Here's another reason why we don't want PLL's in the closed zone!

[ReelIntubaiter]

Awesome Job Ron! Keep up the great work!!

[Jesslyn]

[ballyhu]

[RiskTaker]

IMO, this is a poorly constructed thread. Nothing good is coming from this.

We have two very informed members of our swordfishing community pissing on each other, due to a bad trigger mechanism. I don't wan't to hear any more of this poorly constructed mis-match. I respect both of the main parties too much, to not comment at all.

The same subject matter can be discussed on much better and mutually matterful terms, at the right time.

White Marlin and Sea Sponge harvesting, or discard are great subjects to discuss: we should just regroup a bring the discussion to the table on better terms.

[just2fish]

Originally Posted by Broadbill-Pro

If you think that was inflammitory you should read what I wrote to the Editor of National Fisherman Magazine.

Plain and simple, Ron is a Lobbyist. He admits that he will soak as much out of any anti-commercial propaganda as possible. No doubt a very intelligent person, he has very little to no actual experience of what he writes.

The closest thing this forum has to the truth about what occurs on a PLL'er is what I write, like it or not. It was never said that PLL do not interact with marlin. Score 1 for Ron and it was given to him by the enemy. Think I will pick up a sport rag and see how many sailfish are smiling for the photos.

Ron is an advocate for the sword fish. be it what it may, call him what you want. he will have 99% of the forum members on his side. we need him and support him with what ever tactics he chooses to get the job (keeping PLL's in check) done. Thanks Ron

[Broadbill-Pro]

Listen, Ron and I have come to terms a long time ago. We both know where each other stands and I have an enormous amount of respect for his dedication. That said, I can not take to heart the second hand information he provides to this forum. If I desired to catch a record marlin I would contact Skip, paint a fish call RJ, etc., but if wanted to learn what occurs on a Lonline vessel the last ones I would call are Ron or Mike Leach.

[Broadbill-Pro]

OK Risktaker, I'm done now.

[Ron.38 Special]

You might check out Peter Wright's column in Marlin Mag this month.

The brief on it is that "Recreational marlin take is insignificant compared to other takes (PLL's).

The fact is true, that if you stopped all the recreational take of marlins in the world, it would comparable to peeing in Lake Okeechobee to try to raise the water level. Just isn't gonna make any difference.

As far as the pic in National Fisherman magazine, I'll have to admit it was funny as hell! Will it mean anything for fishery management, NO!

This was actually just a fun thread to make fun of an error by the Commercial Fishing magazine of choice. Just a mistake, but you have to wonder what the Captain of that vessel was thinking by submitting that photo to them in the first place.

As far as BP's comments, nothing I wouldn't have expected.

For the record, BP, I have never fished on a longline vessel in my life, I have on the other hand followed one of our local boats in 1994 and counted 17 dead throwbacks in 2.5 miles of haul. That is the day I got involved.

What I do know is how to read and understand Federal Regulations, and sometime even NMFS doesn't interpret them properly. I'll will live and die by the regs, so changing them to meet our goals is the important task at hand.

Cant' wait to get back up to DC again.

[Broadbill-Pro]

Ron, I seriously doubt you watched 17 dead throw backs in less than 1 section of longline gear (3nm) off the FEC. I have not seen that many on such a short string in the 7 oceans I have fished over a 25 year career and I have hauled a million miles of it.

So far the origin of the photo seems to be the girlfriend of the Captain who sent it in, then the Editor mis-identifying it. The whole thing stinks of recreational politcs. Anyway, a simple google image search of white marlin will produce 650,000 photos of fish mostly dead or removed from the water by recreational fisherman.

Who is Peter Wright but another self proclaimed expert, he understands less about PLL than you. If I want to learn how to fit a standup harness to my butt I will call him. While were on the subject, Mike Leach again has stuck his foot in his mouth, the only break that the Pelagic Longline fleet gets is a reimberserment on road tax for fuel. One should compare any benefits that commercial fisherman get to farmers or other industries that our Government deems a worthy cause to feed our population.

