by Robin
I'm pretty certain I have one of his songs in my head.
"Fins to the left, fins to the right and you're the only bait in town."
You see....... we're the only "bait" in town.
Good thing these are just dolphin and not sharks.
Merry Christmas!
Friday, December 18, 2009
DO YOU HEAR JIMMY BUFFET?
by Robin
I'm pretty certain I have one of his songs in my head.
"Fins to the left, fins to the right and you're the only bait in town."
You see....... we're the only "bait" in town.
Good thing these are just dolphin and not sharks.
Merry Christmas!
by Robin
I'm pretty certain I have one of his songs in my head.
"Fins to the left, fins to the right and you're the only bait in town."
You see....... we're the only "bait" in town.
Good thing these are just dolphin and not sharks.
Merry Christmas!
Thursday, December 17, 2009
WINTER WHITEOUT - part 2
by Robin
We anchored near the mouth of Haulover canal, catching nibbles from crabs that stole our old shrimp. But better than fish, I captured some awesome wildlife & scenery photos.
This first one was my 2nd favorite of the entire trip. I may just have to put this on next year's family calendar. Believe it or not, it is a color photo but the sky was so gray that it looks black & white.
Offshore had 5 ft waves, but in the canal, it was totally calm. The only movement was from the pod of dolphins that stayed just out of reach of my camera lens. I must have taken dozens of photos, but couldn't capture but a few fin shots.
There were a few folks that motored by in their john boats or kayaks. That was nice.
I captured a few photos of this osprey. The original is stunning. Too bad I have to downsize everything for the blog.
On the way home around 3pm, the sun popped out enough to light up this island covered in birds. (primarily seagulls, pelicans & loons)
Tomorrow, I will share some of the dolphin dorsal fins. You'd think we were surrounded by sharks. ;o)
Merry Christmas!
by Robin
We anchored near the mouth of Haulover canal, catching nibbles from crabs that stole our old shrimp. But better than fish, I captured some awesome wildlife & scenery photos.
This first one was my 2nd favorite of the entire trip. I may just have to put this on next year's family calendar. Believe it or not, it is a color photo but the sky was so gray that it looks black & white.
Offshore had 5 ft waves, but in the canal, it was totally calm. The only movement was from the pod of dolphins that stayed just out of reach of my camera lens. I must have taken dozens of photos, but couldn't capture but a few fin shots.
There were a few folks that motored by in their john boats or kayaks. That was nice.
I captured a few photos of this osprey. The original is stunning. Too bad I have to downsize everything for the blog.
On the way home around 3pm, the sun popped out enough to light up this island covered in birds. (primarily seagulls, pelicans & loons)
Tomorrow, I will share some of the dolphin dorsal fins. You'd think we were surrounded by sharks. ;o)
Merry Christmas!
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
FLORIDA WINTER WHITEOUT - 12/14/09
by Robin
In Florida, we may never get a day of snow or even frost this far down, but we still get our version of whiteouts. When the dewpoint comes within degrees of the temperatures, we get fog. And, we've gotten a LOT of fog lately.
Our poor boat hasn't been used in weeks (again). We've been watching the weather but the seas were very, very high this week. It looks like we may not be able to make our offshore run for Christmas red snapper before the closure takes effect.
So, out of desperation for a day on the water & a day of relaxation after one of the busiest weeks in years. LOL. It may not be deep or blue, but we were happy for it.
We motored out into the white abyss very slowly. Guessing here, but it was probably 50-70 ft of visibility in some spots.
Thank goodness for technology, gps & navigation chips. Jack knew where we were the entire time.
We passed by a marina/harbour and could see anchored sailboats - barely.
We had only 2 big boats pass us and they were going slow too. They seemingly "popped" out at us. I can totally relate to how the Titanic hit that iceberg in the fog.
At one point, we made the turn northeast toward Haulover canal. Ok........ I have to trust Jack on that one.
Not long after that, we made this dolphin very mad. We were in his territory and he approached the boat with tail slaps. Generally speaking, river dolphins duck down until our boat passes. They fairly shy. But, not this one. He deliberately slapped the water at us.
And then, there was land.........
A pocket of visibility amongst the whiteout.
I'll share more photos with you tomorrow. Must run & start chores now.
Merry Christmas!
by Robin
In Florida, we may never get a day of snow or even frost this far down, but we still get our version of whiteouts. When the dewpoint comes within degrees of the temperatures, we get fog. And, we've gotten a LOT of fog lately.
Our poor boat hasn't been used in weeks (again). We've been watching the weather but the seas were very, very high this week. It looks like we may not be able to make our offshore run for Christmas red snapper before the closure takes effect.
So, out of desperation for a day on the water & a day of relaxation after one of the busiest weeks in years. LOL. It may not be deep or blue, but we were happy for it.
We motored out into the white abyss very slowly. Guessing here, but it was probably 50-70 ft of visibility in some spots.
Thank goodness for technology, gps & navigation chips. Jack knew where we were the entire time.
We passed by a marina/harbour and could see anchored sailboats - barely.
We had only 2 big boats pass us and they were going slow too. They seemingly "popped" out at us. I can totally relate to how the Titanic hit that iceberg in the fog.
At one point, we made the turn northeast toward Haulover canal. Ok........ I have to trust Jack on that one.
