just venting

[billsreef]

Re: Re: just venting

Re: Re: just venting

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10724133#post10724133 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by reelfreak
While the original poster states they "jokingly" asked, who's to say the spearo's didn't jokingly respond.

I figure since he talked to them face to face he would know if they were joking around with him vs. being serious. Especially since he tried talking conservation with them.

Someone please post some longline pics for everyone to see, and suddenly you will stop pointing toward spearfishers.

Just because one commercial fishery (actually more than one) is a problem, doesn't mean recreational fishing can't also be a problem. I can also rail against indiscriminate longline catches and gill nets

I won't even ask, well......I will. Those who have responded to this thread, Have you even tried spearfishing before? Especially for these "trophy" fish that you condemn others for seeking? It's not shooting ducks in a barrel by the way (BTW).

I do spearfish. Also hook and line, mostly surfishing. While in the past, yes I always wanted to land and keep that trophy fish, these days I believe in throwing that trophy fish back into the gene pool. Always taking the biggest fish out of a population does have a negative effect on the population, both in terms of top size of the fish in the population and reproductive ability. This as been show in North Atlantic Codfish, and think about Giant Tuna...used to hear about 1000 Lb Giants being caught all the time, not any more.

I'm not going to argue about this point with anyone (especially RC staff)

Debates are fine, so long as we all stick to the points and don't get into any personal jabs

 

[airinhere]

Hate to do this, but I can kinda understand reelfreaks attitude. Like it or not, enviro-management has become very politically correct and one of the primary tenents of the enviromentally aware concept is a strict disaproval of any activities that involve killing animals. (obviously)

The odd side effect of this is that there is a societal acceptance of showing thinly veiled hostility towards those who choose to engage in hunting, fishing, collecting or other such activities. Somewhere during the last twenty years the attitude in our society changed 180. Now saying you are a hunter is likely to get you publicly chastised by someone who doesnt even know you. People feel obligated to share their attitudes about these "safe" topics. It is similar to lighting a ciggarette in a public place in California. Anyone who fells like venting can just pipe in and give the smoker a piece of their mind. And the smoker is obligated to endure the hostility without recourse because they are "obviously" doing something "wrong" in the first place. This is not fair to do to anyone and hiding behind a P.C. cause is rapidly wearing thin with many people.

I am by no means saying people should endure suffering to appease the desires of others. Be it the person breathing the second hand smoke or the smoker who needs to obligate their addiction. (metaphor!) Both parties should learn to curtail their interaction to reasonable levels. The smoker should understand the impact his activity has on others and the non smoker should respect the right of each person to make up their own mind about a situation and not feel inclined to convert or judge others.

 

[Ron Leversee]

I think it is time for a good fish fry!!! Here is a stringer of walleye.... want to join me!!!

 

[redox]

As long as they arent freezer burnt:lol:

 

[Ron Leversee]

No, no freezer burn here...
These were sure good!!!! My freezer is empty now.... Need some more....

 

[reelfreak]

What the heck is a walleye? JK, but I sure don't know how they taste....yankee fish I hear!

Thanks for not taking my post the wrong way, But kind of like airinhere is saying, Spearfishermen (and women) have taken a beating lately from the general conservative public. We are taking action and attending public hearings about the fisheries management, to be sure no one take away our RIGHT to do this type of fishing.

When the uneducated public reads post like these, they form a biased and uninformed opinion about spearing fish.

Again, glad you are all open minded.

Gotta go to work....Baby needs new salt( oops.) I mean shoes.

 

[Ron Leversee]

No problem.... If there were no fishermen or spearmen...then how would Red Lobster feed us that great flounder???

 

[airinhere]

The trick to dealing with this sort of issue is not to argue facts. Both sides are not only very well versed in scores of data, but often times the data is absolutely correct. The real problem is interpreting the data. Since very few people get the opportunity to see the data in an unbiased method, the data is likely to point to one obvious solution or another. Usually the obvious solution the researcher or study group is already supporting. Facts dont lie, but they can mislead.

Instead, I try to focus on the real issue at hand.

Is someone diigently trying to convince me that they are correct about something and that I should take action about it?

