The Modern Fish Act has passed both houses of Congress and, at this writing, is sitting on the president’s desk waiting to be signed. I hope he signs this law, although I’m sure it is not at the top of his priority list.
It has taken many years of hard work by many people in many different recreational fishing organizations to bring about this day. As the bill reads, not only will recreational fishing be treated with the same respect as commercial fishing by the Commerce Department, we will also see some flexibility in the rebuilding process.
To say that the process used by the Commerce Department to calculate how many fish are caught by recreational fishermen is a bit of a guessing game is more than a bit of an understatement. While the new process is much better than the old one, it is still not an exact science. Commercial fishermen must check in every fish they catch either by pounds or by number. Recreational catch numbers are calculated by phone surveys and on-the-dock surveys that are at best hit-or-miss. For instance, the folks who do on-the-dock surveys cannot go on private property unless asked by the property owners. That eliminates all the docks at mobile home and camper trailer parks in Sussex County.
The old phone surveys used random calls to waterfront towns to find out if the people they called fished or not. The new phone survey uses data from the Fisherman Identification Number to call people who have fishing licenses and who actually do fish.
The people who make the calls are contractors (Beltway Bandits) working for National Marine Fisheries, a part of NOAA, and that is part of the Commerce Department. Gee, no chance for error there.
Anyway, if the president does sign this bill, it will be a real victory for recreational fishermen, and we don’t get very many of those.
Surf-fishing permits Part 2
Boy, did social media light up after the news hit that the Division of Parks and Recreation was going to raise the cost of a Surf Fishing Permit by $10 for residents and $20 for nonresidents. Come on, boys, it costs more than $10 for a bag of bloodworms.
I remember back in the 1970s when Delaware Mobile Surf Fishermen surrounded Legislative Hall with our surf-fishing vehicles and packed the room with members to oppose the first attempt at creating a surf-fishing permit. Then we saw the light and supported the idea, and I have never regretted the move.
If you want to see what happens if you keep your head in the sand and stick with the idea that all beaches should be free and open, go down to the Outer Banks of North Carolina. They fought the National Park Service for years, and now it costs them more than $200 for a beach pass.
In Delaware, the Division of Parks and Recreation controls the public beaches and uses the surf-fishing permit fees to supplement its budget. If they wanted to, they could ban all motor vehicles on the beach, but then they would lose all that money, so as long as they can generate funds, they will keep the beaches open.
The closing of the Point at Cape Henlopen and parts of other beaches during the summer to protect shorebirds is because of federal laws. If the state does not protect these federally protected birds, the feds will step in and take over the beaches, and believe me, we don’t want that.
Many of the comments on social media complain about the folks who only pretend to surf fish. I have seen this practice during the summer, and while it is pretty blatant, it really doesn’t bother me because there is very little to catch at that time of year.
I have also observed the behavior of some so-called surf fishermen who cast out with their very expensive outfits, put the rod in a sand spike, then sit under a tent and drink beer all day.
Thanks for reading
I received a very nice letter from Jack Stewart, who read my column on hunting in Claymont before they paved over the hunting grounds to make I-495. Jack lived in Hillcrest and hunted between the railroad and the Delaware River. His faithful dog Scrappy is buried under I-495. I really appreciate his kind words and wish him many more good memories.
Fishing report
Not much to report. Tog are hit-or-miss. Sea bass are way offshore. Rockfish have been caught, but only a few here and there. The surf and the inlet are dead. Even the dogfish have quit. Freshwater is the only bright spot with bass and pickerel in the ponds.
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Eric Burnley is a Delaware native who has fished and hunted the state from an early age. Since 1978 he has written countless articles about hunting and fishing in Delaware and elsewhere along the Atlantic Coast. He has been the regional editor for several publications and was the founding editor of the Mid-Atlantic Fisherman magazine. Eric is the author of three books: Surf Fishing the Atlantic Coast, The Ultimate Guide to Striped Bass Fishing and Fishing Saltwater Baits. He and his wife Barbara live near Milton, Delaware. Eric can be reached at Eburnle@aol.com.
