OB Pier

[Latimeria]

Well, even though the surf is slow, there are quite a few Soupies and Sevens being caught off the OB pier.  Unfortunately, they are all dead now but it's at least a sign they are still around, just not in the surf zone yet.  I don't know how far out they are fishing, but by all accounts from the pictures, look to be towards the end of the pier.

Just an FYI.

[xjchad]

All dead now... 

[Pinoyfisher]

Well, even though the surf is slow, there are quite a few Soupies and Sevens being caught off the OB pier.  Unfortunately, they are all dead now but it's at least a sign they are still around, just not in the surf zone yet.  I don't know how far out they are fishing, but by all accounts from the pictures, look to be towards the end of the pier.

Just an FYI.

Always the left side of the T.

[Latimeria]

Well, even though the surf is slow, there are quite a few Soupies and Sevens being caught off the OB pier.  Unfortunately, they are all dead now but it's at least a sign they are still around, just not in the surf zone yet.  I don't know how far out they are fishing, but by all accounts from the pictures, look to be towards the end of the pier.

Just an FYI.

Always the left side of the T.

Reef side....

[Pinoyfisher]

Well, even though the surf is slow, there are quite a few Soupies and Sevens being caught off the OB pier.  Unfortunately, they are all dead now but it's at least a sign they are still around, just not in the surf zone yet.  I don't know how far out they are fishing, but by all accounts from the pictures, look to be towards the end of the pier.

Just an FYI.

Always the left side of the T.

Reef side....

Yup!

[vdisney]

Tried fishing off a pier a couple weeks ago for the first time, didn't dig it.  Why are the sharks dead?  Are they using pier gaffs?  Our plan was to walk it to the beach but it didn't work, so now we're back to fishing off the sand. 

[Latimeria]

Tried fishing off a pier a couple weeks ago for the first time, didn't dig it.  Why are the sharks dead?  Are they using pier gaffs?  Our plan was to walk it to the beach but it didn't work, so now we're back to fishing off the sand.

Pier gaffs and I'm very certain they are harvests over releases. The pictures tell the story.

[1morecast]

When I go at night to catch bait at OB I see those guys with their shark set up. They come with 6-7 rods each and that's no exaggeration. I saw them hook a Black Sea Bass a few months ago. At least they didn't try to bring that out of the water. 

[BackBayMan]

When I go at night to catch bait at OB I see those guys with their shark set up. They come with 6-7 rods each and that's no exaggeration. I saw them hook a Black Sea Bass a few months ago. At least they didn't try to bring that out of the water. 

If we want to get them off the piers and encourage conservation, it's going to take friendship and education. It's up to us to meet them, invite them to fish with us, share our spots and secrets and hope that they'll understand they can still catch monsters without having to kill them. Yeah, it means sharing our honey holes, but it's not all about us, it's about the health of the animals. In the end, a larger healthier population will mean more catches for us all.

Merry Christmas, peace out

[LONGCAST JOE]

When I go at night to catch bait at OB I see those guys with their shark set up. They come with 6-7 rods each and that's no exaggeration. I saw them hook a Black Sea Bass a few months ago. At least they didn't try to bring that out of the water. 

If we want to get them off the piers and encourage conservation, it's going to take friendship and education. It's up to us to meet them, invite them to fish with us, share our spots and secrets and hope that they'll understand they can still catch monsters without having to kill them. Yeah, it means sharing our honey holes, but it's not all about us, it's about the health of the animals. In the end, a larger healthier population will mean more catches for us all.

Merry Christmas, peace out

I don't know Chip, I think the main hurdle is changing some people's sense of a catch. I think these guys might still be in the stage where it doesn't feel like a complete catch to them unless they have finished it with a kill and possession of the carcus. If just a photo and a live release is done they don't have the feeling the catch is complete...that's the particular thinking that needs to be changed in them  some way.

[BackBayMan]

When I go at night to catch bait at OB I see those guys with their shark set up. They come with 6-7 rods each and that's no exaggeration. I saw them hook a Black Sea Bass a few months ago. At least they didn't try to bring that out of the water. 

If we want to get them off the piers and encourage conservation, it's going to take friendship and education. It's up to us to meet them, invite them to fish with us, share our spots and secrets and hope that they'll understand they can still catch monsters without having to kill them. Yeah, it means sharing our honey holes, but it's not all about us, it's about the health of the animals. In the end, a larger healthier population will mean more catches for us all.

Merry Christmas, peace out

I don't know Chip, I think the main hurdle is changing some people's sense of a catch. I think these guys might still be in the stage where it doesn't feel like a complete catch to them unless they have finished it with a kill and possession of the carcus. If just a photo and a live release is done they don't have the feeling the catch is complete...that's the particular thinking that needs to be changed in them  some way.

That's part of it. Piers are a natural fishing spot. And just as we don't count it as a catch until it's on the sand and under our control, it's only natural that pier fishermen don't count it as a catch unless you get it on the pier. And there is where group membership, education and perception come into play. If they are invited to join another group that welcomes them, instead of throwing shade, then there's a chance to change behavior and attitudes. But if they are attacked, the natural human behavior is to become defensive and defiant.

