Cod crisis? What cod crisis?

[stavey]

Have just returned from another 70 hour trip, we where working about 155 miles east of Whitby over the weekend and again it seams as if the people who keep telling us that money cannot bye you happiness (and plenty of cod) obviously don’t know where to shop.

Every wreck that we visited (about 5 per day) produced some of the best quality cod that I think I have ever seen.

The fish where of exceptional quality, well fed on small crabs and small fish.

There was one wreck where the fish was a little oily as the fish had been feeding on sprats.

11 anglers managed to catch (between them) a total of 80 stones of cod fillets.

there was not a fish below 5lbs caught the majority of fish was between 12 and 16 lbs with quite a few between 16lb and 20 lb with the best fish (again) going to graham Daniels (Walcott) it weighed in at 23lb cod. So to go with his 33lb cod off a trip a few months back ended a good year for him.

One wreck alone produced 65 stone of fish in about three hours fishing.

I have attached a small photo that I took on my mobile phone of a few of the fillets as I unloaded them out of the chiller this morning.

I know that Michel took the time out this morning to take a few shots of the fillets and the anglers and hopefully they will be produced on our web site as soon as she gets it sorted.

Well done graham and Carl and the rest of the lads that made this last long trip (70 hour plus) of the season a great way to end the season on.

We never fished in more than 18 metres of water every body working light gear. Fantastic sport and a great way of supplying your family with all the fish they are going to want till next year.

Bye the way we did not see a commercial fishing boat all trip, not until we got back to within five miles of Whitby and then there was only a couple fishing on the herring marks.

I asked the anglers on board there thoughts on catch and release; they said that they do that sort of thing when they go course fishing.

regards.

 

Hi challenge

 

How much per head did the anglers pay you for this 70 hour trip if you dont mind me asking?

[Guest challenge]

Jaffa.

To start with this thread was not to promote chieftain charters. It was meant to be a statement “cod crisis what cod crisis” and to show other forum members that not all is doom and gloom.

We here so much about catch and release, why and why not, it can or cannot, benefit RSA.

what I have stated in the past (and this thread was to just back up my beliefs) is that catch and release is not everybody’s cup of tea and therefore I would and will campaign to try and discourage anglers or there representatives from steamrolling in legislation that would certainly be an end to cod fishing from Whitby and many other northern ports.

If this to you is “crap” then so be it.

I as an individual do not have to promote chieftain charters. The anglers and there catches and enjoyment of there experience does that for us. The same as other boats and there anglers (I would hope) do it for them.

As for quality of fish. We on chieftain pride ourselves on the quality of our anglers catch and try our dammed hardest to help our anglers getting there fish home in prime condition.

What they do with it then is there affair. I don’t think we can do anymore than that.

Thurso angler.

We left fish on every wreck.

Budgie.

So if our anglers catch a substantial amount of fish they become fishmongers? Or a client of fishmongers? Clem thank you for answering budgie in the way I think his comments deserved.

Scotty t.

If you cannot read into what our anglers where saying then I find you quite funny.

Stavey.

If you go to our web site the prices are on there.

Regards.

[Dick Dastardly]

Challenge,during the years Ive fished Ive seen greed and waste in all types of fishing.I (as I said) have no problem with the taking of any fish regardless of habitat or species for the table.However as we are on a sea angling forum I will confine my comments to sea angling.

 

In the not so distant past (pre late 80's) the cod fishing from my local beachs (Dungeness,Dengemarsh,Galloways etc) was excellent.Yes it did follow a cycle and yes some years werent as good as others.Yes it most likely is the commercial fleets that have done the damage and not rod and line.But what Im talking about is the tons of fish that Ive seen killed by beach anglers which have just gone to waste or really been killed just for the sake of it.

 

Myself and my friends were lucky to live on these marks so we could fish as often as we wanted.Due to this in good years we would only kill damaged or deeply hooked fish.The rest we would put back as over the season both we,our neighbours,friends would soon have freezers full of the ones that werent released.A nice rotation of fresh fish.

 

Sadly I saw too many anglers who would automaticly kill everything they caught (even pout etc under the excuse of "the cat eats them") Why? Come summer I would have mates from inland come down for a trip out on my boat mackeral fishing.Even using fun gear such as fly rods and lures (as opposed to feathering) they would soon have achieved their goal.That goal was to fill up their and their mates bait freezers for the next couple of pike seasons. So what were the "anglers" that I would see fishing every day (when I was bassing) doing with the sacks upon sacks of mackeral they were killing? I doubt that they were being frozen to eat!

 

The yanks have a good saying "Limit your catch rather than catch your limit"

 

So what happens to the catch your customers get then Challenge?

 

NO its simply greed and waste and to then try and take the moral high ground over the netsmen?

 

And to tell me and many others there isnt a cod shortage/problem?

