That's why everyone heads north of Smith Point to fish - LOL. Because there are no bait fish from the the Great Wicomico to Charles Point,

 

instead of closing the rock season let's close omega and see what happens. then we can compare the two and pick the one with the best outcome.

When it comes to killing menhaden Virginia stands alone. Virginia is the only state on the East Coast that allows large scale extraction of menhaden. Despite the presence of large schools of menhaden up and down the Atlantic seaboard Virginia manages to kill 80% of all the menhaden taken on the East Coast. In fact, that large scale extraction is the province of a single Canadian company, Omega Protein, operating out of Reedville. Seven ships, assisted by spotter planes, locate menhaden schools and use giant suction tubes to scoop the fish out of the water and into their holds. They are eventually used to make dietary supplements, dog food, livestock feed and other generally low value items.

 

When it comes to killing menhaden Virginia stands alone. Virginia is the only state on the East Coast that allows large scale extraction of menhaden. Despite the presence of large schools of menhaden up and down the Atlantic seaboard Virginia manages to kill 80% of all the menhaden taken on the East Coast.

The fact that Virginia is simultaneously the largest spawning ground by a wide margin, and the only state that continues to allow commercial suction fishing of such an enormous harvest of menhaden speaks poorly of all of us.

OF COURSE the industrial efficiency of Omega's menhaden slaughter is a primary cause! Anyone who posts otherwise is most likely on the Omega lobbying payroll, which I would venture to guess is substantial.

Does anyone really think that 150 small boats between R2 and the cut channel, when the weather supports us, even if every one of us were to limit out, remotely compares to the damage done in 3 hours by each of the Omega blue vacuum ships?

 

Banner yrs? LOL
Nothing even close to - what I have seen ( 50+yrs fishing bay)
And the "banner" yrs you mentioned saw MANY ill fish with skinny bellies and sores .. Not a sign of a Healthy thriving population..
Trout,flounder, blues,cobia and other fisheries have suffered damage due to lack of forage base , as well..
But I doubt your really asking for the real truth..

 

Just trying to get different views Charlie, jeez you such a dik in person.

 

 

The obvious culprit has got to be OMEGA - long term and sustained impact on menhaden populations has got to eventually have a knock on effect on the ecosystem. Add to that the rockfishing commercial community with its bag limits & routinely discard undersized bycatch ; also must have an impact on the rock fish population. Then add to that the land use surrounding the water ways that feed the bay, the unchecked runoff from agricultural fields taking with it all matter of herbicides, pesticides and a fertilizers. Then add to that all the folks who colonize the estuaries of the Bay excavating their shore line and replacing tidal marshes and living shores with sterile “rip rapped” embankments removing the habit necessary for the spawn that once fed the ecosystem & which today simply doesn’t exist anymore. Now add to that the rising water levels and consequent failing septic systems with their percentage of non degradable antibiotics and other pharmaceutical waste in the system....... it is a wander that there are any fish left in the Bay at all. We only borrow this planet from our grand children and what a mess we re leaving them. I wander if they’ll know the joy or catching a big fish? I wonder if they’ll be able to eat that fish if ever they do catch one? Tight lines y’all.

 

I agree with you birdchaser, I am not an omega fan, i happily cast a vote to push them completely out of Virginia waters. Let them go offshore. I do not believe however, that Omega is the root of the problem. I think the problem is far too complex for that. Go to google maps and look at the urban sprawl that is the bay watershed. Its insane! There is no way possible way to reproduce the natural cleansing and purification that forest land and grasslands did for millennia before the impact of Baltimore, DC, and all the way to Richmond. That said, I believe that stopping the taking of any fish over 32 inches or maybe even 28 inches for a few years will have the biggest impact on the population of stripers. That means rec and commercial. That also should apply to all the east coast states, not just virginia and maryland.

 

Jon, Had I know who you were, I would not have replied but somehow knew post was deceptive..

John... NO BS.. I am truly sorry your situation, has turned out so badly... Please do not blame me.. You need to look at others in your life As I said in past when i worked with you, at young age of 18... I do believe in Karma.. may you find peace. ( we are over 60 now! your decisions were your own!)

 

Sorry Charlie, I'm not who you think I am. I f you fish out of Morningstar, I keep my boat there. I was just expressing my opinion that Omega is the root of the fisheries problem is not based on science. It is based on drawing conclusions from what you observe. So I drew a conclusion based on what I observed. Stirring the pot, never crossed my mind. I just wanted to get people discussing factors we feel influence the one thing we all agree on, fishing sucks. Fishing is going to suck this year, and it's got nothing to do with Omega. Just like last year, going to have to run South for decent action. Also, I'm a hillbilly lineman from WV, no association with Omega.