Kayak Fishing RCG Exemption

I don't know if this is even worth pursuing, but I was wondering what your thoughts about trying to get an RCG Complex exemption or even extended fishing season for kayak fishermen.
Shore fisherman and spearfisherman can fish for RCG and it was an astonishment on other boards that they were able to make their presence felt and get this exemption.
What arguments can we use to win such a case?

Environmentally friendly craft (no engines-human powered)
Limited range
Small number of kayak fishermen

Your thoughts...

I would totally support this and I think it makes sense. I would think we might be able to get support from some kayak makers as well.

Getting the DFG to change will be a long road I think. We would need someone (aka not me!   ) to spearhead this effort. I will support it anyway I can though.

I have been working on this for about a year.  It ain't easy, but I think it can be done.

Sean how can we help?

The same arguments that close boat fishing, barotrauma, applies to kayakers as much as it does powerboats, especially with a 120' max depth.  Maybe though we could get an exemption for the big sur area that's open from 120-240' this year.

Guys, I'm game to help despite the challenges.  To be effective, we need to understand why they imposed the restrictions and carefully formulate rebuttals to each of there arguments.  If it means showing up at DFG meetings or teaming up with other advocacy groups, let's do it.

If we don't fight for our rights, no one else will.  I frickin hate the fact that we keep having to pay more every year for our licenses and stamps , but get shorted on seasons.

I read this on the kayak4fish forum as well. Ethan was kind enough to forward a Hotsheet version as well. I've copy and pasted the entire e-mail for your information.
Please take the time to read and then ACT.


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Forwarded Message:
Subj: Back on the Soap Box. Special Hotsheet Editorial  
Date: 2/8/2005 6:42:11 PM Pacific Standard Time
From: FishSite
 

Hotsheeters, I'm back on the soap box and I'm urging your assistance on this issue. It's extremely important and we all need to take a few minutes of our day and act, NOW! I have been working on putting this together for the past several hours and we (all of us) need to get the word out and our voices heard. On Sunday I asked you to mail a letter and we are now embarking on an e-mail blast to reach our elected officials.
Mike



Editorial



There is some urgent news we need to share with all California anglers and hunters. If you wish to protect your fishing and hunting rights there is no time like NOW to act. In fact, YOU need to act NOW! Not tomorrow. During meetings held in Sacramento it appears that the anti-fishing and hunting groups have outflanked us and here's the problem. Some Senators are apparently heavily supported by anti-fishing and hunting groups also known as environmentalists.  It appears that the appointment of an outdoor enthusiast to the Fish and Game Commission would make it difficult for them to promote their anti-hunting and fishing views and legislation.


Marilyn Hendrickson who was appointed last year by Governor Schwarzenegger to the California Fish and Game Commission has not received a confirmation hearing yet. If Marilyn is not confirmed within the next couple of weeks it could affect the outcome of Commissions decisions.

If Marilyn is not asked to step down we still have time to act but time is very limited. We here at USAFishing along with the California Waterfowl Ass. Western Outdoor News and nearly every outdoor publication and outdoor group in California endorses Marilyn Hendrickson for the California Fish and Game Commission. Unfortunately the big bucks dropping into some California State Senator's pockets from the anti fishing and hunting lobby groups are far more than the total coming in from California hunters and anglers

We apologize for the late notice but this news is just hours old and we are trying to get the word out to all outdoor enthusiast. We are asking that every hunter and angler that reads this letter to respond to the California Senate.



Please read the editorials below from Bill Gaines, Director of Government

Affairs with the California Waterfowl Association for some insight to this

issue.


What we are asking you to do is quite simple. It will only take a few minutes of your time and could change the future of our fishing and hunting rights for years to come. First, copy the sample letter provided below and add your full name (or group or club) to the top. Then e-mail this to every California State Senator on the e-mail list (provided below) five times apiece. Then e-mail all your fishing and hunting friends and ask them to do the same. (Yes, we want to get their attention) Listed below are the e-mail addresses of most senate members in California. We need to have a minimum of 200,000 e-mails sent by Friday evening 2-11 to every California senator on this list. We alone cannot do this without your help. Please forward the letter (or your own thoughts), to your fishing and hunting friends, websites, chat rooms and wherever else you can think of and ask them to do the same. Without a collective effort and thousands of voices we will not be heard. Worse yet we could lose a strong ally on the California Fish and Game Commission and our fishing and hunting rights.

Mike Aughney

USAFishing





Editorial



Confirmation of Marilyn Hendrickson to California Fish and Game Commission



Bill Gaines

Director of Government Affairs

California Waterfowl Association




Dear California Hunters & Anglers,



We need your help in countering a campaign by animal-rights and environmental groups seeking to deny State Senate confirmation of Marilyn Hendrickson as a member of the California Fish and Game Commission. Last March, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger appointed Marilyn Hendrickson to a six year term on the California Fish and Game Commission - the important State regulatory body responsible for setting all fishing and hunting regulations. In order to hold this seat for the full 6 year term, her appointment must be confirmed by the State Senate within the first 12 months -- i.e. by mid-March, 2005. Thus, in order to remain on the Commission, Ms. Hendrickson must be confirmed by the Senate within the next few weeks.

Since her appointment, Ms. Hendrickson has not only demonstrated an excellent understanding of often complex fish and game resource issues, but she has also proven to be a staunch ally of the sporting community. In fact, she has been such a strong ally that many environmental and animal-rights groups are now actively campaigning to deny her Senate confirmation. We must immediately counter this campaign with letters of support if we are to maintain Ms. Hendrickson's knowledge and leadership on the Commission.

