[Kevin Smith]

Just got a call from a good friend that runs a charter. Says there are nets about 50-100 feet from the Monitor Merrimeck Bridge Tunnel along the island and they run half way down the curve.

My understanding is nets are not allowed within 100 yards of any bridge or jetty, so we just called it into the VMRC. Anyone else that has a buddy out there fishing today, maybe they can confirm it and call it in too?

Kevin
Weekend Mistress
CCA VA, CVSFA, SF

 

[Tom Powers]

4VAC20-252-30 I. Unless specified differently in other regulations, it shall be unlawful to place, set, or fish any gill net within 300 feet of any bridge, bridge-tunnel, jetty, or pier during any open recreational striped bass season in the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries, except during the period midnight Sunday through midnight Wednesday.

It is in regulation. Thus, if you want it changed, you can petition the Commission. The CBBT is covered in a different regulation. There it is 250 yards from the structure and it is year round.

Tom

 

[Kevin Smith]

Tom,

Thank for the heads up. Sounds like they legal unfortunately. This is one rule that really needs to be changed or there will be no rockfish at the MMBT.

:soapbox::soapbox::soapbox:

Kevin
Weekend Mistress
CCA VA, CVSFA, SF

 

[HatterasBound]

yeai saw them when i was coming home from work yesturday!! sad sight!! there were some boats on the out side of them!!!

 

[Triumph190]

I thought there was a law that stated that no one could place a net within something like 2000 yards of an artificial reef (IMG). Isn't that within that distance?

 

[Tom Powers]

The rules regarding artificial reefs basically includes only the permitted area of the reef. For instance here is the reef local to the MMBT.

Part of

4VAC20-755-20

"Middle Ground Reef" means that permitted artificial reef site with a boundary defined as beginning at a point in Hampton Roads that is 1.45 +/- nautical miles southeasterly of the mouth of Newport News Creek (Small Boat Harbor) and 3.36 +/- nautical miles east - southeasterly of Sewells Point, said point being the center radius point of Middle Ground Reef and having NAD 1983 geographic coordinates of 36º 56.700' N, 76º 23.500' W; thence northerly a radius of 1000 feet to a point on an arc, located at 36º 56.865' N, 76º 23.495' W, said point being the point of beginning; thence a 360º arc (circle) extending 6283.19 feet clockwise about the radius point to the point of beginning.

Bridges, tunnels, jetties, although they serve as artificial reefs don't count.

 

[Tom Powers]

Here is the reef area described above. From what I can tell it is a little over 200 yards from the bridge.

 

[Kevin Smith]

Nets @ MMBT

Tom,

I understand that the rules are clearly defined, but these nets run from the north end of the island of the MMBT to the end of the curve. Probably a 1/2 mile or more.

If I understand this correctly, these nets are so close to the structure that each of these 6-8 nets are probably catching hundreds of stripers each time they are pulled up (usually around twice a day) every day on Monday, Tuesday, & Wednesday and we are only allowed 2 per person per day. Seems to me that the commercial guys are catching a lot more stripers than we are and probably killing a lot of very small fish during the process. My two cents.

Kevin
Weekend Mistress
CCA VA, CVSFA, SF, TF

 

[Hamweiser]

baitfish

i was acrossed the m&m this morning and for about a half of mile there was bait skipping on the surface on the elz river side...no birds, just a bunch of small splashes and jumping bait...sounds like right near these nets?

hamweiser

 

[Kevin Smith]

Nets @ MMBT!!

There has been a lot of bait in that area lately and there almost always is, except during winter. The MMBT (like other bridges & islands( is like a small eco-system of it's own. Too bad the netters are allowed so close to such a great structure for fish of all sizes. If they let them get so close to bridges, jettys, etc, why doesn't the VMRC allow them to put nets near artificial reefs? It makes no sense to me???

:helpsmilie::helpsmilie::helpsmilie:

Kevin
Weekend Mistress
CCA VA, CVSFA, SF

 

[tenchi_the_fish]

The netters are only allowed to keep as many fish as the tags they own. The nets they use for striper are really wide and usually dont catch anything smaller than the 20-26inch fish. But it still seems to me that they are kinda close.

 

[FishPrintGuy]

I thought I was seeing things yesterday AM but I guess there are nets out there. I saw a couple bouys well within 100 yards on the James River side right in the middle of the curve where most guys fish but maybe they are something else. Sounds like the good times are over.

 

[Captain Jimbo]

Nets near bridges

Guys I believe that ther shoul be no netting near a bridge also. I am a former commercial fisherman an I know that those guys need to make a living, but I know that they can be their own worst emeny at times. If someone gets a net in their prop in the wind and tide it can be ugly if not down right dangerous. I am not making any excuses for the commercial guys but those nets are gone on the weekends. As the water cools down and the fish school up they will leave the brideges to the Sporties.

Captain Jimbo
Jimmy Simonsen

 

[stanleybros]

They are harvesting spot, croakers and trout.

 

[Kevin Smith]

Nets @ MMBT

The net messh was the larger type, so I don't think they were harvesting Spot, Coraker & Trout. They are fishing for stripers, especially considering the close proximity of the nets to the bridge and that the spot & croaker are in greater concentrations in the channel and on the other side of the channel.

Kevin
Weekend Mistress
CCA VA, CVSFA, SF, TF

 

[lemonfish]

Kevin Smith, if you really believe that those nets are catching "hundreds" of fish each ,every time, sometimes twice a day you really need an education! I personally know one of the individuals that had their nets thereand the catch was nowhere near what you estimate. This individual had five nets there and the "huge" catch was a whopping 23 fish that averaged right at 7 lbs. The nets had been soaking for about 20 hrs. It is sad the reaction that a few nets in PUBLIC waters illicit this type of reaction. Are there some unethical/greedy commercials? Withiut a doubt. But is it destruction everywhere you see a net?? If you answer yes, you are sadly, for lack of a better word, ignorant.

 

[South Paw]

My version of the truth...

I fish next to netters on a daily basis. I see them roll the nets in. The amount that lemonfish mentions is about right. And yes they are a pain in the ass sometimes especially when they change locations for one day to the next and surprise me. They are catching 100's but that's several hauls. The REAL gripe I have is if these nets are close to bridges and columns. This is a safety issue and the laws need to be rewritten if this is happening. I haven't seen the nets around the M&M yet so I can't judge. I did notice some stray floats from nets under the bridge. It would be nice if we could all come to a peaceful agreement, but I doubt that's possible.

Good Fishin

 

[Wally Shoalcat]

Last year about this time, we saw nets that were set through the JRB. I mean you couldn't troll the bridge, I thought it was a joke. The worst part there were in one of the better holes, I saw this three different days.:yinyang:Well they did give us some fresh bunker and thats all we needed.

 

[n2striper]

Hey Kevin. Let me know when you need a good Ho.I'm ready. I promise I wont try to cut off my thumb again.:nono:

 

[RKOCH]

Sunday through wed you can can set them right under the bridge if you like. They did this to be fair to both groups. The commercials get the bridge sun to wed and the recs thrs to sat seems fair to me. They let the recs have the bridge on the weekend when most are out so quit gripping.