# Amberjack season set to close



## AirbornXpress (Sep 27, 2006)

I haven't even got to drop a line yet

FB17-016 
FISHERY BULLETIN ISSUE DATE: March 17 2017
CONTACT: Kelli O'Donnell, 727-824-5305, [email protected]

NOAA Fishery Announces the Federal Gulf of Mexico Greater Amberjack Recreational Fishing Season Will Close on March 24,2017

WHAT/WHEN:
Recreational harvest of greater amberjack in federal waters of the Gulf of Mexico will close at 12:01 a.m., local time, on March 24, 2017, and will remain closed until January 1, 2018.

WHY THIS CLOSURE IS HAPPENING:
The 1,255,600-pound whole weight recreational annual catch limit for 2016 was exceeded, requiring the 2017 annual catch limit and annual catch target to be reduced by the amount of the overage in 2016. 
NOAA Fisheries is required to close the recreational sector for greater amberjack when the recreational annual catch target is reached, or is projected to be reached.
Based on available data, NOAA Fisheries projects the adjusted 335,741-pound whole weight recreational annual catch target for 2017 will be reached by March 24, 2017.
Therefore, the recreational fishing season will close in federal waters at 12:01 a.m. on March 24, 2017, and remain closed until January 1, 2018.
This closure is necessary to protect the greater amberjack population. The greater amberjack population is overfished (the population is too low) and limiting harvest is necessary for the population to recover.
NOAA Fisheries reminds fishermen that state water regulations for greater amberjack may differ from federal water regulations. It is important for fishermen to check the applicable state regulations to determine whether harvest is allowed in state waters.

DURING THE CLOSURE:
Recreational harvest or possession of greater amberjack is prohibited in federal waters. 
The closure applies in both state and federal waters for vessels that have a valid Gulf of Mexico reef fish charter/headboat permit.


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## Tails-Up (Mar 4, 2017)

lol


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## TOM WEBER (Aug 14, 2005)

Sent her an email asking for the data behind 1 million plus pounds of rec catch. We have only been out once and turned around before we got to Gardens. No way this is data from Gulf of Mexico


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## ML56 (Dec 30, 2008)

Rectal extraction mathematics data!


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## JFolm (Apr 22, 2012)

How many fishable days has their been this year?! This is BS.


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## BullyARed (Jun 19, 2010)

ML56 said:


> Rectal extraction mathematics data!


Exactly, someone must pull the number out for her from under. What next? Are they going to close hardhead too!


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## whos your daddy (Jun 2, 2004)

What a bunch of BS


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## Chase This! (Jul 20, 2007)

State water AJs still open?


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## pomakai (Jun 7, 2012)

I know I haven't even had a chance to get out. Yep.. What he ^ said. Such bs. Not even surprised anymore.

Sent from my C6730 using Tapatalk


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## Kenner21 (Aug 25, 2005)

Ridiculous , got a trip April 2/3


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## williamcr (Aug 8, 2006)

Well I did not hurt them



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## snapper tapper (Dec 21, 2006)

Haven't even put the boat in the water, due to the weather. ***!


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## chipshot (Jun 13, 2006)

I think all the Sow Snapper are eating the Amberjack...


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## Capt. Steve (Aug 29, 2005)

Yea snapper numbers are out of control. I don't have any fancy data or science to back it up but common sense shows that snapper are just out competing all the other fish on the reefs in the western gulf.


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## tngbmt (May 30, 2004)

lol, havent wet a line out side the jetty yet
must have included the jacks cravalles in their count


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## Gumby (Aug 11, 2005)

Boat's been in the slip on the lift all year so far. What a joke. No one has ever asked me how many AJ's we have EVER caught.


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## Jolly Roger (May 21, 2004)

sad state of affairs when I can go and keep bass, catfish, white perch for any lake in Texas but can not go out into the gulf and keep a snapper, AJ or trigger...... and the lakes get 1000 times the pressure the gulf gets from REC anglers...

the system is so F'up, new management is the only answer


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## saltaholic (Feb 19, 2005)

Robert Barham needs to be elected to head of NMFS. Look it up he will end this nonsense


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## btravlin2 (Sep 30, 2010)

This is sad. It's almost as if it's a conspiracy by the enviros to get us to stop boating. What's left to catch inside 40 miles?

Any day now they'll institute closed seasons on cobia, mahi, wahoo, and tuna.


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## TexasCub (Jun 11, 2011)

btravlin2 said:


> This is sad. It's almost as if it's a conspiracy by the enviros to get us to stop boating. What's left to catch inside 40 miles?
> .


That seems to be about the only theory that makes sense. This [email protected]$ is insane at this point! You just now start to get weather that allows a rec fisherman to enjoy the resources that the Texas coast offers and the Feds restrict you from catching pretty much anything thats fun to catch and good table fair.


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## saltaholic (Feb 19, 2005)

It is a conspiracy 100% the enviros are using the commercial fishing lobby to paint a bad pic of recs and a bad pic of fish populations so we are forced to stop fishing and the commercials own any wild fish rights


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## awesum (May 31, 2006)

saltaholic said:


> Robert Barham needs to be elected to head of NMFS. Look it up he will end this nonsense


Would this be an "election" or an "appointment"? How is it done?


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## mjz (Jan 11, 2008)

Appointment.