Not long after that, we made this dolphin very mad. We were in his territory and he approached the boat with tail slaps. Generally speaking, river dolphins duck down until our boat passes. They fairly shy. But, not this one. He deliberately slapped the water at us.
And then, there was land.........
A pocket of visibility amongst the whiteout.
I'll share more photos with you tomorrow. Must run & start chores now.
Merry Christmas!
Friday, December 04, 2009
RED SNAPPER - interim rule for the next 6 months
As of January 4th, you are not allowed to target or keep Red Snappers off the coasts of N. Carolina, S. Carolina, Georgia, and the Atlantic coast of Florida.
http://www.safmc.net/Portals/6/Library/FMP/SnapGroup/NOAArsnprForImediateRelease.pdf
This news came out Wednesday.
The council hopes to recommend a long-term closure measure in mid-2010.
Coincidentally, I received a letter TODAY from Governor Charlie Crists' office. Here it is in its entirety. I have no idea where this leaves us.
Thank you for contacting Governor Charlie Crist's Office and sharingyour concerns about recent decisions by the South Atlantic FisheryManagement Council ("the Council"). The Governor wants to know how people feel about the many critical issues we face and asked that Irespond on his behalf.Governor Crist supports the Council's efforts to protect our precious natural resources; however, the Governor believes this action will haveserious ramifications for Florida's recreational anglers and our economy. The requirement to establish strict catch limits for all federally managed species that are undergoing "overfishing" by 2010 is affecting Florida in ways that were not anticipated. A closure effectively puts Florida's fishermen out of work in an already challenging economic time and would severely diminish the multi-million dollar annual contribution the South Atlantic fishery makes to Florida'seconomy.Governor Crist has contacted Charles Davis, Chairman of the SouthAtlantic Fishery Management Council to encourage a prompt review of the science used to validate the Council's decisions in the fishery management process. The Governor also contacted U.S. Department of Commerce Secretary Gary Locke and asked that the Department do everything possible to lessen the impact on Florida's anglers while still protecting our natural resources. Governor Crist firmly believes that a fishery-wide closure must be a last resort only after all other options have been exhausted. Thank you again for taking the time to contact Governor Crist. Please do not hesitate to write again to share your concerns and ideas about issues that are important to you.
Sincerely,
Warren DavisOffice of Citizen Services
As of January 4th, you are not allowed to target or keep Red Snappers off the coasts of N. Carolina, S. Carolina, Georgia, and the Atlantic coast of Florida.
http://www.safmc.net/Portals/6/Library/FMP/SnapGroup/NOAArsnprForImediateRelease.pdf
This news came out Wednesday.
The council hopes to recommend a long-term closure measure in mid-2010.
Coincidentally, I received a letter TODAY from Governor Charlie Crists' office. Here it is in its entirety. I have no idea where this leaves us.
Thank you for contacting Governor Charlie Crist's Office and sharingyour concerns about recent decisions by the South Atlantic FisheryManagement Council ("the Council"). The Governor wants to know how people feel about the many critical issues we face and asked that Irespond on his behalf.Governor Crist supports the Council's efforts to protect our precious natural resources; however, the Governor believes this action will haveserious ramifications for Florida's recreational anglers and our economy. The requirement to establish strict catch limits for all federally managed species that are undergoing "overfishing" by 2010 is affecting Florida in ways that were not anticipated. A closure effectively puts Florida's fishermen out of work in an already challenging economic time and would severely diminish the multi-million dollar annual contribution the South Atlantic fishery makes to Florida'seconomy.Governor Crist has contacted Charles Davis, Chairman of the SouthAtlantic Fishery Management Council to encourage a prompt review of the science used to validate the Council's decisions in the fishery management process. The Governor also contacted U.S. Department of Commerce Secretary Gary Locke and asked that the Department do everything possible to lessen the impact on Florida's anglers while still protecting our natural resources. Governor Crist firmly believes that a fishery-wide closure must be a last resort only after all other options have been exhausted. Thank you again for taking the time to contact Governor Crist. Please do not hesitate to write again to share your concerns and ideas about issues that are important to you.
Sincerely,
Warren DavisOffice of Citizen Services
A WORD TO OUR SPONSORS
by Robin
For years, this has been one of the ultimate quick seafood fixes in our house. For approx $1.25 per can, one can eat smoked oysters which is relatively cheap when compared to eating Snow Crab legs or Shrimp (which God loves).
I keep a couple cans handy for the pantry and I even stuff some in our emergency "ditch" bag on the boat. It's protein in a can which is very handy if stranded offshore.
Anyhow, I put up with the original orange packaging for years because it made it easy to find on the shelves. But today.... I must protest. If I had true grit, I'd ban these from my house, but I won't because we have such a weakness for them, topped w/ hot sauce, salt and lemon, while sitting on a Ritz cracker. (Excuse me while I catch the drool.)
This........
This makes no sense. They are cow patches on a seafood item. For all I know, I could mistake this for cream cheese which is about the same size. What has happened to our country? Is this CHANGE we can count on? Change that doesn't make the outer packaging resemble the product inside?
Good grief WALMART executives........ does this make sense to you? Can't you at least make the blue things into fish shapes or shrimp shapes or ......... wait........ are my eyes deceiving me? Are those suppose to be oyster shapes? Oh no...... Am I the only fool who didn't get this the first 20 boxes?
