sports

outdoors with Lou Rodia Salt Water License, Striper Ban in Effect

The first salt water license to be implemented along the East Coast since Florida had one and removed it is now in effect in the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland. It will be interesting to watch what happens in that state. The ✓ commercial and recreational fishery- was already reeling from the impact of a serious decline in striped bass — so much so that a three-year moratorium on the catching of stripers has been enacted. Commercial and recreational anglers are banned from catching rockfish for three years while the pro blems of the striper are studied. The species is in such dire straits that it is believed by many that the striper as we knew and know it will never come back. Party and charter boats in the Chesapeake had to turn to the bluefish, which is catchable in the bay. Additional pressure has been put on a declining weakfish population an and spot and fluke are being fished for more than ever. FISHING — RELATED facets of the tourism industry in states on both sides of the Chesapeake (Virginia and Maryland i such as restaurants, bars, motels, marinas, boat sales places, gas stations, as well

as a host of oti|er businesses do not yet know how much business will be lost because striper fishermen )yill stay away. No one really knows how many will be staying away from the Chesapeake Bay ..^-bbcause of the license. All thai- the state and the Maryland Department of Natural Resources will be able to count is how many actually buy the license and how much revenue it produces. The very nature of the licence proposed and passed in Maryland leads one to believe, as we always have, that the argument that the license was needed to count the fishermen who used the waters of the state proposing the license is a specious one A study of the exceptions to the license points and out that there is no way that Maryland will ever know how many anglers will be fishing Chesapeake Bay because of the license. WE HAVE BEEN told for years that the license is needed to count";, the numbers. Here are Maryland's exceptions. First, if you are over 65. you do not need one. If you are under 16 you do not need one. If you are the possessor of a valid Maryland commercial tidewater fishing license you are exempt. You also

do not need the license if you fish from a private dock as the owner, family member or non-paying guest. If you fish with hook and line from a bridge or pier which is designated by the Maryland DNR as a free fishing area you are also exempt. If you have r' valid state of Virginia Chesapeake Bay sport fishing license ( which has not yet been approved by that state) you do not have to buy a Maryland license to fish Maryland's side of the bay. If you are a resident or nonresident fishing from a licensed charter boat you are exempt. CHARTER BOATS have their own license fee to pay. For boats carrying six or under the annual fee is $200 Over six, the boat fee is $240. In addition, the guide (or operator) must be licensed at an annual fee of $35 for residents and $100 for non-residents. 1 Another exemption is to anyone holding a valid Maryland fresh water license. These licensees have to pay only $2.50. To make the bill more palatable, the fee will be $25 for a boat not for hire to fish the bay To sweeten that pot, the owner of the Private boat gets a free $5 license so he can fish anywhere in the bay without his boat. ,.That the bill will have a negative impact on the tourist fisherman was recognized with the threeday license for all tourists except those exempted above. That fee is $2 and must be obtained from a licensing agent, or County Clerk of the Circuit Court in the Maryland county where you will be fishing. THERE IS another whole group of people who will be exempted. These are the ones who will not buy the license, risking aprehension by the DNR's enforcement arm. We have had a lot of good things to say about Maryland's marine police. They have been a potent force in making our boating and fishing on Chesapeake Bay a pleasant and safe one. It will be interesting to watch what happens. Will the DNR efforts to enforce the license law take these dedicated marine policemen from their task of aiding and educating boatmen using the bay and put them into the role of finding out who can and who cannot fish? Our guess is that soon, the boating public will demand that their services be continued at the previous high level. The DNR will then need more Marine Police and more will be hired. A shortfall in funds

will necessitate generating more money from the . license. License fees will go up or the effort will be made to carve out some of the exemptions in the present law. IT IS A foregone conclusion that license fees never go down. It is also a fact of life that some percentage of the money will go to administration and that the real benefits to the recreational angler will be less than evident. The combination of the striper ban and the license are already being felt in the Chesapeake. Charter boat operators, fearing a decline in business, have sought a subsidy-lrom the state to make up for lost business. They are also planning a series of contests, including tagged fish in several species of fish other than striped bass, which would give anglers cash awards. Funds for this promotion are coming from the state. Charter shippers in greater nuirffjers than we have ever seen are soliciting business through advertising and from appearances at sportsmen's shows. State of Maryland representatives at the Maryland booth at the Annapolis show spent the bulk of their time fending off questions on the license. ANOTHER PRESSURE has arisen. With the striped bass ban in Maryland, the state DNR fears that unless all sales of stripers are banned at all levels (stores, fish markets, restaurants, etc. ) there will be an illegal fishery for stripers. This could be commercial netting done illegally or by recreational rod and reel anglers who sell their fish. There is also another side. Maryland fishermen banned from taking the fish that are bred and grown in Chesapeake Bay may find these same fish being caught and shipped into their state from elsewhere where netting has not been banned. In essence, the Maryland ban could actually cause greater netting pressure outside the state on a species already in trouble. These fish being shipped back to Maryland could work against the goals set by Marylanders in banning striper catches. TALK ABOUT rocks and hard places. If the ban on sales is implemented, the Maryland fish wholesalers, stores and restaurants could be hurt. If the ban on sales is not implemented, commercial fishermen in Maryland will be cheated because out of state netters could flood the Maryland markets with rockfish, many of which would have come from the very state which produced them. We were involved for a while with the rockfish problem. Our suggestion then and it still is now that the answer to the problem cannot be solved state for state because of the migratorymovement of the fish. It should be done with a complete coastal ban on catching, possessing, selling or attempting to catch any stripers for three years. Short of that, banning stripers in one state will only make them more profitable to catch somewhere else. As long as there is a

