On Mon, 06 Jun 2005 18:02:39 -0400, HarryKrause
wrote:

~~ snippage ~~

Why would any boater bother to set their radar up to track birds?

To find baitfish, or whatever fish the birds are diving on. Under the
baitfish, there may well be something larger and more interesting.

In the old days, that could have been anything - experience, time and
weather gave you a good idea, but you really never knew. Now, at
least up here, you have to track water temps and where the Gulf
Stream is running to have a sound idea of what might be lurking. It's
a tad more complex than in the old days.

~~ snippage ~~

With open array radar right off the Florida coast, you could find birds
diving close to shore. That told you where the bait was, so you'd run
over to the area and castnet for shrimp or pogies or whatever, and fill
your live well.

Interesting you should mention that. Over in RI, there is a huge
debate raging among the members of the salt water anglers association
about one particular operator who is allowed to denude Narragansett
Bay of bunker. This year, there has been a direct correlation between
the decrease of herring stocks and the stripping of bunker from the
Bay and the number and size of stripers.

The one boat that is allowed to strip bunker is, curiously enough, a
provider of bait to bait shops up and down the coast. He's allowed to
strip Narragansett Bay for bait shops in New Jersey.

Back as recent as 2000, I used to go out, cast a net and have enough
fresh bait for the day - I'd give the excess to any lobsterman I
happened to see on the return trip.

Now? It's a joke.

Later,

Tom