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Surf turf wars: Battle between surfers and fishermen
August 14th, 2009, 1:28 pm · 16 Comments · posted by Laylan Connelly, staff writer
The Orange County Register’s Jaimee Fletcher has a great story today about a surfer upset that he keeps getting caught in the fishing line of people dropping their lines down from the pier.
Here’s a bit from the story:
A local surfer who has been tangled in fishing lines near the pier wants the city to put restrictions on where anglers can drop their lines, but some fishermen argue surfers should paddle away from the pier.
The long-standing conflict has pitted fisherman against surfer for years – each side claiming their territorial rights to the ocean.
But one side will have to budge, said pier fisherman Jose Llamas, 30, of Huntington Beach.
“Someone is going to get hurt,” he said. “They need to make a rule; either tell the fishermen to fish only on the south side or tell the surfers to surf farther out.”
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It’s a pretty interesting debate, and I’d love to hear what you guys think. Take the poll!
Read more on surfing:
16 Comments
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Rather than prohibit fishing from the pier it should be restricted giving surfers the right of way. After all, H.B. is Surf City (not Fish City)
Piers were constructed, among other reasons, for fishermen to be able to catch fish farther out than they can cast their lines from shore. And these structures are actually pretty dangerous for all but the most experienced surfers. However, we need to remember that surfers can catch waves for miles in each direction, but fishermen can’t just walk out on another pier a little to the north or south. There’s only one pier (I know, I know, there are piers in other cities, but that’s not the point of this article, is it?).
I BELIVE THAT SURFERS SHOULD STAY AWAY FORM THE Pier BECAUSE THEY CAN GET HURT IF THEY CRASH INTO ONE OF THE PIER POLES RIGHT IF SAFETY IS THERE CONCERN THEN Y SURF NEXT TO THE PIER??? And. A LOT OF PEOPLE COME FORM FAR AWAY LIKE THE VALLEY NORTH HOLLYWOOD JUST TO COME FISH IN HB SO I BELIVE ITS NOT FAIR THAT THE SURFERS WANT THE WHOLE SEA TO THEM SLEVES THE OCEAN IS SO BIG SO Y SURF NEXT TO THE PIER???
Sum surfers cut lines on purpose sumtimes!!!!! Fisherman should be able to fish because sum people fish to feed there famliy!!!! I come form north hollywood to fish for fun and I see a lot of people. Fishing and then all of a sudden a surf paddles by a fishing line and cuts it for no reason!!!! Surfer can get hurt if they were to crash into the pier so y not just paddle away for the pier??
Who the heck actually eats fish they catch off these piers?? I’d rather eat the “farm raised” Chinese Tilapia for a buck fiddy from Vons.
Go ahead and eat your “Chinese farm raised” Tilapia from Von’s for a “buck fiddy”. These piers were not built, with tax payers money, for surfers. In fact they were built for fisherman, and there are laws requiring vessels (yes, that includes surfboards) to stay a certain distance away. I believe it is 150 feet. Not all fisherman eat everything they catch, many practice catch and release, just like you do with a wave.
the problem is that fishermen do not fish out at the end of the pier. But rather in the surf impact area. I’ve seen way more fish caught at the end of th pier where they belongl
The inshore area is the area where anglers catch surfperch and most croakers, it’s the prime area because that is where the fish reside and the anglers cannot catch them further out on the pier, Given the fact that money has been received in the past from the Wildlife Conservation Board to repair the pier, and keep it open for anglers, it makes sense that they would get priority use for that area.
As for the surfers, they have miles and miles of surf to practice their sport. The surfers can move, the anglers can’t. And though I believe surfers are told to maintain a certain distance from the pier many simply fail to obey the rules. Their failure to follow the rules is the main cause of this conflict.
Both anglers and surfers have a right to enjoy their sport but in this case it only makes common sense to KEEP THE SURFERS AWAY FROM THE PIER.
as a surfer girl i think that the fishermen should fish down the pier us surfer can only catch waves at a certan point and we dont go out past the line up i dont get why fisherman cant just go out where the surfers are not surfing be nice and share the ocean
This is pretty ridiculous. It’s obvious to me that both sides are at fault here. For those who say fishing shouldn’t be allowed or should be restricted to a certain area of the pier, think about why the pier was built in the first place. They’re made specifically for fishing–not for surfing (the surf they create is a byproduct of their construction)–and they provide access to different species caught all along the whole length of the pier. To fishermen, you can’t flip out every single time someone gets caught up in your line. While you might feel the need to cast far out, there’s really no need to. Take advantage of the structure of the pier where most of the fish like to congregate. Plenty of other cities employ a 100 ft. rule regarding swimmers and surfers going near piers. Why can’t HB do the same?
First and foremost purpose of any pier is for fishing. Most cities have on the books that no boat or surfer to be closer than 100 feet to the pier. This LAW should be enforced. Most fishermen do not cast that far.
Fishermen are limited to the pier, but surfers have the freedom to move away from the pier and surf. However, they like the wave breaking caused by the pier structure.
The worst is when careless surfers go under the pier and come out from the other side.
The lifeguards being surfer themselves are always partial toward the surfers and do not enforce the law.
As to why fishermen like to fish different locations on the pier, is because there are different fish at different areas. Halibut, Perch, corbina, croakers, some sharks closer to surf line. Halibut, mackerel, smelt, etc. in the middle and deep. Bat rays, sharks at the deep end.
The simplest solution is for the cities to put out buoys around the piers and keep the surfers away. Everybody knows where they should be. End of the problem.
It is time for the city to recognize their liability for letting the surfers swim near the pier or surf near the pier. One mistake against a piling is more than a scratch to the swimmer. They can be cut badly and also get a bad infection. If the swimmer is hurt more than a scratch, the city will be sued of course. That’s where the money is. A fisherman isn’t going to sue if he catches a piling because it is part of the game, but if a surfer cuts a fisherman’s line or gets in the way of a person fishing, there is a state law prohibiting that.
The pier can’t be moved, but the surfers can be moved!
I was at the huck finn FISHING DERBY last weekend fishing with my children and a surfer paddled up and started yelling profanities at everyone for fishing leaving the kids wondering why he was yelling at everyone for fishing?there were over 250 kids under the age of 15 trying to have a good time and then you have an a**hole surfer that was probly too stoned to realize there was a kids fishing event going on….way to go surfers for supporting the local youth!!!!!
i fish and surf and have respect for both. for surfers, if there are many lines in the water, why put yourself in a position to get hooked or wrapped by the fishing line? cutting lines, really?! thats lame. if being near the pier is you thing, cool, as long as you understand the risk you are taking, not just from the anglers but from the pier as well.
anglers, you have options as well. i understand that pier fishing can be fun, however, you can catch a lot more fish from the sand. you also have more mobility and can work the endless miles of coast our state has to offer. there is more room and more fish.(trust me ive been doin it for years) i know the pier is free and fishing from the beach requires a license, but spend the 40 bucks, its worth it. anything you can catch from the pier you can catch more of from the sand if you know the spots and know what you are doing.
Fisrt, Hunington is not Surf City, Santa Cruz is!
I’m a Surfer and a fisherman, surfer’s need to stay away from the pier for their own safety. I can see during a tournament that the pier can be closed from fishing. They do that at Santa Cruz for events at the pier.
I agree, surfers should stay away from the pier. You’re just going to get messed up over there. I know the waves are pretty nice, I’ve surfed them and it is a nice spot, but it’s not worth getting a hook in you.