Gilligan Giggin tonight...

[2112]

Of course I'm not mad! All we can do is hope that the powers that be will get their heads out of their arses and realize that banning gigging will serve no purpose in improving the flounder population due to the relatively small percentage of fish that are taken this way.

Wrap this around you're mind

Would you say gigging allows the hunter to be selective in his harvest.
Yes because he can see his potential quarry and make a decission as to bag that flounder or pass it up.

In the month of november the bag is reduced to 2 fish by hook and line only with a total ban on gigging.

Can someone give me a valid reason why?
(Some can give a valid reason but I have a easy retort so bring it.)

In november most every flounder fisherman working the run will be culling because with a 2 fish limit they want a door mat. This means several mortaly wounded legal fish will be tossed to make room on a stringer for a bigger fish.
This could go on all day by some fishermen. Mean while the gig is banned when that gig could easliy decide if that was a fish that he wants to fill his 2 fish limit instead of indiscreminetly catching undersized as well as legal fish to be tossed back by hook and line.

So then why pick on the gig when we take a fraction of the fall harvest compared to the hook and line. What is the rational fear? What's next in this witch hunt, a total 3 month ban on the gig? Then a 3 month gig by the hook and line. Why not ban the hook and line in November along with the gig, what is the difference how they are taken as long as it is legal. On top of this there only a fraction of winter gigger compared to summer giggers because the water and air is so cold and the gigger still has to wait between fronts that last for days to find a night that is not muddied up by the weather
Straight-up, Giggers are the scape goat in this witch hunt.

I think they may be testing the waters to see the reaction from the gigging public and attempt more bans on the gig in the future.

If they really want to get serious about the subject there should had been a total ban on the harvest by all methods from october thru december. Taking out the gigger is like putting a band aid on a severed limb.

[WestEndAngler]

check it out
a yan sighting!

[Ibtsoom]

Wrap this around you're mind

Would you say gigging allows the hunter to be selective in his harvest.
Yes because he can see his potential quarry and make a decission as to bag that flounder or pass it up.

In the month of november the bag is reduced to 2 fish by hook and line only with a total ban on gigging.

Can someone give me a valid reason why?
(Some can give a valid reason but I have a easy retort so bring it.)

In november most every flounder fisherman working the run will be culling because with a 2 fish limit they want a door mat. This means several mortaly wounded legal fish will be tossed to make room on a stringer for a bigger fish.
This could go on all day by some fishermen. Mean while the gig is banned when that gig could easliy decide if that was a fish that he wants to fill his 2 fish limit instead of indiscreminetly catching undersized as well as legal fish to be tossed back by hook and line.

So then why pick on the gig when we take a fraction of the fall harvest compared to the hook and line. What is the rational fear? What's next in this witch hunt, a total 3 month ban on the gig? Then a 3 month gig by the hook and line. Why not ban the hook and line in November along with the gig, what is the difference how they are taken as long as it is legal. On top of this there only a fraction of winter gigger compared to summer giggers because the water and air is so cold and the gigger still has to wait between fronts that last for days to find a night that is not muddied up by the weather
Straight-up, Giggers are the scape goat in this witch hunt.

I think they may be testing the waters to see the reaction from the gigging public and attempt more bans on the gig in the future.

If they really want to get serious about the subject there should had been a total ban on the harvest by all methods from october thru december. Taking out the gigger is like putting a band aid on a severed limb.

Well said Bert!!

[majek_maniac]

+1. You have a very valid point.

M.M.

[reeltime]

I'm with you Bert!

[Hogie70]

This is a very well thought up post 2112... And probably the I have read in a long time. The subject is a very sore one to all that have memories of gigging the shorelines of the Texas gulf coast. I know I have some good ones but if things keep going like they are going... Thats all that will be left is memories... Chester Moore is doing a good job on the political home front of this issue...

[2112]

Thanks Hoggie

I appreciate very much what Chester and others do.
Chester does not like gigging. This is something he does not bring up but if you ask him he will tell you. I hope he never decides to do a negative story on it
Back then, when I found this out I thought to my self.."This ain't good and he is like a celibrity in the fishing community. I need to contact TED NUGENT to take him gigging!"
Crazy huh? But it gets better.
I shot Ted a email at his account for Texas Fish & Game magazine. My thinking was the wild man would appreciate first hand experience at taking his meal with a spear and as such he could be a great advocate in case Chester went public with anti-gigging!
It didn't come out as I hoped. I guess his office email is screened but at least it did make to a very Sr. person that wrote me back a excuse of why Uncle Ted couldn't ride and there went that.
It's funny to think I actually did that!

[Hogie70]

I hope your wrong about Chester Moore not liking gigging... He wrote a article in the TF&G mag that said different... But who really knows these days with all of the editors and polititions talking out of the corner of there mouths...?

Correction to follow...

[Hogie70]

This is a very well thought up post 2112... And probably the BEST -5 I have read in a long time. The subject is a very sore one to all that have memories of gigging the shorelines of the Texas gulf coast. I know I have some good ones but if things keep going like they are going... Thats all that will be left is memories... Chester Moore is doing a good job on the political home front of this issue...

Sorry guys I had to read it twice as well...

[Milkjug]

I appreciate very much what Chester and others do.
Chester does not like gigging.

Yeah, he has never come outright and said it, but I get the strong feeling he is very anti-gigging. I remember distinctly on his "Flounder Revolutions" blog last run, he was talking about all the fish he was seeing from a boat that would have never made it to the gulf had TPWD not implemented their gigging ban in November. This may be the case for the Aransas channel, but I don't see many gigging boats working the HSC.

I think 'ol Mudskipper on here knows him better than we do, and maybe will chime in. I remember some posts from him, and he seems to support the tradition of gigging a bit more than Jr.

I don't think that Chester wants all the giggers against him. I think he would be more likely to pick his battles better. It is scary that a fishing "celebrity" would feel like this though.

[2112]

I wish I would never had brought this up and I don't want this to get out of hand.
I have no prof to back up my statement so let's try to keep it all right here and hopefully
this won't somehow make it back to Mr. Moore.

[2112]

I don't think that Chester wants all the giggers against him. I think he would be more likely to pick his battles better. It is scary that a fishing "celebrity" would feel like this though.

This is why he doesn't come out and say it.
He is mute on the subject. That alone speaks volumes on his stance.
The man does have a good heart and is most responsible for bringing flounder conservation to the front. For this I have much respect.
We should all be happy that he does not publicly condemn the practice of gigging.

[Hogie70]

Politicians -10 sorry once again PROOF READ!!!! Hogie PROOF READ!!!!

[Hogie70]

I wish I would never had brought this up and I don't want this to get out of hand.
I have no prof to back up my statement so let's try to keep it all right here and hopefully
this won't somehow make it back to Mr. Moore.

I agree with you this is just a subject of discussion between us... As long as he keep up his work on the conservation end of the flounder subject... Keep the way we chose to harvest the flounder to us... Then we will be AOK...

[Sneekypete]

Bert we're going to have an intervention...your a gigaholic...admit it so the recovery can begin...I'll be over shortly with a 12 step program.I mean 12 pack beer program.Here's to you and your saddle blankets keep on a gigging brother....and keep posting about gigging.Enjoy the report and prespective...