MyFishFinder Forum
MFF US Northeast => Massachusetts => Topic started by: taxid on Nov 12, 2020, 12:58 PM
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What'd think? Will there be boat rentals on the Q next year?
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I have no idea but I sure hope so. I know a lot of boat owners would like to see the program done away with completely but contrary to what they say there is plenty of space and fish for all. As someone in my 20s trying to get established in life a boat isn't in the cards any time soon and being able to rent one a couple times a year is awesome. Also, must be nice to have a state job like the boat launch workers where you barely do anything and still get paid during the pandemic. If I have to work every single day interacting with hundreds of people and getting no hazard pay I think they can get off their asses and wipe a boat down with Lysol wipes once in a while, or don't even wipe it down and tell people to bring their own wipes. Especially since theres usually 3-4 of them there chit chatting all day. /end rant.
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I think it will come down to where we are in terms of the pandemic. I also think that most boat owners understand the importance of the rentals and how it helps to keep it open to all of us. That said, you will always find some that think they are the only ones that should get to use this AWESOME resource...
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I have no idea but I sure hope so. I know a lot of boat owners would like to see the program done away with completely but contrary to what they say there is plenty of space and fish for all. As someone in my 20s trying to get established in life a boat isn't in the cards any time soon and being able to rent one a couple times a year is awesome. Also, must be nice to have a state job like the boat launch workers where you barely do anything and still get paid during the pandemic. If I have to work every single day interacting with hundreds of people and getting no hazard pay I think they can get off their asses and wipe a boat down with Lysol wipes once in a while, or don't even wipe it down and tell people to bring their own wipes. Especially since theres usually 3-4 of them there chit chatting all day. /end rant.
I've posted this before: sunlight kills the coronavirus in less than an hour. Plus, how many places on a boat do people touch: tiller, starter cord handle, primer bulb?
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I heard they had new rental boats arriving for next season? Could be wrong, it was hearsay. If so, they definitely plan on renting at some point again. I hope it is in the spring - I have to agree that those guys that check people in should either work or be fired and replaced. Plenty of people back at work now.
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I saw an earlier post where someone said they saw new boats had been delivered.
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I was at gate 8 the last day it was open this year and there were new rental boats stacked up upside down. Nice welded aluminum hulls. Same size as before. I can't imagine they would have spent the money to not use them.
I think the issue you may face Cecil is if Mass/quabbin lets an out of state person in. Time will tell.
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I was at gate 8 the last day it was open this year and there were new rental boats stacked up upside down. Nice welded aluminum hulls. Same size as before. I can't imagine they would have spent the money to not use them.
I think the issue you may face Cecil is if Mass/quabbin lets an out of state person in. Time will tell.
Very true. I know I would be leery of letting in out of staters with the virus especially from states being hard hit. And the virus in my state is going bonkers with people still refusing to follow guidelines contributing to the increase. The local RV industry is being hit really hard with 3 X the national rate.
And if gets as bad as projected this winter we will probably see stricter measures. Not sure about Mass, but I know as of now Maine will let me in but I have to either quarantine for 14 days or get a negative test within 72 hours to stay at a VRBO. Unless we can get the vaccinations on line by the second quarter I'm thinking I may be staying home again this summer.
Btw are the boats Starcraft? I know the older ones there are. If so they are made just down the road from me about 20 minutes away. At least they used to be.
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No idea on what make they were aside from knowing they were not starcrafts.
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Also, must be nice to have a state job like the boat launch workers where you barely do anything and still get paid during the pandemic. If I have to work every single day interacting with hundreds of people and getting no hazard pay I think they can get off their asses and wipe a boat down with Lysol wipes once in a while, or don't even wipe it down and tell people to bring their own wipes. Especially since theres usually 3-4 of them there chit chatting all day. /end rant.
I dont know you personally, but you really should refrain from commenting on things you Clearly know nothing about.
