Maine Cod Man

[The doctor]

For those who like to portray the NFSA and other RSA representative bodies as the anti-christ or see no value in bag limits, closed areas etc. I suggest you take a look at the following and have a look at the website. I’m not condoning any of the above, but it does provide food for though as an alternative to the Doom and Gloom brigade. Equally gives an insight into a recovering fishery that is managed sustainably for both commercial and recreational utilisation.

The MLS for cod (same species as we get) is 23” for recreational and 19” for commercial catch. Anglers are allowed a daily bag limit of 10 cod and or haddock, all fish over this are released. In addition there are closed areas throughout the fishing grounds and no cod can be brought ashore between November 1st and April 1st.

The text below is lifted from the following website http://www.bunnyclark.com/

The picture is a shot of John Watson (NJ) holding the largest cod that has been caught on the Bunny Clark in fourteen years. This 67.5lb Maine state trophy was caught on the November 3, 2006 marathon fishing trip This isn't the greatest picture I have ever taken of a big cod but I had limited time as we were trying to get this whale cod back into the ocean alive. I am less sure about its survival than I should be. Why the sudden interest in returning cod? Starting November 1, 2006, private recreational and charter/party vessels are prohibited from possessing or retaining any cod caught from the Gulf of Maine Regulated Mesh Area until April 1, 2007. The outer boundary of this area extends far enough (from Eastport, ME to Cape Cod, MA out 100 miles) that, if I started now, I would run out of fuel on the Bunny Clark before I would ever get there.

 

This hasn't changed the way I fish as we don't usually see that many cod at this time of year anyway. However, it just so happens that I have been running into our largest cod of the season around the time this new regulation went into effect. I am in favor of this regulation and have encouraged the release or tag

and release of these fish by our anglers for years. I have even gone so far as to have a special tag and release t-shirt made up ("Protect and Preserve, Maintain the Reserve") so that anyone who releases a cod over 30 pounds receives one of these t-shirts free when we get back to the dock. The released fish is weighed, a quick picture is taken and it's weight counts for the boat pool - if the angler has entered the boat pool. Of course, the shirt deal is now off as the incentive value has disappeared with the onset of the new regulation.

 

The problem I had on John's marathon trip was that I was unprepared for catching so many big fish at once. And it doesn't take many big cod to get bogged down with work. I found myself denying photos to let some of the less remarkable fish go alive and extending time out of water on two fish that were exceptionally big, John's fish included. I feel slightly bad about this but I keep telling myself that I have successfully released hundreds of big cod (mostly tagged) for twenty-three years. As for John's fish specifically? All I can say is that we tagged and released a 54 pound cod in 1985 or 1986 that had pink gill and floated belly up with a flock of sea gulls pecking away at it. I gave the fish the benefit of the doubt and wrote in my log: "floated away, probably dead". We got a return on that fish two years later. It was caught in a gill net at the mouth of the Saco River just inside Tantas. It was 49 pounds gutted before going to market. Special fish like John's are absolutely the kind of fish we like to see caught on the Bunny Clark.

 

Other big doubles caught on the trip include;

 

 

54lber

 

 

49lber

 

 

 

42lber

 

 

 

And a baby pollock of 27lb

 

I wonder if chieftan can get to maine on a 90hr trip!!!

[mr motorola]

I don't know if Chieftain could do it , but i've thrown bigger than that back!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

It's been a long time coming but finally, you appear to be letting your hair down!!!!

Good on you

[dav]

And a baby pollock of 27lb

 

 

 

 

Theres bigger billet/coleys down the gare

[glennk]

Seen the site before Nigel.

 

How likely is this to happen here ?

 

You garuntee me fish like that and i'll sign up tomorrow to bag limits. I want to see the proof first though, and I promise I wont call anyone from the nfsa the anti christ ever again. If I ever did in the first place.

Edited November 10, 2006 by glennk

[Steve Coppolo]

Haven't we covered this sort of thing lots of times already? I don't think anyone in their right mind would object to bag limits and licences if they stood a good chance of catching fish like that. What happens in other countries where the government take RSA seriously, and what happens here where the government lie and take RSA's for mugs, are two totally different things.

 

What we are facing isn't anything like the example shown by Nigel. We are facing all the restricions and charges, but for absolutely no benefit. Our fisheries minister wouldn't even put the bass MLS up 9cm, it was just too much to ask. We are being sold a product when there isn't even a product to sell. We don't have good fishing like they do in other countries.

 

I don't think we can realistically expect our politician to all of the sudden grow a perra and implement proper conservation measures, the commercials wouldn't let them. So the only thing we can do is to fight these restrictions and charges. Bag limits are almost upon us and we've got nothing in return. Licences will be here soon, and we haven't seen anything for the money we will be charged. Showing examples of what can be achieved is all well and good, but it'll never happen in this country, with this government.

[Steve Coppolo]

Right, if this is the prevailing attitude within the angling community (which I honestly doubt) then nothing good can ever happen. But if you believe you can change things and work actively for that to happen you'll see, it will happen. Angling has a good case but not enough people to bring it forward and make the changes we all -or most- long for.

 

With respect, the best will in the world won't make any difference with the type of politician we have in this country. The only thing they are interested in is votes. Having a good case, holding the moral high ground and common sense don't come into it. If we want to achieve anything at all we will have to start using our only weapon, the 1,000,000 angling votes we are supposed to have.

[stavey]

With respect, the best will in the world won't make any difference with the type of politician we have in this country. The only thing they are interested in is votes. Having a good case, holding the moral high ground and common sense don't come into it. If we want to achieve anything at all we will have to start using our only weapon, the 1,000,000 angling votes we are supposed to have.

 

Hi steve i agree with you, but how could this be achieved? maybe we could have a national survey somehow as has been suggested before! asking a few simple questions like what would the the average beach angler like seen done to improve things for their sport in their area? i dunno if this was or had been done and i am miles behind the times but if it had not, why not? this sort of thing maybe to late now anyhow and deals have already been

struck behind closed doors as in the marine bill etc it certainly looks that way, so what to do?????

[big_cod]

Stuart johnsons record cod of 58lb caught at 30 miles fron whitby was taken away by sciencetists to check its age etc what they estimated was the fish was over 40 years old when it was captured, if there was a total ban on cod fishing throughout the north sea we would still have quite a few years to wait for fish of that size to populate the north sea once again .

Edited November 10, 2006 by Newt

[cps]

Stuart johnsons record cod of 58lb caught at 30 miles fron whitby was taken away by sciencetists to check its age etc what they estimated was the fish was over 40 years old when it was captured, if there was a total ban on cod fishing throughout the north sea we would still have quite a few years to wait for fish of that size to populate the north sea once again .

 

 

yes paul but my kid's and yours would would see the benafits, and that's matters now , not wait and see if there are any cod left for them to catch

[big_cod]

yes paul but my kid's and yours would would see the benafits, and that's matters now , not wait and see if there are any cod left for them to catch

[/quote

 

Believe me chris it wont make a slightest bit of differnce what me and you do mate if cod are to come back to what they once were we dont even touch the surface.

 

PS -- looks nice for micks match on sunday.