Load of Bass caught

[no-one in particular]

Just a note to some that might be interested, a friend told me told me that on Saturday he walked on the pier and two blokes were pulling out bass one after the other, all about 2-5lb. He said they had had about 10 each just casting out lug-worm into the rough sea. All I had was one tiny bass off the beach, its all about being in the right place at the right time. Unusual to hear that many bass being caught in one go, a good sign given they are considered rare.

Rule Change-
However, as I write this I forgot to ask him if they had kept them, I will ask him next time I see him but I have spoken to about 5 other anglers in the last month and they all said they would keep Bass. One said its hard enough to catch any fish off the beach and he hardly ever caught one and if he did he wouldn't put it back. Another old boy 84 years old I spoke to on Saturday fishing near me said he was too old to bother with any EU rule and this is generally the feeling I have come across and they all think its commercial fishing that's doing the harm.
I understand the rule change allowing you to keep one per day is not in force yet as it has not been ratified, whatever the way anyone feels about it I cant see it has been honored much or enforced or will be so given the feedback I have got.

 

[103841]

Now you’ve confused me Mark. Everywhere I read it states that as of October 1st til December 31st recreational anglers are permitted to keep one fish per day. I’ve read nothing about this not yet being ratified.

I’ve also read of good bass catches, shame it’s getting a bit late in the year to catch them on lures.

 

[thecrow]

While commercial fishing might be to blame for the fall in Bass numbers anglers taking fish will imo impact on them further, for anglers to think otherwise is very short sighted.

When I lived on the coast they all went back but I regularly saw holiday makers and locals taking small undersize Bass some as small as 8/10 inches, are these anglers fishing for food or for pleasure? I doubt any of them would starve because of not taking them.

 

[no-one in particular]

Now you’ve confused me Mark. Everywhere I read it states that as of October 1st til December 31st recreational anglers are permitted to keep one fish per day. I’ve read nothing about this not yet being ratified.

I’ve also read of good bass catches, shame it’s getting a bit late in the year to catch them on lures.

I was the same s63, this is what my Freshwater Informer Mag said in this months October edition:-
"There was talk on social media during September about anglers being able to retain bass from the 1st October. It must be pointed out that these were recommendations only and the retention of bass has yet to be ratified"

That's all it said so I am not sure myself now, not heard it anywhere else. It could be it was written in September so could be behind the times.

 

[no-one in particular]

While commercial fishing might be to blame for the fall in Bass numbers anglers taking fish will imo impact on them further, for anglers to think otherwise is very short sighted.

When I lived on the coast they all went back but I regularly saw holiday makers and locals taking small undersize Bass some as small as 8/10 inches, are these anglers fishing for food or for pleasure? I doubt any of them would starve because of not taking them.

Its a complicated issue Crow, or I find it all a bit confusing - the truss said they wanted this law changed as it impacted the businesses that relied on "bass holiday anglers" for their income. I think these are anglers who holiday for a weeks bass fishing over wrecks/reefs etc where they shoal up, possibly spawning areas and catch a lot of bass which they take home or sell. I don't know if allowing them one a day will make a lot of difference. But there is a lot I don't know or understand about this. I was just pointing out that I doubt many inshore anglers honored the rule for all put back and I doubt many will the one a day either.
Hows it going to be enforced, who's going to go looking in anglers bags when they walk home.
Personally I follow my nose and gut. I don't mind putting fish back, I have always been inclined to put small fish back and very big fish, my feeling is you have survived a long time old friend and you don't deserve to be knocked on the head and your DNA should be passed on, daft maybe but that's me. So the odd medium fish I keep if its legal and given I don't catch much anyway its very few fish, I have kept one flounder so far this year!
Generally this bass retention thing is all part of the quota system which has not done much good for years in my opinion as you know because I have said it often but, if that' s the law, so be it.
And holiday makers are hardly going to know much about any laws, so with that and many that do ignoring it and its not going to be enforced much anyway I cannot see it doing it much good.
The best thing they could do is get safe grounds around known bass spawning sites where commercial and recreational anglers leave them alone, this is mainly when they shoal and are vulnerable to wholesale extinction. Then I would think they were getting serious about it instead of faffing around with endless auditoriums, useless ever-changing quotas and pages of laws and directives ratified or not-just my uneducated opinion but I think that would do a thousand times more good and not just bass.