As a Quabbin boat owner, I know most attendants personally and i see how much work they do. They bust their asses every day for a wage that most "kids" these days wouldnt put down the xbox controller for. A majority of people who rent boats are absolute SLOBS!! Ive seen the attendants go out there and clean out vomit, piss, cigarette butts, spat out sunflower seed shells, cans, cups, chewing tabacco, bottles of urine, etc..
Not to mention they have to take money, forms, id's, and licenses for alot of renters to. All of which involve Direct contact, increasing their chances of getting covid.
Most of them are older and the impacts of contracting covid could be life threatening to them or their wives/loved ones. To ask them to knowingly endanger themselves or their loved ones SO YOU CAN FISH is an absolute selfish and shortsighted request.
And before you make another uneducated comment about the people who own quabbin boats. There is Zero contact between the owner and the attendant. We all wear masks, i hold up my card and they scan it, they take my tag off my boat (no i dont touch/lick my tag), and im on my way.
As for the rentals, i have no doubt they will be back next year.
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delete
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I dont know you personally, but you really should refrain from commenting on things you Clearly know nothing about.
As a Quabbin boat owner, I know most attendants personally and i see how much work they do. They bust their asses every day for a wage that most "kids" these days wouldnt put down the xbox controller for. A majority of people who rent boats are absolute SLOBS!! Ive seen the attendants go out there and clean out vomit, piss, cigarette butts, spat out sunflower seed shells, cans, cups, chewing tabacco, bottles of urine, etc..
Not to mention they have to take money, forms, id's, and licenses for alot of renters to. All of which involve Direct contact, increasing their chances of getting covid.
Most of them are older and the impacts of contracting covid could be life threatening to them or their wives/loved ones. To ask them to knowingly endanger themselves or their loved ones SO YOU CAN FISH is an absolute selfish and shortsighted request.
And before you make another uneducated comment about the people who own quabbin boats. There is Zero contact between the owner and the attendant. We all wear masks, i hold up my card and they scan it, they take my tag off my boat (no i dont touch/lick my tag), and im on my way.
As for the rentals, i have no doubt they will be back next year.
Then replace them with someone willing to do the job. People are back at work and they should be too.
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What does the attendants being state employee's have to do with anything? They are decent people earning a wage like a lot of other people. In 15 years we only had one issue when one attendant missed the eye on the bow putting the tag on and then gave us crap when we returned. Other than that they're cool.
While I appreciate them I am not as overt as Will...we all risk our lives driving to work. 3 fridays ago I almost did....covid or not, everyone risks their arse to work and that's a choice those attendants and many of us make every day...
Anyways...rental boats yes...I think that's what we were talking about...
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Then replace them with someone willing to do the job. People are back at work and they should be too.
They were back at work, with changes and restrictions. Just like every other company on the face of the planet.
While I appreciate them I am not as overt as Will...we all risk our lives driving to work. 3 fridays ago I almost did....covid or not, everyone risks their arse to work and that's a choice those attendants and many of us make every day...
While I agree there is a degree of risk driving to work (38,000 people died in a car crash last year). If something were to happen to me, that car accident doesn't show up at my house and run over my wife, kids, parents, and grandparents.
Sometimes i think people cant see outside their own job, town, state, or country and forget there is an entire planet of people following similar guidelines trying to curb this pandemic. 88% of companies world wide have mandated work from home and non essential employee policies.
To think guys who rent boats to hobbyists shouldn't be afforded some sort of protection is mind boggling.
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I dont know you personally, but you really should refrain from commenting on things you Clearly know nothing about.
As a Quabbin boat owner, I know most attendants personally and i see how much work they do. They bust their asses every day for a wage that most "kids" these days wouldnt put down the xbox controller for. A majority of people who rent boats are absolute SLOBS!! Ive seen the attendants go out there and clean out vomit, piss, cigarette butts, spat out sunflower seed shells, cans, cups, chewing tabacco, bottles of urine, etc..
Not to mention they have to take money, forms, id's, and licenses for alot of renters to. All of which involve Direct contact, increasing their chances of getting covid.
Most of them are older and the impacts of contracting covid could be life threatening to them or their wives/loved ones. To ask them to knowingly endanger themselves or their loved ones SO YOU CAN FISH is an absolute selfish and shortsighted request.