[Ron.38 Special]

BP,

There are many thing I seriously doubt about you and things you say!
But we'll hold that for another time.....

You only seem to surface when you can start some crap.

I saw 17 dead throwbacks in less than one set of gear, it was no more than 25 floats and no high fliers! On anther occasion in mid 90's I photographed over 13 dead throwbacks off the cost of Boca Raton, before the crew figured out what I was doing and started cutting up the dead fish to make them sink!
And the boat that I followed is still fishing out of Dania Beach!

And how many times have you even fished this zone? By the mid 90's they couldn't buy a legal fish out here! It was a lot different in distant foreign waters than it was in the FEC.

And as far as doubting those stats, I know buoy fisherman that have released 10 or more fish a night. If that was a longline instead of tended gear, they would have been dead throwbacks also.

You may have spent you fishing life in waters around the world, but around the world is not where I am worried about. "Think Globally, Act locally!"

My beef with PLL's is in our local waters only, I really don't care much what they do elsewhere. I truly believe if we protect the nursery area, the rest of it will work itself out.

You can argue with me about opinions, but you can't argue the FACTS!


BTW I predict we will hear the answer we have been waiting on before the end of the week, and I ain't going your way Vinnie!

Of course, I guess I will get the wrath of Bluewater when I go back to DC in October, but I simply support a very popular position. With me or without me, the protest against PLL's in the closed zone will continue. You give me much more credit than I deserve.............

[The BEAST]

Vinnie,

You always find a way to say something that pulls me in.

You don't have to drive a Nextel Cup car to know about NASCAR racing. Experience is not the ONLY parameter to gain knowledge. You are beginning to sound self righteous and that YOU are the only one who will ever be competent to speak about PLL... Pro or Con! But then again, I would expect no less of you since you are the only one who is publicly vocal and stand up for a group that is publicly unpallatable.

I guess we should take all PLL owners, captains, and crew, as the gospel word since god knows that fishermen don't lie, especially fisherman with $$$$ on the line.

Comparing a farmer to a PLL is rediculous. They grow their product (grain, produce, animal stock) to harvest. A renewable resource. I seriously doubt that any PLL ever raised a Swordfish for harvest.

[Broadbill-Pro]

Jim,

I was waiting for you to chime in. I do believe that swordfish are a renewable resource, hence todays numbers. I am here to say the story is not all gloom and doom as the one sided posts on this forum reflect. I have gone on record as saying the primary recreational area from Marathon to Fort Pierce should stay closed to commercial fisherman forever, including buoy vessels. I also have stated that it certainly was PLL that destroyed our local sword population, it just did not occur off Florida. The problem with Ron's theory is that he does not look past his nose, for him to post that he does not care what happens outside of his backyard in regard to a highly migratory species tells the whole story. To attempt to manage a stock of fish in area B while area A and C go unregulated is useless.

Ron,

I fished here from 1978 to 1990 and have maintained communication with local fisherman up to today. You had no problem scanning that White Marlin, so please post 17 photos or even 10 of dead discards with the same vessel in the background, sea conditions, etc. for us all to view. Without a doubt you will be crucified for unrapping an attempt to retain the ICCAT quota, it won't happen at the next meetings in DC, but in 10 years time our children will wonder where the swords have gone and foreign fleets south of us and you will be to blame. By then I am sure you will be on another crusade.

If you really want to keep me at bay, attempt to be even handed. You can not expose one side of a bad situation such as you have with this thread and ignore the other side because you are part of it. My good friend Miami keeps telling me PLL=bad, well possibly so, does that releave him from his and the millions of other recreational anglers from their responsibilities in regard to conservation? You and your like condem PETA and other groups who oppose your ideals, they are not so far off from your hostility towards commercial fisherman. DO AS I SAY NOT AS I DO reflects the recreational fishermans mind set in most cases. I have admitted to unintentionally killing numerous sailfish last winter while flying my kite, has anyone else on this forum? The truth would go a lot further in an attempt to work together.