Making Baitfish Work for You

Making Baitfish Work for You

So many of us take for granted the role baitfish play in the success of our typical fishing trips. Whether you’re pursuing salmon, bottomfish, sturgeon or tuna, baitfish, both size and species, play a huge role in what ends up in the creel at the end of the day. A Tale of Two Fishing Trips […]

Marking Time: New Menhaden Stock Assessment Highlights (Yet Again) The Need for Ecosystem Goals

Marking Time: New Menhaden Stock Assessment Highlights (Yet Again) The Need for Ecosystem Goals

[On Tuesday, May 5th, a 15-state Atlantic Menhaden Management Board will decide the next steps in conserving “the most important fish in the sea,” based on the latest stock assessment; whether to continue toward an ecosystems approach that protects menhaden’s ecological role as forage, or reverse course in favor of the industry.] We have all […]

So, Which Side Are You On?

So, Which Side Are You On?

While we gear-up for another season, anglers are unaware that the cards are being stacked against them A lot of us are de-winterizing and prepping boats, dusting off waders, changing out hooks on plugs, tying flies, making trips to West Marine and the local tackle shops, etc. All the while the question remains in the […]

The Best Fisheries Law in the World

The Best Fisheries Law in the World

On January 1, 2014, the European Union’s amended Common Fisheries Policy went into effect. The policy requires that, during the next five years, “catch limits should be set that are sustainable and maintain fish stocks in the long term.” It appears that European fisheries managers are finally adopting the concept of “maximum sustainable yield.” As […]

Sirens of the Sea

Sirens of the Sea

“Mama, don’t let your babies grow up to be cowboys.” — from a country music song written by Ed and Patsy Bruce There are different gangplanks for boarding a boat to become a fisherman—and please note that my women skipper and deckhand friends from Alaska prefer to be called fishermen. Some fishermen come at it […]