I was talking to one of the guys that fishes down in Freeport and the word he told me was that the Big E is sold? Is that true? If so is the whole fishing out of freeport done? or just use Capt C for 12 hr trips.? I know they were trying to sell it? Thanks steve

When I went on a trip last month I spoke with one of the deck hands about Capt Elliots future.

He says the whole place is SOLD as of October.. the new owners have a 41ft Hatteras Sport Fishing boat and they will convert the Big "E" into a DIVE BOAT for long range offshore dive trips.

You will have to go to Galveston and fish with Capt John Williams or Buccaneer or on down to Port A with Capt Kelly's DSH.

Bazz

First it's Elliots next year it will be someone else..

I bet by 2012 there are only 3 party boats in Texas running offshore.


Regulations Regulations Regulations..



-Z-

you are correct Eagle.... its easy to see the rules getting more strict when "triggerfish" have limits....... One day it will be ONE FISH per boat..... The commercials are killing the rec fishing!!! Then having kill tournies, with the losers leaving the carcasses to rot in the bays sends exactly what the rules/reg departments are looking for!!! Makes me angry!!

btw~ you can bet Deep Sea Headquarters wont go anywhere... they can adapt.... They are the best, in my opinion!

I go along with the concept that the ones that stay will adapt.

We might see someone bring in a larger boat or two and start doing longer range multi-day trips for tuna and wahoo and such that haven't been targeted with the real restrictive limits yet.

On the other hand, with the people that are setting these limits, using some "Formula" that only they understand, that from what I hear is based on no actual physical proof, they may decide that sport fishing is detrimental to ALL offshore species that they just completely shut down recreational angling.

It's getting crazy out there. Money buys laws. The average rec fisherman is getting screwed. I've been saying this for years and now its just plain bad.

Yet they let commercial boats slaughter millions of fish each day. IMO more in a week than rec anglers in a whole year.

Pisses me off that the ocean is so freaking HUGE yet you have to go 3 hours out into lala land(water) to catch any good fish when just 10-15 years ago they were in close.

well 3 hours wont be enough when the long liners deplete that sector too....

Tournaments are terrible. If it not catch and release and no harm to fish then it should not be so. I watch the Mad shark series and they catch and release and lose points if the shark dies. That is how all tournaments should be run. Just my op. They need to regulate the commercial guys. They catch alot more then they are suppose to and then when they get caught they give them a little fine and say do not do it again and they head right back out and are at it again. In my op. if they are illegal if out fish are in short numbers, if they are caught then take the boat away from them. That will stop that real quick.

I aggree....take their boat. A fine will be paid and the money made back too quick by doing the same thing over again. The fishery is getting raped, mostly by other countries, and will continue until more drastic fines or seizures are made. Here, here to standing up and doing the right thing to protect our waters and fishery from becoming the same way theirs became, that's why they are here.

Shoot they have no problem taking your boat away if you run drugs or illegas, anyone remember the Poco Mas outta South Padre?


We need to have the CCA stick up for us 'fishermen' more and more. IMO.


-Z-

Thats part of the problem, our waters are affected by other countries overfishing. Fish move a lot farther than people think.

NMFS is a bunch of morons. It wont be long before all fish will have to be caught by commercials or none at all. Sad to see capt E go, but I dont blame them.

I seem to recall an article sometime last year about a shrimp boat being caught by TPWD with 800+ red snapper on board (limit for the crew was 28). The story stated that the captain & crew had a rap sheet of over 60 red snapper violations, yet the boat was still allowed to operate .... amazing.

I'll find the article & post it as a new thread. This is the stuff that blows my mind. The serious repeat offenders do the real damage, and then just get fined.