MA DMF hearings

[beamie]

What is up with the proposal to not use a gaff.......

I really do not like using nets. If your boat is small enough to reach over and lip a fish by hand that you intend to release regardless of size what is the issue.

I you have a slob next to the boat that you intend to retain and fillet and/or sell if you are a comm what is the issue.

How about just fining an idiot that is seen gaffing small or any size fish and returning them to the ocean.

Just how often is this happening......enough to justify this proposal. When fishing alone allot easier to gaff a big fish then net. I have lost some nice fish trying to get one in a net on other peoples boats. Especially when there is a multi hook plug........the plug hangs up on the net stopping the fish from going in, then the hook pops out...........goodbye.......

[Clammer]

LOVE THE SECTION ON #3 about getting aid to charter & also selling fish commercially .kinda sick of seeing fish being transferred to sell , also its a lot easier to limit out commercially when ya have a group of people that paid already to fish aid in getting your commercial limit ……. I see it a lot at the dealers down the point …………… they always have there Tautog limit

the Gaff one ………..I havn,t used one on a fish in a long time ………& I don,t catch 50,s so the net isn,t a issue ,40,s fit in a net ………….I only use the gaff as a aid in retrieving a rope or a tangled line /rope around the lower unit >>

[Guppy]

Originally Posted by beamie

What is up with the proposal to not use a gaff.......

I really do not like using nets. If your boat is small enough to reach over and lip a fish by hand that you intend to release regardless of size what is the issue.

I you have a slob next to the boat that you intend to retain and fillet and/or sell if you are a comm what is the issue.

How about just fining an idiot that is seen gaffing small or any size fish and returning them to the ocean.

Just how often is this happening......enough to justify this proposal. When fishing alone allot easier to gaff a big fish then net. I have lost some nice fish trying to get one in a net on other peoples boats. Especially when there is a multi hook plug........the plug hangs up on the net stopping the fish from going in, then the hook pops out...........goodbye.......

You’d puke on com day at the Race when the bites on and there isn’t a com fish anywhere

[beamie]

Originally Posted by Guppy

You’d puke on com day at the Race when the bites on and there isn’t a com fish anywhere

I don’t reach for the gaff unless fish look about 37” plus. Less gets Hand lipped. I have heard about that Guppy but haven’t seen allot of it when I’ve been there first hand. It’s not that hard to realize a comm non comm fish but I gusss that is my opinion.
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[fishgolf]

I you have a slob next to the boat that you intend to retain and fillet and/or sell if you are a comm what is the issue.

How about just fining an idiot that is seen gaffing small or any size fish and returning them to the ocean.

Agree with Beamie on this point... if you are going to keep the large fish, it's going to die, so gaffing not a prob. And, gaffing small bass is kind of silly.