Hey Guys,

Been away for a whlie but wanted to give my 2 cents.

As for slot limits and reduced limits, I dont think that they will go as they are a logistical nightmare for F&G.

For you guys that tube and yak fish, and us shore based freedivers, it makes perfect sense, but you must realize that most of F&G contacts will either be at the launch ramp or via boat while under way. How many times have you been checked on the water in your tube/yak as opposed to private boat? How will you be able to prove that you got those XX bass just outside of the reserve and therefor dont have a reduced limit when on a private boat? )obviously in a tube the distances traveled are limited)

I do like the fact that the F&G didn't realize that tubers and yakers were fishing these coves. This needs to be told to them.

You also might want to take a poll amongst your selves, as tubers, yakers and surf fishermen of these componants:

How you fish:

What you fish for:

WHat you keep:

How often per month:

Where you fish:

How often:

What you can stand to lose:

WHAT YOU CANT!:

What you guys might want to focus on is to quantify what losses you will incur if these spots are taken..... IE.


I will lose 75% of my halibut fishing area, 50% of my white seabass and 40% of my calico bass if you take the area from Campus point away. A much more feasable area to take would be from Goleta Pier or the next point down (seals) to Hope Ranch beach ( these areas being harder to access via beach/tube/yak)


Be realistic, you can stand up and say NO CLOSURES, or you can smell the coffee and realize that it is a LAW on the books that these areas be closed and shape them. Having them repealed later is a whole different battle. If you come in screaming that NO CLOSURES< NO CLOSURES, they will say thank you, and move on to the next guy who says, I fish this area and I feed my family there. I fish off the rocks. and BLMO, shore fishing is allowed, but everyone else loses out in the decision making process.....




As for the statement that campus point is only a good area for flat sand and mostly halibut, first of all, there is a lot of stucture out there, there are areas with plenty of WSB(shhhh you didnt hear it from me) :) and lastly, they dont care they want to a slice of all different zones, ie, rock reefs, sandy flats, eel grass and surf grass as well as kelp areas. You want to be careful about how you discribe the different spots. These are divers/biologists and if you come out with a statement that this area is flat sand and all there is there is halibut, and they know otherwise that there is structure and kelp, you lose credibility and your statements lose their power.

I am stating this after being reamed for making what I thought were true comments based on my observations and having a biologist set me straight ( he was a pro-spearo bio).

Please dont take these as personal attacks or critisizms but as guidance. Think about what you want. Does it make sense, or more importantly scientific sense, practical sense..... Will it fly. I would love to sea areas with C&R, others with a 15" limit on bass but in reality I realize that a) it will not fly with F&G for logistical reasons, b) it will not work into their master plan of species management and c) the species may not need this as a management tool.

Another thing to think about, is that if they take away 25% of our prime fishing grounds, that our overall limits should be reduced by at least that amount, if not more to sustain the populations of these fish at other spots, some mush less desirable to these species, OR they will come back in 3 or 5 years and say "you see, these fish need more help, they are fine in the protected areas, see, so we need to take more areas..." when in fact these areas that we have left were never that good for that given species to begin with.

My 2 cents.....

Marco Farrell