Seals vs. Fathers day at dolphin point.

[Eli]

We wend out to fish dolphin point this morning for fathers day. We hooked two and lost two right at the boat to those damn seals. Then they basically laughted at us the rest of the morning by following us right behind the boat. Does anyone know any legal ways to get them to stop following you like that .

[Nelly]

Hey Eli,
The best way to get them to stop following you is to haze the crap out of them before they eat that first fish!

Remember, that they cannot tear apart and eat your fish while they are underwater. When you see a pinniped while you have a fish on, have everyone on board get their gear up quickly and get the boat on top of that fish!

If the furbag gets your fish, keep the line tight and keep the boat on top of him.
NOAA has identified legal means to protect your gear and catch. Here is the link: http://swr.nmfs.noaa.gov/deter/Dets_Fisher.htm

Here's the gist of the info on that page:

The following list of "potential methods" and "deterrents to avoid" is not an exhaustive list of non-lethal methods or techniques. If you have questions about protecting your property and/or fishing gear and catch from nuisance Pacific harbor seals and California sea lions, please contact Marine Mammal Specialists (562-980-3232) or NOAA's Office for Law Enforcement (1-800-853-1964).


Potential methods for use by fishers to deter Pacific harbor seals and California sea lions from damaging gear or catch (anglers must be actively fishing with gear deployed).

Visual Repellents/Noise Makers:

boat hazing, circling

pounding on hull

pyrotechnics (e.g., bird screamers, bangers, underwater firecrackers, cracker shells)

starter pistols*

horns, bells, whistles

Physical Contact:

sling shots

paint ball guns* (paint balls must be non-toxic and water soluble)

non-lethal ammunition (e.g., rubber bullets, sabot rounds, game stingers)

[Eli]

Thanks

[Jeff Nance]

I would try getting the pepper balls for a paintball gun. You can find these for sale on the web for about $25-$30 for a dozen. evil laugh

***JUST TO BE CLEAR *** THIS IS A WISH....these are not water soluble , so you cannot use these. Too bad.