The closed season for bass needs to be amended?

Now if i could only catch ONE!!

good point made there Noel! just to put a lighter note on a serious subject.

With all due respect, it is my opinion that there are those out there who like to start up topics on here that are controversial and although any good discussion is to be welcomed on here as it is a public forum after all I would have to question the motives/intentions of some people when such a question like this one is brought up in the first place. I have always been a suspicious person but I think that is a good thing sometimes.
Keeping the current ban intact/as it is now is not only important to alot of us individual anglers, it’s also important not least to the tourism industry as without the presence of Bass in the country alot of people would stop coming to Ireland to fish and alot of money would be lost as a result of this BUT - money shouldn’t be the main issue here, protecting our Bass stocks for generations to come should be our priority.

very well said kerry,as you can see from his previous topics ashley seems to have a habit of initiating pointless debates/discussions just for the sake of it,no wonder our fisheries boards are useless with this level of intelligence at the helm.

So should Ashley and his mate be prosectued for fishing in close with lug?

i think theres a case to answer alright.....using bass tactics,bass bait,at a known bass hotspot...and catching bass???? .and this guy works in fisheries....i mean c`mon ffs

Guys (and dolls ),

Please don't turn a perfectly good thread into a witchhunt.

Cheers.

Bass are spawning in deep water and are not a realistic mass target for shore anglers during this time. As well fish are not feeding hard when spawning ... It's more before and after ...

Some scientists think bass spawn earlier, and i would join them on this one.

The ban is arriving when most of the bass have finished spawning and come back in shoal in shallower water to feed and recuperate after the efforts of spawning. Just after spawn they are feeding really hard and are more vulnerable to greedy "anglers", so on my opinion the ban is really protecting vulnerable fish.

Opening bass during the ban, on a catch and release policy without an enforcement in controls of bass marks by fisheries officers is worst than shooting ourselves in the foot. During the ban we don't see fisheries officers on our shores at night when a good easterly wind is blowing...

As well fishing for smoothies in close with lugs is a real invitation for bass ... it's like fishing for mackerels and pollacks some marks with a bass lure ...

With all due respect, it is my opinion that there are those out there who like to start up topics on here that are controversial and although any good discussion is to be welcomed on here as it is a public forum after all I would have to question the motives/intentions of some people when such a question like this one is brought up in the first place. I have always been a suspicious person but I think that is a good thing sometimes.
Keeping the current ban intact/as it is now is not only important to alot of us individual anglers, it’s also important not least to the tourism industry as without the presence of Bass in the country alot of people would stop coming to Ireland to fish and alot of money would be lost as a result of this BUT - money shouldn’t be the main issue here, protecting our Bass stocks for generations to come should be our priority.

very well said kerry,as you can see from his previous topics ashley seems to have a habit of initiating pointless debates/discussions just for the sake of it,no wonder our fisheries boards are useless with this level of intelligence at the helm.

So should Ashley and his mate be prosectued for fishing in close with lug?

i think theres a case to answer alright.....using Bass tactics,Bass bait,at a known Bass hotspot...and catching Bass???? .and this guy works in fisheries....i mean c`mon ffs

seems to me mary, that you like to post pointless controversial comments yourself,good debate gets every one thinking about bass and there wellfare.how is that pointless? and your comments only take away from this debate!

is a month too much to ask for people not to target bass,1 month!!!!! if a game angler called for the closed season to be scrapped he would be lynched.

seems to me mary, that you like to post pointless controversial comments yourself,good debate gets every one thinking about Bass and there wellfare.how is that pointless? and your comments only take away from this debate!

there is no debate man,things are fine the way they are regarding the ban and to alter or change it just to suit one guy even if he is a fisheries official would be folly.he has actually raised a worrying point-how many other lads around wexford are fishing in close using lug for smuts .sure if its ok for the fisheries board to do it.........

So should Ashley and his mate be prosectued for fishing in close with lug?

hold on im just stating the obvious that he is using Bass tactics to catch hounds and then starts this tread cos he catches a Bass if he is really that concerned about Bass he wouldnt of used lug close in on a wexford beach i couldnt care if he caught Bass but he put himself in the situation were he would catch Bass and he knows it

Shane, I am just trying to demonstrate the point that under the current rules he is probably guilty but is it really an offence to go fishing with lug and yes it would not be my bait of choice for hounds either.

A lot of people in this area of Wexford will not fish during this period in case they catch a bass but strangely these are also the ones who practice C+R during the open season.

