# ocean veiw beach fishing.!!!



## LyNn-PiEr-FiShEr (Feb 28, 2005)

Oct. 12 Me and ask4fish were at lynn pier and got nothing stayed till about 8 pm and went back to his house and fished off the beach and put a gill net out. I got a 27 1/2 in stiper about 10 lbs. lost an even nicer one earlier that night. ask had blues tear his bait up. in the gill net we got a 20 in stiper some baby black drum, a huge mullet, spot, croaker, shad. overall a good night left around 12:30 am.


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## ROUSH616172699 (Sep 17, 2007)

thanks for the report. Whereabouts in ov were you and what rigs and bait were you using?


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## The Crew (Jul 8, 2007)

*Gill Net*

Don't think that's fishin.


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## babz369 (Nov 6, 2006)

is it leagal


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## The Crew (Jul 8, 2007)

Let me just come out and say it point blank...gill netting is destructive. Its not in the Spirit of recreational fishing in any sense of the word. I really don't have ANY respect for guys who would do it and call it fishing. It's a fantastic way to ensure your children's children won't have the joy of fishing we all have today, because you catch so much that shouldn't be caught - undersized fish (like your baby black drum that won't grow up) and going over the limit. Be men and put the net in the trash, becasue that's EXACTLY what it is!


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## LyNn-PiEr-FiShEr (Feb 28, 2005)

ok bro we use it to catch bait and we threw every thing back so that black drum is on its way of growing up .
To answer you ROUSH we used spot heads down buy the inlet next big jetty with drum rigs.


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## dafishguy (Apr 13, 2006)

*Gill netting*

Believe it or not Gill Netting is one of the more selective ways of commercial fishing. Trawling scapes and can change the bottom, very few fish survive a long trawl. Longlining can gut hook fish, and they eventually die, no matter the species. Hook and line fishing comercially can lead to fish that are gut hooked or hooked deep dropping and the pressure difference may kill them. 
Gill netting allows the smaller fish to swim through. With the current laws in VA and I believe NC, comercial fisherman are not allowed to set the nets and leave the general area. They have to monitor their nets. In the old days, they could set them and come back days later. Not any more, the regs are a lot tougher. They stay with the nets and wait until they think they have a catch, bring them in and release at least 95% of the bi-catch or illegal fish alive. I know some of these guys and the fishery resource is more important to them than 99% of the USA. I won't say more important for you or me cause our importance is for the sport and search for fish that we all love. I love fishing, but have a world of respect for the guys that make their living catching fish to feed their families and America.


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## The Crew (Jul 8, 2007)

I owe Lynn-Pier-Fisher an APOLOGY for going right for the juglar. I should have calmly discussed it. I still feel that gill-nets (even for bait) is wrong because of its INHERENT destructive nature. There's no tellin' how many of those fish caught in the net lived and how many died. With a cast net - they aren't caught by the gills and you can quickly throw them back. THey should all survive. Even if they are legal in some states does not mean they are RIGHT to use. Lynn Pier Fisher - I apologize publicly to you.:fishing:


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## LyNn-PiEr-FiShEr (Feb 28, 2005)

thanks for the apology. its cool


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## Tom Powers (Aug 2, 2001)

Fishguy,

"With the current laws in VA and I believe NC, commercial fisherman are not allowed to set the nets and leave the general area."

I beg to differ but with some minor exceptions there are no mandatory tending laws for commercial fishermen within VA. One exception is the coastal fishery in the summer where they have to tend their nets due to turtle and dolphin interactions.

They are required to check their nets at least every 48 hours. Normally they are checked more frequently. During the warmer months responsible fishermen who want a viable product would not leave their nets for anywhere near 24 hours.

Tom


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## ASK4Fish (May 4, 2005)

recreational gillnetters may not set their nets and be anymore than 100 yards away at any time of the set...when i cut my net to ensure the survival of by-catch, then i'd say they survive...gill nets don't even really "gill"'' the fish, atleast not with my small 1 1/2" mesh...they stop the fish and cause it to struggle which usually catches a fin or a tail...usually easily removed and if not easy then i'll cut it out...my little 50' net is nothing compared to 300 yarders that comms set for their catch...besides in reguards to their "destructive" nature, i think thee one spot, one baby black drum, one striper, three croaker, and 5 gizzard shad that we did manage will have very little impact on the populations that is, IF, all of those that were released (all but the spot and croaker) died...


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## basstardo (Jun 5, 2006)

Is 1.5" legal? I thought it had to be at least 3 or 4 inches for recreational? Legal in VA in I mean.


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## ASK4Fish (May 4, 2005)

i've had VMRC come out, check my registration, measure the mesh, check the cooler, check for net bags suspended off the weights, etc. and never a word about "you can't be doing this"...the only one violation i've had is that i was technically too close to a rock jetty one time but i realized it before they got there and it was corrected before they got there...people call about it all the time thinking they're serving some righteous cause but if its legal and having no impact, why complain?


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## basstardo (Jun 5, 2006)

I totally agree, as long as you're in the regs, it's fine. A lot of people were fussing about their use on the James River to get gizzard shad for catfish bait. They have since updated the regs to allow freshwater use, even though that stretch of river is managed by the VMRC since it's tidal. The mesh size for the river versus the bay is probably different, and that's why I asked the question. Hate to see someone get popped for misunderstanding the rules.


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## Steve O (Nov 3, 2005)

http://www.mrc.state.va.us/regulations/gillnetrules.shtm
See above link for gill net regs. Used to set them years ago and it appears that the mesh size has decreased from 3" to 2 7/8" stretched length.An exception is made for mullet. Its 2"


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## eaglesfanguy (May 1, 2003)

I beg to differ on survival rate of by-catch.. Ive seen it first hand..
When the net comes aboard.. and is dumped on the deck.. the by-catch is the last thing that is saved.. 
Net comes aboard, targeted species is gatherd.. then the rest is swept and hosed overboard!..
Screw you net guys..
One man one pole.. catch em yourself.


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## Dr. Bubba (Nov 9, 1999)

Eaglesfan,

While there may be many that share your sentiment, simmer down now. If they are within the law with mesh, set times, and the like then they deserve a little better than "screw you". 

These dudes aint conducting some big time operation, they're catching bait.
They have a vested interest to check that thing regularly...


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## OBX Jay (Sep 3, 2007)

Geez you guys,
I don't think gill netting is cool either. But, then again I don't think running deer with dogs is sporting. Course I'm in the minority in VA. I don't condemn the dog-deer "hunters". But if you don't like the laws you work to change them. Meanwhile, I thought this was a fishing site. I don't consider netting "fishing". Just me.


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## dafishguy (Apr 13, 2006)

*Gill Netting.*

Hey Tom, I am sure you are right about the laws. Thanks for your input. I do not look up the laws but occasionally talk to some commercial fishermen who depend on Gillnetting to make their living. When the water is warm, like now, they mark fish just like us recreational guys do, set their nets where they think they will catch, and then pull the nets after a reasonable time to bring a quality product to the marketplace. the last thing they want is to have their fish die in the net and get soft. Then it has no value.
These guys, the responsible ones, just like most of society, care more for the resource than most because their livlyhood depends on it. There are occasional idiots who abuse everything, but please do not bang on the honest guys making a living that has been going on since before our continent was discovered.


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## rattler (Jul 3, 2004)

I don't have any problem with the gill net fishermen...I do have questions...it seems they set on OV bar and I don't see a boat within 100 yards...the bottom scrapers are the ones that tic me off...they leave a 2 mile silt line in their wake and kill their bycatch...I've seen it more than once...


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