And before you make another uneducated comment about the people who own quabbin boats. There is Zero contact between the owner and the attendant. We all wear masks, i hold up my card and they scan it, they take my tag off my boat (no i dont touch/lick my tag), and im on my way.
As for the rentals, i have no doubt they will be back next year.
I work 10x harder than they do and I interact with tremendously more people then they do on a daily basis. I also drive about 250 miles a day and have to go inside peoples homes who refuse to wear masks constantly, so my job is more dangerous in every sense of the word. I'm working 6 days a week and upwards of 60 hours right now. I never got any kind of a break, never got any kind of hazard pay. You're out of your god d**n mind if you think their job is more difficult and dangerous than everyone else's. I stand by what I said, they have the benefit of working for the state where they can get paid to do absolutely nothing because the money will keep coming from the taxpayers no matter what. They should WORK like the rest of us or not get paid. PERIOD.
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I work 10x harder than they do and I interact with tremendously more people then they do on a daily basis. I also drive about 250 miles a day and have to go inside peoples homes who refuse to wear masks constantly, so my job is more dangerous in every sense of the word. I'm working 6 days a week and upwards of 60 hours right now. I never got any kind of a break, never got any kind of hazard pay. You're out of your god d**n mind if you think their job is more difficult and dangerous than everyone else's. I stand by what I said, they have the benefit of working for the state where they can get paid to do absolutely nothing because the money will keep coming from the taxpayers no matter what. They should WORK like the rest of us or not get paid. PERIOD.
First of all, they are working lol.. They did the same things they do every year except allow rentals. Thats it.... Im not sure how you equate no rentals to "sitting at home doing nothing and getting paid for it". You are simply viewing what you want (rentals) as their only responsibility and because you cant have it, they are doing nothing. Again, very shortsighted.
Secondly, I didnt say it was more difficult or dangerous than anyone else's job. And just because the company you work for clearly doesnt value the health and well being of you and your family doesnt mean every single other company on the planet should follow their lead.
In both your posts you reference "hazard pay", "not getting a break", and knowingly being put in situations that could result in you contracting covid. It sounds to me like you are more frustrated with your job than anything, and simply taking that frustration out on anyone who is being afforded the benefits you feel you deserve.
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When I was younger I would have loved to work a gate, but it is a low-paid, seasonal job and I doubt that they were even paid when it was closed. I could never afford to work a gate, just too little money for too short a time... I have been fishing the Q longer than many of you have been alive and the guys and gals working the gates are almost always working and spending some time talking to fisherman/the public is part of the job. We are all frustrated with the pandemic, no matter what "side" you may fall in, but what is happening at the "gate-level" is not in any control of the seasonal employees that work the gates. It looks like next season we will have a better understanding of the virus and with luck, we will start to get a vaccine, making it much safer to make available things like boat rentals.
Ryan51993, it is clear you work very hard, it sounds very similar to my current job, I hope you (and you should be) are making 5 to 10 time the pay the seasonal gate workers are making. If not you should be looking for a different job that pays better.
Spring is too far off and there is a lot that will be happening between now and then! I still plan to get some more open water fishing in and then we will see how much ice we will get... I have some dates with Walleye this winter in mind!
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there should be no excuse for there not to be rentals because of the virus. handing your ID over and filling out paperwork is no more of an exposure risk than walking up to the shack and handing your boater id card.
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there should be no excuse for there not to be rentals because of the virus. handing your ID over and filling out paperwork is no more of an exposure risk than walking up to the shack and handing your boater id card.
I dont hand them my card, i hold it up and they scan it.
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You know what's a hoot? I fish for a species that isn't even listed for the Q when I rent a boat. There are some very large bluegills in area 3. If I hit it just right in June there are massive bluegills bedding. Casting a twister jail jig or a fly on a fly rod into a mass up 50 to 200 big males bull bluegills on their beds is a blast for a midwest guy. They are large enough it's an effort to reel them in. The scenery, solitude and lack of idiots flying around in their powerboats and PWC's is just icing on the cake. Next time I'd like to find the crappies (calico bass) as I'll bet there are some real brutes in the Q.
