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FasterFox does all the performance mods for you. Check it out on the FF extensions

[octopus eats shark]

It looks a bit like a set up to me, after all if thet shark is 3 or 4 ft long then how big does it make the octopus. I'm not saying that such things don't happen after all the Humbolt squid is reckoned to be the most dangerous predator in the sea. Numerous fishermen who have fallen in have been eaten alive and some have been lucky to escape back aboard only with massive mutilations and missing limbs

 

If you ever get a chance to see the beak on a squid or octopus then the best way to compare it is like a cross between an eagles beak and a hydraualic press

 

Strangly enough when you catch an octopus and we used to get a fair few in pots then they very quickly become placid and easily handled even if they are a little difficult to get off the boats deck

 

heres a good article

[Is this sustainable bass fishing? it must be as they have a marine stewardship certificate to prove it.]

Ah, but Stavey there are loads of baby Bass (survivors!) so it stands to reason that there will be loads of big bass (hello) in the future without the commercials having to look after anything in their industry apart from me me. Just look at the Cod ha ha ha.

 

They live with tunnel vision mate. Don't give sweet FA to any sort of conservation. Hope their grand kids aren't going in to their industry. They'll have their fore fathers to blame for nowt to catch.....

[BASS Membership Aplication]

 

Sam as Grant says they are busy with the new magazine at the moment and as the committee operate a "All hands to the pump" way of doing things sometimes other things take a little longer than usual.

 

I know that the Membership chap has been on holiday. I'm sure nobody would begrudge him the right to do that.

 

If you think you have waited to long for anything surly the best way is to contact the people concerned not whinge about it in other places.

 

No doubt you will not like my response to you Sam, but I only say it the way I see it, and I say it to you I do not go behind your back.

 

No doubt you will receive your membership and welcome pack soon.

 

That is a bit harsh DelJ. How is Sam supposed to know the 'membership chap' is away on holiday and as you can't get on the BASS forums this is a reasonable place to ask as there are other BASS members here.

 

Sam: I think its about 2 or 3 weeks.

[bass banging]

So are you saying the bass I caught are not my bass?

 

Surely if someone catches a fish then it becomes theirs, doesnt it!

 

not if they are sold on without a licence, r u admitting to something here ??

[bass banging]

So what gives you [edited - John S] the god given to criticize my friends and myself angling ethics?

Yes we caught many nice bass, but we have to pay for the boats running costs somehow or we wouldn't be able to afford to ever take her out.

So are you saying we shouldn't ever go fishing if we have to kill our catch to pay for running costs of our boat?

We are not breaking any laws!

 

You are, if you do not have a licence. Just a heads up....

[Would you consider a sea angling licence now?]

So why have you resurrected the idea here?

 

I raised it, as the response I recieved from DEFRA suggested that a licence is most certainly an option.

 

How many people actually know that????

[Response from DEFRA]

This is the response...

 

Thank you for your e-mail regarding Recreational Sea Angling (RSA) and the recent announcement on the plans to increase the landing size for bass from 36-40cm.

 

The decision was reached on the basis of an evaluation of the costs and benefits of various options, which are set out in detail in the Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA) at http://www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/consult/bass-mls/full-ria.pdf.

 

In summary, the benefits are that the increase to 40cm will bring the minimum landing size closer to the average spawning size for bass and so will protect more juvenile fish. As a result, there would be enhanced recruitment to the spawning stock. The availability of larger bass to the recreational sector could increase anglers' interest in the stock and increase the economic contribution of recreational sea angling to the UK economy.

 

The Minister has also announced the intention to increase the landing size further to 45cm, but this will be subject to a review in 2010, of the effectiveness of the measures. We will be gathering evidence on the impact the measures have on the stocks of bass, and the impact on both commercial and recreational fishermen to inform this decision.

