Thread: Shark Fishing Expanding

Another baby step in the right direction.

Of course, if fishing for all species were allowed as per state regulations....since it is a state facility....and it is run by the same state who set those regulations.....

Let's say that the speed limit on the state expressway system is 70 mph. There's a stretch of the expressway that requires maintenance, though, that requires workers to be in close proximity to motorists. During this period of time, it's reasonable for motorists to be required to slow down, as a matter of safety. Reasonable motorists may grumble under their breath, but generally understand that the safety of the workers is more important than the traffic logjam that results. If you know in advance about the maintenance, you just make other plans. You take a different route. You travel when there's less traffic. Those are REASONABLE responses to a possible inconvenience.

What would be unreasonable is to demand that the state standard 70 mph limit be reestablished, presumably because an individual asserts that his schedule is more important than safety of the workers or other motorists. First of all, it's a flawed premise because safety is ALWAYS the most important thing, any assurances to the contrary from the complainant notwithstanding. Additionally, it's not reasonable to think that an important decision-maker is going to put his career and his reputation on the line to accommodate the relatively minor inconvenience of one person. Imagine how the decision-maker would feel if something terrible happened and he was to blame for the wrong-headed decision!

In Alabama, STATE plans are made in Montgomery. They're not made locally and they're not made on a discussion board. Decisions come slowly. Nothing is going to radically change. About all anybody can express here is "I wish it were different". If nobody else says, "me too", then there's no consensus for change anyway. A reasonable person, absent that consensus, will make accommodations within the PRESENT paradigm.

Originally Posted by eym_sirius

Let's say that the speed limit on the state expressway system is 70 mph. There's a stretch of the expressway that requires maintenance, though, that requires workers to be in close proximity to motorists. During this period of time, it's reasonable for motorists to be required to slow down, as a matter of safety. Reasonable motorists may grumble under their breath, but generally understand that the safety of the workers is more important than the traffic logjam that results. If you know in advance about the maintenance, you just make other plans. You take a different route. You travel when there's less traffic. Those are REASONABLE responses to a possible inconvenience.

What would be unreasonable is to demand that the state standard 70 mph limit be reestablished, presumably because an individual asserts that his schedule is more important than safety of the workers or other motorists. First of all, it's a flawed premise because safety is ALWAYS the most important thing, any assurances to the contrary from the complainant notwithstanding. Additionally, it's not reasonable to think that an important decision-maker is going to put his career and his reputation on the line to accommodate the relatively minor inconvenience of one person. Imagine how the decision-maker would feel if something terrible happened and he was to blame for the wrong-headed decision!

In Alabama, STATE plans are made in Montgomery. They're not made locally and they're not made on a discussion board. Decisions come slowly. Nothing is going to radically change. About all anybody can express here is "I wish it were different". If nobody else says, "me too", then there's no consensus for change anyway. A reasonable person, absent that consensus, will make accommodations within the PRESENT paradigm.

Now u know most fisherman didn't understand nothing u just said

i have just as much fun between the bathrooms and octi as I do the octi itself! I commend the efforts to thwart the shark population! a few hours a week shouldnt be such a dismal uprising of content. put on a bubble or gotcha and getcha some spaniards by the crappers!

Johntr21,

My situation is similar to yours, in that the time we spend at the pier is limited to our advanced scheduled vacations. Yes, we spend ALOT of time at the pier, because our time is limited to vacation trips. Any restrictions on that time isn’t ideal... but my hope is that the long term goal (resident shark population balance/ fear restored) will enable future trips to the pier more enjoyable. My 13 year old son all but refuses to King fish any more. In the past 3 summers, we have hooked up on no less than 30 kings... NONE of which have been landed (only heads only or completely lost gear). Hopefully, progress will turn the tides on that running streak. It does seem possible that legal harvest of sharks will be allowed at at some point (like the Florida piers), but I’m sure the need to regulate it in the beginning is to prevent outright chaos from ensuing. This problem took a few years to develop, likely at least a few months to get back to a ideal balance.

All that being said... your vacation is planned, and the scheduled shark fishing times will possibly affect you. My hope for you that the sightseer crowds will diminish AND that you are able to experience plenty of action in the area of the pier that will be accessible during those two early mornings. I have been down in July in the past couple years and have seen plenty of Spanish (better eating than Kings anyway) runs that were their hottest halfway between the Tee and the Octi. Also, the Red runs that have been going on in the past couple of weeks have extended north beyond the bathrooms as well.

Tight lines... and much relaxation during your vacation.

Well, it looks like I'll have to retire the skeleton meme...

Congratulations, you have been selected to be among the 15 anglers participating in the July 8th, 2018, Managed Shark Fishing Event at Gulf State Park Pier’s octagon, to be held between 7:00PM and 7:00AM.

WOW!
Got this email today.

The recent efforts to mitigate the obvious problem with sharks hanging around the pier like buzzards on a road kill is at least a good faith effort on the part of those who control the pier. For my part, I've visited piers all over America and for that matter, much of the planet and for the life of me I can't recall anything like this! Catching sharks is as normal as breathing anywhere else I've been. Damn near 50 years ago, as a young military guy, the military stores offered high end stereo equipment cheap to everyone. The problem was that when you got the box filled with the stereo stuff the instructions were written in Chinese. This effort reminds me a lot of watching fellow GI's try to make sense of it. No disrespect but im sure glad i didn't go to war with the decision makers in this matter.

Originally Posted by Pier#r

Well, it looks like I'll have to retire the skeleton meme...



WOW!
Got this email today.

Do you have a release pole?

LOL, no.
Anything close I would probably just break or cut off.

Originally Posted by dasarge1953

The recent efforts to mitigate the obvious problem with sharks hanging around the pier like buzzards on a road kill is at least a good faith effort on the part of those who control the pier. For my part, I've visited piers all over America and for that matter, much of the planet and for the life of me I can't recall anything like this! Catching sharks is as normal as breathing anywhere else I've been. Damn near 50 years ago, as a young military guy, the military stores offered high end stereo equipment cheap to everyone. The problem was that when you got the box filled with the stereo stuff the instructions were written in Chinese. This effort reminds me a lot of watching fellow GI's try to make sense of it. No disrespect but im sure glad i didn't go to war with the decision makers in this matter.

This has been the most intelligent thing I have heard said so far about the shark fishing ! Treat it just like any other fish ! You would get rid of lot more and not limit people fishing when they are on vacation and fishing is the only reason they came !!!!