Deep Discussions

Discussing the nature of what's going on in the seas of this great planet. Talking about everything from light topics such as fishing and travelling to tougher topics such as how we impact the life of one of our greatest sources of food.

[georgeisfishing]

Another topic of interest that I have not discussed much would be the patterns that fishing follows during the year. Fishing is a lot like hunting in which you can only catch certain fish during the fall, and others during the spring. For instance, drum can only be caught during the late fall to early spring. On the other hand, Cobia is a spring to summer fish.

This is done on a legal and natural basis to prevent overfishing and allow the species to repopulate. Even baitfish have a season, if you recall my cast net post, it isn’t always effective cause the bait will run deep during the later part of the year. Just something to think about the next time you go fishing.

[georgeisfishing]

A little something I learned when scoping out the spot I caught that black drum at, is that my favorite island happens to have year round dolphins. It turns out that they aren’t all migratory and some stay near Fripp Island on a regular basis.

This video actually caught a few very close to the shore. It is interesting because there is a strong current right where they are and they are actively feeding on the baitfish getting dragged in.

[georgeisfishing]

Here is an OLD picture of me and my good buddy Jared, as shown earlier with the remora. We were up in New Jersey on a bay shore using cast nets for some baitfish, and surely enough we had absolutely nothing as the bait fish were deeper out than we could go. I gave it a couple more casts with my net and managed to catch this monster striped bass sitting near the shore. 

With that I’d like to introduce you all to cast nets. Not what comes to mind immediately when one thinks of fishing, but it is a perfectly legal and surprisingly challenging way to catch fish nearby. It gives quite a workout and satisfaction to bring in a big haul. The process is too complicated to explain in words, but many people share videos on how to fish with cast nets.

Heres a tutorial video if you want to learn more.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eTSG6xz4YMQ

[georgeisfishing]

Gut-hooking Red Drum

Hey guys, for a class project I have been doing some reading on the effects of different types of hooks when used to catch drum. One DNR affiliated research institute did a survey-study that revealed data on the percentages of fish ‘gut hooked’ by J-hooks, offset circle hooks, and standard circle hooks. The data is as follows:

J hooks - 35-40% gut hook catch rate. 5-10% die on release.

Offsets - 20% gut hook catch rate. 10% die on release.

Circles - 5-10% gut hook catch rate. 2-5% die on release.

While these numbers may seem small, when you are dealing with thousands of fishermen in South Carolina the chances build up significantly. Perhaps using circle hooks only would be a better alternative to a higher chance of killing fish that we cannot keep. Article posted below.

www.dnr.sc.gov/marine/mrri/insh_fish/reddrum/surveyresults.html

[georgeisfishing]

The other thing I’d like do discuss this week is one of my favorite video games, naturally about fishing. It’s called Fishing Planet. This is more of an advertisement than a posting, but perhaps some of you might join me.

In this game, you will be a fisherman and go to different locations around the US, Canada, Europe, Russia, and now South America. You get to target all sorts of fish from Bluegills to Bull Sharks. The game is entirely free to play with purchase-able boosters that help you progress to different locations faster.

It’s a bit of a grind to play but totally worth it in the end. Send me a message on tumblr or reply here if you want to join me on my online fishing adventures!

[georgeisfishing]

Here’s a little something on one of my favorite forms of fishing. This is called trolling. No not like online trolling but more like fishing while on the move. Some people find this technique to be expensive and not as fun as fishing from a stationary position, but then again you aren’t targeting the same fish.

With this technique, you will go to deep waters and skim along the top creating wake (or movement) that attracts fish. You throw out large lures off the back of the boat with heavy gear and you will target large pelagic predators that can keep up and take a lure.

Through trolling, you can catch tuna, sailfish, marlin, wahoo, and other similar species. All these fish typically hunt at the surface and you cannot find a better method than this for large fish and fun fights. Try it sometime!

[georgeisfishing]

Another posting from my trip out here has been a great lesson in gigging for fish. What this means is you go out late at night at low tide, when the fish are more condensed in the water, you will shine a light and use a trident like tool to impale the fish and lift it into the boat.

I was a little skeptical of the method to begin with until I read up on the regulations. Gigging has been typically frowned upon by wildlife conservation as too effective and dangerous to the populations. These trips are heavily regulated for quantity, size, and weight and are surprisingly difficult to get the fish. Additionally, the capture and killing process is quicker for the fish than typically throwing it on ice and suffocating. When following the regulations, I’d encourage you to try it sometime, it’s late, but it’s fun.

[georgeisfishing]

It’s been a relaxing week for me. Since our school decided to cancel spring break in favor of some sporadic days off, I went and made my own and boy has it gone well. Currently I am fishing out of Fripp Island SC.

What you see here is a 19’ black drum. They certainly live up to their name when you hear them out of the water. These fish are also known around here as ‘bass’ which may confuse those who aren’t familiar with saltwater fishing. You can find these fish practically resting in the dirt on shorelines cause they are lazy bottom feeders!

[georgeisfishing]

Clean Water, Clean Conscience

In the recent week I started to follow a movement on twitter called the “#cleanupouroceans” movement. I followed their commentary and events that occur related to this movement. I also learned a great deal about how our disposal of waste impacts the ocean that we receive food from. Interesting to think that we sometimes take food from the same place we dump dirty diapers.