What do you bloggers see?
Wait..... what did you see first? If this were some type of psychology examination, would you say, "Cow patches" or "oysters"?
Now, compare this with the Ritz cracker box in the background. Unmistakably a cracker, not a flower. A Ritz cracker, no doubt. Awesome marketing. Undeniably Ritz.
So, who's the fool now? (Please somebody comment....)
by Robin
For years, this has been one of the ultimate quick seafood fixes in our house. For approx $1.25 per can, one can eat smoked oysters which is relatively cheap when compared to eating Snow Crab legs or Shrimp (which God loves).
I keep a couple cans handy for the pantry and I even stuff some in our emergency "ditch" bag on the boat. It's protein in a can which is very handy if stranded offshore.
Anyhow, I put up with the original orange packaging for years because it made it easy to find on the shelves. But today.... I must protest. If I had true grit, I'd ban these from my house, but I won't because we have such a weakness for them, topped w/ hot sauce, salt and lemon, while sitting on a Ritz cracker. (Excuse me while I catch the drool.)
This........
This makes no sense. They are cow patches on a seafood item. For all I know, I could mistake this for cream cheese which is about the same size. What has happened to our country? Is this CHANGE we can count on? Change that doesn't make the outer packaging resemble the product inside?
Good grief WALMART executives........ does this make sense to you? Can't you at least make the blue things into fish shapes or shrimp shapes or ......... wait........ are my eyes deceiving me? Are those suppose to be oyster shapes? Oh no...... Am I the only fool who didn't get this the first 20 boxes?
What do you bloggers see?
Wait..... what did you see first? If this were some type of psychology examination, would you say, "Cow patches" or "oysters"?
Now, compare this with the Ritz cracker box in the background. Unmistakably a cracker, not a flower. A Ritz cracker, no doubt. Awesome marketing. Undeniably Ritz.
So, who's the fool now? (Please somebody comment....)
Sunday, November 29, 2009
11/29/09 BOTTOM FISHING
by Robin
Jack was able to head offshore to fish with friends. I stayed home to take care of sick kids. However, by evening, I was wanting to make the drive all the way to the port to see what everybody caught. When I pulled up to the docks, I saw my man. I could recognize him (& his back) anywhere.
I don't have the complete breakdown, but in short, from what little I heard, they went through dozens & dozens of short red snapper to be vented & returned to the bottom. They caught & kept many large black sea bass, some trigger, lots of lane snapper and two keeper Red Snapper. I was too late to photograph those.
I think I also heard something about a lot of sharks down there.
The guys cleaning fish next to Jack came back with a couple snappers and a cart full of amberjack. I think he said the big one was 40 lbs. WOW. I'm thinking they were off of a big offshore boat.
So, it is short but sweet. Got a few filets for the frig. Many boats were coming back in the dark. It's strange to have such short days when making long runs offshore. All your evening chores are done in the dark, or under lights.
Happy Fishing. Tomorrow is suppose to be a great day on the water, but we'll probably just stay home to get ready for the work week.
by Robin
Jack was able to head offshore to fish with friends. I stayed home to take care of sick kids. However, by evening, I was wanting to make the drive all the way to the port to see what everybody caught. When I pulled up to the docks, I saw my man. I could recognize him (& his back) anywhere.
I don't have the complete breakdown, but in short, from what little I heard, they went through dozens & dozens of short red snapper to be vented & returned to the bottom. They caught & kept many large black sea bass, some trigger, lots of lane snapper and two keeper Red Snapper. I was too late to photograph those.
I think I also heard something about a lot of sharks down there.
The guys cleaning fish next to Jack came back with a couple snappers and a cart full of amberjack. I think he said the big one was 40 lbs. WOW. I'm thinking they were off of a big offshore boat.
So, it is short but sweet. Got a few filets for the frig. Many boats were coming back in the dark. It's strange to have such short days when making long runs offshore. All your evening chores are done in the dark, or under lights.
Happy Fishing. Tomorrow is suppose to be a great day on the water, but we'll probably just stay home to get ready for the work week.
GOD HATES SHRIMP - NOT!!
brought to you by Robin
Jack actually made it offshore today, fishing with Mike & Helen on their boat. I stayed behind to sing up at church and then run home to be with my sick boys. I will update you on whatever they catch tomorrow (or Monday).
Meanwhile, I amuse myself with my free time by glancing over various fishing forums to see the fishing reports. I found this little gem that I wanted to link you to.
BUT.... before you go there, know this... I don't believe this. I just thought it was humorous that somebody had gone through such lengths to condemn shrimp. What's not humorous to me is the twisting of God's Word.
The Old Testament is a beautiful story book of those who had great faith, without seeing. Sometimes it is of those who lost their faith too. It is where the law is given to the Jews. However, (John 1:17) "the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ." Jesus came to fulfill the law, so that we may be able to live under His grace.
Paul writes in 1 Tim 4:4 “For every creature of God is good and nothing is to be refused if it is received with thanksgiving.” I think that if your heart is thankful for the food that you've caught or purchased, that is more important. Secondly, shrimp probably wasn't something that could be preserved well in the OT times, so disease or dissentary may have been a cause of concern. With refrigeration now, that is not a problem for us in contemporary times.
