01-03-2003, 07:30 PM
Hey I might resemble that remark LOL! I have been checked more times at the Berry than you can imagine. Heck I'm on 1st name basis with half the wardens now. Partly because I shore fish and I usually catch a lot of fish, partly because I go there a lot.
But the new regs are what I have done for years at the Berry. I seldom keep more than one and always on the smaller size of things. If they limit the number of fishermen and I loose out once in awhile I can live with that. I can remember when the average fish at Strawberry was in excess of 3 pounds and catching 7 to 10 pounders was not uncommom. Now catching 3 pounders is considered a good fish!
I logged aprox. 150 hours on the Berry this last year. No matter how you look at it, that's a lot of time fishing. Yes i caught some nice fish, a few 5 pounders, a 7 pounder, even one close to 11 pounds. But i worked for those fish and let them all go to be caught another day. But the average fish is around 2 pounds and the potential of that fishery is so much more!! My youngest son wasn't believing that Strawberry can grow great fish. That was until he he saw that 11 pound cutt drag line off my reel and the 30 minute battle that followed. I have since upped the line weight and set the drag a bit tighter. That fish was so wore out by the time I got him in that I thought he might not make it. It was ten minutes of me standing in the cold water working him back and forth before he could swim away on his own. those are the type of fish that the Berry is capeable of and as fishermen we should not *settle* for less.
Climbing off his soapbox, putting away his megaphone, and waiting for the RAC meeting. Sorry for the rant guys and gals.
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But the new regs are what I have done for years at the Berry. I seldom keep more than one and always on the smaller size of things. If they limit the number of fishermen and I loose out once in awhile I can live with that. I can remember when the average fish at Strawberry was in excess of 3 pounds and catching 7 to 10 pounders was not uncommom. Now catching 3 pounders is considered a good fish!
I logged aprox. 150 hours on the Berry this last year. No matter how you look at it, that's a lot of time fishing. Yes i caught some nice fish, a few 5 pounders, a 7 pounder, even one close to 11 pounds. But i worked for those fish and let them all go to be caught another day. But the average fish is around 2 pounds and the potential of that fishery is so much more!! My youngest son wasn't believing that Strawberry can grow great fish. That was until he he saw that 11 pound cutt drag line off my reel and the 30 minute battle that followed. I have since upped the line weight and set the drag a bit tighter. That fish was so wore out by the time I got him in that I thought he might not make it. It was ten minutes of me standing in the cold water working him back and forth before he could swim away on his own. those are the type of fish that the Berry is capeable of and as fishermen we should not *settle* for less.
Climbing off his soapbox, putting away his megaphone, and waiting for the RAC meeting. Sorry for the rant guys and gals.
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