I went on a short fishing/scouting trip today I hit a couple of striper spots for a few cast each.I found Small stripers in most spots. Still to much boat traffic for day time striper fishing. I checked the inlet and found a blitz in progress. I always give beach fishermen the courtesy of not running up on the fish. I could not tell what they were catching only that at lest 20 waders were in the surf. The water temperature was 71-74 degrees. 
By Dewie Whetsell, Alaskan Fisherman
As posted in comments on Greta’s article referencing the MOVEON ad about Sarah Palin
The last 45 of my 66 years I’ve spent in a commercial fishing town in Alaska. I understand Alaska politics but never understood national politics well until this last year. Here’s the breaking point: Neither side of the Palin controversy gets it…It’s not about persona, style, rhetoric, it’s about doing things. Even Palin supporters never mention the things that I’m about to mention here.
1- Democrats forget when Palin was the Darling of the Democrats, because as soon as Palin took the Governor’s office away from a fellow Republican and tough SOB, Frank Murkowski, she tore into the Republican’s «Corrupt Bastards Club» (CBC) and sent them packing. Many of them are now residing in State housing and wearing orange jump suits. The Democrats reacted by skipping around the yard, thro wing confetti and singing «la la la la» (well, you know how they are). Name another governor in this country that has ever done anything similar. But while you’re thinking, I’ll continue.
2- Now with the CBC gone, there were fewer Alaskan politicians to protect the huge, giant oil companies here. So, she constructed and enacted a new system of splitting the oil profits called «ACES». Exxon (the biggest corporation in the world) protested and Sarah told them «don’t let the door hit you in the stern on your way out.» They stayed, and Alaska residents went from being merely wealthy to being filthy rich. Of course the other huge international oil companies meekly fell in line. Again, give me the name of any other governor in the country that has done anything similar.
3- The other thing she did when she walked into the governor’s office is she got the list of State requests for federal funding for projects, known as «pork . She went through the list, took 85% of them and placed them in the «when-hell-freezes-over» stack. She let locals know that if we need something built, we’ll pay for it ourselves. Maybe she figured she could use the money she got from selling the previous governor’s jet because it was extravagant. Maybe she could use the money she saved by dismissing the governor’s cook (remarking that she could cook for her own family), giving back the State vehicle issued to her, maintaining that she already had a car, and dismissing her State provided security force (never mentioning—I imagine—that she’s packing heat herself). I’m still waiting to hear the names of those other governors.
4- Now, even with her much-ridiculed «gosh and golly» mannerism, she also managed to put together a totally new approach to getting a natural gas pipeline built which will be the biggest private construction project in the history of North America. No one else could do it although they tried. If that doesn’t impress you, then you’re trying too hard to be unimpressed while watching her do things like this while baking up a batch of brownies with her other hand.
5- For 30 years, Exxon held a lease to do exploratory drilling at a place called Point Thompson. They made excuses the entire time why they couldn’t start drilling. In truth they were holding it like an investment. No governor for 30 years could make them get started . This summer, she told them she was revoking their lease and kicking them out. They protested and threatened court action. She shrugged and reminded them that she knew the way to the court house. Alaska won again.
6- President Obama wants the nation to be on 25% renewable resources for electricity by 2025. Sarah went to the legislature and submitted her plan for Alaska to be at 50% renewables by 2025. We are already at 25%. I can give you more specifics about things done, as opposed to style and persona . Everybody wants to be cool, sound cool, look cool. But that’s just a cover-up. I’m still waiting to hear from liberals the names of other governors who can match what mine has done in two and a half years. I won’t be holding my breath.
