This is a printer-friendly version of an article from Zip06.com.
02/07/2018 11:00 PMIf you are a charter or party boat captain running a vessel for hire, then Monday, March 12 is an important date to remember. A final rule was implemented by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (MAFMC) on Sept. 11, 2017 that states: “Effective March 12, 2018 all charter [and] party vessels holding federal permits managed by MAFMC will be required to submit eVessel Trip Reports (VTR) for all trips carrying passengers for hire. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration [NOAA) approved software is to be used to submit these reports within 48 hours of reaching port following the end of a fishing trip. The species covered are: Atlantic mackerel, squid, butterfish, summer flounder, scup, black sea bass, bluefish, [and] tilefish.”
Until now, VTRs that are required for each trip and which document various aspects of the day’s effort have been filed manually and on paper. It can take months from the time they are submitted, processed, and ultimately entered into a database that is used by fishery managers. Consequently, regulations that could have either been loosened or tightened were instituted months or even years down the road, having less of an impact than if the data were available sooner.
With this new mandate, the data is available virtually immediately, allowing commissioners, council members, and managers to have a much quicker response time. This is definitely a game-changer in fisheries management. It is a great improvement to convert from a manually based system to a system that can be used by captains both on the water and at the home port, pairing mobile devices with NOAA approved software, of which Standard Atlantic Fisheries Information System eTrips is one.
Rhode Island already had this system successfully in place prior to the mandate. According to some managers and captains, the results have been excellent in terms of timeliness, data quality, and ease of use. Connecticut is committed to eTrips and is on the path to ultimately achieving a similar result. This is a good thing!
A training workshop for Connecticut charter and party boat captains is scheduled for Monday, Feb. 12 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Mago Point in Waterford. Pre-registration is required. For info, contact Capt.Mike@FlyingConnie.com. We recently completed a live radio show on eTrips and you can listen to its archived version on iCRVradio.com. It aired on Feb. 1 and can be found under “Captain Morgan.”
On the Water
For years, our post office claimed, “Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds.” Nowadays, many fishers can actually make that claim. The inclement weather holds back a few, but overall, winter brings out the ice hounds.
The way the weather keeps us on our toes lately only adds an element of uncertainty. That aside, we can almost count on some form of high winds, snow, sleet, or rain during any given week. Oh yes, cold temperatures and sun, as well. Long Island Sound inshore water temps have been hanging around 36 degrees once the ice jams loosened up. However, that did not deter the clammers this past week, when the full moon created negative perigee tides. Shellfishing was fantastic and the cold water made them even more delicious.
When the winds kept ice fishers from their usual haunts, they searched out more protected ones. Although some local ponds were hardly fishable, others held onto their ice base and re-froze overnight. The usual species of bass, perch, pickerel, pike, bluegills, and a few catfish were pulled from the holes. Trout was hit or miss, but did offer the die-hard river fisher limited action. Atlantic salmon proved to be a tougher quarry this time around. A mix of live shiners on tipups and jigging sticks with ice lures—some of which were fished with a partial shiner or worm—kept many fishers busy, although some spots proved considerably less active.
It was also a good time to walk the beaches, combing the shores for washed up treasure or eyeballing seals—low tide being the best times for that. However, eagle watching was even more exciting. The Connecticut River showed off some magnificent pairs, while Madison and Guilford also had their local nesters. A few fishers were spotted casting for Atlantic herring, but the seals seemed to be more on their game.
Sad Note
Our hearts and condolences go out to the Song family of Guilford, which tragically lost its son Ethan long before his time. Mike, please accept our deepest sympathies in your time of sorrow and take solace in that Ethan is in good hands. Forever, God Bless.
Note: Email us pics of your catches to share with our USA and international fishing friends who keep up with the latest fishing news and frequent social media.
For all things fishy including permits, swing by the shop (203-245-8665) open seven days located at 21 Boston Post Road, Madison. Until next time from your Connecticut shoreline’s full-service fishing outfitter, where we don’t make the fisherman, we make the fisherman better...
Tight Lines,
Captain Morgan
captainmorgan.fish@sbcglobal.net
captainmorgan-fish.blogspot.com
twitter @captmorgan_usa