# Proposed closure to Cobia season 2016



## 1BadF350 (Jul 19, 2006)

http://www.wect.com/story/31249798/proposed-closure-of-cobia-fishing-season-has-many-concerned



> "I have hundreds, and hundreds of clients that booked me for 18 years now to go Cobia fishing. We catch Cobias until mid-October. So, it would devastate my economy and my family. It would cost me forty percent of my income, absolutely," said Aaron Kelly, a charter fisherman who drove hours to go to Wednesday’s meeting.


Well,
If he were the only charter boat in operation in the state that would matter. But how many charter boats are in operation? "Hundreds of clients" x 2 fish per day x number of boats x days of fishing = Alot of Cobia caught. 

I'm not saying I agree with the closure but there are reasons these things happen and I would like to know what the reasoning is behind it. What data is being used? Hopefully they can find a common ground that will benefit the anglers and the fish.


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## ez2cdave (Oct 13, 2008)

1BadF350 said:


> I'm not saying I agree with the closure but there are reasons these things happen and I would like to know what the reasoning is behind it. What data is being used?


Liberals never rely on "data", only their "agenda".


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## buckstand (Sep 17, 2014)

Wait till Donald gets ahold of their liberal azz!!!

:fishing:


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## IPNURWATER (Aug 20, 2013)

So It looks like this is for federal waters so the Chesapeake Bay would be ok and anything inside the 3 miles line including piers.....?


Dave . I think I read somewhere va had a record catching cobia season last year.


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## ncdead (Jun 16, 2015)

Yeah, I was under the impression that cobia numbers were very strong.


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## ncdead (Jun 16, 2015)

Instead of closing the season it would seem to make more sense to lower the bag limit to one per day, or raising the minimum size limit above 33 inches. I'm sure there are a lot of inshore charter guys that are seriously concerned about this. Hate it for them. June is possibly the best month for cobia in North Carolina.


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## 1BadF350 (Jul 19, 2006)

IPNURWATER said:


> So It looks like this is for federal waters so the Chesapeake Bay would be ok and anything inside the 3 miles line including piers.....?
> 
> 
> Dave . I think I read somewhere va had a record catching cobia season last year.


Where did you see that?


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## ez2cdave (Oct 13, 2008)

1BadF350 said:


> Where did you see that?


Yeah, I was just going to ask that, too.


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## 1BadF350 (Jul 19, 2006)

I buddy of mine sent me the following:



> *Well here is what caused the issue.
> 
> In 2015 SAFMC came to the conclusion that Florida cobia and GA-NY (Our Cobia) were 2 separate stocks of fish.
> They decided to split the ACL (Annual Catch Limit) for cobia on the east coast between Florida and States north of Florida (Us)
> ...


Now, for VA to catch 1,200,000lbs of cobia and put it into perspective as an example, would be like 125 fishermen must have caught 2 40lb fish per day EVERY day from June 1 to September 30. (120 days or so). I just dont think its possible and that the VA data is wrong.


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## IPNURWATER (Aug 20, 2013)

There's been a post on thehulltruth.com for a few weeks now. Go Under sports fishing charter then Chesapeake bay section.

Think there was a post on stripersonline.com as well.

Also a friend of mine( one of his family members works with vdgif and my buddy tags fish) was talking about this because he was gonna get a cobia rod built until this started going around.


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## IPNURWATER (Aug 20, 2013)

https://m.facebook.com/MRCVirginia/...637/?type=3&source=48&_ft_&refid=17&__tn__=,;


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## IPNURWATER (Aug 20, 2013)

Here's the numbers

2014


http://sero.nmfs.noaa.gov/sustainab...al/sa_recreational_historical/2014/index.html

2015


http://sero.nmfs.noaa.gov/sustainable_fisheries/acl_monitoring/recreational_sa/index.html


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## IPNURWATER (Aug 20, 2013)

It's not just va catch. It's split into two zones . florida is one zone and ga to ny Including all States in between is zone two.it's counted by an acl they started. Read the Facebook link.


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## Garboman (Jul 22, 2010)

ez2cdave said:


> Liberals never rely on "data", only their "agenda".


I am from California and a Liberal at heart, and your constant berating and generalizations are somewhat amusing, I am assuming you are for Ted Cruz or that fella from New York who keeps defaulting on Casino loans in Atlantic City

Too all Recs Leave them Cobia alone..... way too many get whacked each spring. The Cobia numbers are way down from old days when it was like a Buffalo Hunt, when there were dozens and dozens coming into the pin rigs come late June on the OBX.

Just look at the parking lot at Oregon Inlet on a June Weekend and see how many boat trailers are sitting in the parking lot

This is one problem the Recs get to take most of heat for...