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## Bird (May 10, 2005)

Wasn't the AJ season closed early 2 years ago? So I'm 1 limited season last year the REC fishermen over fished AJ?!? We didn't boat an AJ last year and I'm pretty sure we didn't boat one 2 years ago. Since there is no REC fisherman reporting of AJ it shows they are using junk data for junk science. Sad...


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## mjz (Jan 11, 2008)

Closed during snapper season last year, didn't re-open as it was supposed to August 1st.


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## roundman (May 21, 2004)

mjz said:


> Closed during snapper season last year, didn't re-open as it was supposed to August 1st.


yup, they didnt even throw a teaser this year just shut down till 2018, *%#@*&%$ &%!#$&^#


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## J_Philla (Oct 22, 2009)

offshore is starting to feel like bass fishing.......catch and release


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## Chase This! (Jul 20, 2007)

Just find out how much the ticket would be if caught and then prepare accordingly. Couple hundred thousand in boat and gear, the tickets should be a rounding error. If stopped, that is. Sucks it has to come to that.


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## Trouthappy (Jun 12, 2008)

AJ's are a fish that was definitely hammered by commercials for decades. They caught millions of pounds off The Hump off Islamorada, sometimes 6 boats tied to each other. Right in the Gulf Stream where spawned eggs drifted north. AJs have never been the same in the Atlantic, since then. I used to run into guys at the Houston Boat Show, back in the 1980s, who confided they were using hundreds of pounds of bucktail jigs every year, catching and selling AJs. The Feds and the states just let it go on for too long.


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## hilton (Jan 28, 2008)

In case y'all haven't noticed, the EDF crowd have expanded their fish grab.

Amendment 40 was supposedly just about red snapper, but now AMs 41 and 42 are ALL about gifting away not only red snapper, but have expanded to include (surprise) greater amberjack, grey triggerfish, gag grouper, and red grouper to the for-hire boats via permit Fishing Quotas (PFQs) and Individual Fishing Quotas (IFQs). They will be required to do a referendum on this entitlement program, but guess what? You and I won't have a vote.

It's no coincidence that the NMFS is portraying these stocks as overfished and truncating the seasons much like they did with red snapper - they are positioning themselves to justify the transfer of ownership of OUR fish to these corporations via Catch Shares.

It's all part of the "PLan" outlined by EDF (The Environmental Defense Fund) over 8 years ago as shown below. Notice the term (sportfishing sector) - their intent is to continue to privatize ownership of our fish until every single federally-managed species is under the Catch Share umbrella. Cobia, wahoo, tuna, dorado, etc. are next in line unless we get off our butts and stop this felony theft of our fish masquerading as fisheries management.

It's past time to fire the NMFS/EDF/CFA cartel and delegate management of our fisheries to the states.


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## mako98 (Aug 8, 2009)

Great....trip planned for mid-April. Had also hoped to split last few days of AJ season with the start of snapper season and that trip is booked also.


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## BullyARed (Jun 19, 2010)

^ Those corrupted SOBs soon will cover all fish including hardhead. Where is President Trump?


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## btravlin2 (Sep 30, 2010)

BullyARed said:


> ^ Those corrupted SOBs soon will cover all fish including hardhead. Where is President Trump?


Wish he were a fisherman, but he isn't, so I'm sure he isn't aware of the situation. Recs need someone inside the Admin who fishes to bring the subject up.


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## saltaholic (Feb 19, 2005)

Trumps son eric is a very active rec fisherman and I have read on multiple other forums he's is fully aware and staying informed


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## hookN (Oct 27, 2015)

BullyARed said:


> ^ Those corrupted SOBs soon will cover all fish including hardhead. Where is President Trump?


cutting down NOAA budget cost while expending tax payers $ at MAR A LAGO


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## mako98 (Aug 8, 2009)

Give tags for AJ and snapper so I can catch them when I can fish.


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## Trouthappy (Jun 12, 2008)

What about the mighty CCA? When will they intervene?


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## btravlin2 (Sep 30, 2010)

saltaholic said:


> Trumps son eric is a very active rec fisherman and I have read on multiple other forums he's is fully aware and staying informed


Wow! That's real encouraging news. Invite him down for snapper season.....all 9 days, or whatever crumbs they'll toss at us this year.


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## hilton (Jan 28, 2008)

mako98 said:


> Give tags for AJ and snapper so I can catch them when I can fish.


Yeah, with fish tags you can fish YEAR ROUND!

Pick whatever day you want to catch your 1 fish PER YEAR.

Just say NO! to fish tags.


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## mako98 (Aug 8, 2009)

hilton said:


> Yeah, with fish tags you can fish YEAR ROUND!
> 
> Pick whatever day you want to catch your 1 fish PER YEAR.
> 
> Just say NO! to fish tags.


Well it is better than keeping ZERO fish in a year which is what I now get for AJ this year. For the few days we will get for snapper this year who knows what the weather will be like....hope it's fishable or that's a zero also. For those of us that have to travel 7 hours to get to the Gulf at least I could pick a weekend that I knew I could fish.


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## Fin Reaper (May 31, 2012)

Bunch of cuck sockers the nmfs and the commie cronies. I don't even like ajs and this still pizzes me off. Absolutely ridiculous. Haven't even dunked the boat in the water yet this year. Edf what a joke.


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## hilton (Jan 28, 2008)

mako98 said:


> Well it is better than keeping ZERO fish in a year which is what I now get for AJ this year. For the few days we will get for snapper this year who knows what the weather will be like....hope it's fishable or that's a zero also. For those of us that have to travel 7 hours to get to the Gulf at least I could pick a weekend that I knew I could fish.


