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Bertram31.com General Bulletin Board
Re: Rising fuel costs
Posted By: Walter Kaprielian In Response To: Rising fuel costs (bruce)
Date: Wednesday, 16 March 2005, at 9:15 p.m.
In my opinion, it had a major effect on marina income at Montauk last year. It put a lot of stress on inshore species as people stayed close to home. Stupid state regulations magnified that problem because when you were limited to 1 bass per man, you caught that and switched over to Fluke to which you were allowed 3, then on to Sea Bass and Porgies...and so on. A half day charter that used to go out for one species, now had to keep bait and tackle for two or three species.
Charterboats that historically were booked solid had open days all through the season.
Venturing offshore and canyon trips were more often left to diesel powered boats, although there will always be the fast center console outboard guys, but I thought there were fewer of them.
In true Montauk marina mentality, the solution to less income is to raise prices to make it up. Again in my opinion the hustle and bustle of dock life in the July, August and Septembers of yesteryear was not there. Weekdays were actually quiet.
I suspect there were more "vacationers" from the New York area who came for close to home vacations rather than out-of-towners, and I know all-summer house rentals have been a disaster the last two years.
I noticed more people catching their own bait rather than buying it. More short porgies were killed in pursuit of Striped Bass last year than I've seen in 40 years of fishing there. Live wells abound, as do cast nets.
Oh yes, the times are-a changing!
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