I think a Cobia nursery is the answer, along with one for King Mac's and buy out Omega, that would be this Liberal's agenda

Ban Handgun ownership unless you vote Democraticopcorn:


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## 1BadF350 (Jul 19, 2006)

Of course this is happening now on the west coast...
http://www.keyt.com/news/cobia-fish-farm-escapees-could-invade-pacific/38056762


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## Garboman (Jul 22, 2010)

1BadF350 said:


> Of course this is happening now on the west coast...
> http://www.keyt.com/news/cobia-fish-farm-escapees-could-invade-pacific/38056762


Cold water will keep these Cobia to the South of most of Cali.

Better send DD and the Free Agent just in case, things get out of hand..


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## Mumbo_Pungo (Dec 8, 2014)

Id rather them be proactive about cobia and keep a problem from occurring than wait until it crashes to do something. Of course people will complain because right now the numbers seem fine. News flash, a fishery isn't depleted in a couple years. It takes time, years and years of over fishing. If they start putting in some stricter management now it will pay off later. Look at what happened to the red drum in NC. I'm sure when everyone was catching plenty of them no one cared and thought it would have been insane to implement any restrictions. Then of course the population crashed.

People need to be a little more far cited on these issues. I'd rather keep a problem from happening than trying to fix it after it happens.


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## Garboman (Jul 22, 2010)

Mumbo_Pungo said:


> Id rather them be proactive about cobia and keep a problem from occurring than wait until it crashes to do something. Of course people will complain because right now the numbers seem fine. News flash, a fishery isn't depleted in a couple years. It takes time, years and years of over fishing. If they start putting in some stricter management now it will pay off later. Look at what happened to the red drum in NC. I'm sure when everyone was catching plenty of them no one cared and thought it would have been insane to implement any restrictions. Then of course the population crashed.
> 
> People need to be a little more far sighted on these issues. I'd rather keep a problem from happening than trying to fix it after it happens.


There used to be a fishery that was a slam dunk, every fall, hundreds of boats and people converged on Hatteras Island.

If the weather cooperated and the boats could get out of Oregon Inlet or Hatteras in late October through early December, the charter was going to get into epic hook-ups guaranteed.

The typical scenario was for every 6-pack that went out, they would all come back with limits for every one aboard including the Captain and Mate, at first the only limits were how many you could stuff in the fish box...as time went on only 48 could be brought back to dock, then it dropped to 24, not sure what is these days cause the fishery on the inshore out bar off Hatteras went to an early grave.

People would plan their late Fall vacation schedules around this Fishery, and off Rodanthe Pier you could see boat after boat slow-trolling Menhaden, just off the outer bar one half mile out, coming down one after another, headed South in the morning and then turned around back North to the docks of Oregon Inlet and Wanchese..

Racks and racks of dead King Mackerel hanging limp in the cool afternoon air, off in the background behind kneeling and grinning groups of men, half drunk on booze, half drunk on the accomplishment of constant reel screaming runs of the Kings headed south on their annual migration from the Virginia Capes...now those days are as faded as the Polaroids.


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## Mumbo_Pungo (Dec 8, 2014)

Garboman said:


> There used to be a fishery that was a slam dunk, every fall, hundreds of boats and people converged on Hatteras Island.
> 
> If the weather cooperated and the boats could get out of Oregon Inlet or Hatteras in late October through early December, the charter was going to get into epic hook-ups guaranteed.
> 
> ...


There are plenty more fisheries that have been over fished and depleted to fractions of what they used to be. History is full of examples on the east coast of America alone. Those who do not know history are doomed to repeat it.


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## French (Jun 18, 2005)

Garboman said:


> There used to be a fishery that was a slam dunk, every fall, hundreds of boats and people converged on Hatteras Island.
> 
> If the weather cooperated and the boats could get out of Oregon Inlet or Hatteras in late October through early December, the charter was going to get into epic hook-ups guaranteed.
> 
> ...


There is a far cry of difference between people keeping huge numbers of kings, and the sustainability of a fishery that just had it's best season in terms of number of fish caught since NOAA started collecting data in 1990 despite no increase in creel limits or decrease in minimum size. North Carolina MFC already voted to decrease the daily creel to one per person per day for 2016, and they will consider larger size limits in May. To me, with a population capable of supporting a record catch, is responsible fishery management without allowing Florida to have a full season while screwing Virginia and North Carolina anglers.

Facts:
Until 2015, the ACL was calculated for Key West to New York. In 2014 that allotment was 1.45 million pounds. In 2015, SAFMC split it into two measurement zones. They gave Florida 880,000 pounds. They caught 330,000 with the same size limit and creel limit as Virginia. Georgia to New York was only allotted 620,000 pounds. Virginia caught over 800,000 by itself with the same creel limit and size limit as Florida. North Carolina caught over 500,000 pounds. And this assumes that the data is accurate, when Louis Daniels and Michelle Duval both admitted the data was woefully inaccurate.

