Now lets talking the IMORTANT part of politicians view points

[joedog]

http://www.keepamericafishing.org/youdecide

I beg....you anglers to keep this discusion STRICKLY on this topic and this topic ALONE.

You should feel free with agreeing or liking someones answer EVEN IF you WOULDN'T vote for them because of other reasons.

No matter what your opinion is it ONLY makes you an ANGLER....nothing else.
This I found very intriging and the knowledge or lack of perspective on true problems WE face together as anglers didn't really surprise me.

I think this SHOULD be a priorty in your decision making but we all make our decisions based what is most important to us and I think thats exactly the way they should be made. If you read 'between the lines' you may be surprised.

No comment probably means you just don't care.
And thats ok too.

I will definitly share mine but I in no way want to guide the direction of this thread.

Have fun, stay friends and remember, we all want the same thing, we just have different ideas on how to get it done.
Some like to jig for bass, some like to popper fish for bass but we ALL want to catch bass.

So what do you think?

[RustyFender]

I read the link and it all seemed like so much canned PC gobble-d-goop. Neither one of these guys probably even own a tacklebox. Nothing I read would make me want to fish with either one of them or trust them with my fisheries. BO would likely overreg it and MR would prob dereg too much. Who knows?

[bassboogieman]

I think fishing is pretty far down the list of their concerns. No matter what we or others think about fishing - to either of the canidates I believe pretty much a too insignificant a concern for them to bother with any personal attention, other than pass it off to whatever Secretary they appoint. Fishing/Hunting concerns would be better addressed by the individual states and the Feds keeping their dam(n) noses out of it.

[keithdog]

I found reading the link interresting, but felt like the answers were probably written by someone working for their election campaign. Both may have scanned it quickly if even that and then gave the thumbs up. MR's comments sounded to me however to have more of the candidates true attention. OB's comments sound more like a list of achievements meant to garner his trust. Both candidates are going to try to tell us what we want to hear. I agree with pretty much everything Rusty said above. OB will be more the heavy handed regulations guy trying to appease the tree huggers and environmental wackos, while MR will be the beer swiggin lett'em do whatever the he++ they want kind of guy. I really don't like either candidate, but when it comes to environmental issues, I think it should be up to the states to regulate their resources, except on federal land and where interstate and international uses of resources exist.

[nobass]

it is like all political speeches they are addressing anglers and saying what they think we are dumb enough to belive so wel will vote for them. once in office they will do what they damn well please and follow the wishes of those with deep pockets. it is always been like that and until we the people of this country stand up and say enough vote them out of office or throw them out off office until they get the message and start worring about the poeople and not special interest groups will any thing change

[joedog]

Originally Posted by bassboogieman

I think fishing is pretty far down the list of their concerns. No matter what we or others think about fishing - to either of the canidates I believe pretty much a too insignificant a concern for them to bother with any personal attention, other than pass it off to whatever Secretary they appoint. Fishing/Hunting concerns would be better addressed by the individual states and the Feds keeping their dam(n) noses out of it.

You maybe right but....
http://www.outdoors720.com/2011/01/f...rt-hoover.html

[Marty]

"Keep America Fishing" is basically about keeping America buying, since it's is sponsored by a trade association.

The whole fishing issue has -0- relevance in a presidential election because it's a non-issue at that level and fishing is regulated by the states. I think the responses by Obama and Romney are just B.S. and mean nothing.

Certainly some states have some regulations that anglers aren't crazy about, but none that I know of is doing anything to threaten fishing rights.

[Dogmatic]

Agree with most of what was said above(Except Keith's "MR will be the beer swiggin...kind of guy", best to learn a little about your candidates?)...let's face it, at this moment in time, there are more pressing issues for these two men. But I will give a short anecdote, that will show how importantly I consider my vote when it comes to these issues. Twelve years ago(and again eight years ago), I was encouraged to "Vote my sport" by some groups of sportsmen, and gun advocacy...in that time my home state lost 800,000 acres of public lands(including my Elk and Mule deer hunting grounds), to private interest. So, although not a priority for these candidates, a well considered, and educated vote is very important to us sportsmen, and I appreciate joedogs post.