market, someone will find a way to catch stripers and get them into the hands of those who want to sell them. RIGHT NOW. striped bass are bringing premium price. The last ones we caught were four fish in the 10 lb. class. We were offered $25 each for the four stripers. Since I do not sell fish, the price was academic, but it proved that short supply boosts the price. As long as the price

remains high, someone will try to catch stripers no matter how few there are and no matter how bad off the species is. It will be interesting to see how tourism iln Maryland's ChesapeakK Bay communities is af- \ fected by the rockfish ban \ and by the imposition of the \ salt water license. And for those who do not \ * think so, a salt water license can and may still happen here.

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Middle Rec Takes Over League Lead

CAPE MAY - Kona Women and J.T. Builders split their four games in city women's power volleyball. Kona won the first and third games 15-9 and 17-15. J.T. Won the second and fourth games 15-10 and lf-15. In the first game, the spikes of Shirley Ludman and the sets of Lorraine Taylor rallied Kona to the victory. J.T. Builders rebounded in the second game to win their first game of the season. The net play of Linda and Tami Thomas and the play of Carol Addessio led J.T. to victory. Kona came back and won Game 3 behind the bumps of Mia Marcolongo and serves of Sharon Weekes. The last game was a total team effort on the Builders' part Bobbi Robinson was particularly effective at the net THE LOBSTER House swept four games against Neediers II. The scores were 15-13, 15-9. 15-12, 15-7. The Lobster House jumped to an early lead and hung on behind the net play of Cheryl Giddis and consistent serves of Jan MacKenzie. Lobster House took Game 2 behind 10 straight serves **" by Cheryl Giddis and beautiful digs by Patti

i Komar. Margaret Oleksiak ; had a fine game at the net and Marlene Mediuch's bumps were perfect. I Jan MacKenzie and Oleksiak led Lobster House 1 in Game 3. Lobster House I completed the sweep of the Neediers in Game 4 thanks i to the all around play of Pati ty Komar, Elaine Bennick and Mediuch. MIDDLE REC moved into sole possession of first place with a four-game sweep of the Coast Guard Waves. The scores were 15-8, 1510, 15-12, 15-0. Middle took Game 1 behind Robin Gilbert's diving saves and Debbie Brett's pinpoint | serves. • Game 2 was a good game as Jan Seer's powerful serves and offense along with Peg Arnold's hustle and defense opened up the close game. The third game was all Middle Rec as Gwyn Williams' all-court play and Barb Hensil's sets to Robin Gilbert behind great spikes. Middle Rec dominated Game 4 behind the great net play of Debbie Breee, Trish Cowhey and Jan Seer. STANDINGS Middle Township Rec 32-8 Harvey 's Lounge 28-8 Muscle World 27-9 Lobster House 24-16 U S C G Waves 20-20 Neediers U II 20 Kona Women 12-38 ' J T Builders 2-38

Potter Beefs Up First-Place Hold

CAPE MAY - The Potter strengthened its hold on first place by winning three of four games against Whippoorwill Campground in city men's power volleyball. WTiippoorwill won the first game 15-11. Potter came back and won the last three games 15-7, 15-12, 15-11. Whippoorwill held a comfortable lead throughout the first game behind the spikes of Steve Faragher. Potter turned the nrnch around in Game 2 behind the spikes and net coverage of Potter's Bob Jackson and Stu Cohen. Game 3 was highlighted by Bobby Jackson's sets to Scott Hiller. The play of Jim McKinley contributed to Potter's victory The play of Whippoorwill's Steve Faragher and Billy Holt helped keep the fourth game close. Potter kept its lead, however, and took the game behind the court coverage of Joe Halasz. LIGHTING Dimensions

and Faunce Enterprises split their four games. Lighting Dimensions won the second and fourth games 15-8 and 15-10. Faunce won their games 15-5 and 15-13. Faunce won the first game thanks to Jerry Miller's sets to spiker Andy Butler. Lighting Dimensions came back in Game 2 behind dinks by John Wilsey and court coverage by Pete Kakoyannis. Game 3 was very close but Faunce prevailed behind the serves of Jack Castello. Faunce set the pace in game four with spikes by Andy Butler. Lighting Dimensions turned the game around behind the blocks of Rick Ferrante and the hits of Kakoyannis and went on to win STANDINGS Hie Potter 2S-1S * Whippoorwill Campground 2S-18 Lighting Dimensions 1S-2S v Faunce Enterprises 16-24