I agree with Grandpa, it take both efforts to get any notice or decisions to be swayed one way or the other.

Last years crabbing protest is a prime example, we got a good turn out for the WDFW meeting in Port Townsend. We thought we got our point across and thought we made a difference. We did make a very small difference, maybe. Judging by the fact that the commercials had culled most of the keeper crab prior to our opening, and seeing their pots in the water all year long, but hey at least we had a showing and didn’t lose our limits. I truly believe we would have made a much greater difference in swaying the rulings in the sports crabbers favor, if we also had a person or association that had the ear/wallet of the actual politician or decision maker making the ruling.

Most of us spend way more money to go catch the crabs, shrimp, or fish, WAY MORE that if we chose to buy it at the store. We are willing to pay the high fuel, boat, auto, insurance ect… prices even though we are getting shafted we it comes to sharing of the quotes, seasons, and enforcement. We now need to make supporting our industry or right of a sport-fisherman a cost that goes along with it. If we want to improve or even continue our what we have now, we need to support in time and money.

Right now most of the burden is on a small few who have taken it upon themselves to get the ball rolling. We don’t know how much time effort and yes MONEY they have pored into keeping and trying to improve the ability for us to get our fair share. If you want to improve our standing and access you HAVE to get involved.

I joined PSA as a start last January, not knowing exactly what it was about, but it was a start. Just like many of you I attended the meetings and really enjoy the speakers and the raffle, but I went one step further, I ASKED to become involved, I asked to help share the burden of making a change for us, what can I do beyond the moaning and crying that doesn’t get us anywhere. It has been shown to me, by actions including myself, that when we go ask for the support from the sport fishermen a lot of you will say rah rah, let make a change, let go, the excitement wears off very fast and then you do nothing. Those that come and say let me help what can I do ? those are usually the ones who stick with it or are ready in invest their efforts and get involved.

People like Grandpa do more than most of us, including the moaning about how we get shafted, they have more of a RIGHT to, they are involved, they are making the investment, they are the ones that are making a difference. Heck I was moved to get off my butt and get involved.

We now have a awesome opportunity that we have not had before with the Washington Sportfishing political action committee (PAC) to get access to those who actually make the decisions here in Washington State, and the RFA that has access to the decision makers Federally in Washington DC and fellow sports fishermen across the country.

We need to support their efforts with funding, there are tens of thousand of us and we all make a contribution large or small it will make a huge difference.

At our July Sno-King PSA meeting we are having a Bar-B-Q and the guest speaker will be the RFA. Our raffle proceeds will go the them 100 %.

I would like to make a challenge to all fellow sportsfishermen and to other chapters to try and match or beat our contributions. I am personally going to contribute at our July meeting, a $100.00 to both the RFA and the (PAC), let me see you match that. Our PSA chapter is also going to make a substantial contribution also. I will post the amount to see if we have any takers from other clubs willing to meet it.

If it means not going on fishing trip or two to make contribution, I feel its worth the investment for the future.

NOW is the time to make a difference, if you want to get involved, no one is going to stop you, you will find lots of dedicated persons and groups that will help you.