[capthoop]

I think it is unfair that we as charter captains are considered in with the recreational allotment. I always thought a charter boat was a commercial entity. Going from all year down to 6 months hurt some. Now down to 2 months puts more out of business. Further more we have to buy extra licenses besides the regular licenses required and we can not keep one fish for ourselves. When the limits were at 4 per person we were struggling. Last year at 2 per person minus the captain and crew our bookings fell as much as the limits. We were looking at a 4 month season and setting up other kinds of trips to maybe offset the severe cut but this is a stab in the heart.

The red snapper here are so thick we can not avoid getting them while fishing for other fish. Last saturday while trying to jig for grouper I got nothing but snapper. They all went back unharmed. I am a master at the fish flipper and vented if necessary. There are some days working a head boat I will unhook over 3 hundred fish. At one point I dropped the jig and just held it there. The snapper were attacking it with a vengance. 4 drops and hold, no jigging, 4 snapper all above keeper size and we were out of there and headed home.

The sience used to set these limits are way out of line. The recreational fisherman is being falsely represented. Some areas are having problems maintaining the stocks and others are being over run with the stocks. I wish they would look at the program as they did the redfish and striped bass. Those stocks have rebounded very well. Both have seperate state limits depending on the state of the stocks in that area. Many of those limits could also be upped as both stocks have rebounded very well.

Capt Hoop
Our Freedom