More importantly, dietary laws were made to set apart the Jews from the gentiles. After Christ, the two people groups had to come together since they would become believers in Christ and partners in ministry work for further God's kingdom. In Acts 10, you will see a change from the dietary laws (v12) to (v13) "a voice [came] to him, 'Rise, Peter, kill and eat!'" The dietary laws are gone. He was freed to eat pork, beef and even shellfish. But, he was to do it with a thankful heart. This is also why we say grace before each meal. It slows us down to remember who gave us the food to eat, each day, each meal.
So, does God hate shrimp? I think not. He created them on day 5!! Does God hate us eating shrimp? Not if you're thankful to be eating some of those most delicious, scrumptious, dripping with butter, salt and lemon juice, heavenly shrimp like we do.
Whew!! My mouth is officially watering now onto the keyboard. You see, there's another reason to love Jesus besides saving my soul from hell. LOL
As for this "religious" group of radicals, 1 Tim 4:1 says, "Now the Spirit speaks expressly that in the last times some shall depart from the faith giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils. Speaking lies in hypocrisy, having consciences seared with a hot iron."
I wish people like this would go spend their time more wisely - - like eating shrimp for dinner.
Saturday, November 28, 2009
ACK!!
by Robin
It just occurred to me that I haven't been fishing in 2 months. No wonder I have "the itch" so badly to head offshore, fish and feel the sun on my joints.
It has been far & few between trips this year.
This is the mahi we ate yesterday. It's nice to reconnect with your lunch. LOL
by Robin
It just occurred to me that I haven't been fishing in 2 months. No wonder I have "the itch" so badly to head offshore, fish and feel the sun on my joints.
It has been far & few between trips this year.
This is the mahi we ate yesterday. It's nice to reconnect with your lunch. LOL
11.27.09 - SITTING ON THE DOCK OF THE BAY
by Robin
Yesterday looked like it was going to be another quiet day after the holidays. The boys both are fighting small colds. Shopping was last on my to-do list, right after emergency surgery. ;o)
Jack and I made a beautiful mahi mahi lunch to go with our holiday leftover side dishes. We did bills. I had just started a grocery list when the phone rang. Our friends were heading to their marina to fish for bait. Saturday, they would head offshore for some nice bottom fishing.
We made the decision to leave our eldest in charge for a couple hours of babysittng and keep the germs contained to our household. Jack and I met our friends at the dock. Most of us had poles w/ little hooks and the fun began.
We brought up little jacks, pinfish, sailor's choice.... and then, the mangrove snapper started biting. Granted, they weren't huge and a few were released, but they were nice panfish overall. A couple hours later, the sun was about to set and the temperature dropped significantly.
We hugged good-bye and parted ways. It was so good to get out, share some laughs and catch bait & dinner. We drove home toward a beautiful sunset. It's little moments like these that make us to glad we live in Florida and are so accessible to great fishing waters. It also reminds me that it won't be long before the beach fishing gets on fire with pompano. I love eating pompano.
Happy Fishing. It should be a beautiful weekend to fish. I'm grocery shopping today and then heading to church tomorrow. Maybe Monday will be nice too.
Robin
by Robin
Yesterday looked like it was going to be another quiet day after the holidays. The boys both are fighting small colds. Shopping was last on my to-do list, right after emergency surgery. ;o)
Jack and I made a beautiful mahi mahi lunch to go with our holiday leftover side dishes. We did bills. I had just started a grocery list when the phone rang. Our friends were heading to their marina to fish for bait. Saturday, they would head offshore for some nice bottom fishing.
We made the decision to leave our eldest in charge for a couple hours of babysittng and keep the germs contained to our household. Jack and I met our friends at the dock. Most of us had poles w/ little hooks and the fun began.
We brought up little jacks, pinfish, sailor's choice.... and then, the mangrove snapper started biting. Granted, they weren't huge and a few were released, but they were nice panfish overall. A couple hours later, the sun was about to set and the temperature dropped significantly.
We hugged good-bye and parted ways. It was so good to get out, share some laughs and catch bait & dinner. We drove home toward a beautiful sunset. It's little moments like these that make us to glad we live in Florida and are so accessible to great fishing waters. It also reminds me that it won't be long before the beach fishing gets on fire with pompano. I love eating pompano.
Happy Fishing. It should be a beautiful weekend to fish. I'm grocery shopping today and then heading to church tomorrow. Maybe Monday will be nice too.
Robin
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
THANKFUL FISHING
by Robin
We're closely watching the weather for Thurs or Fri to go out fishing. It has been a LONG time since we fished and we're hoping to load up on some holiday Snapper.
I know to many it may seem crazy to forego the usual holiday traditions; however, we're already traveled to see our families this fall. We're also not much for turkey nor ham. If the weather fails us, we'll roast some chickens, but otherwise, we want to fish. These are the next available days.
(Oh and I'm not much for Black Friday craziness. BUT, I have noticed that many husbands are out there on Friday while their wives shop.)
by Robin
We're closely watching the weather for Thurs or Fri to go out fishing. It has been a LONG time since we fished and we're hoping to load up on some holiday Snapper.
I know to many it may seem crazy to forego the usual holiday traditions; however, we're already traveled to see our families this fall. We're also not much for turkey nor ham. If the weather fails us, we'll roast some chickens, but otherwise, we want to fish. These are the next available days.
