just read Bob Mottram's article in this mornings tacoma paper(tribnet.com) the article talked about some of the ideas being looked at be the state to protect some bottom fish. one idea is no use of downriggers for any fishing in the ocean!time to write the clown patrol again. the articl also said the state has no idea how many bottom fish are caught in deep water using downriggers

STOP THE INSANITY!!!!!
Really though
will it ever EVER end?
Will the so called SMART upper
class people ever really use
their brains? Do they
specifically research the most
rediculous way to make other
peoples lives hard? This reminds me
of a couple that sued
their next door neighbor because
they didn't like the color of
their house. THIS is just as dumb.
Makes me want to shoot someone. My
mind almost won't bow down to believe some
of the stories out there, even though
they are true. It just keeps saying
NO WAY there is NO WAY that this is
possible.....then you see it, and it's true.
Do these people have nothing better to do?
And do they really believe they
are helping the General interests of all of us???

This reminds me of a man that wrote
a best seller on How To Raise Your Children.
Critically acclaimed, the author was asked
how many children he had, he answered.....None.

I think we are in for a world of hurt if
the inexperienced keep speeking for the experienced.

I do feel simpathy for the occasional bullhead i impale with a 3/0 mustad, but to believe it's the fault of one specific technique to reach bottom,
is dumb.

True Stupidity is like a plague. The Stupid don't know they are stupid untill it's too late, and then alot of time and money is wasted. Then they take another bold step into Stupiddom and try to cover it up or play it off like nothing went wrong. Do they think we are really that ignorant? That we don't take notice? I need some o2.

Like many of you, i could go on forever. But that would be stupid.

I am really getting tired of the abused word, freedom. Lately it seems to only represent the freedom to complain about anothers freedom. And there should be alot more respect for it than that.

There are a lot of people in this world with the time to think of things to complain about and, I'm certain, to specifically make the lives of others more difficult. It's something exciting and somewhat risky to add spice to their otherwise boring life.
Kind of like the prison inmates who have three balanced meals a day, access to TV, weight room, and a library, probably larger than ours, in which they can learn, but use, in many cases to purely jug up the justice system with appeals, etc. Were they not sent there for punishment? And, aren't we paying for all of their amenities through taxes? Hmmmmm...

I would hope that we take a stand for our interests as sportsmen. Require that both parties on an issue bring substantial, and verified, evidence to support their case. THere are a lot of fish and game out there. THey were put here for our use, not abuse. If we are conscious of, and cautious in, that stewardship, there will plenty to go around for us and future generations.

If the fish gods are serious about protecting bottomfish, they will ban commercial dragging. I unfortunately worked on one of those ships of death about 17 years ago and witnesses the massive bicatch that just gets thrown overboard, let alone how those doors drag on the bottom. I think the 80-20 rule applies here. Most people with downriggers use them for salmon, not bottom fish. Somebody has their head up their rear end!!

I am going to have to agree with jeff'e'd for all the fisheries the commercial butcher boats do the majority of the damage.....a net catches more than the targeted fish while downriggers plust bait/plug etc are targeting specific fish.

How many bottom fish do you guys usually hook using downriggers. Like barely any at all, or a certain number a trip. And, is it possible to release bottomfish after they've been caught, or is the mortality rate too high.

I have caught sand dabs and flounder and dogfish near the bottom. I have not caught rockfish of any kind yet. Even if I did, I am able to release most all of them with no harm. In regards to rock fish, a few have sensitive swin bladders that will expand as they are brought back up and are unable to get back down. Most are released manually with no harm. This has been my experience. How about the rest of you?

( I have only caught rockfish when targeting them and usually jigging.)

The down riggers are one thing they are looking at but they also mentioned they are looking at making mooching illegal. What a joke, regulate the little guy to death but let the draggers continue the rape

No downriggers. Mooching illegal.

Might as well hang up you ocean rod.

The worst part about this whole mess, is the guys making the rules don't know squat about these types of fisheries. You ban the catch of a species, not a methodology used to catch multiple species.

I know the argument. A guy accidentally catches a yellow eye rockfish while mooching for a king at father and son rock.

Well just let it go. No harm there.

I'd hazard to guess that the powers at be know EXACTLY how these fisheries work. Nuff' said.

P.S. If you're catching dogfish, etc. while trolling, you're going too slow... speed up... you will cover more water and present to more fish, and consequently, catch more salmon.

-N.

FFF " makes me want to shoot someone"... Your more stupid than the people your ragging about.. Right idea, wrong lingo... I wonder if you "vote"

Oh you know what i mean. Sit down.