 

An RSA licence is only one measure that we will be considering as part of a wider package of measures being considered by Defra in relation to sea angling, and before taking forward any new proposals on licensing, we would consult widely. Work is currently underway with anglers, commercial fishermen and other interested parties on the drafting of a recreational sea angling strategy for England, and provisions are being considered for the Marine Bill in relation to sea angling. A strategy may include elements such as links with inshore fisheries management, management of key stocks of interest to anglers, improving access, controls on anglers, as well as other RSA development opportunities.

 

Regarding your enforcement concerns on nursery areas, I have passed your e-mail to the local Marine Fisheries Agency team for their attention.

[Would you consider a sea angling licence now?]

I don't think anyone is asking you to!

 

 

Maybe at some future date there will be a proposal of a package of measures that include a licence, but we'll need to wait until then, and see what it contains, whether any of it will be of any benefit to anglers, before deciding whether to accept or reject it.

 

Until then it's pretty pointless trying todecide whether you are likely to be for or against it.

 

Well Leon i found this on another forum

 

"i had an interesting phone call off a friend of mine who works at the enviroment agency and he was telling me that from April 07 or April 08 depending on how things go with the big movers and shakers that a new rod licence for sea anglers is going to be introduced costing £32."

 

and its not pointless, as before you know it (this government) could have introduced a licence, better to be prepared than sitting around doing squat diddle dee!

[Would you consider a sea angling licence now?]

Had the BMP been implemented in it's entirety and a 'golden mile' been established and a proactive approach to such illegal activities as netting etc taken place, artificial reefs and marine reserves established then yes I would happily pay for a sea angling licence.

 

But the way the government 'jacked' out of the BMP and local authorities turning a blind eye to illegal netting, the complete lack of quality fish in our inshore waters, then they can ram any licence where the sun doesn't shine.

 

I'm not going to pay a licence fee when there is no decent sport to be had!

 

mods: can you set up a poll?

[Yet another crap days fishing]

I went to a local estuary again yesterday one which i have fished for mullet since i was a kid (35 yrs+) i fished for about 8 hours walked about 10 miles using bait/ knowledge /times etc that i have amassed over all these years and i can confirm that the thinlipped mullet of the cuckmere that were once plentyful are now pretty near extinct.

 

I saw in this time 2 whelms and spotted one sickly looking fish of about half a pound on the surface, this is at a time of the year when you would expect to see them in large shoals containing dozens if not hundreds, i have been every month several times and it has been the same each time i have been, what with a local rock mark being gilnetted out and ruined last year now this! the pull of going angling is diminishing by the year, unless the inshore netting is "banned" i fear that rsa from the shore or in our estuaries in my part of the country will be a thing of the past.

 

Stavey I forgot to tell you when I was down there the same day there was a small inshore trawler about at most 400 mtrs of the low water mark under the seven sisters. Not sure if this was legal or not but surely it isn't? That is a nursery area! Think this trawler is one that is allways around the entrance or not far from it, bleedin commercials. Any way I've written to mr bradprat naming this mark as one that is 'abused'.

[One for The Cat]

My Dogue De Bordeaux likes (or did) pussy cats for dinner ;-)

 

On a seroius note, look at what they do to local garden wildlife. I had Blue Tits fledge in my garden only to see the whole lot eradicated by a bleedin cat. A .410 springs to mind....

[One for The Cat]

Best bet is to eradicate cats, then they wouldn't be having tuna for supper, thus saving fish stocks

[Bradshaw fouls up.]

Hi pugs?

How's things been up the cuckmere this year i have not been much lately, went a few times early on but

to say the mullet fishing was poor would be an understatement for sure,

maybe it was me but i did not see much mullet movement at all, well nothing to get excited about just the odd single fish moving here and there, something i feel has happened to the thin lipped shoals over the winter and they have not returned in the numbers this summer, i dont know? i am going to have a few wanders up there this week so if you fancy a meet we will arange something for defo, as i am on holiday for two weeks i can give you a few tips etc, on catching the thins and thicks and if there aint much about theres a nice little pub close by to drown our sorrows mate, cheers...................