(Oh and I'm not much for Black Friday craziness. BUT, I have noticed that many husbands are out there on Friday while their wives shop.)
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Psalm 114
The Power of God in His Deliverance of Israel
When Israel went out of Egypt,
The house of Jacob from a people of strange language,
Judah became His sanctuary, And Israel His dominion.
The sea saw it and fled; Jordan turned back.
The mountains skipped like rams, The little hills like lambs.
What ails you, O sea, that you fled?
O Jordan, that you turned back?
O mountains, that you skipped like rams?
O little hills, like lambs?
Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord,
At the presence of the God of Jacob,
Who turned the rock into a pool of water,
The flint into a fountain of waters.
(Highlighting mine to point out how the water even obeys God.)
The Power of God in His Deliverance of Israel
When Israel went out of Egypt,
The house of Jacob from a people of strange language,
Judah became His sanctuary, And Israel His dominion.
The sea saw it and fled; Jordan turned back.
The mountains skipped like rams, The little hills like lambs.
What ails you, O sea, that you fled?
O Jordan, that you turned back?
O mountains, that you skipped like rams?
O little hills, like lambs?
Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord,
At the presence of the God of Jacob,
Who turned the rock into a pool of water,
The flint into a fountain of waters.
(Highlighting mine to point out how the water even obeys God.)
Friday, November 13, 2009
SNAPPER 'TOWN HALL' MEETING
by Robin
On Wednesday night, Jack attended the SAFMC public hearing to discuss the closure for Red Snapper. It was much different than the one I attended earlier in the year, which was much more civil.
Jack says they used the huge hall which sat a couple/few hundred people. He heard some of our friends speak-out against the proposed closure. Many scientists have become aware of the issue and joined the fight against the full-closure. They brought their knowledge and analysis to the debate. We have a lawyer friend from Orlando who has made this is pet project and he walloped the council with a great speech. There was a State Representative who was in attendance and spoke on the economical impact to Florida. Three news stations covered the event, plus the Florida Today newspaper. Prior to the public hearing, FL Today made this proposed Snapper Amendment their front page story and then announced the time/place of the hearing. Every local angler's club was represented as well. Commercial boat captains came with concern & questions. The average Joe had a voice.
People were mad. Every angle was covered. Bad science was questioned. Fake "green" movements were challenged. It was heated.
Snapper stocks are coming back and people aren't going to take a large closure like this one go down without a fight.
Let me bunny trail here for a moment..... I live in a county where my friends & neighbors are already in a holding pattern about whether or not their jobs at Kennedy Space Center are going to be lost. We're talking several thousand jobs, potentially. Obama/Congress could potentially kill our entire community by discontinuing the space program. Businesses would leave or shut down. Our area exists primarily because of the space program.
So, to tie all this together, people feel like they need to fight for their rights & livelihood. Pressure is building in our community. It's going to escape in some form or manner. I believe in the American people to go with their gut instincts and fight for the truth. This public hearing is simply another outlet for that because we're sick & tired of our rights being taken away from us.
Will Brevard County survive? Will fishermen survive? Will we be able to pursue happiness? Will we keep our freedoms to speak, write, assemble, worship and fish? And while I'm on a rant and it is still my blog, will we be able to call a terrorist a terrorist? Ok, maybe that isn't where I want to go today.
Doesn't the government have something better to pursue than shutting down the majority of bottom fishing in one swift move? They have proposed amendments against kingfishing and upcoming regs on mahi too. Pretty soon, the only thing we'll be able to catch are puffer fish & sting rays. Fishermen are natural conservationist, I believe. We love wildlife or else we couldn't risk our lives and spend our paychecks being in the water or in the woods each week. We have seen redfish and billfish come back to high numbers. It is "poo-poo'd" in the fishing community if you were to come back with a billfish to eat (Swords seem to be the exception to this). Don't even post up your undersized fish on the Florida Sportsman Fishing Forum. You will be called out for not being responsible. We police ourselves because we are a prideful group of scruffy, windblown, salty fishermen. (And I say that with love...) We want to teach our kids to fish and our grandkids too.
Strict Snapper regulations are already in place. Give them a chance to work. Stop mass, indescriminate netting and longlining. But please shut up about recreational fishermen being the major cause for snapper stocks being depleted. That is such a joke since most of us are still trying to figure out how to pay for gas before the banks come and reposess our boats. (not us, just making a point)
I'm just really tired of the lies, and honestly, the fight simply to have freedom. I feel like we've regulated ourselves into a chair with ties on it and the next wrong move we make is going to result in electrocution. I mean, honestly, I'm afraid to exhale or fart because my carbon emission may be measured & taxed.
I'm sick, sick, sick of it. I just want to be able to head offshore on a nice day and pick up a couple fish for dinner. I'm sure many of us want that. I wish those councilmen with hidden socialistic agendas could see that too.
Fight for your right to fish!
Robin
by Robin
On Wednesday night, Jack attended the SAFMC public hearing to discuss the closure for Red Snapper. It was much different than the one I attended earlier in the year, which was much more civil.