If so, I try to get the information that caused them to form their opinion. Usually it is what someone else told them. (Not usually accurate information in the first place.) I like to think of myself as a pretty intelligent person (most people see themselves this way also.) I have the right to make up my own mind about something. (Just like everyone else.) And I can choose to do something about a situation or not because I feel inclined to do so. (Not because someone else told me to.)

All it takes for this to work is the ability to allow other people to come to decisions that are not the same as my own and be content to let them feel that way about a topic. All I ask in return is that those same people allow me the freedom to feel however I do about a topic so long as I do not go outside the laws set up by our society.

It sounds so easy, but is hard for many people to do.

 

[icy1155]

Personally, I dont think that spearfishing or any sort of collecting should be legal with the use of scuba equipment. If people had to actually dive down and use some sort of skill there would be alot less people doing it and those that did would be the more responsible sort I belive....

 

[billsreef]

It's not really about the equipment used so much as it's about the attitude. Even using SCUBA doesn't make you an efficient killing machine. It's more about taking what your going to use and not just killing everything in sight in order rack up the catch numbers. From the perspective of a conservationist (not environmentalist) and fisheries biology, it's good to let the small ones grow up big enough to spawn at least once before catching them, and leave the big lunkers behind in order to leave the good strong big fish genes in the gene pool

 

[Ron Leversee]

^^^^I agree totally with Bill......

Icy.... you certainly have a right to feel that way and believe that way.
One question I guess I would ask you is have you ever done SCUBA or been SCUBA diving???

I will tell you that you have to go through a lot of training to get Certified...You also have to get a fishing license and in some States you pay a premium for a stamp to spear fish.... I will also say that It isn't easy to spear fish and it does take a lot of practice and may be some skill...at least as much as holding a riffle and shooting game at a distance....

It isn't nearly as easy as you may think...in fact I think it is easier to sit on a bass boat and use a pole with spinners or live bait... I have done both....I still don't do all that well with the spear!!!

 

[icy1155]

Im have my padi master diver certification... I did try spearfishing while scuba diving but it isnt anything similar to doing it with just a snorkel. Personally I do spearfish but only with my long fins and my lungs

 

[reelfreak]

Well, icy.....

I will treat you to a free trip to spearfish my waters. The catch is that it's 120' deep here with a current that can run up to 2-3 kts. at times.

Oh and the other catch is I'm not going to come find you when you surface 2 miles away.

MY point is very few divers can freedive this area safely, my bet is you don't freedive to these depths....maybe so, but it's just my initial guess.

Anyways, Nice to see some agreement on RC. Part of the reason for my hiatus was this alone.

not another put another dollar in diver here. NAUI diver here

Oh, and another thing icy.....isn't freediving more quiet than tank diving so in essence "cheating" more than a scuba diver?

When I freedive, I am much more efficient in my killing spree. "never heard me coming" is what I could say......I freedive as well, but only in the keys, bahamas and the Carribean sea.

 

[Ron Leversee]

Reelfreak... I would take you up on the free trip to do some spearing at 120...but I would have no problems spearing with my SCUBA gear on!!! I would give the critters all the bubbles and noise just to warn them I am coming!!!! Then we could share some pan fried FISH and chips!!!

 

[icy1155]

No, I dont free dive to 120, so far my limit is about 60' if I want to stay down there for long enough to actually hunt something and just for fun I got down to about 80' before. And yes you are quieter when you free dive but you also have alot less chance to make the shot since you cant stalk the animals around all day long... at 60' I only have about 45 seconds before I have to head up so in my opinion it takes alot more skill... Now at 120' I can see why you would be using SCUBA gear, but then again the snorkeling thing is just my opinion and I know it will never really get anything done with it so I dont really hold anything against people who do.

 

[redox]

wow Im glad Ive created awarness. Learning is what this is all about

 

[Ron Leversee]

You got that right redox!!!!

 

[reelfreak]

Anyone heading to this part of the Atlantic sometime, should give me a heads up.

I'll either help show you some great diving, or send you in the right direction!

Nice that we are all able to see a little bit of each others views. Been a while since I've been to RC, thinks it's time I come back a little more often again.

 

[Ron Leversee]

Sounds great!!! I will give a shout when I head that way later this year!!!

 

[redox]

all this talk is making me edgy to dive. I gotta get some in before the season draws to an end. I think ill do some of the lesser known wrecks to see what the tuorist have left behind . I hope they left me something to look at I might even come home with dinner.