The closure isn't the result of any extended trends. It is the result of poor science or outright manipulation of data to ensure a closure. Based on the data Dr. Duval presented, if GA-NY had posted anything above the two worst years on record since 1990, the zone would have exceeded that 620,000 number. Plus, SAFMC took no action to close 2015 early when it became apparent that the ACL would be exceeded. Now, a record season (and any fisherman who has pursued cobia knows how cyclical their population is) that likely wouldn't be repeated... what statisticians call AN OUTLIER... will spell economic ruin for inshore charter boat captains, custom rod builders, bucktail designers etc. It means any person who fishes off a pier north of Rodanthe has zero chance of keeping even one fish in a season (closure on June 15th, I can't find a northern OBX pier that landed a cobia before June 23rd last year), and it means Virginia anglers get maybe two weeks to keep a fish while Florida gets a full season. I don't care if it is liberal, conservative, green party, marxist, nihlist, vegetarian, or the rent is too damn high party. This is poor management.

You mentioned king mackerel. SAFMC still sets the ACL for kings at 6 million pounds. Only 900,000 pounds were caught last year. They don't seem too worried about that...

2014 ACL data http://sero.nmfs.noaa.gov/sustainab...al/sa_recreational_historical/2014/index.html
2015 ACL data http://sero.nmfs.noaa.gov/sustainable_fisheries/acl_monitoring/recreational_sa/index.html 
SAFMC Briefing Book http://portal.ncdenr.org/c/document...5a4-f5db-48ab-ab68-de1d6628dc94&groupId=38337

As you can see, the shell game with the data is very apparent. Even if there are two populations of cobia, they grossly mis-calculated the biomass of the northern cobia group.


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## Loner (Sep 9, 2009)

Garboman said:


> There used to be a fishery that was a slam dunk, every fall, hundreds of boats and people converged on Hatteras Island.
> 
> If the weather cooperated and the boats could get out of Oregon Inlet or Hatteras in late October through early December, the charter was going to get into epic hook-ups guaranteed.
> 
> ...


.....with the unlimited number of NEW TO THE AREA'S......THERE WILL SOON BE A LIMIT AND SEASON ON PINFISH!!!!
THE MANAGERS keep taking seasons and limits away from the fishermen....limits get smaller and the catch gets smaller also...There was a FANTASTIC FISHERY OFF MOREHEAD CITY for kings every fall......if a boat didn't BRING BACK 100 KINGS....he might not get chartered the next day....YEARS AND YEARS....still remember where I was when the man on the back of the boat told me...WE LIMITED OUT TODAY ON KINGS........LIMIT?????
anyhoo ...regardless OF THE SPECIES....TIL WE LIMIT THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE FISHING.....WE ARE DOOMED!!!! PLAIN AND SIMPLE.....TOO MANY FISHING.....AND NOT ENOUGH FISH...OUR BEACHS ANDS WATERS ARE FILLED WITH BODIES OF FOLKs......NOT BORN IN THIS STATE....FISHING 365 DAYS A YEAR....
THE NEW BREED OF FISHERMAN JUST....reads the reports on the Net....and then his whole system of buddies all head to the hot spot....
MEANWHILE NOW THERE ARE no more STRIPERS......GRAY OR SPECKLED TROUT.....FLOUNDER...
TRUTH BE TOLD IF IT WERE NOT FOR THOSE d#$% PUPPY DRUM....THERE WOULDN'T BE anything for the NEWBYS TO CHASE AND TAKE PICTURES OF.........just a thought.....PICK UP A FISHERMAN POSTS AND 95% OF THE REPORT AND PICTURES IS SOMEONE WITH A PUPPY DRUM!!!
GET RID OF THE PEOPLE AND THE FISH WILL COME BACK.......


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## buster (Nov 16, 2006)

This is a argument that will continue for a long time.It happens to many different species due to over fishing.For years it was the stripe bass up north,and still is to an extent.Regulations were put in,changed and changed again until a "happy medium" was found.No matter what the regs. are some will not be happy.As long as the outcome favors the fish population that is what should matter,for future fishing.The striper numbers are up,but are subject to change.I personally dont know alot about cobia,due to lack of experience with them,but if they are anything like stripers any fish over 25lbs. should be released to spawn.Pictures last alot longer.Rules can be changed for tournaments also.Either way,if there is a problem it needs to be addressed before it gets too bad regardless of species.


