No more fishing?

I was reading my Tweetfeed this morning, and off John Cornyn's facebook page of links was THIS LINK, from Shimano (the fishing reel company).


"IRVINE, Calif. USA – October 5, 2009 – A recently published administration document outlines a structure that could result in closures of sport fishing in salt and freshwater areas across America. The White House created an Interagency Oceans Policy Task Force in June and gave them only 90 days to develop a comprehensive federal policy for all U.S. coastal, ocean and Great Lakes waters. Under the guise of ‘protecting’ these areas, the current second phase of the Task Force direction is to develop zoning which may permanently close vast areas of fishing waters nationwide. This is to be completed by December 9, 2009."

Close fishing? Talk about ridiculous. Fishing is big in our community here, and also where I grew up (land of 10,000 lakes). I grew up fishing, catching sunnies, perch and crappies. One or two bass also, but not very often. They didn't seem to like worms as much. This is another one of our freedoms, looking to be taken away by legislation, and the consequences could be serious - What about the water quality when there are too many fish in the water?

If they take away most of the fishing areas, this will close down businesses further, creating a worse job report. Unemploying more people, affecting even the little kids who go out and grab up worms to sell to the bait shops, or to fishermen at a dock.

Growing up, we had a great fishing spot, and always caught plenty of sunnies and threw away the perch, and lots of crappies, sold some to guys on boats that would come by so we could get candy and soda money, and then take a bunch home to fry up for dinner. Bullheads too, but they were only good in the spring when they were firm and not all nasty.

I remember growing up, we'd take out the boat for a day of fishing, and we'd go through the narrows under bridges, people from Minneapolis would come out for the day and go fishing along the bridges. You always had to go low wake and watch out for lines.

In the winter, there would be semi trucks out on the ice, getting carp to sell back east (why they would want to eat carp, I have no idea!), and like the movie Grumpy Old Men, every winter it was normal to see the stands of fish houses out on the lake, people driving out there to their spot, till it started warming up. The first one to go through the ice, that signaled it was time to get your icehouse off the lake. My dad was a diver that used to go with the police and help get cars and snowmobiles out of the lake.

If they take away fishing, kids will not have something fun to do with dad or mom. It would probably affect crabbing, with some chicken necks and a piece of rope, and a catchnet.

This is a disaster all around as far as I can see.