Babies Don't Buy Houses

Moderators: LCallaghan, jsuber

Post Reply
User avatar
bk
Tall Teller
Tall Teller
Posts: 3933
Joined: Sun Apr 13, 2008 11:00 pm
Location: Tallahassee

Babies Don't Buy Houses

Post by bk »

We've all seen the old black and white pics of the smiling anglers in long pants, dress shirts, and ties standing next to dozens of fish nailed to the dockside bragging boards. And when we talk to most of these old timers, they boast of times when every trip out on the water yielded similar results. But for whatever the reason, that doesn't seem to be the case these days. I imagine that there are a lot of factors involved, many that we can only speculate about. However, the obvious being a simple case of supply and demand. More anglers and less fish.

I recall just a couple years ago, before tucker lake was provided a ramp and public access, that a single trip of a only a couple hours could easily produce 10+ slot reds per person on topwater. And some trout mixed in for good measure. During that time you would rarely ever see another person, boat, or yak. It was peaceful, serene, and beautiful. Since the lake access was expanded, however, there has been a rapid and steady decline in the fisheries in the lake and the adjoining creek system.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that only a limited privileged few people should have access to these areas. Quite the contrary. We all pay taxes and these areas should be open to the public!

Here's my point. The last time I was there was 6 months ago...maybe more. At that time, there were 3 other fishing kayaks, a boat dragging a net, and somebody wade fishing. So 6 people including myself. Hypothetically, let's say that all 6 of us caught and kept our limit of reds that morning. That would mean 12 less fish in the lake. And let's say that happens only once per week (probably a pretty conservative figure even if we don't consider the known poaching that occurs there). So at that rate, some 624 less redfish in the lake in only one year's time.

For those of you who don't know, the lake is a fishery and is somewhat of a small basin, and at times can be closed off to new fish and water. Many fish are resident fish, though I'm sure that a good amount come and go with the tides.

Back to fishing. So, let's say a fish is caught and kept. And let's just assume that another fish moves in to the void created by the removed fish. And this scenario plays out over and over until eventually there are more voids than fish...similar to the housing market crash that played out several years back. More houses than people to fill them. Not a difficult concept to grasp. And yet the argument has always been that people and fish will always continue to reproduce and will fill the created voids. And perhaps eventually they will. Perhaps.

But babies don't buy houses.
"i said flotation is groovy and easy. Even a jellyfish would agree to that." - jimi
User avatar
BackCast
Yaking Monster
Yaking Monster
Posts: 540
Joined: Mon Apr 16, 2012 11:38 am
Location: On the water (with any luck)

Re: Babies Don't Buy Houses

Post by BackCast »

That's a pretty thought provoking post, yet one that should be obvious to us all. I know nothing about Tucker Lake - hadn't even heard of it until I read your post - but it's a problem that's taking place everywhere, and with far more that just the redfish in one lake. How does the wild bobwhite population of north Florida compare with the numbers of 20 years ago? So now that we've recognized the problem, what are the causes and solutions?

Is it the consumer? They should be able to see what's happening and willing to do their part to correct it, but is it realistic to think that will happen? Sometimes I see glimmers of hope when responsible people work hard to do the right thing, but then I see others who only care about themselves and what's in it for them today. Unfortunately, one conscientious consumer can't fully compensate for one game hog. It just doesn't work that way.

Or maybe it's FWC? After all, it is all about fish management. But do they have all the tools and resources needed to do the job? In order to properly manage each and every micro-system within the state they would have to avoid the shortcomings of big government (the state) and focus on issues that affect a smaller area (like a county). But that costs money and I doubt that Joe Taxpayer is going to be willing to foot the bill. Anytime I see someone avoiding a boat ramp fee or fudging a park access it just goes to confirm that belief.

Corporate America? Or corporate non-America? We're all too familiar with what an oil spill can do and I doubt anybody would argue that there have been some devastating contaminations in the country but, quite honestly, they're probably the most regulated of all groups. Still, that doesn't mean they aren't part of the problem. Of course residential or local contamination is also an issue. I wonder how much better the fisheries, and the water quality in general, would be if all sewage and septic systems, both residential and commercial, were up to code?

