This is my post for #freewriters 2920 prompt minority hosted by
The guide fishermen are really pushing the State to close trout to commercial fishermen. This next week, they are having a meeting in our town, and since my husband is the only commercial trout fisherman left, if he goes to it, he will be the minority. I think we need to be at the meeting, but my husband said he does not want to be there because it is just going to make him mad.
What worries us is that the State does not look at how many commercial trout fishermen there are, they only look at how many trout are caught commercially. Of course, the amount is going to be lower with only one fisherman.
I have to throw this size back
We can not keep any trout over 24 inches, but sport fishermen, who are many more of them, can keep one over 24 inches. We can only catch and sell them from May to the end of September. The sport fishermen have a closure from November 1st to December 31st, they can keep them the rest of the year.
With so many sport fishermen and not many commercial fishermen, maybe we commercial fishermen should ask for a longer closure for sports. But who am I kidding? The sports and guides are the money people, and one thing I have learned is the money people get what they want from this State.
me releasing a snook
The guides and sports wanted snook and got them, they wanted redfish, and got them, they wanted snappers, and got them, they wanted grouper, and got them. The only thing they have not taken from us is pompano, oh, they took permits, too. A permit is a fish that looks similar to a pompano.
They wanted to retire here and be able to fish, they do not need a license if over 65, and they can get a commercial license and an RS, an RS is for catching and selling restricted species, like trout and pompano. The young man or woman who wants to be commercial has to catch 5 thousand dollars worth of fish that are not on the RS list to qualify for the RS. Isn't that a crock of shit, the young family man has to work for what the State gives the old retired man who has money, and his children are grown.
We do not have many types of fish that stay here year round that we can sell that are not on the RS list. We have pogies, which no one wants unless you can sell to a crabber, but that is illegal, you have to sell to a wholesale or retail establishment, you can not sell to another person. They can sell ladyfish, but they are only here in the winter.
We have jacks they can sell, but the bigger ones are not worth much. It is hard to make 5K unless you can get on someones boat and get a check from them for crew share, which not many people take an extra person in the river.
photos are mine