 

Hello mate, went down last Friday but nothing in the sea and the river was pretty quite (has been all year!). Massive tide though and did see fish up the little side creeks just down from the entrance, whatever species, they were there to get out of the current.

 

I'm off next Friday 25th, if you want to meet up or maybe this Saturday?

 

Got a Goldie in Ireland of 3lb and it fought really really well. Even jumped clear of the water!

 

Pugs

[Bradshaw fouls up.]

Well Steve, it's not particulary well composed and it names my local nursery mark as an example of 'real world' (told him he needs to get in it too) illegal fishing from trawlers under the cover of fog, darkness, or when most people are tucked up in bed, in that particular area.

 

No wonder I haven't seen many bass in that so called nursery area this year!!!!!

[Bradshaw fouls up.]

OH YOU MEAN THE LIERS!

 

Just wrote a scathing email to Defra

[Bradshaw fouls up.]

This government is an absolute waste of time and Mr Bradshaw is a cop out. Livid with the descision

 

They can go and ram any sea angling licence where the sun don't shine. No way would I pay for one and fish for sweet FA left in our waters.....

 

As for charter boats and other angling organisations voting for doing sweet fa, well what can you say?

 

[several small edits made to this post - John S]

[french WINFALL]

Guys, I think I'm going to have to agree with what some of our friends have said.

 

If we manage our stocks, only for our bass to be 'scooped up' by waiting french trawlers, then we all need to be very very worried. Working together may be the best option.

 

I could just see this scenerio, picture the french rubbing their hands together and knowing full well where the best future stocks will come from. Back to square one!

 

Just my two pennies worth and NO I'm not an expert, just concerned.

[TSF]

You don't need a firearm for that contraption. To define a firearm....

 

"A firearm is a kinetic energy weapon that fires either a single or multiple projectiles propelled at high velocity by the gases produced by action of the rapid confined burning of a propellant. This process of rapid burning is technically known as deflagration."

 

But, that doesn't cover an air rifle that is over 12 lbs foot as obviously the pellet is propelled by compression and not by rapid confined burning of a propellant i.e. the cartridge case holding the powder.

 

I think the manufacturers would have looked in to the classification of a firearms, well before bringing it out on the market.

 

I can't see why it wouldn't be safe to use in 'safe hands' but can you imagine a bunch of idiots on a crowded pier using it

 

I'd give it a go. Could do with blasting out to 300 yards at some of my marks

 

 

[Attn: Stavey, Ollie, Pugs, Geffaz]

Hi all

 

Shall we start getting our heads together and try sort a date out that we can all make as i feel if we don't then were all gonna be booked out to other trips and stuff........or even worse miss the mulleting all together!! Didn't manage to get any trips in last year so id be pretty pished orf to miss em again! lol

 

anyway chaps i look forward to your replies

 

I'm free apart from the weekend of the 27th/28th may

 

cheers

 

Ollie.

 

I agree Ollie, this is what happened last year and beforev you know it the season is over. C'mon guys lets sort this out and get a record Mullet (their in there).

[Sussex Bass on a popper]

Interesting responses, I agree that probably weedy or marks with large boulders etc would be ideal, but if they've been caught of Sussex beaches on poppers I'll keep trying

[Sussex Bass on a popper]

Just wondering if anyone has actually caught a Bass on surface plugs (poppers etc) around Sussex?

 

I keep trying but I'm not sure whether we have the right 'environment' around here. Any theories?

[Early season fishing in Sussex...]

The Mackies have made their first appearance at the marina and large launces have been caught. Summer species are arriving here in Sussex

[Early season fishing in Sussex...]

Dudes, any hounds turning up yet?

 

I did hear of a couple that had been caught at Brighton, nothing big.

[Sussex - Easter Catches]

Just been on the phone to all the local tackle shops from Eastbourne to Brighton and not one has said it is worth going out at the moment They all said that the season is late and not worth the effort!

 

Has anyone actually caught anything besides a cold recently? Anyone fancy flying out to Alderney for the day?