I was gonna comment on another thread about folks complaining on numbers for shrimp down this year, but I didn't want to hi jack. Last weekend Memorial day, we spent 4 wonderful days on the water in PWS. It was gorgeous to say the least. I was shrimping in the vicinity of Granite Mine near Hobo Bay and Packenham Point at 450-600 feet of water. On my first set as I was setting there was a commercial boat with lots of pots on board kinda just handing out. I lingered in the area, and within an hour, that boat pulled two shrimp pots from the water and left the area. I didn't think much of it. Later on, I was wondering if season was open for him that day? Anyways shrimp count was very inconsistent, but over all about 1/2 of what I did last year. The commercial fisherman were out catching Chums at the enterances of Esther Passage on both ends of the pass. I was camped just inside the pass across from where I was shrimping. One of the fisherman, he and his wife had set a net blocking the beach were I was obviously camped so I pulled along side and asked how much longer before he pulls his net so I could get to my camp spot so I would not interfere with his set. We got to talking and I asked him if he had any insite on the commercial shrimping, how they did and how profitiable it was. He shared that he didn't personally shrimp with his boat, but he said several of his buddies all get together and shrimp. When I asked how profitable it was he laughed and said, there was really no money in it, it was how everyone filled their freezers and their friends and family's freezers, and its a great write off. I asked how they did this with 20 pots and he said the limit was 40 pots per vessel.
Well to say the least, I didn't reflect my instant sour pissed off attitude to him as he and his wife were pretty gracious, pulled their net and moved while we watched upclose on how it they caught fish. My son and wife got a kick out of watching. Not knowing how true this information he shared was, but it really got to me. If the pot limit was brought down from last year of 8 back to 5 but the commercial guys went up from 20-40 and they really can't make any money at it, but are filling their freezers, family and friends freezers, isn't that what we sport fisherman are doing minus the tax write off. So why the double standard?
Well to say the least, I didn't reflect my instant sour pissed off attitude to him as he and his wife were pretty gracious, pulled their net and moved while we watched upclose on how it they caught fish. My son and wife got a kick out of watching. Not knowing how true this information he shared was, but it really got to me. If the pot limit was brought down from last year of 8 back to 5 but the commercial guys went up from 20-40 and they really can't make any money at it, but are filling their freezers, family and friends freezers, isn't that what we sport fisherman are doing minus the tax write off. So why the double standard?
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