Whether we agree or disagree, we know how the major presidential candidates stand on many important issues — energy, the economy, the Iraq conflict and so on — because they are constantly asked. However, even despite increasingly mainstream concerns with the oceans, that's a topic seldom put to these men who would be president. We felt that the nation's 40 million anglers (a large chunk of them coastal) would be as interested as we are to hear how a McCain or Obama administration might deal with thorny but critical fisheries-management and access issues. So we asked — putting to both candidates five very specific questions on controversial watershed issues critical to our industry and sport, and allowing each 1,000 words to summarize his views. Ultimately, we were unable to obtain a response from Senator McCain. We did, however, receive this response from Senator Obama. — Ed.

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