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## French (Jun 18, 2005)

buster said:


> This is a argument that will continue for a long time.It happens to many different species due to over fishing.For years it was the stripe bass up north,and still is to an extent.Regulations were put in,changed and changed again until a "happy medium" was found.No matter what the regs. are some will not be happy.As long as the outcome favors the fish population that is what should matter,for future fishing.The striper numbers are up,but are subject to change.I personally dont know alot about cobia,due to lack of experience with them,but if they are anything like stripers any fish over 25lbs. should be released to spawn.Pictures last alot longer.Rules can be changed for tournaments also.Either way,if there is a problem it needs to be addressed before it gets too bad regardless of species.


again, NC agreed to reduce the daily creel and are considering a size limit reduction and a boat limit. The charter guys stepped up even though they aren't real thrilled about it and took their own action to help sustainability. This is an overcorrection by SAFMC based on one outlier of a season.


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## Garboman (Jul 22, 2010)

French said:


> There is a far cry of difference between people keeping huge numbers of kings, and the sustainability of a fishery that just had it's best season in terms of number of fish caught since NOAA started collecting data in 1990 despite no increase in creel limits or decrease in minimum size. North Carolina MFC already voted to decrease the daily creel to one per person per day for 2016, and they will consider larger size limits in May. To me, with a population capable of supporting a record catch, is responsible fishery management without allowing Florida to have a full season while screwing Virginia and North Carolina anglers.
> 
> Facts:
> Until 2015, the ACL was calculated for Key West to New York. In 2014 that allotment was 1.45 million pounds. In 2015, SAFMC split it into two measurement zones. They gave Florida 880,000 pounds. They caught 330,000 with the same size limit and creel limit as Virginia. Georgia to New York was only allotted 620,000 pounds. Virginia caught over 800,000 by itself with the same creel limit and size limit as Florida. North Carolina caught over 500,000 pounds. And this assumes that the data is accurate, when Louis Daniels and Michelle Duval both admitted the data was woefully inaccurate.
> ...



Not sure how long you have been in the game, but a fact is that Cobia are no where near as abundant as they were in 30 years ago. If you have never been on an end of an OBX pier and seen *200+ baits hit in one day* by rafts and rafts of Cobia, then you would realize that the fish is stressed these days.

"I can't find a northern OBX pier that landed a cobia before June 23rd last year" *I rest my case* Just net them and as suggested take a picture and let them go and your grandchildren will have something to fish for. 

At one time you could drive down to Cape Point in the wee hours of early morning and if the tide had not washed them back out to sea, there would hundreds of big drum heads and carcasses all over the beach, being attended to by the birds. We came pretty close to wiping them out by 1996 or so, to put it in perspective, I think the MAN caught around 20 Citations or So in 1996...In 2015 the MAN caught around 130...all because we started letting the big Drum go after we caught them.

No one says you can't fish for them, just release them, Every Female Cobia I killed from May-July was slam full of roe. I am just as guilty or more so than the rest of the fellas fishing back then and I would release Cobia that were under 40 inches just to let them grow up a little.


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## buster (Nov 16, 2006)

Garboman said:


> Not sure how long you have been in the game, but a fact is that Cobia are no where near as abundant as they were in 30 years ago. If you have never been on an end of an OBX pier and seen *200+ baits hit in one day* by rafts and rafts of Cobia, then you would realize that the fish is stressed these days.
> 
> "I can't find a northern OBX pier that landed a cobia before June 23rd last year" *I rest my case* Just net them and as suggested take a picture and let them go and your grandchildren will have something to fish for.
> 
> ...


Agreed


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## jay b (Dec 1, 2002)

It ain't rocket science. The "scientists" need to figure out when they spawn, what size are the best spawners and limit/close the fisheries during those times. Let the fish spawn, let the big spawning females live, just like the Drum, and keep a season open for the anglers to take a mess home to eat when possible. Other than that it's C & R.

One of the dumbest seasons up here is the Spring/early summer Rockfish season when they too are full of roe that needs to be spawned.


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## Mumbo_Pungo (Dec 8, 2014)

French said:


> There is a far cry of difference between people keeping huge numbers of kings, and the sustainability of a fishery that just had it's best season in terms of number of fish caught since NOAA started collecting data in 1990 despite no increase in creel limits or decrease in minimum size. North Carolina MFC already voted to decrease the daily creel to one per person per day for 2016, and they will consider larger size limits in May. To me, with a population capable of supporting a record catch, is responsible fishery management without allowing Florida to have a full season while screwing Virginia and North Carolina anglers.
> 
> Facts:
> Until 2015, the ACL was calculated for Key West to New York. In 2014 that allotment was 1.45 million pounds. In 2015, SAFMC split it into two measurement zones. They gave Florida 880,000 pounds. They caught 330,000 with the same size limit and creel limit as Virginia. Georgia to New York was only allotted 620,000 pounds. Virginia caught over 800,000 by itself with the same creel limit and size limit as Florida. North Carolina caught over 500,000 pounds. And this assumes that the data is accurate, when Louis Daniels and Michelle Duval both admitted the data was woefully inaccurate.
> ...


