OK, So how many fish do the Buoys really catch?

[Ron.38 Special]

OK,
so everyone is always speculating on how many fish the buoys catch, so here are some numbers from NMFS.
Rod and Reel Buoys
Dec 06 1296 lbs 1785 lbs

Jan 07 1439 lbs 16,229 lbs

Feb 07 1302 lbs 5,210 lbs

March 07 366 lbs 2,311 lbs

April 07 60 lbs 6,098 lbs

May 07 137 lbs 6,643 lbs

Total thru May 4600 lbs 38,276 lbs.

OK, another thing, are buoys making any money???

Well, at $5.00 average, they sold nearly $200,000 in fish since Dec 06.

So, when they say they aren't making any money, BS.

I think NMFS should open up rec sales of fish and let us all cash in on this money swimming by..............

BTW, the numbers show that the buoys catch 10 times as many fish as all the recs put together.........Think about that one! In April of this year, they caught 100 times as much fish as all the recs put together.

Note: the table didn't come out very good on the forum but the first number is lbs of rec fish and the second is lbs of buoy caught fish


Edit Edit!!!!!!!!

This was not meant to be a buoy bashing thread, we have had enough of them. This is a fact statement. The numbers are subject to every comment made so far including the fact that this does not include tournament fish, non reporting recs, etc. In fact, it doesn't include SESC reported fish which would double the rec numbers. The SESC numbers go into tournment catches.

Overall evaluation includes statements made before that compare buoys to longlines. If a longline doesn't bring home 12,000 lbs of fish, he probably lost money. Our buoy's catch to date equals maybe one longline fishing two trips total!

But, it does at least double the catch off our coast compared to pre buoy days and rod and reel only.

And yes QQ, it only divides out to about $10,000 per buoy permit and a permit costs that much at least. Not to mention cost of the trip. Overall, the average buoy probably made about $3,000 profit so far this year, hardly worth quitting the day job!

Sorry my buoy friends if the start of this thread upset you guys!

[quack quack]

Ron those #s comparing are subject to reported fish by Rod and reel guys.Not to mention it does not include tourney fish and fish caught by members of the sword club.As far as money $200,000.00 divided between 20 guys is $10,000.00 each.For over a 5 or 6month period then less expences.That would make each guy earn about $100 a month.

So in April one fish was reported for 60lbs.It seems like more of a reporting issue to me.

[Jesslyn]

Originally Posted by quack quack

Ron those #s comparing are subject to reported fish by Rod and reel guys.Not to mention it does not include tourney fish and fish caught by members of the sword club.As far as money $200,000.00 divided between 20 guys is $10,000.00 each.For over a 5 or 6month period then less expences.That would make each guy earn about $100 a month.

So in April one fish was reported for 60lbs.It seems like more of a reporting issue to me.

Trust me their not out there only making $100.00 if they were they wouldnot do it.

[quack quack]

well I am sure they make more but even if they had no expenesses could any one live on $10,000 over a 6 month period?

[miss quik]

It's a free country, anyone can go out spend the $20,000 or whatever the market price for a permit is and go fishing.........Interesting to me how publicly we will discuss others financial interests via the internet. Anyone else care to discuss their salary and profession? Whether it's full time or part time, a losing proposition or a gold rush, legal or illegal ?

Ron, I am very thankful for the time and effort that you and others put into protecting our fishery out front. I never had thought it had a shred of financial motive but strictly a love of swordfishing?

Ps. $5.00 a pound is a dream, there have been plenty of times I have gotten $2.00 per pound or even turned away. In which case you would make less than $100......

[quack quack]

Ron you should have checked your info first.I called NMFS and those rod and reel numbers are commercially caught rod and reel fish not Rec caught fish The rec fish go in the incidental column and they are only entered once a year not monthly.All those numbers in the chart are from log book reporting.

[Tuna Devil]

It must have been the weekly sh!t stirring post.


I appreciate your efforts Ron. I really do but, this post appears to have only one agenda.

[quack quack]

OK buoy guys caught 38,276 lbs in 6 months.So if divided by 10 guys thats 3,827lbs for 6months.Divide that by 6 months thats 637lbs a month.Divide that by 4 trips in a month that equals 159lbs per trip.

So what happen to all the 1,500lb nights these guys get.