 

I dont begrudge anyone their sport or even those that make a living by providing that good sport.It was just that your post claiming theres no problem and bragging by showing the trays full of cod just dont wash with me.I dont look on here often so have no other opinion of you than from this one thread but I cant help regard this as just advertising.

 

Not "all doom and gloom? Im sure Nero thought that whilst he was fiddling as well!

[stavey]

quote, from challenge,To start with this thread was not to promote chieftain charters.

 

Now your pulling our plonker's challenge.

[glennk]

I think challenge would be the last person to try take moral high ground over the netsmen. . As for the moral high ground just where is it and what does it earn us ?

 

Budgie Im right behind you on the fact that anglers kill too much just for the sake of it. Thats a real fair point. Piers full of mackerel that noboddy wants, sacks of whiting that go in the bin when you get home. Guilty of it myself from time to time although I do try to put a lot more fish back than I ever did before. I dont think for 1 moment im saving fish stocks, im not that silly but like you say whats the point of waste ?

 

Catch and release ? yes its a good thing if you want to catch and release thats great. If you want to catch and keep then why not also. I dont think any of the cod challenge speaks of will be wasted. Distributed amongst friends perhaps ? frozen untill wanted for use perhaps ? I see no problem in that. I think it was me old mate sandtiger who put forward an excellent argument on this subject saying it was simply saving money that would have been spent on buying the fish in the supermerket. From my point of view thats money that was contributing to a black market, money sustaining an industry with discards of immature fish.

 

Catch and release if you so wish. Catch and keep if you want to save yourself a few quid. Catch and waste - Take a closer look at your practices.

 

Hands up who can say they have never caught and wasted ?

 

Congrats on the catches Challenge and keep up the fight . We will not let misled do gooders ruin our fishing.

Edited September 26, 2006 by glennk

[maidstonemike]

That's not angling, it's selfish slaughter, with no thought for the future. 65 stone of fish!! For goodness sake, what is the point? It's absolutely sickening. What do these 'anglers' want from angling? Where is the gentle art of angling now? Wholesale massacre of fish is not angling.

These disgusting people make me MAD!

[clem]

quote, from challenge,To start with this thread was not to promote chieftain charters.

 

Now your pulling our plonker's challenge.

 

Have to say Stavy if you cannot brag about an excellent fishing trip what the hells the point? Its like winning gold at the Olympics for some of those guys they have had a great experience.

As for promoting the boat and the unique (cannot spell unique) trips they offer do you buy everything you see on the tele ads or paper ads or radio ads? do you??

Its all part of the mix S. and its good reading, lets us know whats going on out there whats wrong with that?

Well done is what I say and thanks for sharing it with us Challenge.

[clem]

I think challenge would be the last person to try take moral high ground over the netsmen. . As for the moral high ground just where is it and what does it earn us ?

 

Budgie Im right behind you on the fact that anglers kill too much just for the sake of it. Thats a real fair point. Piers full of mackerel that noboddy wants, sacks of whiting that go in the bin when you get home. Guilty of it myself from time to time although I do try to put a lot more fish back than I ever did before. I dont think for 1 moment im saving fish stocks, im not that silly but like you say whats the point of waste ?

 

Catch and release ? yes its a good thing if you want to catch and release thats great. If you want to catch and keep then why not also. I dont think any of the cod challenge speaks of will be wasted. Distributed amongst friends perhaps ? frozen untill wanted for use perhaps ? I see no problem in that. I think it was me old mate sandtiger who put forward an excellent argument on this subject saying it was simply saving money that would have been spent on buying the fish in the supermerket. From my point of view thats money that was contributing to a black market, money sustaining an industry with discards of immature fish.

 

Catch and release if you so wish. Catch and keep if you want to save yourself a few quid. Catch and waste - Take a closer look at your practices.

 

Hands up who can say they have never caught and wasted ?

 

Congrats on the catches Challenge and keep up the fight . We will not let misled do gooders ruin our fishing.

Says it all Glenn .This post is a classic "I rest my case" and could be re-used on a number of threads in the coming months I guess.

[thebigman]

Given the average size of fish above and the number of angler and allowing for 2/3rds waste on the filleting I only work that out at around 25 fish per angler.

 

Given that this trip was the the equivalent of 10 normal charters the catch doesn't seem excessive. Neither is it impressive for total weight although I have to admit the average size is good.

[Sharkbyte]

On another thread I'm keen to fight the commercial opinion that anglers are greedy Ba5tards that have a habit of selling their catches in order to stave off the premature introduction of bag limits and yet this Whitby bunch (possibly the most anti bag limit crowd of them all) do their best to portray all anglers as just that.

 

TheBigman, I believe that the figure of 80 stone is just the fillets.

 

Would this kind of fishing still be Ok if everyone decided to do it?

 

Bl00dy Neanderthals if you ask me.