Jack says they used the huge hall which sat a couple/few hundred people. He heard some of our friends speak-out against the proposed closure. Many scientists have become aware of the issue and joined the fight against the full-closure. They brought their knowledge and analysis to the debate. We have a lawyer friend from Orlando who has made this is pet project and he walloped the council with a great speech. There was a State Representative who was in attendance and spoke on the economical impact to Florida. Three news stations covered the event, plus the Florida Today newspaper. Prior to the public hearing, FL Today made this proposed Snapper Amendment their front page story and then announced the time/place of the hearing. Every local angler's club was represented as well. Commercial boat captains came with concern & questions. The average Joe had a voice.
People were mad. Every angle was covered. Bad science was questioned. Fake "green" movements were challenged. It was heated.
Snapper stocks are coming back and people aren't going to take a large closure like this one go down without a fight.
Let me bunny trail here for a moment..... I live in a county where my friends & neighbors are already in a holding pattern about whether or not their jobs at Kennedy Space Center are going to be lost. We're talking several thousand jobs, potentially. Obama/Congress could potentially kill our entire community by discontinuing the space program. Businesses would leave or shut down. Our area exists primarily because of the space program.
So, to tie all this together, people feel like they need to fight for their rights & livelihood. Pressure is building in our community. It's going to escape in some form or manner. I believe in the American people to go with their gut instincts and fight for the truth. This public hearing is simply another outlet for that because we're sick & tired of our rights being taken away from us.
Will Brevard County survive? Will fishermen survive? Will we be able to pursue happiness? Will we keep our freedoms to speak, write, assemble, worship and fish? And while I'm on a rant and it is still my blog, will we be able to call a terrorist a terrorist? Ok, maybe that isn't where I want to go today.
Doesn't the government have something better to pursue than shutting down the majority of bottom fishing in one swift move? They have proposed amendments against kingfishing and upcoming regs on mahi too. Pretty soon, the only thing we'll be able to catch are puffer fish & sting rays. Fishermen are natural conservationist, I believe. We love wildlife or else we couldn't risk our lives and spend our paychecks being in the water or in the woods each week. We have seen redfish and billfish come back to high numbers. It is "poo-poo'd" in the fishing community if you were to come back with a billfish to eat (Swords seem to be the exception to this). Don't even post up your undersized fish on the Florida Sportsman Fishing Forum. You will be called out for not being responsible. We police ourselves because we are a prideful group of scruffy, windblown, salty fishermen. (And I say that with love...) We want to teach our kids to fish and our grandkids too.
Strict Snapper regulations are already in place. Give them a chance to work. Stop mass, indescriminate netting and longlining. But please shut up about recreational fishermen being the major cause for snapper stocks being depleted. That is such a joke since most of us are still trying to figure out how to pay for gas before the banks come and reposess our boats. (not us, just making a point)
I'm just really tired of the lies, and honestly, the fight simply to have freedom. I feel like we've regulated ourselves into a chair with ties on it and the next wrong move we make is going to result in electrocution. I mean, honestly, I'm afraid to exhale or fart because my carbon emission may be measured & taxed.
I'm sick, sick, sick of it. I just want to be able to head offshore on a nice day and pick up a couple fish for dinner. I'm sure many of us want that. I wish those councilmen with hidden socialistic agendas could see that too.
Fight for your right to fish!
Robin
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
PUBLIC HEARING
by Robin
The SAFMC is having a public hearing today from 3-7 pm in Cape Canaveral. I am unable to go this time. The kids and I were able to do it earlier this year. So, Jack is going down there to give his testimony and let the council know that he disapproves of the Draconian measures to shut down all of red snapper fishing for the entire southeast coastline.
We are seeing scientists come out in helping the recreational & commercial fishermen with their fish against the closure. We concur that previously placed limits are working and the snapper stocks are coming back in the past couple decades.
There are hearings being held all month long. I'm so glad that we are able to actively voice our concerns.
by Robin
The SAFMC is having a public hearing today from 3-7 pm in Cape Canaveral. I am unable to go this time. The kids and I were able to do it earlier this year. So, Jack is going down there to give his testimony and let the council know that he disapproves of the Draconian measures to shut down all of red snapper fishing for the entire southeast coastline.
We are seeing scientists come out in helping the recreational & commercial fishermen with their fish against the closure. We concur that previously placed limits are working and the snapper stocks are coming back in the past couple decades.
There are hearings being held all month long. I'm so glad that we are able to actively voice our concerns.
Monday, November 09, 2009
APOLOGIES
by Robin
I haven't forgotten about this blog. I'm sorry it has been rather silent. We've had a variety of things come up from me being in the hospital w/ back pain to Jack getting his entire digestive track scoped, end to end. Not very fun month of illnesses for us. Also, we had hoped to fish last Monday but the weather didn't cooperate and this Monday, aside from my own recovery, Hurricane Ida is passing by us and causing quite the stir. Jack was called into work, so that suited us.
I'm sure we'll return to fishing ASAP. We have some red snapper to pull in once I get stronger. For now, I'm taking life one day at a time. I will be having a MRI soon to see what's going on with my disks.
For now, I'd like to leave you with a photo, posted w/ permission, from friends. They were fishing out of Sebastian Inlet last month and caught a baby Tiger shark!!! He's beautiful right now since he's small, but later, he'll be a terror! He was released unharmed.
I just love his pattern.