So....you're saying you are OK with fish tags?


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## btravlin2 (Sep 30, 2010)

With so few fishable days per year on the windy Texas Coast, and consequently, the rec fisherman's minimal pressure on fish stocks, somebody please explain why a year-round daily bag limit isn't sustainable, and more importantly......why this shouldn't be the rec fisherman's political goal.


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## saltaholic (Feb 19, 2005)

mako98 said:


> Well it is better than keeping ZERO fish in a year which is what I now get for AJ this year. For the few days we will get for snapper this year who knows what the weather will be like....hope it's fishable or that's a zero also. For those of us that have to travel 7 hours to get to the Gulf at least I could pick a weekend that I knew I could fish.


The problem with fish tags is that there is not enough quota to even give ONE tag per licensed fisherman!!! Then you can assume a lottery system- no way I will ever support this non sense. We as the American public own the public resources and the right to harvest them to feed our families!!! But there's not enough fish to go around yet the commercials harvest enough for the whole country and get paid to do so...... sickening


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## Tiny (Dec 19, 2006)

Which Restaurants sell Amberjack?? I've never seen it on a menu... I am so fed up with OUR fisheries management... Just have to not get caught I guess.... FNOAA FNMFS


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## Dick Hanks (Aug 16, 2007)

Tiny said:


> Which Restaurants sell Amberjack?? I've never seen it on a menu... I am so fed up with OUR fisheries management... Just have to not get caught I guess.... FNOAA FNMFS


That's what I was kinda wondering? Where are they being sold? Out of country? Price/#? It doesn't seem like a fish that the commercials could make a lot of money on.

But to support the commercial value idea, on the Atlantic side of Florida, the season is open and the minimum size limit is smaller. But almost all of these AJs have worms in their flesh which would lower their commercial value.

I fished in the Florida Keys this winter and caught a lot of AJs. It was very easy to find big ones. I only kept 2 all winter. One for the smoker. That's how I found out about the worms. The other one was hit by a shark, and I saved it for crab bait. It had worms as well.


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## hoogenda (Jul 25, 2006)

I was in Galveston over the weekend started talking with a guy at a bar..talking fishing I grumbled about the snapper and he told me there is a great guide that will take you out for all you can catch..said they caught over 400lbs that day and had a blast.I said, let me guess - Scott Hickman. Yep...I did not ask him about how the trip was paid for and the deal after the trip..i already know the answer. So then I explained to the guy about the rules, laws and how those fish are off limits to me (and yes, I did explain the year round state water allowance as well) and he was really surprised. I explained TAC and how last year I kept no red snapper on my boat yet I am probably responsible for thousands of pounds per their rec calculations. 

There is not a real solution to this problem right now and it is frustrating - I think I agree with Brandon from Chase This - lets just pay some fines and be done with it!


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## captaindorman (Nov 30, 2009)

Chase This! said:


> Just find out how much the ticket would be if caught and then prepare accordingly. Couple hundred thousand in boat and gear, the tickets should be a rounding error. If stopped, that is. Sucks it has to come to that.


So they take your boat and gear if caught????


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## Trouthappy (Jun 12, 2008)

Tiny said:


> Which Restaurants sell Amberjack?? I've never seen it on a menu... I am so fed up with OUR fisheries management... Just have to not get caught I guess.... FNOAA FNMFS


Seafood restaurants are infamous for not labeling their fish species correctly on the menu. They're likely selling AJs as something else, like grouper. The St. Petersburg paper busted a few local restaurants (through DNA tests) because the local "grouper" sandwiches were outhouse-fed tilapia and other cheap Asian fish. As always, follow the money trail.


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## btravlin2 (Sep 30, 2010)

hoogenda said:


> .......lets just pay some fines and be done with it!


I certainly sympathize, but talk like that, especially on this board, might bring down a lot more random searches. Maybe the money would be better spent on political results, ie; lobbyists, or defeating Randy Weber and getting a pro-rec representative.


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## fishinguy (Aug 5, 2004)

Who is in charge of appointing these people? Who is in an elected position that could actually rectify this situation?

All I have heard for years is alot of talk and nothing has improved. Is there a plan of action from anyone that outlines a way to actually change the situation?


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## Bird (May 10, 2005)

Tiny said:


> Which Restaurants sell Amberjack?? I've never seen it on a menu... I am so fed up with OUR fisheries management... Just have to not get caught I guess.... FNOAA FNMFS


I ate at a pretty nice restaurant in Corpus Christi about 10 years ago that had AJ on the menu. That makes a total of 1, ever.


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## Dick Hanks (Aug 16, 2007)

Trouthappy said:


> Seafood restaurants are infamous for not labeling their fish species correctly on the menu. They're likely selling AJs as something else, like grouper. The St. Petersburg paper busted a few local restaurants (through DNA tests) because the local "grouper" sandwiches were outhouse-fed tilapia and other cheap Asian fish. As always, follow the money trail.[/QUOTE
> 
> I think that there has to be something else going on with the AJs. Any restaurant trying too pass off AJs as Grouper would be out of business. When misrepresenting fish, the substitute has to be at least a little close in taste and texture. Maybe it would work in heavily seasoned dishes that have other dominate flavors. Is there a good market for AJs outside of our country?