[WTL]

I respect Joe for trying to push discussion on this board forward. I do reject the idea of being a single issue voter, and agree with Marty that policy towards fishing is %90 driven by the states, with the rest being EPA administrative stuff that doesnt chage all that much from president to president anyway.

I often read the Field And Stream blogs, and am numbed by how often we are subjected to vote for this party dialogues just because we like to fish.

[keithdog]

Originally Posted by Dogmatic

Agree with most of what was said above(Except Keith's "MR will be the beer swiggin...kind of guy", best to learn a little about your candidates?)...

What I was referring to was his mind set. With Mitt being a devout Morman, I doubt there is any beer in his home. Nor coffee, nor tea, nor cigerettes, nor...

[joedog]

http://www.pcffa.org/fn-nov11.htm

http://fisheriesreports.org/wp-content/uploads/cnrs.pdf

First off thanks to everyone for your input.
Now I feel that most of the responses are canned.
Also feel thier responses to almost everything is 'canned'.
Fishing industry doesn't EMPLOY people?
Money isn't generated in these industries that in turn helps the general economy?
People who are happy with thier free time activities don't make better all around citizens?
Because these men cater to big business does that mean you shouldn't care or get involved?

Research and knowledge are great tools but not everyone is blessed with the brain power others have. A fishing boat is a great tool too but my wishes and wants don't end because my fishing decisions are made from land. Come to my home someday you'll see the economic effect of fishing enthusiats.

Alot of people are very near sited and unless it effects THEM TODAY it's not a priority. Does that mean your wishes mean less or have less value then Romney's or Obamas?
Maybe if it was one of 'our' priorities then it would BECOME one of thiers.

I FIRMLY believe that recreational fishing IS and SHOULD be on someones priority list!
When times are tough...I GO FISHING!
If the day at work stunk, I GO FISHING! Making my next days work more productive. If I want fishing supplies I work harder to achieve it.
I drive to go and fish! On man MADE roads, in a man MADE vehicle, under man MADE bridges and launch at a man MADE marina. Someone had a job....do they still?
When I was a boy we hunted crawlers so we could sell them. Guess what the money went too? Fishing stuff!
Didn't fishing put me on the road to entrupenueralistic view points and how or what kind of man I became? I had two paper routes and I wanted a 'lightning rod'. I got a morning route for the summer.

Youth Engagement
Getting a good crop of students to enroll in
natural resource programs requires having
them be interested in the subjects to begin
with. Many educators lament that kids today
are less familiar with and less interested in the
outdoors in general and thus are not likely to
want to follow a relevant academic path. It’s
generally believed that to develop a love of
nature and the outdoors, kids must be reached
by or before middle school.
The field therefore needs to increase its visibility
in today’s popular culture through new
and existing avenues that appeal to young
people. These include specific programs
such as 4H, Boy and Girl Scouts, and Future
Farmers of America. But recognizing that
many students come from urban backgrounds
without opportunities to fish, farm, hunt, bird
watch, or engage in other outdoor experiences,
we need to broaden our outreach. Kids
can be engaged with the outdoors through
community activities such as nature/adventure
playgrounds, festivals, community gardens
and the local food movement, or through
online programs such as the National Wildlife
Federation’s Wildlife Watch.
Getting natural history and environmental
topics into the curriculum more widely is
paramount. To incorporate nature into the
classroom, we need closer associations with
teachers and school organizations. One teacher-
training program geared toward the natural
sciences is SAF’s Forestry Institute for Teachers,
which brings together teachers, forestry
professionals, and environmental education
specialists to develop curricular material on
forest ecology and forest management. We
can also encourage greater use of existing curriculum
programs such as Project Wild and
Project Wet. The Fish and Wildlife Service’s
National Conservation Training Center
(NCTC) has a number of programs designed
to get kids outside, to expose high school
students to natural resource careers, and to
bring natural resource awareness back to the
classroom. We should work more closely with
math and science teachers to help cultivate an
interest in natural resources in their students.
We also need to reach kids through today’s
social media, using social networking tools
such as Facebook, Twitter, blogs, and mobile
applications (“apps”). And we should find
popular culture heroes who can be associated
with our efforts.
Finally don't wait till these challenges EFFECT you today, help prevent them from happening TOMMORROW.
How would your excitment about your childrens, grandchildren, nieghbors kids future be if you thought NATURE wouldn't be apart of it. Maybe just walking through a PARK to ask your future inlaw to marry.