That 159lb avg is for 4 trips a month for 10 guys.The # of guys fishing buoys is higher then 10 as well.If these #s are run at 20 guys these #s would be cut in half again.

OK some realistic rec #s.30 boats fished at 4 times a month.10 fish kept a trip = 40 rec fish a month at 50lb avg =2,000lbs a month for rec boats.The real #s would be twice that # of nights fished.

[swordstalker]

I heard the bouy permit number is 27 now.

[Ron.38 Special]

QQ,

Conflicting info on the rod and reel rec catches, I didn't get the same answer you did, but it really doesn't matter.

Buoys catch fish, but the reporting is much different. Most of the buoys do report and have to match sales with trip reports so the reporting is much better.

As far as rec catches only being reported yearly, not what I was told, but it doesn't make much difference.

And for anyone complaining about what you make, what I make, or what anyone makes, its a little different when you make you living by harvesting commonly owned livestock, fish, wildlife etc. We have a right to know what is made selling our natural resources.

BTW, no way I'm quitting my day job for buoys!

At any rate, chew on the numbers, and look at this post for what it is, just info.

And yes, it should put an end to the claims of buoys taking 1500 lbs per night out there!

And, QQ, if you are right on the rod and reel numbers being commercial fish, the only rod and reel fisherman with comm permits must be the indirect permits which can't fish buoys.

Final note, I used $5.00 just for a number, we know the price is not always 5 but its rarely less than 4.50 and never $2.00 in the last few years, even when Canadian fish were at the wholesaler for $3.30 including shipping, it was still $4.00.

And lets see, 27 buoy permits divided into 38,000 lbs, that's less than 1500 lbs per permit so far.

[Another Grand]

My friends please ignore this post.
It is factual misinterpretation and completely wrong.

[quack quack]

Ron call NMFS in Tampa not Gregg but the other guy and then reread the report and it shows the rod and reel #s under comm caught fish.Rec fish are listed in the incidental column but only collected by nmfs 1 time a year to show ICCAT.

[miss quik]

sorry Ron it has been in fact $2.00 per pound at times, I've got the trip tickets to prove it.

[Captain Ollie]

SO........ let me get this straight......were not catching the 1000#'s+ a night I've heard so much about?

I know for a fact that there's ALOT of people out there that thought Tim and I were full of **** when we talked about what our "real" numbers were.

I know there's a bunch of guys that got into this because they believed the hype.

I guess that's why I keep hearing "I thought I'd be doing so much better than this."

......Let the bashing continue.

At least there seems to be some level of civility and cooperation going on out there now.

WHEN YOU CAN STAND TO LEAVE THE RADIO ON!!

[PURPLE FEVER]

Speaking of rumors Captain Ollie I "heard" the bouy fishing has been so hot lately an unnamed bouy guy has only had 4 hours sleep the past six days

I usually keep the radio off for reasons already mentioned.

I do agree it has gotten much better out there. I would like to publically thank the bouy guy fishing out front of Hillsboro last Tuesday night. We were on a big fish over 3 hours and the guy called us to see if he needed to move his gear. Unfortunately we pulled the hook a little later but whoever he was showed a lot of class.

Catch em up!

[Captain Ollie]

That would be 8 hours......see how the facts get screwed up down the line...

SOMEONE.........has loose lips.

[Verado06]

Those numbers aren't quite so accurate because half the recreational guys still dont report, but I do believe the commercial guys will always crush our numbers.

A closed zone should remain closed... go commercial catch swordfish somewhere else

[Flatsfish B]

I can tell you that I caught and killed a 60'' fish in april. I would hope they would consider it more then 60 #'s. And it was reported (like all are) so I would guess these are commercial R and R guys...

[Ambitious]

I like the info, thanks Ron. It is helpful and may dispell many false rumors on both sides. I am sure the "active" permit guys are fewer than 27 and doing much better than $ 100.00 a night and good for them as long as they are fishing in a reposnsible manner for the future of the fishery we all love.

[quack quack]

Originally Posted by Verado06

Those numbers aren't quite so accurate because half the recreational guys still dont report, but I do believe the commercial guys will always crush our numbers.

A closed zone should remain closed... go commercial catch swordfish somewhere else

Those #s are for commercial Rod and Reel.The reason those #s have dropped is because the rod and reel guys that said they would never fish buoys have switched over