Scup

I know all recreational fisherman dislike draggers (including myself) and for very good reasons. However, some of the people that operate these fish vacuum cleaners are just doing what the law allows then to do. I strongly distinguish between the otter drag operations and the men that apply their trade. These methods are damaging to all of our ground fisheries, but the people who operate these ships are some of the greatest men I have ever known. These are the men that apply their trade by going to sea and are doing what most would consider the most dangerous occupation in the world. I do admire my next door neighbor who had been a very successful captain until his retirement. Our neighborhood has always benefited from having men like Joe to watch over things for us. Joe is an extremely defiant individual (most captains are) as he drives around in his pickup truck with more than bumper stickers pasted all over his truck (see the enclosed picture of the back of Joe's pickup truck). Joe was the captain that put it to the DEP when he refused to leave a trail of dead fluke in his wake. He called the DEP while still on the fishing grounds that his first haul had netted him way more fluke than the legal limit allowed but he refused to dump good (but dead) fish over the side when there were so many soup kitchens that could use the fish. He told told the DEP that he would turn them over to charity and not make a nickel on them. This incident really put the DEP in a bad light as common sense would dictate that there has to be something wrong somewhere when laws are passed that require good fish to be heaved over the side. Joe risked losing his license and livelihood by putting it all on the line that day. I would have never done that. There is no one that I know of that does not like Joe, except maybe the DEP as he pulled their chain several times. Our neighborhood would be quite boring without Joe. When a teenager, driving his old man's car was speeding down our road, he lost control of his car and crashed into a neighbor's stone wall. Joe heard the crash. The stone wall was heavily damaged (the car was not in too good a shape either) but the teen decided to leave the scene before he was apprehended. Joe took after the teen and followed his car for several blocks until the police finally showed up and took charge. A couple of weeks later, the same teenager was rebuilding the stone wall to the satisfaction of the owner (court order). Not sure what the teenager's old man did to him after he saw his car.
One Halloween night Joe decided to turn the trick on the trick-or-treaters. He put on his foul weather gear, boots and all, and presented the appearance of a raging madman dragged up from the sea. He hid in the bushes next to his front door. When the trick-or-treaters showed up, Joe jumped out with a roar. I was hearing the kids scream from half a block away. Even the screams of a few adults could be heard. Normally we get only a handful of kids on Halloween night but not that night. The kids loved it. They went back to their neighborhoods and gleaned all of their friends by enticing them to come to Joe's house, probably with promises of great treats. Then they would stand back and watch as Joe would do his thing. If Joe was running for president, I would be the first in line to cast my vote. What a bunch of wimps, empty suits, and colorless whiners we have to select from this time around.

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bent butt

With people like Joe around. We all have our own opinion about the certain issues that may affect our regional fishing practices, the dragger subject is a sore spot for a lot of people, but judging the folks that steadfastly make a living on the water ain't the answer. With the cost of fuel and regulations being what they are today most of the guys I know that fish for a living are hanging on by a thread.....or their wives incomes in lucky cases. I'd venture to say that most of us would quit our day jobs if we could make ends meet trolling for pelagics six days a week, so why is this anti-commercial fishing so prolific among sporty types? We've all benefited from commercial fishing to one extent or another....think about drag boat bycatch chum lines and all of the fish we've caught fishing the splashy side of the culling table.....then there is community aspect that joe mentioned. On a more controversial note, how 'bout the most loathed of all commercial types...longliners....there are an awful lot of those guys that live release marlin with tags in place to foster critical migratory and breeding research that will help gain a better understanding of how to not only better understand these species,but protect them as well. THe next time you run into one of these guys out having beers, try not to peer through your maui jims in loathsome disgust, buy 'em a round and talk with them for a bit, we are all watermen.

CaptBillB

Scup & All,
Of course... it's got to be Joe Rendiero... former president of the Stonington Draggers Association. I agree with your assessment... he's one of kind.
He called me up concerning one of my columns in the Westerly Sun.. and we had a VERY interesting conversation. He began the conversation stating.. "I know that you're a fair man and are willing to listen." Well.. I listened.. and listened. However.. I'll state this fact.. he was a gentleman even when we agreed to disagree and, for that, I admired him a whole lot.
He was a crusty 'Old Salt' who definitely had no problem saying exactly what he thought without sugar coating it.
Glad to hear that he's still kicking around.... 'Being Joe.'

__________________
Bill
www.billfishcharter.com

Scup

Joe has now joined the ranks of the recreational fishing sector, and as always, does quite well at that too.