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## Oyster Dog (May 21, 2005)

fishinguy said:


> Who is in charge of appointing these people? Who is in an elected position that could actually rectify this situation?


Voting Council members are appointed by the governors of each Gulf state for six-year terms.
http://gulfcouncil.org/about/fishery_council_members.php


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## texasredzz (Jun 9, 2016)

I know of at least five restaurants in Corpus that have AJ on the menu. A couple of them had it within a couple days after season reopened. One in particular tried to serve us a mystery fish as AJ. It didn't take a DNA test to tell these jokers we weren't tourists or born yesterday. They even admitted it which was the sad part. It's unfortunate that this is what it has come to.


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## mako98 (Aug 8, 2009)

saltaholic said:


> The problem with fish tags is that there is not enough quota to even give ONE tag per licensed fisherman!!! Then you can assume a lottery system- no way I will ever support this non sense. We as the American public own the public resources and the right to harvest them to feed our families!!! But there's not enough fish to go around yet the commercials harvest enough for the whole country and get paid to do so...... sickening


That is a good point....just frustrated with it all!!


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## chuck richey (May 22, 2004)

Will only get worse. Red snapper was just the start like has been said many times.


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## fishinguy (Aug 5, 2004)

What is sad is that I usually bring home more fillets after a day of bay fishing than I do offshore. 

Red snapper was just the start, they aren't going to stop until they control all of the fish in fed waters. Who would have ever thought that we would ever be discussing a trigger fish season?


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## Trouthappy (Jun 12, 2008)

fishinguy said:


> Who would have ever thought that we would ever be discussing a trigger fish season?


Back in the 1970s we couldn't get a 16-ounce lead through the triggerfish during daylight hours. We had to fish the snapper rocks at night, when triggers were asleep. The commercials, often of a certain Asian persuasion, really whacked the triggers back in the 1980s. No seasons or limits then.


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## Missin'Link (Oct 17, 2008)

*FYI*

We were checked at the Galveston jetties on our way in Sunday.
The Coast Guard guys told us they were looking for Red Snapper and wanted to see our fish. All we had were Wahoo, AJs and Blackfin Tuna.
They were very friendly and did a quick safety check. It took maybe 10 minutes and we were on our way again.

I asked if they were going to check for AJs when the season ended and they said that they were. I don't think we are going to risk it.


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## mako98 (Aug 8, 2009)

Missin'Link said:


> We were checked at the Galveston jetties on our way in Sunday.
> The Coast Guard guys told us they were looking for Red Snapper and wanted to see our fish. All we had were Wahoo, AJs and Blackfin Tuna.
> They were very friendly and did a quick safety check. It took maybe 10 minutes and we were on our way again.
> 
> I asked if they were going to check for AJs when the season ended and they said that they were. I don't think we are going to risk it.


If they find a violation do they write the citation or notify TPWD? Just curious how that process works.


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## Chase This! (Jul 20, 2007)

Is lesser AJs open? If so, just target those smaller versions.


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## snapper tapper (Dec 21, 2006)

Tiny said:


> Which Restaurants sell Amberjack?? I've never seen it on a menu... I am so fed up with OUR fisheries management... Just have to not get caught I guess.... FNOAA FNMFS


I have seen at Landry owned restaurantsin Galveston


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## Kenner21 (Aug 25, 2005)

Missin'Link said:


> We were checked at the Galveston jetties on our way in Sunday.
> The Coast Guard guys told us they were looking for Red Snapper and wanted to see our fish. All we had were Wahoo, AJs and Blackfin Tuna.
> They were very friendly and did a quick safety check. It took maybe 10 minutes and we were on our way again.
> 
> I asked if they were going to check for AJs when the season ended and they said that they were. I don't think we are going to risk it.


If you were checked at the jetties and you weren't over the state snapper limits there's not much they could do. I'm not saying break the law but once you're back in state waters you're good to go as long as you don't have more than four fish per person or any under 15 inches.


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## Jolly Roger (May 21, 2004)

Missin'Link said:


> We were checked at the Galveston jetties on our way in Sunday.
> The Coast Guard guys told us they were looking for Red Snapper and wanted to see our fish. All we had were Wahoo, AJs and Blackfin Tuna.
> They were very friendly and did a quick safety check. It took maybe 10 minutes and we were on our way again.
> 
> I asked if they were going to check for AJs when the season ended and they said that they were. I don't think we are going to risk it.


Texas red snapper season is open, so odd they were specifically looking for red snapper at the jetty, well within State waters. Curious if they tracked yall from FED waters?


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## Missin'Link (Oct 17, 2008)

I doubt they tracked us. They were running from boat to boat at the end of the jetties. I guess we will never know, we had been up a long time and didn't ask many questions.

We did catch several snapper fishing for AJs. We got tired of catching snapper just to have to throw them back and gave up on AJs in the middle of the night. The AJs we did catch were caught while trolling. That is a blast!


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## fishinguy (Aug 5, 2004)

Jolly Roger said:


> Texas red snapper season is open, so odd they were specifically looking for red snapper at the jetty, well within State waters. Curious if they tracked yall from FED waters?


That's why you have to do the 8.888 mile safety stop for 20 minutes.