Saying we just had the best season since they started recording only proves that the fish is being pressured more. How many "best seasons" does it take before you get the worst? Thinking like that is what doomed some nay other species that are still recovering today. I Dont know how people can just ignore so many examples from the not to distant past.


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## Elgreco (Aug 12, 2014)

I don't understand why they don't do slot limits for a lot of other species. It's pretty much a fact that the slot limit helped drum rebound.


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## greg12345 (Jan 8, 2007)

don't think the slot would go over too well...big cobes are too tasty


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## jay b (Dec 1, 2002)

Just like Rockfish but how many of those did you catch last year ?? 

Tuna are the same as are other species in that the big ones taste almost as good as the smaller ones but the simple fact is the larger breeders need to be put back and the smaller ones taste good too, if not better


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## buster (Nov 16, 2006)

I think the smaller fish taste better,at least when it comes to stripers.And yes i agree the larger spawning fish should be released,but you never know what the "regulators" are going to propose.Just read on Maryland/Del. site that the striper reg. is one fish over 35 in.for them which gets into spawners.Who knows? We can complain all day and at the end we end up with laws to follow!


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## 1BadF350 (Jul 19, 2006)

Might get an extra day out of this. Its a good start. I dont have a problem with this limit being permanent.
The government will get its way regardless.

http://outerbanksvoice.com/2016/02/24/recreational-cobia-limit-cut-to-one-fish-per-person-per-day/


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## sand flea (Oct 24, 1999)

There's similar irritation at the tighter regs being put in place on stripers up north. If the science lines up with what fishermen are observing (fewer of each species, in both cases) you can take tighter regs now or a moratorium later. Nobody likes regulation and there's a lot of mistrust federal agencies have earned, but we've all seen this movie before. A fishery declines, the data backs it up. Then the recs blame the commercials and vice versa, while we all fight over a smaller and smaller share. Either limits go in place and stabilize the stock or we push things to the brink and a moratorium happens. The stock rebounds, everyone forgets, and we're back at it again in a few years. Lather, rinse, repeat.

I haven't fished for cobia in years and can't comment on whether there are fewer fish around than there were five or ten years ago, but lots of guys I know who have fished for them for years have said the stock is down. I'd rather see these fish end up like the drum rather than the king mackerel.


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## kraus (Jun 8, 2009)

They have reduced the limit to one a day now.


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## greg12345 (Jan 8, 2007)

only affects recs, commercial is still 2/d


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## 1BadF350 (Jul 19, 2006)

Dumb question, are charter boats considered rec or comm?


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## Garboman (Jul 22, 2010)

1BadF350 said:


> Dumb question, are charter boats considered rec or comm?


When the boat in question has a charter booked and recreational fishermen are aboard and watching the mate/captain fish they are recreational.

Some of the OBX charter captains also hold commercial fishing licenses and off-season or when they are not booked with a charter they are commercial, the public is not invited and the mates and crew are out for blood... and recreational limits do not apply.

So it all depends on who gets on the boat in the morning, it could be either.


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## jay b (Dec 1, 2002)

One of the problems with Cobia (besides the planet being over populated and everyone wanting to eat ALL of the fish  ) is that like every other species we continue to look for better ways to find the fish. How many boats with towers were there 20 years ago that were Cobia fishing in the inland waters ?? Now that's about all you see instead of guys getting sunburned in the cockpit and staring at a chum slick. 

I've been lucky enough to fish for them that way for the 5 or so years and everyone that does it says they'll never use another chum bucket again as long as the CBBT is still there. That and the new electronics that are improved every year the fish don't stand a chance. Just watch an episode of "Wicked Tuna" and watch how they use their bottom machines like they're gospel. Even though that aspect of the show is played up just like the rest of it there is some truth to it.

When we get so good at finding them they do need some help surviving, even if it means we have to put up with keeping fewer per day.


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## 1BadF350 (Jul 19, 2006)

I'm happy with my one or two per year


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## Alexy (Nov 1, 2010)

jay b said:


> One of the problems with Cobia (besides the planet being over populated and everyone wanting to eat ALL of the fish  ) is that like every other species we continue to look for better ways to find the fish. How many boats with towers were there 20 years ago that were Cobia fishing in the inland waters ?? Now that's about all you see instead of guys getting sunburned in the cockpit and staring at a chum slick.
> 
> I've been lucky enough to fish for them that way for the 5 or so years and everyone that does it says they'll never use another chum bucket again as long as the CBBT is still there. That and the new electronics that are improved every year the fish don't stand a chance. Just watch an episode of "Wicked Tuna" and watch how they use their bottom machines like they're gospel. Even though that aspect of the show is played up just like the rest of it there is some truth to it.
> 
> When we get so good at finding them they do need some help surviving, even if it means we have to put up with keeping fewer per day.