What about non-environmentally conscious developers who are draining lands, dozing vegetation and otherwise altering the natural landscape? They're removing natural water filters and allowing pollutants and sediment to enter formerly ideal waters. There are laws protecting from that sort of development but there are also loopholes to get around the laws. Sad, don't you think?

This may sound outrageous to some, but could it be well-meaning environmentalists? I haven't given any thought to how this might affect the fisheries of north Florida but ill-informed environmentalists have accounted for more problems than they'll ever care to admit. The wild fires currently raging in the northwest US can, in part, be attributed in tree huggers who lobbied to keep forestry from public lands, only to create a dense dead underbrush that will burn out of control when ignited. Here in my home state the once common Ruffed Grouse is all but extinct after losing the young growth timber it needs for survival, thanks to a statewide ban on tree cutting on state lands.

I know, let's blame it on the politicians. Everybody else does and I'm sure they're at least partially right. After all, politicians listen to whatever lobbyist can gather the most votes. They're probably as much to blame as anybody but we have to remember that they were put in place by the voters, and that not all voters are concerned about the same things we are.

Maybe it's the educators or, more accurately, the curriculum they follow. You can rarely take a game hog and turn him into a knowledgeable and ethical sportsman, but you can introduce the country's youth to a more open minded view of the importance of natural resources and how to protect them . It isn't a quick cure but it may be the best long term solution. The difficult part of that is that they need to be led by instructors with the right mindset, not just passing on the way it has always been done.

So there you have it, I've taken about 8 paragraphs and not solved a darn thing. That's frustrating to me but at least there's talk, and talk can provoke thought, and the two together can sometimes initiate action. It's got to start somewhere or sometime in the future we'll find ourselves casting for passenger pigeons.

BTW, I think of myself as a hunter, fisherman and environmentalist, not necessarily in that order. Some say there is no such thing. I hope they're wrong.
User avatar
bk
Tall Teller
Tall Teller
Posts: 3933
Joined: Sun Apr 13, 2008 11:00 pm
Location: Tallahassee

Re: Babies Don't Buy Houses

Post by bk »

BackCast wrote: but at least there's talk, and talk can provoke thought, and the two together can sometimes initiate action. It's got to start somewhere or sometime in the future we'll find ourselves casting for passenger pigeons.

A great read, backcast. Thank you for taking the time and effort.

:A3 :A3
"i said flotation is groovy and easy. Even a jellyfish would agree to that." - jimi
salty gator
Yaking Monster
Yaking Monster
Posts: 563
Joined: Sat Jan 31, 2009 4:09 pm
Location: Tallahassee

Re: Babies Don't Buy Houses

Post by salty gator »

Good thing you don't duck hunt BK. The recent increase (exponential) in hunters would make you cry. It goes without saying that when something becomes more popular, it will become more crowded. I bet all of those cool reports of double digit reds on poppers don't help the situation :wink:
You should have been here yesterday
User avatar
cotton
Tall Teller
Tall Teller
Posts: 1071
Joined: Thu Apr 23, 2009 5:53 pm
Location: Tallahassee

Re: Babies Don't Buy Houses

Post by cotton »

Brad, I admire your ability to write such thought provoking post without being insulting. I wish I had that ability. My mouth and brain are rarely connected, so I rarely post these days for fear of either insulting or giving away the farm.

One thing I have noticed is more anglers are being responsible. 20 years ago, everyone I knew, including me, kept every legal(sometimes not) fish they caught. Today its not uncommon to run into numerous anglers keeping nothing, or only a single fish. With all the kayakers I fish with, I keep more fish than all of them combined and I've never seen a trophy bass harvested by a kayaker. My guess is posting your post on a kayak site resembles preaching to the Saints.
A better Kayaker today, than yesterday.
Red Hobie Revolution
Green Native Slayer 12
Sand Hobie Pro Angler 14
Post Reply