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## Tiny (Dec 19, 2006)

If they were running from boat to boat at the end of the jetties... looking for red snapper.. they couldn't prove where you caught them.... (Snaps) If they stopped you at 10 or 15 Miles (From the Beach) then they could bust your bubble.... I guess I didn't get checked because I saw them pulling every body over from the TCD boat ramp.. I just cruised on over there, showed them our life jackets and told them I didn't feel like being chased down... they laughed, said thanks and haulled it after the next boat...lol


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## Gap (Jun 4, 2004)

Just nuts. Boat hasn't even been damp in 5 months. I bet I haven't boxed an AJ in 4 years as the season has been closed when I've bottom fished. I don't enjoy eating them anyway, but many of my crew does. Just a shame these fisheries are being so ridiculously managed.


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## RyanC02 (Aug 7, 2016)

Just my luck. I have a trip scheduled on Saturday.


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## HiggsBoson (Jul 25, 2014)

For those of you asking "Is NOAA trying to turn saltwater fishing into catch and release?" The answer is definitely yes.

http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/ocs/documents/Vision_2020_FINAL-1.pdf
"*Preferred State in 2020*: Many recreational species have limited population growth rates and are too valuable to be caught only once. *By 2020, catch and release fishing is emphasized and accounted for in specific species assessments.* The proper techniques for release are refined and disseminated to lower post release mortality. For other fisheries, minimum size limits and reduced daily bag limits are sufficient management measures to maintain healthy standing stocks. Additional seasonal closures are considered to eliminate or redirect effort. *By 2020, angler satisfaction is derived from the recreational fishing experience rather than the take or â€œkillâ€ fish.* "


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## saltwatersensations (Aug 30, 2004)

*Proposed Actions to Accomplish Preferred State: *
(a) Improve collection of recreational catch, release, and harvest data, 
(b) *Create and use the recreational angler registry*. *What will you do with your make believe data then?*
(c) Continue to promote catch and release fisheries, 
(d) *Reduce daily bag limits and implement minimum or maximum size limits* when necessary for those fish stocks where resorting to total catch and release is not necessary, *To what zero?*
(e) *Promote research to accurately quantify and minimize post release mortality. Sounds like that is all we will do is catch and release....*
(f) *Increase the length of seasonal closures when necessary and encourage the recreational community to maximize the profitability of open seasons*, *Too late!*
(g) *Amend fishery management plans to allow for timely conversion of unused commercial allocation to the recreational sector and vice versa*; *LMFAO!*
(h) *Implement a variety of programs and incentives to enhance the conservation ethic of recreational anglers. While a few guys rape the ocean for profit.*​

What a crock of ****. All this proposes is how to squeeze us out totally for the benefit of commercialism and profitability. Stop the commercial fishing period. If you cant afford to catch fish then go buy some farm raised cat fish. Hell, sell hardheads to people, they wont know anyway. There are already methods for farm raising blue water fish for consumption. Dump your funds into research for that and leave the public resource alone. **********​​


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## BullyARed (Jun 19, 2010)

(c) Continue to promote catch and release fisheries, 


Could they ask commercial fish harvesting companies that they ask their customers to purchase the fish they catch and then release them too! Bunch of pig's POS.


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## btravlin2 (Sep 30, 2010)

Catch and release for recs. Catch and sell for the commercials. Is there no effective method to fight this?


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## saltaholic (Feb 19, 2005)

Only way to fight is make enough commotion for the public to notice. Public notice =votes and leaders need votes....


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## TOM WEBER (Aug 14, 2005)

Actually got a response quickly from Ms O' Donnell. Very polite converstion via email. Solicit comments to person in your gulf sector is recommendation. Catch and release is like deer hunting with a camera. NMFS was never created for rec fisherman. We should not expect them to be reasonable. CCA and RFA etc with money from us to fund litigation is only option for our kids future offshore. Friend told me one of the Galv commercial guys came in with 14k lbs of fish caught over 2 days. I cant be mad at him if this is what is his legal right. I would do same if I could make a living doing that. Point is...keeping our kids from learning to fish and keeping fish is very impt. The rec offshore fishery and the money put into economy in Texas will continue to die if this is not remedied. BTW the last year quota is extrapolated data from boat creel surveys. They take number of species caught and multiply by numbers of boats times numbers of estimated fish days from what I can tell. NO WAY you could run a business planning expansion or equipment/expansion needs based on this method. Me saying snapper fishing has never been better is just as valid and scientific. EMBARRASSING! that these people are OUR employees.


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## hilton (Jan 28, 2008)

It's also legal for the Gulf Council to require the Galveston commercial captain to pay royalties for the privilege of profiting from the harvest of our Public Trust Resource. 

Yet, they have opted not to. Why? 

Every other industry that profits from our natural resources are required to pay royalties. AND...not only are the IFQ shareholders exempt from paying the required royalties, the system has been setup so that they are COLLECTING our nation's royalties and pocketing 100% of the proceeds when they lease OUR fish to other fishermen.

Al Capone would be proud.

ALL Americans should be OUTRAGED.

THIS is what is keeping our children off the water and from learning to fish.


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## btravlin2 (Sep 30, 2010)

You would think the boat builders would be just as concerned as the fisherman. Who is going to buy offshore boats for catch & release? And then there is the fuel, which is in the hundreds and thousands of dollars.

C&R will kill the recreational offshore industry, and the builders will go with it.


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## Punchingclowns (Jun 21, 2016)

btravlin2 said:


> You would think the boat builders would be just as concerned as the fisherman. Who is going to buy offshore boats for catch & release? And then there is the fuel, which is in the hundreds and thousands of dollars.
> 
> C&R will kill the recreational offshore industry, and the builders will go with it.