Bass protection has worked and long may it continue just a slight change of the law would help and yes there will always be those turn a blind eye to any regs and that's why enforcement is so critical.

they used to have a lot of problems on the river clyde with grayling anglers,grayling are fished for during the salmon close season problem was the grayling anglers were using tobys and flying cs ie targeting salmon ,the close season is the close season long my it continue

seems to me mary, that you like to post pointless controversial comments yourself,good debate gets every one thinking about Bass and there wellfare.how is that pointless? and your comments only take away from this debate!

there is no debate man,things are fine the way they are regarding the ban and to alter or change it just to suit one guy even if he is a fisheries official would be folly.he has actually raised a worrying point-how many other lads around wexford are fishing in close using lug for smuts .sure if its ok for the fisheries board to do it.........

I think you will find that your information on fisheries board employees is out of date and incorrect

Bass spawn before during and after the 'closed' season. Conditions will determine when exactly they will spawn - their physiological changes happen quite early in the calendar and they are often in a state of readiness but the decision/timing is done by them in respect of a number of environmental influences.

As a lifetime bass angler I have regularly caught fish with eggs and milt in the fish - I have never personally fished during the closed season and SEAi has always remained shut during this time. The determination of a closed season creates the awareness and emphasis around the importance of the protection of the species.

Due to the nature of my job I am probably 'closer' to the fish and the fishing than most. I am passionate about the species. Its obvious that a lot of people on here are too!

I am not in favour of lifting the ban in anyway at this time simply because of the commitment that it forces us to make as responsible anglers. This is recognised and admired by many of my customers as a progressive step in the right direction and by many other anglers around the world as very positive.

Its a question of Perception - so taking away a closed season would have a big impact on that perception - considered as a retrograde step. Thats why the ban is a good thing. As recently as two years ago legislation was changed where the closed season was no longer to be reviewed by the relevant minister on a yearly basis it was locked in - permanently.

However the intelligent anglers who ask about the closed season and discuss it do share similar questions that i often ask myself - I think if we respect the closed season it empowers us to ask questions in relation to trying to understand it, support it or improve it and be even more progressive. I'm 45 years of age and would like to know and understand the definitive answers to these questions

How was the timing decided?
In respect of a changing world is the current timing still applicable?
Should the season be extended?
Where do bass spawn?
How do bass spawn?
What effect does angling have on spawning bass as a species?
Would C+R be applicable to a closed season?
Why is there such an emphasis on anglers and conservation when illegal fishing continues unabated wreaking incredible havoc during a critical period?

I'm agnostic with respect to the timing of the ban, though I support entirely Ashley's right to bring it up as an issue for debate. After all, this is a forum for discussion, not North Korea. For what it's worth, I think the issue is best left to fisheries scientists, who have the data to hand. If they suggest a change, then I'd go along with it.

What worries me far more, however, is how any challenging of the ban, no matter how benign, would be pounced on by the commercial lobby. Right now, they're actively campaigning for the bass fishery to be re-opened, and the only opposition they face is from us, recreational anglers. If we look, even for a second, that we're trying to have things both ways (i.e. total ban for them, no ban for us) they will use it as a sterling example of our hippocrisy. I know Ashley isn't suggesting this, but that's how it will be taken.

So, for strategic reasons if no other, I think this discussion should be put on ice for now.

Lodore

as anglers .we need to add to the ban .we need to be seen to support the fish we all hunt .the ban is great ,the 2 fish in 24 hours should be only 1 fish .and not bigger than 5 lbs or relevant size.this would help the stocks and add more big fish for spawning.if were seen to go the extra mile for our sport this makes the anglers the gardiuns of the bass.

I'm agnostic with respect to the timing of the ban, though I support entirely Ashley's right to bring it up as an issue for debate. After all, this is a forum for discussion, not North Korea. For what it's worth, I think the issue is best left to fisheries scientists, who have the data to hand. If they suggest a change, then I'd go along with it.

What worries me far more, however, is how any challenging of the ban, no matter how benign, would be pounced on by the commercial lobby. Right now, they're actively campaigning for the Bass fishery to be re-opened, and the only opposition they face is from us, recreational anglers. If we look, even for a second, that we're trying to have things both ways (i.e. total ban for them, no ban for us) they will use it as a sterling example of our hippocrisy. I know Ashley isn't suggesting this, but that's how it will be taken.

So, for strategic reasons if no other, I think this discussion should be put on ice for now.

Lodore

There is no fisheries scientist with any accurate data to hand in relation to bass in this country.Thats just one of the problems.

It took this website and people from it to gather the latest information as regards angling activity in this country. Any case made by commercials is based on entirely irrelevant and misinterpreted data. The marine institute paper is inaccurate, submissions have been made on speculative assumptions - where is the hard evidence of ANY co-operation, priority, cohesion and plans of future action by any of the government bodies in relation to bass fishing and its protection in this country in the face of the FIF proposal?

