Trophy Game Outfitters

In a recent study by the Southeast Data, Assessment and Review (SEDAR), it was determined that red snapper are currently being overfished in the South Atlantic. The results of these findings have been used to bolster calls for increased conservation efforts in the area.

Red snapper populations are currently 3% of the desired size in the Atlantic Ocean and 6% in the Gulf of Mexico according to the National Marine Fisheries Service, the federal agency responsible for marine wildlife management in the United States’ Exclusive Economic Zone. Due to these low levels, fishing policies have become more stringent in the last few decades. What started as a 12 inch minimum size limit in the South Atlantic in 1983 was expanded to a 20 inch size limit in 1992. Today, the 20 inch size limit and a 2 fish per person per day recreational bag are in effect. In the Gulf of Mexico, the current bag is the same as in the South Atlantic, but the size limit is more relaxed at a 16 inch minimum for recreational fishers and a 13 inch minimum for commercial.

The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council, whose jurisdiction only includes the area from North Carolina down the east coast of Florida, recently voted in a 7 to 6 decision to request that the fishery in federal waters be closed for 180 days with a possible 186 day extension. The purpose of this closure is to stop overfishing until more long-term measures can be put into place. The request is now awaiting approval by the National Marine Fisheries Service.

The population numbers that SEDAR compiled were estimated using a number of analyses including spawning stock biomass (SSB) and the amount of red snapper landings. The SSB is the amount of fish in a population at reproductive maturity, and the landings are the amount of red snapper brought to land. The study estimated that recreational fisheries have a release mortality rate of 40% and commercial fisheries have a release mortality rate of 90%. Because data shows that fishing occurs at greater depths in the Atlantic Ocean, it is expected that the release mortality rates are lower in the Gulf of Mexico.

These numbers indicate that in addition to the regulations already set on the annual quotas, the release mortalities caused by fishing greatly exceed the limits that would foster a sustainable supply. Some fishermen claim that they are seeing as many red snapper as they ever have, but the study by SEDAR disagrees.

The current changes will likely only affect the South Atlantic for now. Although a 2005 study concluded that overfishing is currently occurring in the Gulf of Mexico as well, the two areas are being addressed separately. The Gulf of Mexico regulations are already more lax than those of the South Atlantic, and its current stock appears to be in slightly better shape. However, it is likely that the Gulf of Mexico will see additional regulations in the future.

Electroreception is the biological ability to sense electrical fields and impulses. Although very uncommon in mammals, electroreception is a common ability in many fish species. Since air is a very poor medium for electricity, electroreception is a trait found primarily in water, both freshwater and saltwater.

Since electrical impulses cause muscle contraction, every muscle movement produces an electrical discharge. This is particularly useful for predators, such as sharks, who are seeking prey. Normal movement causes low levels of impulses, while a wounded fish would cause large levels of impulses. Because sharks are among the most sensitive to electrical impulses, they are also among the greatest predators of the ocean. Through the darkness of the depths of the ocean or the cover of murky water, sharks can easily find their prey. Aside from enabling a fish to find its prey, electroreception is beneficial in a variety of other ways. It allows fish to evade predators, communicate with other fish, navigate at night or during other moments of low visibility, find objects in the water, and it aids in reproduction. Electrical currents caused by the earth’s magnetic fields can also act as a biological compass for animals that possess this incredible ability.

Some downriggers offer the ability to use positive ions to create electrical fields in the water. This is referred to by the Cannon line as “positive ion control”. This process involves a voltage difference between the downrigger wire and the boat that causes an electric field. The size of this field is somewhat dependent on the size of the boat and the materials of which it is made. Some fish are attracted to a small positive charge, while a strong positive or negative charge will repel them. Positive ion control can be extremely useful when targeting these types of fish. Catfish, trout, salmon, and bass are among the species of game fish attracted by positive ion control. Since different voltage levels tend to attract different types of fish, it is important to know what species is being targeted. When used correctly, positive ion control offers a competitive edge to both the serious and the occasional fisherman.

You can purchase downriggers with positive ion control at Trophy Game Outfitters.