Bingo!!!! Where is Yamaha, Contender, NauticStar, BassPro, Academy, Rapala, Mann's, Yozuri, ETC (list would be a mile)

You can't tell me these huge companies can't setup Lobbyists like the gun companies do....


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## fishinguy (Aug 5, 2004)

btravlin2 said:


> You would think the boat builders would be just as concerned as the fisherman. Who is going to buy offshore boats for catch & release? And then there is the fuel, which is in the hundreds and thousands of dollars.
> 
> C&R will kill the recreational offshore industry, and the builders will go with it.


Honestly this is the reason that I no longer have any interest in purchasing a dedicated offshore boat.

The gulf is difficult enough with the limited fishing days and unpredictable weather. Now you hardly keep any fish in Fed waters, it really doesn't make it a justifiable purchase for me any longer.

I'll stick with my large bay boat and go when conditions allow.


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## Punchingclowns (Jun 21, 2016)

fishinguy said:


> Honestly this is the reason that I no longer have any interest in purchasing a dedicated offshore boat.
> 
> The gulf is difficult enough with the limited fishing days and unpredictable weather. Now you hardly keep any fish in Fed waters, it really doesn't make it a justifiable purchase for me any longer.
> 
> I'll stick with my large bay boat and go when conditions allow.


That is what I did... NauticStar 19xs added a jack plate.. I can go inshore and I've been offshore 30 miles... Boat drafts great and has a tall V.. best of both worlds...


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## TOM WEBER (Aug 14, 2005)

EVRYONE ON THIS BOARD SHOULD AGREE TO EMAIL EVERY CONGRESSMAN AND SENATOR EVERY WEEK...I did this once re an impt issue and was eventually email blocked. contacted his office and left message that I would start raising money to campaign against him and I GOT A RESPONSE.. TERM LIMITS solve this but not in our foreseeable future. CCA RFA etc need to be contacted. JOKE that commercial fish can be caught once ...all other fish need to be released. None of these peole writing these regs have spent a day in the backyard much less a day on the water. contacting CCA and RFA frequently may help? as well. This truly borders on criminal behavior by the government in my opinion


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## waterfly (Sep 18, 2007)

Tom, that really seems like criminal behavior, a collusion between government representatives and a group of people to steal our natural resources. It has to be illegal.
Has anyone attempted to follow the legal avenue?


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## Captn C (May 21, 2004)

Guys they have been fishing nearly everyday in Florida, Alabama and Mississippi. The weather there has been great as usual and they been catching the **** out of everything. We were there during spring break last week (didn't fish this time) and they had plenty of Aj's on the boards. I ask a couple captains how far they had to run out to catch them...20 miles was the answer!

The Feds offices are in Florida so they see these guys fishing everyday and assume everyone else is too!


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## Captn C (May 21, 2004)

Just over on a Florida web site...they are catching 30ishlb AJ's in state water! Its crazy how good the fishery is over there!

We caught nice solid B-Liners in 90' of water mid summer last year on public spots! Plus all the odd ball stuff...Pompano, Gray Snapper, Rock Sea Bass, White Porge...eating size! I know Grays are not odd ball here, but they have plenty of "other" stuff to catch!


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## Bird (May 10, 2005)

waterfly said:


> Tom, that really seems like criminal behavior, a collusion between government representatives and a group of people to steal our natural resources. It has to be illegal.
> *Has anyone attempted to follow the legal avenue*?


^^This should be CCA, RFA and all the other groups that say they support the recreational fisherman...


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## Jolly Roger (May 21, 2004)

FEDs following the same play book as red snapper, they will one by one take all species away from REC anglers. The FEDs steamrolled REC anglers with red snapper and triggers, so they know we are easy targets. 

state control of red snapper, then move on to other species under state control is the only answer. Lawsuits are a waste of time, money and effort.


as for the Florida argument of them catching more AJs then Texas, that is just a blaring example that the one size fits all management of the FEDs is a failure and that state control is the only answer.


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## silentpardner (Aug 4, 2013)

> What a crock of ****. All this proposes is how to squeeze us out totally for the benefit of commercialism and profitability. Stop the commercial fishing period. If you cant afford to catch fish then go buy some farm raised cat fish. Hell, sell hardheads to people, they wont know anyway. There are already methods for farm raising blue water fish for consumption. Dump your funds into research for that and leave the public resource alone.


THIS^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^!!


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## saltaholic (Feb 19, 2005)

State control is the only answer


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## chipshot (Jun 13, 2006)

I think I will just self identify as a commercial fisherman. Seems to work these days. 

Hard to justify the expense of an offshore boat when all you can do is take pictures and send it back for the commercials to harvest. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## hookN (Oct 27, 2015)

Captn C said:


> Just over on a Florida web site...they are catching 30ishlb AJ's in state water! Its crazy how good the fishery is over there!
> 
> We caught nice solid B-Liners in 90' of water mid summer last year on public spots! Plus all the odd ball stuff...Pompano, Gray Snapper, Rock Sea Bass, White Porge...eating size! I know Grays are not odd ball here, but they have plenty of "other" stuff to catch!


That is an indication of how well our State representatives are working for us :texasflag

lot of collusion lately , where is Daddy Trump ?