Have a blessed week.
by Robin
I haven't forgotten about this blog. I'm sorry it has been rather silent. We've had a variety of things come up from me being in the hospital w/ back pain to Jack getting his entire digestive track scoped, end to end. Not very fun month of illnesses for us. Also, we had hoped to fish last Monday but the weather didn't cooperate and this Monday, aside from my own recovery, Hurricane Ida is passing by us and causing quite the stir. Jack was called into work, so that suited us.
I'm sure we'll return to fishing ASAP. We have some red snapper to pull in once I get stronger. For now, I'm taking life one day at a time. I will be having a MRI soon to see what's going on with my disks.
For now, I'd like to leave you with a photo, posted w/ permission, from friends. They were fishing out of Sebastian Inlet last month and caught a baby Tiger shark!!! He's beautiful right now since he's small, but later, he'll be a terror! He was released unharmed.
I just love his pattern.
Have a blessed week.
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Interesting article
http://news.aol.com/article/blue-whale-washes-up-in-california/730540
We have not been fishing in a long time. We did some traveling back home to see our families. That was a blessed time well spent.
Please be in prayer about some upcoming Fishery Management meetings coming up in November that may close down much of the bottom fishing in the entire South Atlantic region. The board seems very bent on putting drastic regulations on all of us who like to fish for bottom dwellers in the winter. Now, with the price of gas & groceries going up, you can kiss good-bye those lovely fresh fish dinners when you come visit Florida or expect to pay lobster-like prices.
Happy Fishing!
Robin
http://news.aol.com/article/blue-whale-washes-up-in-california/730540
We have not been fishing in a long time. We did some traveling back home to see our families. That was a blessed time well spent.
Please be in prayer about some upcoming Fishery Management meetings coming up in November that may close down much of the bottom fishing in the entire South Atlantic region. The board seems very bent on putting drastic regulations on all of us who like to fish for bottom dwellers in the winter. Now, with the price of gas & groceries going up, you can kiss good-bye those lovely fresh fish dinners when you come visit Florida or expect to pay lobster-like prices.
Happy Fishing!
Robin
Saturday, October 03, 2009
PEELING
by Robin
I sure know how this little guy feels. I look about the same after getting sunburned on Monday while fishing.
Oh and for those of you keeping score. I broked 1 fingernail while fishing. LOL
by Robin
I sure know how this little guy feels. I look about the same after getting sunburned on Monday while fishing.
Oh and for those of you keeping score. I broked 1 fingernail while fishing. LOL
Friday, October 02, 2009
BLACK SEA BASS - 4 days later
by Robin
Still taste mighty fresh and delicious. Maybe even more delicious than..... trigger........(gasp).
by Robin
Still taste mighty fresh and delicious. Maybe even more delicious than..... trigger........(gasp).
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
9.28.09 - OFFSHORE FISHING
by Robin
I had to drag Jack out of bed at 6am to check the weather reports. We loaded up slowly and were getting gas by 8am. Not exactly "Crack o'Dawn" stuff. We were clearing the port a little before 9am, greeted by the prettiest high-level clouds. It was going to be a gorgeous, rain-free day. Plus, we were fortunate enough to have some cloud cover for the morning.
Unfortunately, we were also greeted by the occasional 5 ft wave once we stopped on our first site about 17 miles offshore. We caught the usual customers. Black Sea Bass & "short" Red Snappers. We kept a few larger Sea Bass. Then, at one point, we decided to change locations. The 2nd & 3rd locations seem to be the nursery for baby Black Sea Bass which got rather annoying since they tried their best to swallow a lot of hooks or lose an eye w/ hooks. Jack begged me to go further offshore and troll some lines. Since we weren't pulling in those mutton and lane snappers that I so hoped for, I agreed.
He was hit in less than 5 minutes on the first line but we didn't know what hit it. We drove a short distance further to see the waters crashing to the right. (Gee, it doesn't even show up well after all the uploading & downsizing.)
Here it is with some cropping. Very large Blackfin Tuna were in the area and skyrocketing out of the water. We did our best to trolling around for some of them. Nobody wanted to eat OUR ballyhoo.
I think about 45 minutes later, we gave up trolling, but noticed the seas had settled down considerably with the heat of the day. So, we went back to bottom fishing.
Truly, he's happy, but the sun is in his eyes. Poor son. He puked 2x in the morning. I would have too if it hadn't been for the ginger pills.
Jack pulled in a lot of short Red Snappers. This is one of the smaller ones. I just love the color. This color has NOT been enhanced.
Here is our son learning to take the hook out of a fish that swallowed it. We lost so many hooks to save the snapper. I lost a nice circle hook on some monster grouper that rocked up. We're almost certain that it had to be a Goliath grouper (about the size of a VW bug). My Sturdystick rod amazed me by not breaking with that fish. I had my drag on too tight and the fish couldn't pull line off the reel. I had to use my full body weight to keep from losing the rod/reel combo. He was a big'un.
Anyhow, dear son was so careful with this fish. He hated that it was bleeding. I did not because I knew it was good eating size and he was going in the cooler anyhow. The towel is also for our son's protection. I can't tell you how many times Jack and I were punctured by fin spines. The hydrogen peroxide came out a couple of times.