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I have found the big Bluegills (and Rock Bass) very annoying as they hit my jitterbugs at night... I always think about tossing them back in and using them for bait...
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First of all, they are working lol.. They did the same things they do every year except allow rentals. Thats it.... Im not sure how you equate no rentals to "sitting at home doing nothing and getting paid for it". You are simply viewing what you want (rentals) as their only responsibility and because you cant have it, they are doing nothing. Again, very shortsighted.
Secondly, I didnt say it was more difficult or dangerous than anyone else's job. And just because the company you work for clearly doesnt value the health and well being of you and your family doesnt mean every single other company on the planet should follow their lead.
In both your posts you reference "hazard pay", "not getting a break", and knowingly being put in situations that could result in you contracting covid. It sounds to me like you are more frustrated with your job than anything, and simply taking that frustration out on anyone who is being afforded the benefits you feel you deserve.
You just listed all the reasons there job was difficult because of rental "slobs" in your last post. Now you say they're doing nothing different this year? And I never said they sit at home I said 3-4 of them sit at around talking all day and roll their eyes whenever somebody shows up at the counter. I love my job and wouldn't change it for anything, my point was most of us don't have the luxury of refusing to do 50% of our job and still getting paid for it. if anyone needs a new job its the guys at the boat launch. Also, I'm sure it doesn't apply to all of them but I know at least one of those guys who told me he collects unemployment every offseason while working under the table and makes very good money doing it.
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You just listed all the reasons there job was difficult because of rental "slobs" in your last post. Now you say they're doing nothing different this year?
I listed all the reason rentals werent allowed this year. Again, you clearly believe their only job is renting boats.
As a person who fishes there 30+ times per season, i see alot of the work these guys do. I know a couple of them that actually are members of this forum. And people who think and act like you do nothing to motivate them to fight to get the rentals going again.
Anyway, ill leave this thread be. Good luck to you to where ever you end up fishing.
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Well this certainly turned into a who can pee in the wind further match....the funny thing is the only neat thing quabbin has is no pleasure boaters. There are many fisheries that are much better even being public bodies of water but alas they are not in Mass. So I stopped going to quabbin short of 2x a year but that was after many years of figuring that place out.
My favorite anecdote about the staff is there's more than a few that are constantly visibly high at work, and it makes me laugh everytime. A couple of which do not care if that's known or not!
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I have found the big Bluegills (and Rock Bass) very annoying as they hit my jitterbugs at night... I always think about tossing them back in and using them for bait...
That's one of the reasons I come back to Mass and fish some of the lakes. I have a blast catching them while the locals ignore them. OTOH one of my favorite ponds in Mass is a shadow of itself due to a certain ethic group removing them by the hundreds.
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That's one of the reasons I come back to Mass and fish some of the lakes. I have a blast catching them while the locals ignore them. OTOH one of my favorite ponds in Mass is a shadow of itself due to a certain ethic group removing them by the hundreds.
Cecil did you survey the groups harvesting fish or do you have a racial bias? Either way bringing race into it is worse then the benign posts Ryan made. Wicked poor form and people wonder why the heck there's so much animosity...generalizations like that don't help. Also, there's no limit to panfish in Mass so you are blaming the wrong people regardless of race.
Specifically disturbing is the lack of evidence outside of your anecdote...
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Cecil did you survey the groups harvesting fish or do you have a racial bias? Either way bringing race into it is worse then the benign posts Ryan made. Wicked poor form and people wonder why the heck there's so much animosity...generalizations like that don't help. Also, there's no limit to panfish in Mass so you are blaming the wrong people regardless of race.
Specifically disturbing is the lack of evidence outside of your anecdote...
Why Iowaaccord66 do you attack me here? Did I do something to you? Are you having a bad day? This is not the first time. Is there something about me that bothers you? Is it because I'm from out of state? For someone that accuses me of a racial bias you sure seem to have some kind of outsider bias. I don't see you attacking anyone close to home.