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## hog (May 17, 2006)

Tiny said:


> Which Restaurants sell Amberjack?? I've never seen it on a menu... I am so fed up with OUR fisheries management... Just have to not get caught I guess.... FNOAA FNMFS


In Florida and near by states, Many Many Restaurants feature Amberjack on their menu just as they do Wahoo, Ling, Triple Tail, Sword, Tuna, Mahi Mahi and yellow/red Snapper. 
Another dish that is heavily made and consumed is Smoked Fish. We all know about Mullet and the use of King and Smacks, but, maybe one of the tastiest of all, is mixing in or smoking straight Amberjack..... I Smoke it and King myself a couple times a year. Its delicious....

Also, remember The pet food industry takes in hundreds of thousands of pounds of fish for their pet food products too. ITS NOT JUST FOR RESTAURANT USE..

We, the Weekend Warrior Recreational Folks, who bring in money for our Seaward cities and business's, dont count.. an MAYBE, never will again.... sad4sm


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## hog (May 17, 2006)

hog said:


> In Florida and near by states, Many Many Restaurants feature Amberjack on their menu just as they do Wahoo, Ling, Triple Tail, Sword, Tuna, Mahi Mahi and yellow/red Snapper.
> Another dish that is heavily made and consumed is Smoked Fish. We all know about Mullet and the use of King and Smacks, but, maybe one of the tastiest of all, is mixing in or smoking straight Amberjack..... I Smoke it and King myself a couple times a year. Its delicious....
> 
> Also, remember The pet food industry takes in hundreds of thousands of pounds of fish for their pet food products too. ITS NOT JUST FOR RESTAURANT USE..
> ...


I didnt have time to edit.... so I added to this post....

But, you know what??? We will Survive. We might have to teach our grand children Catch and release rather than cook what you catch but only what you need. They say Times are changing, and we all know, we are getting the short end of the stick. We might all end up being outlaws when its all over. These RIDICULOUS LIMITS will hit us on *ALL* the fish before its all said and done, Swords, Tiles, Vermillions, All Species of Tunas... *Its not a question of if, its a question of when* IMO... 
Until we *ALL* unite in some MAJOR MAJOR way as the commercials have, we will *NEVER* succeed. I sometimes think, we are our own worst enemies, we still feel someone or some organization or some lone congressman is gonna fix this like it should be for us. We havent really and truly realized, that we, as a group, have to do it ourselves. We dont have time, we are working folks, we cant take off to have rallys or protest or make our voices heard in goverment on a million man march..... we're just work'n folks... IMO

The ones I feel my deepest sorrow for, is not me and my friends. Ive lived my life, fished my 1000's of hours offshore, have my memories.... Its my Grand Children, who come down to fish with their Pop's a couple times a year, who dream all year about the fish their gonna get taken out to catch and then bring back to the house for GranMommie to eat and the extras to be taken home when they leave to their Inland South Texas Homes or where ever it is they live. They wont get the chance to experience the Saltwater Life of my genes and your genes that run thru their veins... All they get to do, is feed their cat Fish flavored food and eat high dollar saltwater fish at a Restaurant ....

Think about it... Our *"When"* is upon us......


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## hilton (Jan 28, 2008)

Hog,
We are setting up a 501-c3 to get everyone on the same page.
Will post up when we get it a little further along.
Best,
Tom Hilton


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## silentpardner (Aug 4, 2013)

AMEN, Mr. Hog!


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## hookN (Oct 27, 2015)

this was posted else where .

One way would be to issue reasonably priced fish tags. With tags you avoid derby fishing and the reporting of actual fish catch from recreational fishing improves. 
The downside is that given the current NOAA allocation there might not be enough fish tags to go around.

Another way would be to limit the number of trips recreational fishermen make during a year and assign a reasonable catch limit for each trip. Having a two fish bag limit is two small to make a trip worthwhile. The bag limit needs to be at least five fish in order to make going worth the effort.

http://www.sarges.com/AResource/GDNColumns/2017/Mar24_RedSnapperConcludingThoughts.html


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## saltwatersensations (Aug 30, 2004)

oberyn martell said:


> this was posted else where .
> 
> One way would be to issue reasonably priced fish tags. With tags you avoid derby fishing and the reporting of actual fish catch from recreational fishing improves.
> The downside is that given the current NOAA allocation there might not be enough fish tags to go around.
> ...


That is ridiculous to even consider. Tags wont work. And who the hell can tell me when to go fishing.


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## hookN (Oct 27, 2015)

saltwatersensations said:


> That is ridiculous to even consider. Tags wont work. And who the hell can tell me when to go fishing.


Exactly my thoughts , the fish tags hmm maybe but to tell me when ? LOL


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## BluewaterAg26 (Jan 12, 2009)

We need to publish a list of all the markets/restaurants that are a part of this and boycott them. Charter fishermen aren't the problem here. Charter/Rec Sectors have plenty of money but we have to be on the same page and I think our best proposal would be state management.


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## Captn C (May 21, 2004)

saltaholic said:


> State control is the only answer


That's been my idea for a long time...State water out to 50 nautical miles...problem solved!


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## JFolm (Apr 22, 2012)

Captn C said:


> That's been my idea for a long time...State water out to 200 nautical miles...problem solved!


Fify


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## Captn C (May 21, 2004)

Well 200nmiles would keep them from doing the same thing to YFT which I'm sure is coming!


