gill net fishing

last week the dnr police finally raised a 1400 pound gill net near bouy 82 off of tilghman island. the illegal net-which had been in the bay most of the winter-held three tons of dead fish, including 450 rockfish weighing 6750 pounds. please report the a-hole(s) who did this if you know their name(s)...and please sign the pound net petition to eliminate legal nets from our waters...i've been fishing the last two weekends and havent caught a thing...now i know where they went: to the landfill!

ghost gill nets

a lot of people never think about the effects abandoned fishing equipment has on their environment: it can be devastating...and sad. the ghost crab pot program in the chesapeake bay has helped out, but ghost gill nets are a bigger problem. the national oceanic and atmospheric administration is studying the effects of lost nets in a variety of waters, including the chesapeake bay. they found 190 different species-thousands and thousands of animals, birds and fish- caught in old salmon gill nets in pugent sound. so, watch your lines!

marine recreational information program

State officials say all Maryland recreational anglers must register with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration before fishing in 2010.

The requirement is part of a federal initiative to help ensure the long-term sustainability of America's fisheries.

Although the survey is focused on saltwater species, some ocean fish travel between salt and fresh waters, so anyone fishing in the Chesapeake Bay, its tributaries and coastal waters must register.

Anglers must provide their name, birth date, address, telephone number and the regions they plan to fish. Registration information is available online athttp://www.countmyfish.noaa.gov.

State officials say they expect to make the annual registration part of the Maryland fishing license application process starting in 2011.

the national data bouy center

its getting chilly and that means rock season is heating up! but boating on the bay and counting on good weather is a crap shoot, as noted in the weather channel's "epic conditions": 40 people die each year on the chesapeake bay. so the national oceanic and atmospheric administration set up the national data bouy center, which monitors weather and water data for water areas throughout the country. additional monitors have been installed in the bay to create a grid of buoys, 1.5 miles on center, to keep on eye on all micro climates the bay has to offer. use it in good health.