 You lost me at "Wicked Tuna" but yeah... your right. 
In all honesty I'm OK with 1 a day and a moratorium in spawn season. Garbo is right I can remember cleaning the cobes in summer and having the roe literally gushing out and off the cleaning table thinking that was not a good thing.


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## ncdead (Jun 16, 2015)

One fish per day seems reasonable. If it helps keeps the stocks healthy, so be it. At least it's not a complete closure. We have been offshore catching big yellowfins and you go home with your limit and struggle to eat it Or give it all away before it gets freezer burn. Everyone in question likes to put a bunch of fish on the boat. Captains like to throw a big catch on the dock, customers want to feel like they got their money's worth. Folks who drag their boats to the coast and spend a bunch of Money on fuel, hotels, etc.....they want to bring a bunch of fish home to feel justified for the effort. It's human nature. From what I understand about cobia, they are fast growing, similar to Dolphin, unlike king mackerel....


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## jay b (Dec 1, 2002)

Alexy said:


> You lost me at "Wicked Tuna" but yeah... your right.
> In all honesty I'm OK with 1 a day and a moratorium in spawn season. Garbo is right I can remember cleaning the cobes in summer and having the roe literally gushing out and off the cleaning table thinking that was not a good thing.


Not sure if you've watched an episode of that show but if you do in the future watch the boat crews when the bottom machine AKA "fish finder" makes a sound when it marks a fish on the screen. As soon as they hear the sound everyone jumps up and runs to the screen as if it was 1963 and the news man said Kennedy got shot.


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## gshivar (Aug 29, 2006)

"Wicked tuna" is bull sh#t just like swamp people! NC imposed a one fish rec limit to try to lengthen the season. The season will be shortened. Commercial can keep 2 / license holder. Charter boat with 6 can keep 6. I see no problem with creel limit, but Closing season in june/july susks. Best - glenn


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## French (Jun 18, 2005)

sand flea said:


> There's similar irritation at the tighter regs being put in place on stripers up north. If the science lines up with what fishermen are observing (fewer of each species, in both cases) you can take tighter regs now or a moratorium later. Nobody likes regulation and there's a lot of mistrust federal agencies have earned, but we've all seen this movie before. A fishery declines, the data backs it up. Then the recs blame the commercials and vice versa, while we all fight over a smaller and smaller share. Either limits go in place and stabilize the stock or we push things to the brink and a moratorium happens. The stock rebounds, everyone forgets, and we're back at it again in a few years. Lather, rinse, repeat.
> 
> I haven't fished for cobia in years and can't comment on whether there are fewer fish around than there were five or ten years ago, but lots of guys I know who have fished for them for years have said the stock is down. I'd rather see these fish end up like the drum rather than the king mackerel.


Here is the problem: NOAA and the SouthEast Regional Data Assessment and Review Group say that cobia are not overfished. Here is their recommendation (their own words- page 43/62 of the PDF from the Fisheries Management Plan published by NOAA)

"The results of the SEDAR 28 stock assessment on Gulf cobia (SEDAR 2013a) determined the biological northern boundary of the Gulf migratory stock to be north of Brevard County, Florida, with the northern delineation set at the Florida/Georgia state line for management purposes. The results from the stock assessments showed that the Gulf and Atlantic migratory groups are healthy and capable of supporting increasing landings over the next few years. To take advantage of these healthy stocks, the Councils selected Preferred Alternative 3 Option d, which establishes a Gulf jurisdictional ACL and an ACL for the eastern coast of Florida as percentages of the Gulf migratory group ACL. Under this preferred alternative, 36% of the Gulf Coastal Migratory Pelagics 44 Chapter 2. Management Alternatives Amendment 20B migratory group ACL would be apportioned to the east coast of Florida based on average landings over the last 15 years (1998-2012), and would be managed by the South Atlantic Council according to provisions preferred by both Councils in Action 5. This option offers increases in the current ACLs for both Councils, and was viewed as a fair and equitable distribution of the resource."

http://sero.nmfs.noaa.gov/sustainab...cmp/2014/am20b/documents/pdfs/cmp_a20b_ea.pdf

The problem is that the refined ACL for the new "South Atlantic Zone" (Georgia-New York) was calculated based on historical catch data averages from North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia. Why? Jurisdictional issues. SEDAR didn't have historical catch data for Virginia because Virginia (along with Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, and New York) are in the MAMFC jurisdiction. So, the average 400,000-800,000 fish a year that Virginia catches (as the state with the longest period of time where cobia reside in their waters coupled with their accessibility to non-professional anglers) wasn't even factored into the ACL calculation.

