"Fish Daytona" TV Show

I remember when I got the first taste for fishing.  As a very young boy I had bugged my Mother for a very long time to take me fishing. So one day she finally loaded me up in the car and took me down to the dock at Ponce Inlet where she rented me a fishing pole.  As a front was quickly approaching my Mother encouraged me to come inside and I kept saying no to her.  I sat out there in the pouring rain until I finally caught my first fish, it was a large channel catfish, which I can still clearly see!  I can still hear my Mother congratulating me!  Since that day I have felt salt water running through my veins and the passion for fishing  became an integral part of who I am.  

From my first job on the "Sea Love" as the second mate, to being the first mate on the "Super Critter" I became more passionate for the sport.  I achieved my 100 ton Master's Captain's Licence and this lead me to Captaining my own fishing team in tournaments all over North East Florida.  I have had countless memories that I have shared with many friends and family.  My own first catches, to being there when others have experienced theirs.  Which leads me to the real subject of this story.  

The government believes that our natural resources (fishstock) in our oceans are being depleted at an alarming rate.  I would agree that in the 80's the size and stock of the fish was going down.  Then regulations were introduced for size and quota limits and also some closure of certain species throughout the year.  Since the regulations have been in place, year after year, our fishing conditions have greatly improved to where we are seeing numbers in fish caught today that were only fish tales from yester years.

Some of you are unaware of what exactly is happening currently to the ban of certain species.  Originally they said they were trying to protect the red snapper, which also to them, included 73 other species that will be closed for 35 years.   The ban is in effect from Melbourne, Florida, up into Georgia waters from 94ft to 240ft.  This encompasses 5900 square miles not to be fished!  We believe the scientific data is not correct.  Anybody who has fished off our coast of Daytona Beach can testify to this being incorrect.  Red Snapper fishing has been the best I have ever experienced in my lifetime and this also goes to speak for many of the 73 banned species. 

I urge you to educate yourselves on this subject and to become invloved with the organizations that are trying to repeal these laws.  Write your local congressman, local senator and governor and let them know we fish and we vote.

Can you imagine our next generation not being able to catch fish offshore and having to live through our memories of them?   Let's not allow this to become a reality!

Sincerely,

Capt. David McGaha