07-24-2013, 09:37 PM
[#0000FF]No offense taken. And hopefully none given. You are correct about my "attitude adjustment". Since my earlier neutral position on spearfishing for gamefish I have experienced a few doses of reality. Before all of the bass populations (and others) began showing the effects of selective big fish removal I was not against spear fishing in Utah.
I lived in California for many years and have spear fished along the entire Pacific coast...from Mexico to Alaska. I have also been diving in the Gulf of California, the Gulf of Mexico and off several states on the Atlantic. And I have seen what aggressive spear fishing practices can do to even abundant salt water resources. Now there are lots of closures and restrictions where formerly they were not needed.
I have never spear fished any fresh water lakes or rivers. I have been diving and have done underwater photography in fresh water but without anything with which to kill fish. However, I have seen the aftermath of spear fishing now on some of Utah's Lakes and I no longer believe it is not harmful.
I have fished Utah waters since the 1960s and have observed the ups and downs caused by droughts and other conditions. These natural events take out large numbers of fish, but there are always a few larger ones left for anglers...and for spawning. But in the last 3 to 4 years of increased spear fishing activities I have seen a drastic drop in the size and abundance of decent sized fish of several species. And that has been during a period of relatively high water and good overall conditions.
Even more directly, I have had field reports and seen pictures of dead gamefish...speared...many of them while vulnerable on spawning beds. That is wrong on so many levels. Even bass anglers who fish for large females on their beds try not to harm them and make sure they return to their nests. Hard to return a big egg spewing female with a hole through her side. And I saw just such a picture from Deer Creek this year.
Spear fishermen have been lobbying for equal rights with anglers. Paying a license fee does not automatically entitle anyone to kill all the big fish in a pond...just because they can go underwater and hunt them. H&L anglers must rely on luck and guesswork to find the fish and then make them bite on whatever they are offering. Skill and luck. And if they catch a big fish it usually goes back in...still alive.
Not many states allow spear fishing for game fish. There is a reason for that. Usually only the biggest fish are killed and they represent a lot of catch and release by anglers and yearly spawning activity. Remove them all from the ecosystem and it gets out of whack.
I once had a conversation with a DWR biologist. We were speculating...based upon netting surveys and creel counts...just how many fish of each species there might be in a given lake...of each size and year class. Bottom line...thousands of yearlings, hundreds of midsize...but only tens of fish in the top end size ranges. At that time we guestimated that there might be 50 to 100 bass over 3 pounds in the lake...with maybe 10 to 20 over 5 pounds. It does not take complicated math to see that a few aggressive spear fishermen...hitting the right spots at the right time (spawning) could put a big dent in the top size ranges.
This is not just speculation. This is reality. We have some pretty good anglers in Utah and they catch good fish when good fish are available. But when they are all moaning about the lack of bigger fish for 3 years in a row...during "good" runoff and reproduction years...then there is something more contributing to the downturn. The only changing factor in this time period has been the increase in spear fishing.
Where are there still good sized bass...in spite of the recent low water problems? Utah Lake. Why? Because it is too shallow and murky for spear fishing. Where are the bass (and walleye) suffering the most? Deer Creek, Jordanelle and Starvation...where the waters are clearer...enough for the spear fishing.
I am all in favor of everybody being able to enjoy their sport...up to the point that it negatively impacts the enjoyment by others. None of us actually buys the fish and has the exclusive right to their use and enjoyment. But as with all other rights, your rights end whenever they cross over into my rights.
[/#0000FF]
[signature]
I lived in California for many years and have spear fished along the entire Pacific coast...from Mexico to Alaska. I have also been diving in the Gulf of California, the Gulf of Mexico and off several states on the Atlantic. And I have seen what aggressive spear fishing practices can do to even abundant salt water resources. Now there are lots of closures and restrictions where formerly they were not needed.
I have never spear fished any fresh water lakes or rivers. I have been diving and have done underwater photography in fresh water but without anything with which to kill fish. However, I have seen the aftermath of spear fishing now on some of Utah's Lakes and I no longer believe it is not harmful.
I have fished Utah waters since the 1960s and have observed the ups and downs caused by droughts and other conditions. These natural events take out large numbers of fish, but there are always a few larger ones left for anglers...and for spawning. But in the last 3 to 4 years of increased spear fishing activities I have seen a drastic drop in the size and abundance of decent sized fish of several species. And that has been during a period of relatively high water and good overall conditions.
Even more directly, I have had field reports and seen pictures of dead gamefish...speared...many of them while vulnerable on spawning beds. That is wrong on so many levels. Even bass anglers who fish for large females on their beds try not to harm them and make sure they return to their nests. Hard to return a big egg spewing female with a hole through her side. And I saw just such a picture from Deer Creek this year.
Spear fishermen have been lobbying for equal rights with anglers. Paying a license fee does not automatically entitle anyone to kill all the big fish in a pond...just because they can go underwater and hunt them. H&L anglers must rely on luck and guesswork to find the fish and then make them bite on whatever they are offering. Skill and luck. And if they catch a big fish it usually goes back in...still alive.
Not many states allow spear fishing for game fish. There is a reason for that. Usually only the biggest fish are killed and they represent a lot of catch and release by anglers and yearly spawning activity. Remove them all from the ecosystem and it gets out of whack.
I once had a conversation with a DWR biologist. We were speculating...based upon netting surveys and creel counts...just how many fish of each species there might be in a given lake...of each size and year class. Bottom line...thousands of yearlings, hundreds of midsize...but only tens of fish in the top end size ranges. At that time we guestimated that there might be 50 to 100 bass over 3 pounds in the lake...with maybe 10 to 20 over 5 pounds. It does not take complicated math to see that a few aggressive spear fishermen...hitting the right spots at the right time (spawning) could put a big dent in the top size ranges.
This is not just speculation. This is reality. We have some pretty good anglers in Utah and they catch good fish when good fish are available. But when they are all moaning about the lack of bigger fish for 3 years in a row...during "good" runoff and reproduction years...then there is something more contributing to the downturn. The only changing factor in this time period has been the increase in spear fishing.
Where are there still good sized bass...in spite of the recent low water problems? Utah Lake. Why? Because it is too shallow and murky for spear fishing. Where are the bass (and walleye) suffering the most? Deer Creek, Jordanelle and Starvation...where the waters are clearer...enough for the spear fishing.
I am all in favor of everybody being able to enjoy their sport...up to the point that it negatively impacts the enjoyment by others. None of us actually buys the fish and has the exclusive right to their use and enjoyment. But as with all other rights, your rights end whenever they cross over into my rights.
[/#0000FF]
[signature]