It’s Time to Join the Fight!!! 3

I can remember a time as a kid growing up in Florida that I didn't give a second thought about having a license, catch card, barbless hook, circle hook, open or closed season, or what marine area I was fishing. 

 Back then, if you were fishing in salt water everything was fair game.  My how things have changed!  Don't get me wrong, I don't support the idea of a free for all like we had back then but we are way past reasonable fisheries management in this country.  We have so many groups in this country that want to take away your access to fishing that it is coming at us from all directions. 

 Environmental groups, commercial groups, government agencies, bleeding hearts you name it.  It seems that everyone has an agenda nowadays.  What once was a great American pastime has become a political power grab at every opportunity.  Gone are the days of people not participating in your activity because they don't like it, today they want to take away your oportunity to do it as well.  The problem as I see it is that we as sportsfishman have become defensive and reactionary as opposed to aggressive and assertive.  It is time that we become pro-active in defending our freedom to fish and pass down our favorite pastime to the younger generation.

We have brought up quite a few issues over the past few months on the show but it hit me this past week when I was flying back to New York.  As is my custom when I am flying, I grab every fishing magazine that I can get my hands on.  The one thing that really struck me was that every magazine I read had an article about fisherman losing rights and access.  The really scary thing was that none of the magazines had an article about the same issue!

  Here on the show the last few weeks we have been talking about the proposed closure of the west side of San Juan island from May thru September to recreational fishing (see Tom's article in this month's issue of The Reel News).  In Florida Sportsman they were talking about proposed gag Grouper closures and Red snapper closures. In Salmon Trout Steelheader there was an article about commercial bycatch being the oceans worst offender and wastes a quarter of all commercial landings.  Pacific Coast Sportfishing had an article about MPA's in Cali.  Word on the street is that these same MPA proposals are coming to the Puget Sound and San Juans just like California and Oregon. Saltwater Sportsman discussed the lack of uniform rules and how confusing that can be.  I could go on and on but you guys know what I am talking about.   

I have repeatedly said on the show that if you are a fisherman and you are not actively involved in some sort of fishing rights organization then you are missing the boat. 

 Your opportunity is being chipped away every day and to stand by and let it happen is a travesty.  I know all of the excuses but I do not care to hear any of them.  I have four active kid's, three jobs, time for charity, and still try to make as much time as I can to contribute to groups such as CCA and PSA.  If you say you still don't have any time then maybe it is money, even $25 a year to become a member in one of these or the many other worthy organizations.  Membership is one of the main things that get's politicians and the like to sit up and pay attention.

It's time to get up and get involved.