I really don't think anyone today is a one dementional voter. Just to much and to frequent advertisement and press. Heck I hear what thier going to say even before they themselves say it.
Don't anyone think for one minute that I lack some understanding of challenging life and I don't know that this is on my HIGHEST priority list but does that mean it doesn't matter?

And some of you thought I had nothing to say.
Have the very best day you possible can, PLEASE.

[bassboogieman]

And some of you thought I had nothing to say.

Did you actually SAY something?

Yeah, I'm poking fun at you - sorry that was too good a lead-in to let go................

[joedog]

Originally Posted by bassboogieman

Did you actually SAY something?

Yeah, I'm poking fun at you - sorry that was too good a lead-in to let go................

Perfect reply.

[nofearengineer]

The Feds are involved in fishing now. If you fish coastal waters, you have to buy a federal permit in addition to the state permit you've grown used to.

By the way while I am generally not in favor of government making more laws, I am in favor of laws that restrict government. I would like to see a law that says money collected in the form of fishing and boating license fees must be spent on fishing and related areas, and can not be dumped into the general fund and spent on education, healthcare, roads, bribes, mistresses, etc.

[bassboogieman]

You dreamer. Remember Social Security? Raiding that fund opened the door to every other "special trust fund" the government can get it's hands on. Not to mention, started the slide that has become the current avalanche. Isn't that the name of your boat, by-the-way?

[WTL]

I can put things more clearly...

1. What a presidential candidate pledges to do should not greatly affect my choice for president. I have much larger concerns.

2. What a candidate pledges to do that affects fishing should not be given a great deal of attention by you guys even if you were to value fishing policy at a federal level above all else, because these guys wont actually do a thing they say regarding fishing. They have much larger concerns.

3. Most policy that impacts fishing is at the state level. I'd rather hear from the governor.

4. I think its neat that Obama fished the east gallatin, so have I. I think its even neater that the fish had such good taste as to skunk him.

[bassboogieman]

But I have a really important question: Has the price of waterdogs gone up or down since the Obamanation took office?

[Dogmatic]

Originally Posted by bassboogieman

But I have a really important question: Has the price of waterdogs gone up or down since the Obamanation took office?

Just like ammunition, it's gone up, because the "fear" that he's after my waterdogs!

[nofearengineer]

I wonder if the rise in the price of ammunition might be because government agencies have been stockpiling BILLIONS of rounds for when the November election inevitably turns south? And I'm not talking about the National Guard or Army, folks.

Hell, even the National Weather Service has been buying up ammo. The NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE?!?! That agency is chock full o nuts (the Communist kind), as evidenced by their advocacy of global warming and cap and trade legislation. It isn't a huge stretch to imagine they envision a new mission for themselves in the "aftermath".

[WTL]

I've actually heard rumors of a National Weather Service Commando training camp in southern georgia.

[RustyFender]

http://www.infowars.com/national-wea...ammo-purchase/

[joedog]

As usual, I have NO IDEA how we got to GUNS and ammo but none the less very good input.
Rusty great article. I heard that the target reasoning was just a scam but to realize that they're stocking up to use these high powered ammo on the POPULATION is a little concerning.
If target practice was the true intention it shows how our government wastes OUR money, hollow points to shoot at paper targets, come on.
my guess is they probably paid more for the targets than the ammo.

Guess I should start target shooting so my aim is on when the TROOPS come to my nieghborhood.
Anyone have some spare hollow points laying around for me to target shoot?

[nofearengineer]

Originally Posted by WTL

I've actually heard rumors of a National Weather Service Commando training camp in southern georgia.

Have your fun, William...but can you offer a reasonable theory as to why the National Weather Service would need 46,000 rounds of hollow-point ammo?

[bassboogieman]

but can you offer a reasonable theory as to why the National Weather Service would need 46,000 rounds of hollow-point ammo?

Just a guess, but I think there are around 23,000 weathermen (weatherpersons) on the television county wide. That's just about right to double-tap each one. They never seem to get the weather right, so elimination seems a likely senario.

[WTL]

Bodygards for Jim Cantore next time he's in new orleans.