Dogone sea bass. Thought I had the day in the bag with several clients well into…

2021-05-23 19:38:13
Monty Hawkins

Dogone sea bass. Thought I had the day in the bag with several clients well into double digits when.. Dogone sea bass.
After three more stops we had action again.
Limits began popping but we were already way into overtime. Was a hard slug to get five clients limited.. Days like today make me glad I don’t book a second trip.
Ehh; I’m sixty now. That’s reason enough not to book a second trip.
Leanna Slaughter of Berlin & Lisa Good of New Holland PA were our guest reef builders today. With three cameras no splash shots turned out.
William Reid of Frederick MD had our first limit, while Jordan Scorah of Seaford DE won today’s pool.
Leanna also tagged a “third fin rip” male tog; Vic pulled up a turtle choker (mylar ballon) – and a loggerhead turtle surfaced next to the boat..

I suspect a lot of skippers and their clients wrote about the nosey new questions on our daily Vessel Trip Reports(VTRs) mandated by NOAA’s SouthEast Regional Office – SERO – through their mahi/wahoo permit. We have no representation in the SE region – not at Fisheries Council or Commission, and certainly no reason to follow what NOAA’s SE Regional Office is up to. Yet because they have the mahi/wahoo permit, their new questions carry beyond their normal regulatory boundary past Hatteras and even to Cape Cod.
A gal down south in NOAA’s Florida office told me essentially, ‘You have the right to contest these questions, but we can seize your permit and even fine you” – so I didn’t reapply. I’m never going to submit that info. It’s clearly deeper than I require as the business owner. Will re-examine when the dust settles. They’ve still managed to lock-down my VTR reports and are looking for any chink in my paperwork they can thrust a spear through.
Far more than just my efforts and those of my readership; our region’s letters landed solidly at the top of NOAA and perhaps even into Commerce (NOAA is part of the Dept of Commerce.)
These questions among others should alarm anyone in any business: How many paying clients did you carry and what was their fare? Who rode free? What did you pay for fuel per gallon? How much did you burn? These have to be answered daily! So help me I’d go nuts if I ran my business with so much scrutiny.
Lots and lots of letters from many ports.. An excellent source informed me the issue reached the top. I surrendered my mahi/wahoo permit to preserve my sea bass ticket. It was either that or lie like crazy. Once the heads of several agencies figure what they’re going to do about (what I believe is) SERO’s fantastic overstepping, then I’ll see what my chances of a renewed 2021 mahi permit are. Sometimes government has big shoulders. Other times? ‘Oh Dear, Capt. Hawkins, that application must have slipped off my desk. Will November be OK?’ becomes a distinct possibility..
Just because you fight bad regulation doesn’t mean you’ll win.
If mahi are biting the bottom off the boat 10 miles out, but I’m targeting sea bass and flounder 20 miles out, you’ll know I lost..
I’d far prefer to lose than not take NOAA to task for these madly overreaching daily questions.
Cheers All,
Monty

Capt Monty Hawkins
Mhawkins@morningstarfishing.com
Info@ocreefs.org

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