Oh, did I forget to mention that Jack found a nice patch of ground that was holding Triggerfish. I pulled two up back to back. These were really nice eating size.
The kids and I made a deal with Daddy that we would clean up the boat if he cleaned the fish & made dinner. He made some delicious triggerfish sandwiches and deep-fried french fries. YUMMY, especially after a day of being nauseated on the water.
by Robin
I had to drag Jack out of bed at 6am to check the weather reports. We loaded up slowly and were getting gas by 8am. Not exactly "Crack o'Dawn" stuff. We were clearing the port a little before 9am, greeted by the prettiest high-level clouds. It was going to be a gorgeous, rain-free day. Plus, we were fortunate enough to have some cloud cover for the morning.
Unfortunately, we were also greeted by the occasional 5 ft wave once we stopped on our first site about 17 miles offshore. We caught the usual customers. Black Sea Bass & "short" Red Snappers. We kept a few larger Sea Bass. Then, at one point, we decided to change locations. The 2nd & 3rd locations seem to be the nursery for baby Black Sea Bass which got rather annoying since they tried their best to swallow a lot of hooks or lose an eye w/ hooks. Jack begged me to go further offshore and troll some lines. Since we weren't pulling in those mutton and lane snappers that I so hoped for, I agreed.
He was hit in less than 5 minutes on the first line but we didn't know what hit it. We drove a short distance further to see the waters crashing to the right. (Gee, it doesn't even show up well after all the uploading & downsizing.)
Here it is with some cropping. Very large Blackfin Tuna were in the area and skyrocketing out of the water. We did our best to trolling around for some of them. Nobody wanted to eat OUR ballyhoo.
I think about 45 minutes later, we gave up trolling, but noticed the seas had settled down considerably with the heat of the day. So, we went back to bottom fishing.
Truly, he's happy, but the sun is in his eyes. Poor son. He puked 2x in the morning. I would have too if it hadn't been for the ginger pills.
Jack pulled in a lot of short Red Snappers. This is one of the smaller ones. I just love the color. This color has NOT been enhanced.
Here is our son learning to take the hook out of a fish that swallowed it. We lost so many hooks to save the snapper. I lost a nice circle hook on some monster grouper that rocked up. We're almost certain that it had to be a Goliath grouper (about the size of a VW bug). My Sturdystick rod amazed me by not breaking with that fish. I had my drag on too tight and the fish couldn't pull line off the reel. I had to use my full body weight to keep from losing the rod/reel combo. He was a big'un.
Anyhow, dear son was so careful with this fish. He hated that it was bleeding. I did not because I knew it was good eating size and he was going in the cooler anyhow. The towel is also for our son's protection. I can't tell you how many times Jack and I were punctured by fin spines. The hydrogen peroxide came out a couple of times.
Oh, did I forget to mention that Jack found a nice patch of ground that was holding Triggerfish. I pulled two up back to back. These were really nice eating size.
The kids and I made a deal with Daddy that we would clean up the boat if he cleaned the fish & made dinner. He made some delicious triggerfish sandwiches and deep-fried french fries. YUMMY, especially after a day of being nauseated on the water.
Saturday, September 26, 2009
MONDAY!! - I'm so excited
by Robin
We're going fishing on Monday. Everything is timed out together - weather, time, money, fish.
Above is a picture taken last Thanksgiving of the nice haul of Lane Snappers that we picked up while bottom fishing. It's time to fill the deep freeze again with all sorts of species. Our friends picked up some Yellowtail & Mutton snapper last weekend out on Pelican Flats, so that will be on our list of species to harvest. Of course, we'll take any Lanes and Red snapper as well. Or for that matter, Red, Gag or Warsaw groupers are found in the same area, so they can join the others in the cooler.
Gee, I'm catching all my fish before they hatch, but it's the kid in me, with Christmas fast approaching. I'm excited! I haven't been out since JUNE. That's a crime. Plus, we haven't bottom fished, with the exception of the time on Mike & Helen's boat, since last winter. This is a sport that even the kids can help haul in fish. Little man can bring in all the smaller species of snapper & black sea bass he can handle.
Well, I'm off to cook some fish for dinner. We're having company coming over tonight. Be looking for a late Monday or early Tuesday report.
Happy Fishing,
Robin
by Robin
We're going fishing on Monday. Everything is timed out together - weather, time, money, fish.
Above is a picture taken last Thanksgiving of the nice haul of Lane Snappers that we picked up while bottom fishing. It's time to fill the deep freeze again with all sorts of species. Our friends picked up some Yellowtail & Mutton snapper last weekend out on Pelican Flats, so that will be on our list of species to harvest. Of course, we'll take any Lanes and Red snapper as well. Or for that matter, Red, Gag or Warsaw groupers are found in the same area, so they can join the others in the cooler.
Gee, I'm catching all my fish before they hatch, but it's the kid in me, with Christmas fast approaching. I'm excited! I haven't been out since JUNE. That's a crime. Plus, we haven't bottom fished, with the exception of the time on Mike & Helen's boat, since last winter. This is a sport that even the kids can help haul in fish. Little man can bring in all the smaller species of snapper & black sea bass he can handle.
Well, I'm off to cook some fish for dinner. We're having company coming over tonight. Be looking for a late Monday or early Tuesday report.
Happy Fishing,
Robin
Friday, September 25, 2009
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