Surf fishing is different than pier fishing. How many of those guys have 12' surf rods? How many have reels designed to really cast in the surf? How many of them are invited to fish with us in our secret spots? They know they can catch monsters off the pier, what's their incentive to change?

I know. I used to be one of them. I didn't know anybody who fished from the surf. There weren't any online boards or social media back then. And just like we fish together with friends, the same guys we saw on the pier became our friends. That's where everybody went to fish and hang out together. And just like we are, we were competitive. It wasn't a catch until you got it on the pier. It felt great having a monster on the pier. It validated you as a man and provided evidence of your fishing skills to everyone that walked up and gawked at and asked about your catch.

When you come right down to it, the only real difference between us and them is the landing and release.

Next time we're on the pier making bait, try meeting some of the guys. Invite them to the board. Hook up with them on social media, and go fishing with them, sharing your knowledge and conservation practices in the process. Bring down some of your extra equipment and loaner rods for them to try out so they can learn about real surf fishing.

And maybe it's time we looked at our behavior and attitudes too. Maybe we shouldn't consider ourselves successful fishermen until we pass along our experience and love for this sport to the younger generation.

[spideyjg]

Those guys are about harvesting and feeding the neighborhood. They have no inclination to conservation. They have even been called out on the news and justify their actions by feeding others.

Never would show them the ropes.

[1morecast]

Maybe I'm being too cynical, but pier fishing doesn't require a fishing license or salt water stamp. Those guys fish off the OB pier because they are trying to land bigger fish in deeper water. They have no idea those sharks come in close to shore. 

[xjchad]

Those guys are about harvesting and feeding the neighborhood. They have no inclination to conservation. They have even been called out on the news and justify their actions by feeding others.

Never would show them the ropes.

When I go at night to catch bait at OB I see those guys with their shark set up. They come with 6-7 rods each and that's no exaggeration. I saw them hook a Black Sea Bass a few months ago. At least they didn't try to bring that out of the water. 

If we want to get them off the piers and encourage conservation, it's going to take friendship and education. It's up to us to meet them, invite them to fish with us, share our spots and secrets and hope that they'll understand they can still catch monsters without having to kill them. Yeah, it means sharing our honey holes, but it's not all about us, it's about the health of the animals. In the end, a larger healthier population will mean more catches for us all.

Merry Christmas, peace out

I don't know Chip, I think the main hurdle is changing some people's sense of a catch. I think these guys might still be in the stage where it doesn't feel like a complete catch to them unless they have finished it with a kill and possession of the carcus. If just a photo and a live release is done they don't have the feeling the catch is complete...that's the particular thinking that needs to be changed in them  some way.

I see both points of view and agree to some of your points Chip. 
I agree that making friends and encouraging conservation is huge!
I don't agree about sharing honey holes though.  At least not until one has proven to have changed their views on harvesting them.
The guys I've met and talked to haven't shown any interest at all in CPR.  The conversations I've had have all been talk of being a bad*** shark killer. Same with bat rays too.  Like Jim said, they justify it by saying they are feeding the neighborhood, but I seriously doubt most of their kills actually become food. 
I'm all for education and friendships, it's what I love about our group!  We need to be prudent though or we might find the same guys from the pier extending their kill zones to our beaches.

[FISH86R]

Those guys are about harvesting and feeding the neighborhood. They have no inclination to conservation. They have even been called out on the news and justify their actions by feeding others.

Never would show them the ropes.

When I go at night to catch bait at OB I see those guys with their shark set up. They come with 6-7 rods each and that's no exaggeration. I saw them hook a Black Sea Bass a few months ago. At least they didn't try to bring that out of the water. 

If we want to get them off the piers and encourage conservation, it's going to take friendship and education. It's up to us to meet them, invite them to fish with us, share our spots and secrets and hope that they'll understand they can still catch monsters without having to kill them. Yeah, it means sharing our honey holes, but it's not all about us, it's about the health of the animals. In the end, a larger healthier population will mean more catches for us all.

Merry Christmas, peace out

I don't know Chip, I think the main hurdle is changing some people's sense of a catch. I think these guys might still be in the stage where it doesn't feel like a complete catch to them unless they have finished it with a kill and possession of the carcus. If just a photo and a live release is done they don't have the feeling the catch is complete...that's the particular thinking that needs to be changed in them  some way.

I see both points of view and agree to some of your points Chip. 
I agree that making friends and encouraging conservation is huge!
I don't agree about sharing honey holes though.  At least not until one has proven to have changed their views on harvesting them.
The guys I've met and talked to haven't shown any interest at all in CPR.  The conversations I've had have all been talk of being a bad*** shark killer. Same with bat rays too.  Like Jim said, they justify it by saying they are feeding the neighborhood, but I seriously doubt most of their kills actually become food. 
I'm all for education and friendships, it's what I love about our group!  We need to be prudent though or we might find the same guys from the pier extending their kill zones to our beaches.

Agreed.. Leave the a-holes at the pier.. I've seen self sustaining trout holes go down because somebody tells one a-hole who tells another a-hole.. And then it's just one big a-hole convention.. I do feel as though it's our job to educate about conservation but nothing more..