By the way, she was content to to return to AK after the national election and go to work, but the haters wouldn’t let her. Now these adolescent screechers are obviously not scuba divers. And no one ever told them what happens when you continually jab and pester a barracuda. Without warning, it will spin around and tear your face off. Shoulda known better
ASMFC Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Board Takes No Action Regarding Projected Recreational Overages Washington, DC – The Commission’s Summer Flounder, Scup, and, Black Sea Bass Management Board (Board) met via a web-based conference call yesterday and decided to take no action regarding potential overage in the 2009 recreational fisheries for black sea bass, scup, and summer flounder. The recreational fishing community should be prepared for considerably reduced fishing opportunities next year due to anticipated large overages in the 2009 harvest of scup and black sea bass. “The take away from yesterday’s meeting was the clear message from the Board that 2010 recreational size limits, possession limits, and/or seasons will be significantly restricted for the 2010 recreational fisheries,” stated Board Chair A.C. Carpenter. Last month the Commission’s Interstate Fisheries Management Program Policy Board had unanimously directed the Board to take action prior to September 1. The Board was presented with recreational harvest projections for black sea bass that indicated the harvest target could be exceeded by 86% to 165%. Based on these projections, the Board considered and rejected a motion to close the black sea bass recreational fishery on September 30, 2009. The motion failed with four votes in favor (Virginia, North Carolina, National Marine Fisheries Service, and US Fish and Wildlife Service) and seven votes in opposition (Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Delaware, and Maryland).
I was out scouting in the back bay today. I found pods of mullet with stripers feeding on them. The water was on th dirty side. The water temperature was 71 degress.
Ed caught one keeper today behind Stone Harbor George had two keepers not bad fishing for August in the back Bay. The bugs are at an all time high if you go fishing or whatever outside do not forget the spray. Water Temperature was 69 degrees.
Tim this is a very tough time of the season to catch keeper flounder in the back bay after about July 15 in our area the bite slows. The only area that has produced keeper flounder in the last couple of days is in and around Hereferds and Townsends Inlet. I would try fishing between Wildwood Blv. bridge and the toll bridge on nummy island or between the Yacht club and the toll bridge over Townsends inlet. The number one thing to have aboard is patients this time of the year. The rig I would use is a 1oz bucktail white with a trail hook st back about 18″. I would use white Gulp swimming minnow on both the bucktail and the trail hook.Check out the picture. As for crabbing invest in a commercial crab pot. Set the commercial pot before you start crabbing with the traps or hand lines. I would pick a spot off of what is called the foot ball field away from the main channel and current. Near the top of the tide move back to the stakes off the foot ball field. The football field is the stretch of channel markers that border the Great sound. I was out yesterday and caught and released one keeper flounder. The water temperature was 66.6 degrees. The water visibility was 6ft. the water had a green tint apposed to the blue tint that has been present all season. Dr. Gary and ED fished yesterday in the back bay and caugnht 5 keeper flounder to 22″. This is an excellent catch for back bay flounder fishing in August.
Today I hit a couple of spots in the back bay that can produce some big flounder this time of the year. Unfortunately I caught the skunk for the first time this season. The water visibility was good about 6ft.. The water temperature was 67.3. Today pretty much raps up my flounder season. I may take a trip to the cape may reef before the end of flounder season. This is the time of the year I start anticipating some great off shore big game trips. I know of at lest one crew from Stone Harbor that hooked into some real big blue fin. They did not have the gear to get the job done. The sure had some fish stories. They did not want their names put out on the internet. Do yourself a big favor do not go offshore without a Roffers report. The guy is the best on the planet. Check out the list of tournament winners that have used his expertise.
Open letter to Hutch Jr (RFA),
I can assure you if the RFA policy was to put the natural resoures first on their agenda, the weakfish stock would not be so dangerously low today. The RFA should have led a campaign to rebuild the weakfish stock five years ago!
At this point, I ask you, the RFA to join us in urging the ASMFC to implement a closure of commercial and recreation fishing of weakfish for two years. If you choose not to help with this campaign, I politely ask you sir, to step to the side!
Nichola at the ASMFC office has been working at a record pace answering comments and phone calls concerning the August 19 ASMFC meeting… Most of us are angry with the condition of the weakfish. WE are also hopeful that the August19 ASMFC meeting in Virginia becomes historic and the weakfish in time join the striped bass and sea scallops on the list of success stories.
nmeserve@asmfc.org Send your comment time is short
Ken's Dock 