Do we have any contacts in CCA? Did you talk to someone on the oyster task force or someone who works for LDWF? I have never been to Calcasieu Lake but I'd willing to help with this to the best of my ability. Do we have numbers or proof somewhere that these reefs aren't naturally replenishing themselves, or are we a bunch of fishermen that are mad because our best spots are being taken? I want to be a part of this regardless of which, but dealing with the science community they are taught to be skeptical of everything you tell them. Meetings sound like it would be the best way to concentrate everyone's effort on this so that we could get someone of importance to the oyster community to listen. Maybe we could contact someone from CCA and get them to correlate it for us. My boss is on the oyster task force ill talk to him and see if he can help point us to the right person to talk to.

IMO.....if you get them involved.....They will try to take all the credit for anything that is done.

Don't think it matters who takes credit...if it gets stopped is all that matters

Good point, and I think we should learn more about this and get some numbers before trying to go forth with something we have no idea about :redface: That way if something does happen you can have evidence and go in with some legitimate arguments. I was waiting on you to chime in on this, seems you have the contacts to find the info

I agree, hell Ducks Unlimited or Quail Unlimited to take credit for it as long as it gets done:D

Anyone know where I can get a sack of oysters?

CCA has already had discussions with LDWF about this issue. LDWF has done nothing. Hell even a select few existing oyster fisherman have plead with LDWF because they can see the writing on the wall that if nothing is done, they will be out of a job. Still nothing done yet.

I want someone from the scientific community to show me on paper/power point presentation that what is happening right now is beneficial to the estuary! All we have been Told is; "dredging is helpful to the reefs". Controled burning is helpful to the forest but the optimal word is "CONTROLED" not rampant Harvest. I am not a mental heavy weight but can assure you that is it takes three years for an oyster to grow to maturity to harvest and nothing is left on the reefs currently, something is wrong. I would also bet that undersized oysters are being kept and sold and the powers that be consider it collateral damage. Forgive me for not knowing this but, who are our state representatives for the Lake Charles/Cameron area? These fellows need to hear from us also whether phone or email. Someone please post up this information so we can get them involved.

Best Regards,

Raymond Little

NOPE, I gottem in the O.P.P., OYSTER PROTECTION PROGRAM

i get mine from tony's in baton rouge if your from a coastal community its prolly easier to get them from someone who sells them off the boat. If not I'd try google.

I posted the LDWF oyster assessment on here somewhere.

Chas, does CCA have a paper on the subject or something about thier stance on it?

I think this would be a starting place.

I am not for trying to stop oystering on the estuary, just make sure the resource is not depleted.

We have all commented on this. What are we going to do now?

They won't be depleted, they cannot keep any under 3". So they will chunk those back in.
But they will wipe out most of the commercial sized oysters on the East side by next season. There might be a lot of boats dragging on the East side, but not catching like they were last year.

The issue isn't about destroying the crop.

It's about destroying the people who fish big lakes spots

Everytime you open your mouth you look more of a fool..... I have fishing log book I have keep dated back to 2001 and I can prove that fish has dropped in areas of hard oyster harvest...I dont need a Bio.. I do my own looking

You proved my point.

The argument isn't about the oyster crop it's about the fishing related to the oystering

Nice try though

Let me make even more simple got people like you w.

When dealing with an issue like this. Addressing an OYSTER task force with your concerns/complaints of them messing up your RECREATIONAL fishing spots isn't gonna carry much weight. Get it?

They are concerned with oysters. Not with how many fish the squat master can catch because of those oysters.

so when you take out all the beds that make up our estuary and keep taking over and over in one small area....you have nothing left like we have now...Why do they want to move up NORTH???? No more Oysters to take....Beds are gone...

We got a 15trout limit with zero proof passed....I belive we can take the oysters boat down..... Back to tong days.... No more dredging

Translate?

Sorry but I can't understand any of that ramble

why does the east side re seed

Because they have to.

I'm not saying y'all don't need to. Y'all do too probably. I'm not an oyster biologist. I'm just saying. You can't change the oyster task force's mind by using recreation trout fishing figures.

Personally, we should do what they do in the carolina's, make the oyster men, "lease" a oyster bed in order to fish it...(read it in coastal living while during "D.E.A.R- drop everything and read- during school)

What is there to understand???
 

Yak em, what don't you get? What if someone like myself makes a living as a guide and I can't fish where the fish are supposed to be? It's no different than being an oysterman. They are commercial, and so am I. When you take, take, and take some more, eventually, there will be nothing left. Like W stated, they want to continue moving north becaue they are hardpressed to find anything down south. This is typical of our state...and I am sure this will pi$$ people off, but, here goes...we, as Louisiana sportsman see it like this, catch as much as you can while you can. Same with the oysters, take all you can now, now, now. At least our trout can spawn to reproduce at a fast rate. Other resources are not as fortunate. Oysters are a big part of ANY estuary. They filter water, establish good foundations for the bottom of the water they occupy, and provivide cover for the bottom of the food chain to enable the "circle of life." I agree, we NEED to re-seed as soon as possible. But don't be in a hurry to harvest what you put back. CLose it for 4 years. Then assess it the following, with professionals, then harvest.

They lease beds on the east side of the state. Oystering here became popular because it was easy money. No need to spend all that much when you can go out, catch 20 sacks at $30 a day.

thought so, just didn't want to say it and be wrong, and then get jumped by the east side boys

"Circle of Life", just like the "Lion King" Pumba.
Needed some humor tonight fellows, it will get fixed and you can Bank on that statement!

Hey Timon, go train a dog or go wade somewhere. Do I get my ice chest back tomorrow? Going to the cardiologist at 9 am. I'll call you. Bring it to the office with you.

Boat driver. Your way of mind is what Is wrong. It shouldn't be get all you can while you can.

That's why the oyster men are moving north.

That's why resources get depleted

Trust me I see where your coming from. But the oyster task force isn't worried about you catching fish

i just spit water all over:*****::*****::*****::*****::cry:

I definitley understand this comment. But, are we gona be the one's to save their resource for them? Shouldn't work like that, but this is the world we live in. You would think that the entire state would adopt a uniform procedure.

nah, the state's too worried about the whooping cranes right now. Why worry about osysters

You may have to change your argument to make them see what they are doing.

Gonna be tough to have a definitive arguement. One of the few tools on our side can be the West side Wildlife and Fisheries. They are absolutley fed up with the whole dredging issue. So, who knows. There is talk of the lake opening up north of Comissary Point.

You've just gotta make them see they are hurting themselves

To me, the ONLY way they MAY see that is if they actually take out the entire lake this year. Then next year, they would hopefully struggle so much as to realize that is in their best interest to let it rest for a year or 2.

I talked to a Senate Leader....with enough people we can get our day!!

Just like the 15 trout limit was passed with zero knowledge.... We can get them to at least down grade to tongs

Most, if not all the guys that I talk to that do oyster, would rather go back to tonging. They are tired of all the trash that came over when the dredging got popular.

There are not many good commercial grade oysters to the North of Big Lake.
Best ones are in an area North of the Old Jettys, and along the ship channel to Long Point.
West Cove is full too, but not commercially favored.
You cannot lease reefs in Big Lake. There are not enough and the lake is not big enough.
We have big oysters, but not many. East side of La. has lots more oysters, but not big ones. But they have huge bays and open water that we don't have.
If the state layed down a substate over the whole lake, then we might be able to have leases, but who gets to lease them? That will be another fight.


Stop the dredging, you will stop the massacre of oysters.

Go to tonging only like before and there will be plenty of oysters for a long time. Lazy people don't tong for oysters. Just the ones who really need the money.