10.12.2006 Short Report

[Skylar]

Fish Report 10/12/06
A Short Report - Count to 25...

Hi All,
This year I've limited-out and come in early six or seven times. Three of those trips have been the last three days.
You might say fishing for sea bass is pretty decent...
The length and depth of recent fish reports has been to help push along the notion that several of the mid-Atlantic's fisheries are dependant on naturally occurring reef - the hard bottom.
I have been trying to get our regions hard bottoms on the map ever since I saw that:
A) Artificial reefs don't congregate fish; they PRODUCE fish.
B) Several years after trawling ceases on rocky bottom, growths - especially sea whip - recolonize. And, once regrown, these reefs too produce fish.
C) There is absolutely no scientific evidence whatsoever to support the notion that we have any natural hard bottoms or their associated reef ecologies.
D) And, because of 'C', the "Essential Fish Habitat" protections in the Magnussen Act can be ignored in this region.
There's about 70 years worth of damage out there and we've not even had a look.
I'm hopeful that's soon going to change.
Recruitment will climb - the fishing will get better.
Regulations will stabilize.
Lawsuits will become fewer.
And the 'fish report' will get much shorter!
'Till then there's always the fall run of cbass...
Regards,
Monty

Capt. Monty Hawkins
mhawkins@siteone.net
Party Boat "Morning Star"
Reservations 410 520 2076
www.morningstarfishing.com