No I don't have a racial bias. Hell I didn't even mention race. You did. I said ethnic group. There is a difference. And just because I observe, and others I know have observed a particular ethnic group catches and keeps everything they catch doesn't make me prejudice. An yes I know there is no limit. Still doesn't make it right.
For your information I have personal observations by myself and by two friends in the area that regularly fish the pond I was referring to. As I indicated before here I used to live in the state and come back often. I have ancestors that lived in what is now Massachusetts in the 17th century.
As you should know as an angler, when sunfish are on the beds they are very vulnerable. They will attack anything that comes in their bedding area. In a colony of a hundred or so one can catch and keep every last one of them. So a lake that has a low fertility and alkalinity, grows large bluegills only because they live a long time -- not because they grow fast-- encounters people that take them out by the hundreds. Doesn't take long for the size to go down. And hence my comments. So go pound sand. I'm done with your posts here.
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Apparently if I don't like what you post I have something out for you? Whatever, I don't care if someone with a racial slant doesn't like me. You go be biased in Indiana...this reminds me of other posts where you called peaceful protesters...slobs. I don't know you therefore I'm not attacking you...I'm commenting on what you posted...but play the victim, I'm not surprised you tried calling me out for that because there's no excuse for calling out an ethnic group...for a guy your age the reaction is rather "snow flakey"
I'm off pounding sand...
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Taxid does have a point. One day 2 years ago an eastern European guy started ice fishing a tiny pond near me and took an entire sled full of panfish. Next day he's back with 2 of his buddies and combined they probably took a couple hundred more. NOTHING went back in the water with these guys, not even the bass. I asked them how they did and they all looked nervous and kept repeteatedly saying "no trout" even though I had seen them catch several. Now both size and numbers have been completely depleted. Just because there is no limit doesn't mean you should go to an 11 acre pond and take thousands of fish per season. And this is not a race thing, they're whiter than I am. Sucks to have an entire fishery ruined by 3 people.
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Taxid does have a point. One day 2 years ago an eastern European guy started ice fishing a tiny pond near me and took an entire sled full of panfish. Next day he's back with 2 of his buddies and combined they probably took a couple hundred more. NOTHING went back in the water with these guys, not even the bass. I asked them how they did and they all looked nervous and kept repeteatedly saying "no trout" even though I had seen them catch several. Now both size and numbers have been completely depleted. Just because there is no limit doesn't mean you should go to an 11 acre pond and take thousands of fish per season. And this is not a race thing, they're whiter than I am. Sucks to have an entire fishery ruined by 3 people.
Agree that just because its legal doesn't mean you should but you help make my point...its distasteful so suggest a specific ethnicity is responsible for that behavior. One that the state fisheries biologists are aware of but seemingly are not concerned with the practice or they'd change the regulations. Keep in mind lots of these water bodies get surveyed via shocking....if this were as large of a problem as some point out, and fisheries saw a decline then the limits would be adjusted.
Like Ryan pointed out I've seen many different types of people harvest a lot of panfish.
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The word “idiot” knows no color.
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We need ice quick or some of you need to kill a deer. Frickin' spicy in here!
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The body of water I was referring to, although open to the public, and planted with trout twice a year has not been surveyed since the 1950's when it was rotenoned due to an overpopulation of golden shiners. I have inquired and there are not even water quality parameters listed. There certainly isn't a contour map available, although I have a very old one. Was told they may get to it at some point. The main reason in the past was it was part of a military post. I just gave it away!
I think everyone in Massachusetts knows bluegill are not regarded highly by most, but not all anglers. I have a friend that trolls with flys and lead core line for trout and occasionally hooks up with really large bluegill in the above pond much to his scorn. LOL I have caught them up to 11 inches in this pond back in the 90's. The pond holdovers trout very well, although I don't think they usually get really large, probably due to a lack of coldwater forage.
It's pretty much mini version of Walden pond and still looks pretty much like this photo that was taken around 1900. No homes on it. Only a small beach.
(https://i.imgur.com/bDu4geQ.png)
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The word “idiot” knows no color.
