Article by Dale Timmons
Talk about being on a roll! I have to congratulate angler Terry Layton and the crew of the “Nontypical” for catching and releasing the first white marlin of the Ocean City season last week, just after they took first and third places in the Mako Mania Tournament. All this after they caught the first mako of the season as well. I have known Terry for many years, and he is a gentleman in addition to being an excellent angler. He is also an avid deer hunter, which probably accounts for the name of the boat (whitetail deer either have “typical” antler racks or “nontypical” antler racks, depending on how the points grow out from the main beam). Congratulations also go out to Capt. Marty Moran on the charter boat “Marlin Magic” for catching and releasing the season’s first blue marlin…nice going, gentlemen…
I see where the RFA (Recreational Fishing Alliance) has announced that U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer (D-NY) is planning to introduce legislation already authored in the House of Representatives by Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) that will, in the
words of the RFA, “bring much-needed science-based modernization and flexibility to the outdated federal rules currently stifling America’s once thriving fishing industry.”
“We need better science and more flexibility in our fishing management regulations. We can rebuild fishing stocks and allow for a more nuanced approach to regulations that is not overly onerous on our fishing communities,” said Schumer. “Keeping our fishing stocks healthy is absolutely critical, but—because it is based on outdated science—the current system not only falls short of achieving this goal, but it’s taking the Long Island fishing community down with it.” Schumer said.
“The Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSA) as presently written requires most fisheries designated by the Department of Commerce’s National Marine Fisheries Service as ‘overfished’ be completely rebuilt within 10 years,” the RFA stated, “a timeline Schumer argues is arbitrary, often too broad, not based on available science, and lacking reasonable exceptions. The 10-year deadline has produced stringent quotas imprecisely limiting Long Island fishermen’s catch, and the lack of management flexibility in the current regime prevents regulators from pursuing a more balanced approach based on the most up-to-date science.”
Why does it matter to Delmarva anglers that Schumer is concerned about Long Island fishermen? It matters because the reason behind the legislation is basically the summer flounder or fluke. New York anglers have been hammered with a high minimum, a low creel limit and a very limited flounder season this year, and that is undoubtedly why Schumer has become involved. I’m not a big fan of the Schumer, Pelosi, Kennedy, etc. ultra liberal clan, but this legislation could ultimately benefit all anglers by allowing fisheries managers to use a little common sense and not be afraid of being sued by the eco-nazis for every decision they make.
“Both the House and Senate bills,” the RFA stated, have been crafted to allow fish stocks to rebuild while also taking consideration of the economic consequences to fishermen and fishing communities. In the case of the summer flounder or fluke, the latest assessment data released shows that the stock is not overfished and that overfishing is not occurring.
Regardless of the continued growth of the stock, which fisheries experts say is at its highest level ever in the past 40 years, rigid mandates written into the MSA require that New York anglers continue to fish on tighter restrictions.”
The same mandates are why Delaware, Maryland and Virginia flounder fishermen are operating under such high minimum sizes and low creel limits, not to mention a season closure in Maryland in mid-September. Under the current law, even though the flounder population is now estimated to be 75 per cent rebuilt, fisheries managers are forced to keep reducing the overall flounder quota because they are so worried about meeting some arbitrary population figure by the required deadline. This time, at least, I hope Schumer and the RFA are successful in getting the necessary changes passed…
Received a call from “a voice from the past” recently. It was Bill Bennett, the angler who caught the 857-pound mako shark that is mounted and on display in a case at the south end of the Ocean City boardwalk. The shark would have been a Maryland state record, except for the fact that it had been shot (several times by a small caliber handgun, if I recall correctly) which is against IGFA rules. It made for a very interesting story, however. The big female actually hit a trolled lure in 500 fathoms in the Poor Man’s Canyon, and the lure was made from a Foster Lager beer can, a blue and white skirt, two 16/0 hooks and some 600 lb. test mono leader. Mate Grant Joss, who I believe was originally from Australia, made the lure himself. The shark came completely out of the water and “crashed” the lure, Bennett said at the time, and on its second jump “it was horizontal in the air and Mitch (Capt. Mitch Pierson) said it was even with the bridge” of the boat, which was the “Job Site.” “What is that?” Bennett said at the time, “About 15 feet? It was like a tarpon or something.” To complicate matters, another mako tried to bite the bigger shark while it was being fought. The smaller fish may have been a male trying to mate with the larger female. Female mako sharks apparently do not even reproduce until they weigh at least 500 pounds, and the males generally do not grow much larger than 250-300 pounds. During the mating process, the males bite the females, and Bennett’s shark showed very clear bite marks on her side. Some were old scars, some fresh. I can’t imagine going up to some female twice my size and biting her on the side to get her in the mood, but hey, whatever does it…anyway, the big mako came to the boat in just 45 minutes on 80 lb. test line, still green, which is one reason the crew elected to use the gun. Finally, I don’t usually quote myself, but writing that week in my column I noted, “A large crowd gathered for the weigh-in of the huge mako in this week’s issue, and cheers went up when the fish was hoisted into the air. Later, I couldn’t help but think that despite all of our modern civilization, the scene must have been very similar when the cave men managed to kill a saber toothed tiger or a mighty mastodon…maybe we really haven’t changed all that much, after all…but did they have Margaritas?…”
Want to wish good luck to everyone fishing in the Ocean City Shark Tournament and/or the Ocean City Marlin Club Small Boat Tournament this weekend. The season is finally starting to sizzle, both with a wider range of fish species and more and more people coming to the area, so get out there and enjoy. And for all you dads out there, happy Father’s Day…go fishing, and above all else, enjoy the family…
Contact Dale Timmons at [email protected] or call 410-629-1191.