As someone who takes much time at the beach near a dock or pier, it gives a pretty surrounding visual of our immediate area where trash can float. I often find paper cups, bags, fishing gear (which sometimes I keep for myself if I can reach it), and other assorted non-degradable items. As where I fish is typically cleaner than other areas around the states, and still see garbage, it puts into perspective just how little these coastlines are cared for.

In short, I feel a sense of guilt, not on behalf of myself but on behalf of my fellow people who ruin the home of these organisms that we cannot always see. Perhaps take a bag to pick up the bags next time you go to the beach.

[georgeisfishing]

Ocean Dependency

This is my friend Jared. We tend to go fishing together often when we get the chance. As you can see, the slimy creature attached to his arm is often seen alongside sharks. This is a Remora and is often attached to these sharks as a means of sustainment in a symbiotic relationship with the shark. The remora gets transportation, and food from the shark (such as excess scrap from their prey), and in turn cleans the surrounding area of the shark and making it healthier for the shark to live. 

This is an interesting tidbit about how ocean organism interact and quite an interesting catch that we were not expecting to see so close to the Florida coast. I found an interesting metaphor in this fish to how humans interact with each other in similar methods from symbiotic relationships, or sometimes even parasitic relationships.

[georgeisfishing]

On a less heavy note as the last post, but still related, I’d like to talk about the enjoyment and sustainment that fishing gives. This is another picture of when  I went to Hawaii. (Hello! Yes! This is me!). The fish I have in my hand is called a Wahoo, (or natively Ono) and is a rather interesting fish to look at. This fish is often confused to a Barracuda to the laymen, but more similar to Mackerel and is highly sought after for its taste. This is a fun fish to catch as it fights hard for its size.

When people think about fishing, they may imagine sitting in a stinky boat and catching brim or bass drinking beer, but I can assure you that there is an entirely different fishing style on the ocean and much more enjoyable if you give it a chance. This summer, I invite you to go find a beach and try it out. The price of getting started on saltwater fishing isnt that bad, maybe 150 to 200 dollars will go a long way if you are interested. Let me know if you want more details on how to get going.

[georgeisfishing]

Some time ago, I started playing a game on my computer that allowed the user to simulate how commercial fishermen get to do their jobs. Naturally I started by going after tuna, but then the time of year changed and I needed to focus on other species. I found that cod was a rather profitable fish to catch and went after that species for a while. I eventually couldn’t find anymore and then later maxed out my quota and had to find something else to do.

Reflecting on this now, it got me thinking about how our demand for food by what we want, rather than what we need, can influence those who go out to fish for our demanded items. You might think, could what I want be the cause of why this item is not around anymore? While it isn’t about the sea, I invite you to think about the white rhino. This creature is nearly extinct due to poachers and people who would pay top dollar for the decorative products the animal had.

By that same logic one might think, could the same mindset be applied to sea creatures of which we consume? There may not be many as notable as the elephant, white rhino, or big cats. Take this fish for instance, the Atlantic Goliath Grouper, a fish that is reported to grow as heavy as 800 pounds, was put onto the protected species list in the 90s for overfishing off the coast of Florida. We just pay less attention because we cant see them. If these fish had the same social advocacy as those ‘big game’ creatures, perhaps there would be more participation in their protection.

[georgeisfishing]

The Sea Gives... With a Little Effort...

I had the pleasure of going to Maui a few years ago for vacation, and naturally I had to first find out how to fish in the Pacific Ocean. While I did not get to go out on my own, I did join a charter with some fine fishermen who helped me catch my first Yellowfin Tuna.

After catching this fish (which took 45 minutes for me to reel in) and returning to the harbor, the fishermen were happy and calling their spouses to come to the docks, and a crowd was gathering around to see the haul. I didn’t understand why until later when I learned the economics of the island.

As a tourist island with heavy costs of imports, many restaurants often try to promote seafood as their premier dishes. Islands like Maui have such a great market for the fishing industry that when fishermen get a catch like this, the whole fish is sold to a restaurant for a certain price. Depending on market conditions, a Yellowfin Tuna can fetch a price of between $15 to $30 dollars per pound. The value of this fish was anywhere in between $1740 to $3480 and could easily feed an entire restaurant for a few days. 

Being a bit older, I have come to appreciate the value of this catch to those fishermen and more so realize how this fish is just a drop in the bucket on how many resources the ocean has to offer.

[georgeisfishing]

Introductions

Hello everyone! My name is George and, well, you can see what my obvious interests are here. I have come to develop a great appreciation for all that the ocean provides for us. In my case, it brings enjoyment, nourishment, education, and community. 

Every year, I try to make two trips to the beaches of South Carolina, Florida, or Georgia to spend time fishing or just being generally on the water. I enjoy catching fish to see what lies below the 70% of the world we cannot see. Sometimes I do some surf fishing, going off of a pier, taking a boat out and dropping a line deep to the bottom, or other times we throw a line off the back and see what follows us. 

I’ll try to upload some pictures every once in a while to show what can be brought in, and I’ll also talk about other topics that some may not think about regarding how we can affect our great ocean.