Future of Fishing

Welcome back to all my followers. I appreciate all my reader's patience and dedication to reading about a topic so dear to my heart. In this installment we will discuss the future of fishing, and two of the most destructive problems that affect it.

 

The picture above is of a commercial fishing boat. One of the major concerns for the future of fishing is overfishing. Overfishing is not just caused by commercial fisherman, but they are the most recognizable culprit. Due to the large amount of fish and other sea life that these boats haul in on a regular basis, it is important that law makers establish firm guidelines when regulating just how much they are allowed to catch and keep. Without these laws, the profit hungry commercial fisherman would strip our oceans of certain fish without concern for the affects on population and breeding of these species. My personal feelings about this problem are satisfied on one side but concerned on the other. I feel that the lawmakers have done a good job in setting the limits and rules for fishing, but I don't feel like adequate resources have been made available for the law officers that are tasked with enforcing the rules and regulations.

The other major concern that affects the future of fishing is pollution. Pollution is probably the single most damaging event in terms of killing fish. Pollution can range from household garbage and trash, to thousands of gallons of oil and other harmful chemicals. Pollution not only kills or sickens adult fish, but it also destroys millions of fish eggs that are the future breeding generations of thousands of species. When we wipe out that many eggs, we not only hurt the immediate fish population but also the population for years to come. Even the fish that survive an encounter with pollution may not be safe for humans or other sea life to consume. This cycle does not just affect the amount of consumable fish for humans but also for the rest of the chain of life. The birds, whales, and seals that depend on fish for survival are also put at risk of starvation and sickness. I feel that this particular problem is squarely mankind's fault. We have dumped our waste wherever we want for hundreds of years, and now the effects of that carelessness are coming back to haunt us. We have not even come close to doing enough when it comes to cleaning up pollution and preventing future pollution. Each day we add massive amounts of pollution to our ecosystem, and the majority of all pollution winds up in the ocean.

In general I feel that we are taking the right steps to prevent overfishing, but we have not even scratched the surface of what we need to do concerning pollution. As long as we are more concerned about money and comfort, our water's will suffer for our actions. The task of cleaning up our world is a daunting one, but if we do not start to seriously consider the consequences of our actions, then we will not have a fish population or an inhabitable world left.

Geared to Fish

Welcome back to the Importance of Fishing. In this post we will take a more detailed look at some of the gear associated with fishing and what fish are typically targeted with the use of said gear.

 

The picture above is of a  Bass Pro Shops Graphite Series Spinning Rod. This rod comes in a variety of different lengths and actions. The action is defined as light, medium, medium heavy, and heavy. In layman's terms the length and action are often referred to as a rod's "backbone". On a spinning rod the reel is mounted underneath the rod as you would hold it. This rod can also be purchased as a baitcaster. A baitcaster has an open faced reel that mounts on top of the rod as you would hold it. I selected this rod for several reason. The first reason is because of it's quality make with an affordable price tag. The other main reason for choosing this rod is because of it's great crossover ability. This rod can be used effectively in both fresh and saltwater scenarios. In freshwater this rod has plenty of "backbone" to land lunker bass or large catfish. It can be used in saltwater in similar fashion to catch trout and has the strength to handle Redfish as well. 

 

The reel on the left is an example of a spinning reel, and the reel on the right is an example of a baitcasting reel. Different fisherman have different preferences when it comes to which style of reel they prefer to use, and the reels have different styles in which you fish them, but no matter which reel you decide to use, they are both capable of catching the same fish. Most fisherman will agree that the baitcasting reel is more difficult to master and fish with. One of the challenges that determine which reel I use is the wind. If it is windy, then I will not even try to use a baitcaster. However, if the wind is not blowing, then I will use a baitcaster for it's ability to cast further and more accurately. The spinning reel is a reliable all weather reel that any fisherman can learn to use quickly.

In my next post we will take a look at the future of fishing and some of the problems and concerns that affect both commercial and recreational fisherman. I will also add my personal feelings concerning these issues and whether these problems are being properly addressed. 

Funny Fishing

Welcome back to To The Importance of Fishing. Our last installment was about answering some important questions, but this post we are gonna have a little fun.

Sometimes fishing can be boring, and I know first hand how that feels with my vast fishing experience. However, the one the that always brings me back to fishing is that unknown of never knowing exactly what you might catch or what might happen. Remember, you are out in nature, and nature is unpredictable.

One funny story that I remember from fishing happened on a large charter fishing boat. This boat was huge and easily had twenty to thirty people fishing from the sides of it. I have no dislike for rookie fisherman, but I can easily spot one. Such was the case with Fisherman Doe that I was casually observing a few people down from me. He suddenly yelled out and began furiously working the bent over fishing rod he was holding. After a few moments watching I knew something was not right about the behavior of his fish. Eventually one of the boat hands made his way over to the man and began trying to help him with his obviously massive catch. It wasn't long however before he to saw what I had seen. He instructed the man to hand over the fishing pole. The man refused because if it was a record fish he would not be able to claim it if he passed the rod off. The boat hand informed him that no matter what it was he was not going to catch it if he did not hand him the rod. Finally the man complied and gave him the rod, which the boat hand gave a massive yank and then handed back to him. The rod was still slightly bent over with something on, so the boat hand told him to continue trying to reel in his catch. When all was done and he got it to the surface he had literally caught a rock. He had managed to hook himself on the reef and mistook it as a fish. We all shared a laugh as the exhausted man proudly displayed his catch for all to see. I have to admit that it was a pretty rock. The man wanted to keep it as a souvenir, but it is illegal to remove and keep coral. After that I didn't see him fishing anymore that day.

The reason I chose this story is to point out an important fact for anyone who wants to go deep sea fishing in the future. When the experts on the boat tell you not to fish on the bottom, it might be wise to listen. You want to fish near the bottom sometimes, but if you fish directly on the bottom you will only catch rocks even if a fish does bite your hook.

In my next post we will take a detailed look at some of the equipment and the preferred fish to target with this gear.