Yellowtail, you understood my last posting perfectly. That was the point I was trying to drive home. A party boat full of 40 or more anglers will pull up on a spot, and the take everything.

Don't get me wrong, I know these guys have to make a living...but if there's NO FISH LEFT, how can they make a living? Look what's happened with rockfishing. Look at the Channel Islands Closures. Just because the DFG says we can take a certain number of fish, doesn't mean we should. Look what has happened to our fishery when we follow the rules--they implement closures, and make more restrictions. It seems that we are our own worst enemy! Please don't misunderstand me--of course you should keep fish for dinner. But 10 bass? Who can really eat 10 bass for dinner? OR who can eat 3 30lb WSB? OR how many times have you kept a limit of fish, ate some, then froze the rest. How long has that fish sat in the freezer? Hey, I am guilty too. We all need to take a little more responsibility and discretion or we will no longer have anywhere to fish.

I had an experience in Feb. I RARELY go on party boats (maybe once a year). I really had "the itch" so I went out for halibut. We weren't catching anything, a couple shorts, that's it. It was so bad, we didn't have a legal fish on the boat. The skipper decides to make a stop for some bass (to settle the JP). We pull up on a spot, and I get hookep up--it's a calico. I pull the fish in, and as I reach for the fish, the deckhand grabs it, unhooks it, and ask me "what bag?". I say "it's cool. Go ahead and throw him back.". The deckhand looks at me like I am crazy. He says "This is a LEGAL calico. What bag are you?" I said, "Really, it's cool, release him". The DH then says to all the passengers "Who wants a calico?!" Now I started getting mad! I said "Look, that is my fish, and I CHOOSE to release it. I don't have to keep everything I catch! Personally, I don't keep calico bass! PLEASE release my fish!!!". After this, the DH tosses the fish over his shoulder, lets out a huge sigh, then shrugs. What a piece of work. That's the last time I will go on that boat.