A small group of charter and "weekend warrior" fishermen like me just met yesterday with the United States Senate Commerce Committee, Subcommittee of Oceans, Atmospheres, Fisheries, and Coast Guard. The Subcommittee is currently tasked with reauthorizing the Magnuson Stevens Act. They are considering a variety of amendments that would prevent such a rigid and static response in the future, including more incorporation of fishermen-provided data, more redress for fishermen to oppose inaccurate ACL calculations like this one, the use of multiple year averages to trigger a closure rather than one outlier season, and more consideration of economic impact. The meeting went very well and we hope to see those amendments come into being when MSA comes up for a vote in the Senate. 

In the mean time, we are actively working to get some NOAA to consider other measures that were suggested but not adopted in the 2014 FMP. I am hopeful that perhaps SAFMC will consider those options and factor the reduced creel limits proposed by North Carolina and agree to keep the federal season open throughout the summer while taking pressure off states to close the fishery.


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## French (Jun 18, 2005)

sand flea said:


> There's similar irritation at the tighter regs being put in place on stripers up north. If the science lines up with what fishermen are observing (fewer of each species, in both cases) you can take tighter regs now or a moratorium later. Nobody likes regulation and there's a lot of mistrust federal agencies have earned, but we've all seen this movie before. A fishery declines, the data backs it up. Then the recs blame the commercials and vice versa, while we all fight over a smaller and smaller share. Either limits go in place and stabilize the stock or we push things to the brink and a moratorium happens. The stock rebounds, everyone forgets, and we're back at it again in a few years. Lather, rinse, repeat.
> 
> I haven't fished for cobia in years and can't comment on whether there are fewer fish around than there were five or ten years ago, but lots of guys I know who have fished for them for years have said the stock is down. I'd rather see these fish end up like the drum rather than the king mackerel.


also, when you say that you rely on the NOAA folks to protect the fishery, keep in mind the same scientists felt like the king mackerel fishery could sustain a 6 million pound recreational catch in 2015 and still be healthy. Just for the record, only 996,000 pounds ended up being caught by recreational anglers from New York to Texas. http://sero.nmfs.noaa.gov/sustainable_fisheries/acl_monitoring/recreational_sa/index.html and scroll to the bottom.

To me, the king fishery is in MUCH bigger trouble. Lowered daily creels and boat limits will keep the cobia thriving. I wouldn't be opposed to a flexible slot (3 fish per boat per day-only 1 per day over 50 inches type of deal) because, while I have seen more cobia than I can ever remember off the piers the last two years, their average size has trended much smaller than the early 2000's. I would like to see more mature big females. Again, that is an anecdotal observation and is not grounded in any science, so I may be completely wrong.


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## ez2cdave (Oct 13, 2008)

Elgreco said:


> I don't understand why they don't do slot limits for a lot of other species. It's pretty much a fact that the slot limit helped drum rebound.


It probably doesn't "fit" with their "real agenda" . . .


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## Garboman (Jul 22, 2010)

French said:


> also, when you say that you rely on the NOAA folks to protect the fishery, keep in mind the same scientists felt like the king mackerel fishery could sustain a 6 million pound recreational catch in 2015 and still be healthy. Just for the record, only 996,000 pounds ended up being caught by recreational anglers from New York to Texas. http://sero.nmfs.noaa.gov/sustainable_fisheries/acl_monitoring/recreational_sa/index.html and scroll to the bottom.
> 
> To me, the king fishery is in MUCH bigger trouble. Lowered daily creels and boat limits will keep the cobia thriving. I wouldn't be opposed to a flexible slot (3 fish per boat per day-only 1 per day over 50 inches type of deal) because, while I have seen more cobia than I can ever remember off the piers the last two years, their average size has trended much smaller than the early 2000's. I would like to see more mature big females. Again, that is an anecdotal observation and is not grounded in any science, so I may be completely wrong.


The King Fishery *Died in 1996* where were you?

Who is counting the 996,000 pounds of Rec caught King Mackerel caught last year? 

Did anyone register a King with the Federal Government before they put it on the grill?

Were are these people counting out of a cubicle? The only people I have ever seen on Hatteras are LEO Marine Fisheries types and they are interested in finding undersize Flounder and Spanish.

I would not be opposed to a *flexible release of *Cobia, you have to have released a big female that Day before you can keep any Cobia that Day, this would be based on the pure science of "Give one...Get one.."

If you kill more than three in a season you have to sit in the Corner and wait until next year.