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## hilton (Jan 28, 2008)

Amendment 40 (Sector Separation) was supposedly just about red snapper.
Immediately after AM 40 was approved (by dubious means), they began work on AMs 41 and 42, which would transfer ownership of our fish via Catch Shares to the for-hire corporations.
If you go to: http://gulfcouncil.org/council_meet.../B - 10(a) 2016 Oct RF 41 Draft 10-7-2016.pdf
and
http://gulfcouncil.org/council_meet...016/B - 7(a) RF Amend 42_Oct 2016 Council.pdf
you will see that the Sector Separationists (who claimed Sector Separation was NOT about Catch Shares) were either uninformed or lying - you make the call.

AMs 41 and 42 are ALL ABOUT CATCH SHARES and have expanded their fish grab to include not only red snapper, but now includes greater amberjack, grey triggerfish, gag grouper, and red grouper. If approved, the federal fisheries managers will carve out a sizable portion of our recreational catch limit and gift it to the for-hire corporations for their personal property.

Now, Gary Jarvis, Shane Cantrell, and other EDF-funded captains are pushing for electronic logbooks where they have already been collecting landings data not only for reef fish, but also coastal migratory pelagics. Why? They are building a landings history on everything they catch so that they can lay ownership claims on cobia, wahoo, dorado, and tuna as well.

The NMFS/Gulf Council have failed at their job. They have promoted policies in the last 10 years since Catch Shares were introduced that favors commercial operations at the DIRECT EXPENSE of recreational fishermen and the coastal communities and businesses that rely on them.

The proof is in the pudding; pre-IFQ commercial corporations fished 120 days/year and enjoyed harvesting 4.54 million pounds of snapper. pre-IFQ recreational fishermen enjoyed 194 day seasons / 4 fish bag limits.

Today, commercial corporations enjoy 130% of pre-IFQ harvest levels and 300% of pre-IFQ access. Recreational fishermen however, had just 3% of pre-IFQ access last year, and most certainly less than that this year.

The NMFS/Gulf Council think that managing the Gulf's reef fish, such as snapper, as one unit is the best way to do it. Never mind that the ecosystems, biomass, and effort change dramatically from state to state. Texas fishermen are being managed by what is happening off of Florida. It's like TPWD managing our Texas deer herds based on what is happening with deer populations/hunters in Alabama - they don't do that, because it doesn't make sense scientifically, biologically, or economically.

It's time to call it what it is; the federal fisheries management process is a dismal failure - there is more to managing the fishery than just the fish as there is much more involved than that. Ignoring the effects of Catch Shares on coastal communities, jobs, and other sectors is not acceptable.

It's their job to make sure the fisheries are managed fairly and equitably. Obviously, that is not happening, and not only that, they want to blame the recreational fishermen for not being "accountable". It's not our job - it is in fact THEIR job to make sure their is equilibrium, and we need to demand that it gets done.

The fishery is waaaay out of whack in favor of the commercial/enviro interests. It's time to take steps to provide balance, and it is again obvious that will never happen at the federal level. The answer is state management out to 200 miles.


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## fishingredcat (May 20, 2016)

So, Iâ€™m reading as many posts concerning the rec fishing problems. I was at the Thursday meeting and was encouraged at the turnout. It would seem that the consensus is for the states to control more miles out. My question is, how can this be accomplished, is it even possible? Iâ€™ve already emailed all of my federal and state representatives from President Trump down to my local officials. Can someone, (sorry if this has been addressed, I couldnâ€™t find it through searches), give a step-by-step guide as to the process for giving Texas more control?


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## btravlin2 (Sep 30, 2010)

hilton said:


> It's time to call it what it is; the federal fisheries management process is a dismal failure -


In all seriousness, what DOESN'T our gov't do that isn't a "dismal failure"? It's embarrassing.


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## saltwatersensations (Aug 30, 2004)

btravlin2 said:


> In all seriousness, what DOESN'T our gov't do that isn't a "dismal failure"? It's embarrassing.


They rape every resource they can squeeze a buck out of and they are still trillions in debt. :headknock


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## Jolly Roger (May 21, 2004)

fishingredcat said:


> So, Iâ€™m reading as many posts concerning the rec fishing problems. I was at the Thursday meeting and was encouraged at the turnout. It would seem that the consensus is for the states to control more miles out. My question is, how can this be accomplished, is it even possible? Iâ€™ve already emailed all of my federal and state representatives from President Trump down to my local officials. Can someone, (sorry if this has been addressed, I couldnâ€™t find it through searches), give a step-by-step guide as to the process for giving Texas more control?


Bill HR3094 needs to be reintroduced and made into a rider on the tax cut bill that is coming or any other bill that it can ride on and get passed.

http://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/house-bill/3094

http://www.congress.gov/114/bills/hr3094/BILLS-114hr3094rh.pdf


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## Captain Randy (Sep 16, 2005)

Congress just needs to pass a law that says recreational fishing limits shall be governed by the state where they are landed.


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## mikozz (Jun 6, 2006)

hilton said:


> Hog,
> We are setting up a 501-c3 to get everyone on the same page.
> Will post up when we get it a little further along.
> Best,
> Tom Hilton


Tom - as I've mentioned to you before, let me know if I can assist with the 501(c)(3) setup & compliance. I'm a CPA, have my own firm, and can at least file the required Form 990 each year for the entity (at no charge of course).

We all need to coordinate our efforts before it's too late, and an entity like this can help make that happen.

Thx,
Mike


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