But if you come from a country where there are many mouths to feed and you never know where your next meal is coming from you my be inclined to overharvest. It has nothing to do with race as Ryan pointed out. It was a learning curve for the Humong in Minnesota, but they learned quickly that overharvesting and not abiding by bag and size limits can get expensive. Most didn't know any better, but some did and tried to get away with it.
If anyone accusing me of being racist actually knew me they wouldn't even consider it. If I was a racist I wouldn't even attend my family reunions! :rotflol:
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We need ice quick or some of you need to kill a deer. Frickin' spicy in here!
Spicey is good Geoff. If we all agreed this thread would be dead and gone already...
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Russians cause problems ice fishing. Seen them load up a sled full of panfish from woods hole. Seen various Asian ethnic groups cause problems while fishing for Shad on CT river. The fact that they come from cultures that are not used to strict harvest limits is a major factor. Cannot deny this fact. Has nothing to do with their skin color - more so the culture they originate from.
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The word “idiot” knows no color.
No truer statement has ever been spoke all I got to say
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x2 fishercat spot on and that's why they have the stereotypes they have. all stereotypes have roots.
I am part of an ethnic group "white folks". lol I have seen my "ethnic group" ruin a couple lakes over the last several years. they did it with "internet rotenone"! "internet rotenone" comes from fishing sites and social media pages. we get on line and post up great catches. we post too much info like lake names, pics of scenery, pics of our boat and truck...…….. then low lifes or basically thieves go search out your spot. (I know its not your spot but imo it is when you spent hours, days or years finding them!) they find your spot and do good. then they tell.show their friends and they go there. if the bite is good enough it snowballs into a clusterduck and fish population, size class and parking are ruined for several years. that's my "ethnic group" for ya.
the world just gets slimier every year. slime runs off all "ethnic groups" somewhere. I profile heavy when im out in the world and I don't apologies for it either! ;D life has shaped me to be that way.
Lol so true
Spot burners prolly do more damage to fishing spots than anyone else that we’ve mentioned. Fact.
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Lol so true
Spot burners prolly do more damage to fishing spots than anyone else that we’ve mentioned. Fact.
Yup.
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BTW I know this thread is dated but does Vermont still allow the sale of some species of panfish caught in public waters?
Same for the Finger Lakes in NY? Something about if there is no bag limit then they can catch and sell them? Or has that been changed?
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BTW I know this thread is dated but does Vermont still allow the sale of some species of panfish caught in public waters?
Same for the Finger Lakes in NY? Something about if there is no bag limit then they can catch and sell them? Or has that been changed?
Both NY and VT allow for commercial sale.
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Both NY and VT allow for commercial sale.
Amazing.
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dang! do they even need a commercial license to do that? seems crazy for sure.
Many, but not all out that way don't value panfish as much us we midwesterners do. I had a guy out there watching me catch bluegills that told me I could catch every last one of them out of that small lake. He'd rather catch bass. Apparently it never dawned on him that bluegills are the most important and dependable forage fish for largemouth bass.
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dang! do they even need a commercial license to do that? seems crazy for sure.
Do not need one. Still must follow all regulations per water body. For example you can't go to champlain and harvest 100 crappie. Can only take 25. Yellow perch unlimited take. 7" 3/4 is a market perch...that size and above. Sometimes they pay a couple bucks a pound. Not an easy living at all so there are not many guys that do it. More guys do it around champlain.
Mass still has a commercial rod and reel striper fishery. Kind of funny when there's a rec harvest reduction. When I participated in that fishery the annual quota was 14 million pounds. Good years the quota would get knocked out fast in a month then the season is closed. Now with less stripers available the season takes a bit. I think last year's quota was 12 million pounds or so.
Thats crazy! Meanwhile they say the fishery is in such bad shape they cut rec harvest and make circle hooks mandatory. I doubt anyone is going to yoyo bunker with a circle hook! (Main way the rod and reel commercial guys catch from boats)....
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let my permit lapse this year. sort of regretting it now. nice to be able to take 15000lbs bluefish instead of 3 fish....