Menhaden boats of Va Beach.

[Cory ruthless Routh]

There Bbbaaacccckkkk!!!

[Mike Avery]

Yea been there for a least a week, everyday vacuuming up all the bait. If they get all the bait in this area...there will be no reason for the striper to hang around here. It's difficult to believe that our elected officials see no problem with this. Let's vote the bums out of the office.

[HisDoghouse]

Hey Mike - I did my part here in the Beach on voting them out last May. We'll see what happens the next go-round.

Joe

[Kwick Release]

Crazy that we are trying to preserve the Striped Bass fishery but at the same time the Menhaden Fleet is still allowed to rape away their primary food source.

[Mr.G.]

And if you not careful, they will net you and your boat in the process! I have had them come up on me as I am on the fish in the bait and all but net me and my rig. I refused to leave the area I was in prior to them coming up with a huge boat.. launching inflatables and running around... insane!!!

[Mike Hammer]

But they never catch game fish with the Menhaden. They can net an entire school and there isn't a single striper, cobia, or shark in the nets.

[Sam Whitefoot]

If you see that happening get on the phone and call VMRC.

800-541-4646

Follow that up with repeated calls on ch 16.

"This is motor vessel xxxx calling the Virginia Marine Police or US Coast Guard. The menhaden boats are out here at yyyy yyyyy setting their nets around recreational fishermen. They are violating code secition 28.2-903.1. Impeding lawful fishing in tidal waters."

If you are there first they are impeeding your fishing when they show up and drop their nets.

With respect to changing a law and the value of the striped bass fishery. You guys need to start wtih the Virginia Beach and Norfolk legislators at the General Assembly. You also want to get your city government representatives involved. They still have a few weeks to get legislation in place moving them off of the beach. Virginia Beach should just be realizing the value of the striped bass fishery to tourism dollars.

Sam

[gregnshay]

An interesting article on the fishery...

http://www.vims.edu/menhaden/background.html

The whole issue is unclear to me, but it seems the government of the commonwealth could make a decision as other states have. Maybe someone can give me a cliff notes explanation of the issues.

[Miss Christine]

I've fished everyday this week, monday and tuesday we had plenty of bait at CH but after the menhaden boats got thru we didn't mark much of anything on weds and today...... Monday and tuesday we had nice fish up to 37 inches, yesterday and today we had all small fish and not even alot of them.... when we came in there sounded like there might be something picking up at the green can...hope to get some reports later today....

[itch2fish]

Happens EVERY year.....one the one hand, VB has started promoting this fishery but does absolutely nothing (don't know that they can) to prevent the actions that damage the fishery. Like Christine said, all you have to do is be out there "before" and "after" the boats......it's like night and day.

Jorge