assistance. Because the US investment dollar said, not worth it anymore. I have seen the affluent marinas, resorts and condos grow and I have seen the less fortunate areas as well. The growth of the marinas, resorts and condos in collaberation with the ministry were to entice American dollars also, and they did. However, the less fortunate are still the less fortunate. I have seen more than you really want to think I have. I've probably seen more of your islands than you have.

I have been down here in Miami and in your islands since 1965... longer than you've been alive!

And so ends this discussion with you.

Capt. Jim
The BEAST

[lcosta02]

[quote=captadamr;36402]If the attitude displayed on this forum is one that you display when you cross the stream then you must me nuts to believe you are going to get a warm and fuzzy feeling. Locals get a bad taste in their mouth when they have a bunch of loud mouth hooligans who dont give a damn. Forutnatly those never make it to the other Islands ie crooked Isl. Those people on the other Islands are glad to see those visting the Island because they are happy to come to the Island. Nothing puts a dent in my day more than when someone comes on the boat in a lousy mood. I put that asside and try to make sure its a big when i drop them back to the dock. All the islands i have visited have very nice locals. I have been to Cat Cay and Loved it there, but refuse to go to Bimini because of the attitude of those on that Island. Exuma, Abaco, eleuthra and all the southern Islands are A++ in my book.


The locals must not like when the "loud mouth hooligans" give them tips or when the young boys come to us to clean our boats for $1.50/foot. I paid it at Treasure Cay this summer because I know thats more money than they see on a regular basis. And I knew it was going to be a halfass job, but I did it anyways. I'm not saying I'm a nice guy(I am thought), but others that I went with did it also, and they are on 50+ sportfish boats.

I have to defend Beast. We are not bashing the Bahamians. I know he loves the Bahamians, as I do. But the new laws suck. It's not fair that we can't catch the same amount that you can. That's why there's no place like the USA.

Let me ask you a question, should I call the corresponding Officials when one of the locals asks me if I want lobster when it's not in season? You have my word that I will do what you tell me Capt. Adam. I will be going to Great Harbour and Bimini this year, and I will gladly call who ever I have to. If the foreigners can be prosecuted, I will pay whatever I have to for a local to be so as well.

[The BEAST]

icosta02,

That is the reason why we have the limits. THe locals can't pay a fine and jail would cost officials money. We on the other hand have money to pay fines and nice boats to confiscate. It's another chance at some occasional extra revenue.

Capt. Jim
The BEAST

[captadamr]

Firstly, I never called either of you hooligans, I have never met either of you. The Holligans remark is towards those who act like hollignas? Do you? If not then shut up. I have been fishing since i was a little kid. I crossed the stream the 1st time when i was 8 months old. I have been a mate part time since I was 12. I have more local knowlege than most people will gain in a lifetime. I caught the largest blue marlin, wahoo and one of the biggest dolphin out of nassau this year. I cosistently produce more and larger fish than captains 3x my age.

Lcostal, the only way to stop those from fishing for lobster out of season is to refuse to buy, and report them. If you cared about the resource you would not purchase from them. They only do it because they know some one will buy it.

[lcosta02]

Originally Posted by captadamr

Firstly, I never called either of you hooligans, I have never met either of you. The Holligans remark is towards those who act like hollignas? Do you? If not then shut up. I have been fishing since i was a little kid. I crossed the stream the 1st time when i was 8 months old. I have been a mate part time since I was 12. I have more local knowlege than most people will gain in a lifetime. I caught the largest blue marlin, wahoo and one of the biggest dolphin out of nassau this year. I cosistently produce more and larger fish than captains 3x my age.

Lcostal, the only way to stop those from fishing for lobster out of season is to refuse to buy, and report them. If you cared about the resource you would not purchase from them. They only do it because they know some one will buy it.

Well you should define a hooligan. When I go to the Bahamas, I drink, get loud and even dance to ABBA every once in a while, so if that makes me a hooligan so be it. I am a serious guy 50 weeks out of the year, so if I act like an idiot for 2 weeks so be it.

There's no need to tell people to shut up. America is a free country, where everyone gets equal treatment, unlike the Bahamas. It is clear your maturity level is minimal. We are all adults here and don't need to be telling people to stay quiet. I don't mean to be rude, but I don't care what fish you have caught or how big. If you can't have a discussion and respect others' opinions, then you shouldn't take part in it. If you can't face the music, don't sing.

Beast, I know that's a ploy by the Bahamian government to attempt to make more money. To tell you the truth it's sad and pathetic and lowly.

[captadamr]

Im finished with this thread . This is turning pathetic. You want me to repsect your opinion, but No matter what I post, I will be wrong to the Beast and LCostal. All I want is for you to come over here and spend your money. Happy? Like a bunch of little kids who cant get what they want. Its the Bahamas, independent government, If you dont like it then Just stay in Florida, end of story. There are many who dont share your outlook or opinion.

Good Luck and Tight Lines.

Finished with this subject
Capt. Adam R.

[lcosta02]

That's the end of it I guess. Florida is just fine for me. It was good enough for 18 years and will continue to be so. Cub will be interesting when it opens.

Have a good one my friend.
Luis C.

[Fishalways]

Group hug!