What exactly are people doing if they employed in marketing, developing, researching and protecting roles?

Where are any plans for education, enhanced development, and ensuring that a recreational fishery is the only way forward for the fishery?

Questioning the closed season with a view to further improving and understanding it shouldnt be a reason not to talk about it.

I asked somebody recently how can you market something to the world in this country thats been destroyed at the same time?

The bass conservation measure, in place for twenty years, has helped improve stocks from a point of near extinction around the coast of Ireland and that is a given.

However the bye law can be improved and twenty years on, with the commercial lobby seriously upping the anti, a consideration has to be made on this issue. It is timely for a proper management study to be conducted on bass to remove misinformation, for it is misinformation that is the real threat to bass. So debate is important.

I want not just bass, but all sea fish stocks to improve. I also want to feel comfortable when I am fishing and not have to pack up because I am catching a fish "out of season" and potentially could harm them.

Most importantly the bass conservation measure has to be democratic and try, as best as possible, to serve all the people of Ireland. The bye law in its present form does not do this and needs to be improved. We need to work on facts not conjecture, that is the only way that bass are going to be safeguarded into the future.

I'm agnostic with respect to the timing of the ban, though I support entirely Ashley's right to bring it up as an issue for debate. After all, this is a forum for discussion, not North Korea. For what it's worth, I think the issue is best left to fisheries scientists, who have the data to hand. If they suggest a change, then I'd go along with it.

What worries me far more, however, is how any challenging of the ban, no matter how benign, would be pounced on by the commercial lobby. Right now, they're actively campaigning for the Bass fishery to be re-opened, and the only opposition they face is from us, recreational anglers. If we look, even for a second, that we're trying to have things both ways (i.e. total ban for them, no ban for us) they will use it as a sterling example of our hippocrisy. I know Ashley isn't suggesting this, but that's how it will be taken.

So, for strategic reasons if no other, I think this discussion should be put on ice for now.

Lodore

ive siad it before ,the only time you see a dead wild bass is on the pages of angling forums,this also helps the commercial fishermans case

The Bass conservation measure, in place for twenty years, has helped improve stocks from a point of near extinction around the coast of Ireland and that is a given.

However the bye law can be improved and twenty years on, with the commercial lobby seriously upping the anti, a consideration has to be made on this issue. It is timely for a proper management study to be conducted on Bass to remove misinformation, for it is misinformation that is the real threat to Bass. So debate is important.

I want not just Bass, but all sea fish stocks to improve. I also want to feel comfortable when I am fishing and not have to pack up because I am catching a fish "out of season" and potentially could harm them.

Most importantly the Bass conservation measure has to be democratic and try, as best as possible, to serve all the people of Ireland. The bye law in its present form does not do this and needs to be improved. We need to work on facts not conjecture, that is the only way that Bass are going to be safeguarded into the future.

yes democratic ,you seem to be the only one that wants it removed.

as anglers .we need to add to the ban .we need to be seen to support the fish we all hunt .the ban is great ,the 2 fish in 24 hours should be only 1 fish .and not bigger than 5 lbs or relevant size.this would help the stocks and add more big fish for spawning.if were seen to go the extra mile for our sport this makes the anglers the gardiuns of the Bass.
thats exactly the attitude we need ,never mind trying to get the closed season removed,

I'm agnostic with respect to the timing of the ban, though I support entirely Ashley's right to bring it up as an issue for debate. After all, this is a forum for discussion, not North Korea. For what it's worth, I think the issue is best left to fisheries scientists, who have the data to hand. If they suggest a change, then I'd go along with it.

What worries me far more, however, is how any challenging of the ban, no matter how benign, would be pounced on by the commercial lobby. Right now, they're actively campaigning for the Bass fishery to be re-opened, and the only opposition they face is from us, recreational anglers. If we look, even for a second, that we're trying to have things both ways (i.e. total ban for them, no ban for us) they will use it as a sterling example of our hippocrisy. I know Ashley isn't suggesting this, but that's how it will be taken.

So, for strategic reasons if no other, I think this discussion should be put on ice for now.

Lodore

i've just read this topic for the first time and i like to keep things simple,, so as far as i can ascertain from what i have read there seems to be 2 view points,

the view where the wellbeing of the bass is put to one side for the benefit of profit from tourism.
And the view that the bass should be left alone to do their thing and spawn in peace.

seems to be a no brainer

leave them be as mans greed is probably the biggest threat to fish stocks globally

far too often the wellbeing of fish stocks are forgotten so people with no scruples or conscience can line their pockets for short term gains.
and under no circumstance should you be out fishing bass tactics on bass beaches while the ban is in place, regardless of who you are.
just my 2 cents

well said