Please contact members of the Senate Rules Committee (listed below) immediately and urge them to actively support the confirmation of Marilyn Hendrickson as a member of the Fish and Game Commission. For your convenience, a sample letter is available below.





Sample Letter



(Email five copies to each Senator's addresses provided below and ask five friend to do the same. Just copy and paste their email addresses into your address box and in the subject box use "Confirmation of Marilyn Hendrickson to California Fish and Game Commission." Then paste the sample provided letter provided just below)







Senators' Email Addresses


[email protected]
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[email protected]





Your Honorable California Senator



Confirmation of Marilyn Hendrickson to California Fish and Game Commission



Dear Senator:



I am writing to urge your support of the confirmation of Marilyn Hendrickson as a member of the California Fish and Game Commission (Commission). The Senate Rules Committee and the full Senate must consider and confirm Ms. Hendrickson's appointment to the Commission by mid-March for her to maintain her seat.

Thus, I respectfully urge you to act on this matter as soon as possible. Ms Hendrickson was appointed to the Commission by Governor Schwarzenegger last March. Since then, during her ten month tenure on the Commission, she has demonstrated the requisite knowledge and support of California's unique and diverse natural habitats, and the many fish and wildlife species that depend upon them. As an outdoor writer, and founding member, secretary and current Vice President of the California Inland Fisheries Foundation, she has a keen understanding of the many complex issues that impact our State's natural resources. In addition, as an avid hunter and angler, she has a thorough understanding of the fish and wildlife resources that the Commission is tasked with regulating. Ms. Hendrickson has already proven to be a strong and productive member of the California Fish and Game Commission. Her extensive background and familiarity with our State's fish and wildlife resources is highly valuable to the Commission in carrying out its role of defining California's natural resource policy. I, therefore, respectfully urge the Senate Rules Committee to promptly consider and approve her appointment to the Commission.

(Your name)

Sean how can we help?

As soon as we get a proposed change to the DFG Commision, people need to show up at the Commission meeting.  I have been really frustrated with peoples willingness to bitch, but not show up when it was needed.  

I have been talking to the lady that runs the RCG program, and she is the key to getting a proposed change, then it needs to get approved by the commission.  I work with some of th people on the commission and I don't think its impossible or I wouldn't be trying.  At a minimum I would like to get some of the depth restrictions for yakkers in socal changed.  If I don't get anywhere with the staffer, then we need to start complaining directly to the Commission.  

I am supposed to have an article in the next Kayak Fisherman about this.

I would suggest that instead of sending 5 copies from 1 email address, try to spread it around a bit. I have gmail invites and norcalkayakanglers.com e-mail addresses if anoyone wants them. Just send me a PM with you current e-mail address.

Before I jump head first into this ...

Who is Marilyn Hendrickson?  Why should I support her?  Just because USAFishing supports her, doesn't mean I will.  I don't even know who USAFishing is.

That being said, I'm open to being convinced to do the right thing, whatever that might be.

-Allen

I support the HanaPa'a-nator for California Fish and Game Commission.  

Also faxing Senators is slightly more effective than e-mail.

She's the wife of Sep Hendrickson - owner and creator of Sep's fishing tackle. A trout guide too...

I support the HanaPa'a-nator for California Fish and Game Commission.

ya baby  

Circle hooks will be gone forever!  

Google tells all

http://www.google.com/search?q=Marilyn+Hendrickson&sourceid=mozilla-search&start=0&start=0&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official

Looks like all the hunters and fisherpeople like her, enviro's hate her.

Until Conservationalist realize that Sportsman do care about the environment, all we can do is play the political game by trying to put one of our guys in - unless you do want a 100% Enviro funded board and more marine closures. So I do urge we support this movement.

On the other hand, do we really need a 10 fish limit of rockfish? Can we bridge the gap between Sportsmen and Conservationalists? As for Baro-Trauma, if we fish less than 60', isn't there little damage done to released Rockfish?

This could be an angle we can play by approaching environmentalist and becoming the "poster child". Environmentally minded fisherman, in environmentally friendly fishing craft, asking for lower limits but longer seasons.

Is this a pipe dream?

BTW, is it the Environmentalist or the Conservationalist that we have to worry about? I'm not that all politically aware, but would like to get more involved. It's Ash Wednesday and I wanted to catch my own fish DAMMIT!

Rockfish have something like a 90% release mortality, they left it open to shore anglers because they'll only catch a few of the nearshore fish (which DFG don't worry about much), but probably very few canary, yelloweye, ect rockfish, and the barotrauma is the least on them.  Out a little farther and you'll start hooking into them (I've caught about 10 canaries in the last couple years in 40-60ft).  Just because the fish is able to swim back down doesn't mean it's gas bladder didn't strech to the point of causing internal bleeding/imminent death.  

As long as DFG considers rockfish C&R mortality to be 90%, the only way they can reduce the take of canary rockfish (or whatever the posterchild rockfish will be this year) is by shutting down the season.  The way to open them back up is not to claim that kayaks are 'clean' or that somehow we are gentler on the fish, but to challenge DFGs data on rockfish mortality - if we can get it reduced to 50% in a new study, that'd be enough to fish twice as long with the same number of canaries dying in DFGs eyes.  I do believe that the mortality study was done before the 120' max depth limit, so perhaps it could be re-done at shallower depths, maybe specifically with canary, or other threatened rockfish that one would hope might fare better.  

The high mortality is also why they go ahead and leave the limit at 10 fish.  They figure if you're catching them, might as well be keeping them since they're going to die anyway.