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## jtsnake (Mar 7, 2014)

French said:


> Here is the problem: NOAA and the SouthEast Regional Data Assessment and Review Group say that cobia are not overfished. Here is their recommendation (their own words- page 43/62 of the PDF from the Fisheries Management Plan published by NOAA)
> 
> "The results of the SEDAR 28 stock assessment on Gulf cobia (SEDAR 2013a) determined the biological northern boundary of the Gulf migratory stock to be north of Brevard County, Florida, with the northern delineation set at the Florida/Georgia state line for management purposes. The results from the stock assessments showed that the Gulf and Atlantic migratory groups are healthy and capable of supporting increasing landings over the next few years. To take advantage of these healthy stocks, the Councils selected Preferred Alternative 3 Option d, which establishes a Gulf jurisdictional ACL and an ACL for the eastern coast of Florida as percentages of the Gulf migratory group ACL. Under this preferred alternative, 36% of the Gulf Coastal Migratory Pelagics 44 Chapter 2. Management Alternatives Amendment 20B migratory group ACL would be apportioned to the east coast of Florida based on average landings over the last 15 years (1998-2012), and would be managed by the South Atlantic Council according to provisions preferred by both Councils in Action 5. This option offers increases in the current ACLs for both Councils, and was viewed as a fair and equitable distribution of the resource."
> 
> ...


You are right that the 2012 assessment said they were not overfished and overfishing wasn't taking place. The report, however, showed a steady downward trend and the stock was just above the threshold for both overfishing and overfished. If the 2012-2015 data were included in an update, that would almost certainly change. 

I definitely agree that the allocations given to the Florida East coast zone vs GA north is part of the issue. The data says the stock break occurs around Canaveral, but was put at the FL/GA line for data collection purposes. I don't have a dog in the fight, just happened to witness the proceedings. 

For those who point out the record catches last year, that's not necessarily a sign there are more fish than ever out there. Maybe just more fishermen hitting up an easy to spot migration and a possible big year class of three year olds that just entered the fishery. Whether the catch data is any good is a legitimate question. I hope this is a situation where we can deal with a little less catch ahead of time instead of the fishery crashing and the Feds shutting it down.


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## moose22dog (Feb 17, 2010)

Garboman said:


> I am from California and a Liberal at heart, and your constant berating and generalizations are somewhat amusing, I am assuming you are for Ted Cruz or that fella from New York who keeps defaulting on Casino loans in Atlantic City
> 
> Too all Recs Leave them Cobia alone..... way too many get whacked each spring. The Cobia numbers are way down from old days when it was like a Buffalo Hunt, when there were dozens and dozens coming into the pin rigs come late June on the OBX.
> 
> ...


:beer::beer:


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## 1BadF350 (Jul 19, 2006)

http://portal.ncdenr.org/web/mf/fb16-018-cobia
http://portal.ncdenr.org/web/mf/proclamation-ff-09-2016
http://sero.nmfs.noaa.gov/sustainable_fisheries/faqs/documents/pdfs/south_atlantic/cobia/2016/cobia_rec_closure_faqs.pdf?utm_source=Copy+of+FB16-018+Rec+Cobia+Closing&utm_campaign=FB16-018+Rec+Cobia+Closure&utm_medium=email

Third link FAQ. Third question from the bottom of page 3. Are we allowed to keep one Cobia per day in state waters after June 20 regardless of Federal closure 3 miles out?


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## 1BadF350 (Jul 19, 2006)

Did anyone attend the Q&A meeting in KDH last night? Cliff notes?


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## 1BadF350 (Jul 19, 2006)

http://islandfreepress.org/2016Arch...nsRunHighAtFourHourMeetingOnCobiaClosure.html

And

https://deq.nc.gov/press-release/state-marine-fisheries-commission-meet-next-week-morehead-city


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## Drumdum (Jan 6, 2003)

Wow!! That picture on ifp is a fish I hooked.. haha I like French's quote.. "I would not trust your tongue if it was notarized"..


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## BaitWaster (Jan 8, 2004)

The rec data are squirrel. 

For Virginia the MRIP estimate went from
6,400 fish with a 27 lb average in 2014 to
21,400 fish with a 40 lbs average in 2015 plus or minus 45%. 

In NC the MRIP estimate went from 
9,800 fish with a 25 lb average in 2014 to 
15,800 fish with a 42 lbs average in 2015 plus or minus 30%

Makes you go hmmmmmmmmmmmm.


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## 1BadF350 (Jul 19, 2006)

NC voted to keep season open

http://pilotonline.com/sports/outdoors/north-carolina-votes-to-keep-cobia-season-open/article_d032dc84-add5-5f1e-937f-b7215c27b58d.html


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## ez2cdave (Oct 13, 2008)

1BadF350 said:


> NC voted to keep season open


Excellent news ! ! !


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## Drumdum (Jan 6, 2003)

NC chose the right route on this one,imho...


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## Jollymon (May 21, 2015)

I'm glad that they identify with the Cobia


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