Shore Fishing Rant ( Fishermans Garbage Left Behind)

[fishinthedacks]

Just like many of you I always bring a bag big enough for my trash and one to clean up around me. One of my favorite spots is always polluted with drinks, old line, empty worm containers, cans etc so I make sure its clean. That town spent extra money make sure the Northville lake/pond had new steps put in, a fishing chart so you can id fish, know legal sizes, and weights. Awesome for new fisherman and kids. Also gives history of fish and tips on how to catch them. So when people pollute these areas I get pretty mad. That's why towns go to crap and they stop putting money into making them better areas.

[Felix77]

It frustrates me to see this as well.  

 

I try to cleanup what I can if I have something to put it in.  Things like line/hooks etc I always try to to pick up and throw out.

 

Not always to be honest but if it's there and I can shove it in my pocket or small bag I take it.

[Bavass]

PLEASE PICK UP YOUR GARBAGE LEAVE THE PLACE BETTER THAN YOU FOUND IT TOO BY PICKING UP SOME ELSE'S GARBAGE TOO. I LEAVE NO FOOT PRINT BEHIND. ITS LIKE I WAS NEVER THERE.

NO TRASH

NO CIGARETTE BUTTS

NO LURE PACKAGES

NO WORM CONTAINERS

NO FOOD WRAPPERS

No fishing line

NADA, NOTHING LEFT BEHIND.

 

 

 

AMEN! This was taught to me by my father when I began camping with him!! ALWAYS leave it better than you found it! Kids and some adults sadly just don't care

[RoLo]

This topic comes up from time to time, and I'm glad that it does. 

When we lived in Jersey, my wife and I did a lot of shore-fishing, and 'plastic bags' was always on our Bring List.

The most common debris was monofilament rat nests, empty packages of Eagle Claw hooks and beer cans.

Even if you get "skunked", when you haul off a bag of trash you still come away with a sense of achievement.

 

Roger

[BuffaloBass716]

I've contemplated just spending a day cleaning up a spot that I go to. A lot of garbage collected there on the far bank from other fisherman and other trash... I want to bring a pair of gloves and a plastic bag and just pick up every bit of trash I can get to.  Its embarrassing fishing with trash around you and some people just don't care, a select few do though.

[ccummins]

I always take some yard sized garbage bags with me and when I am done fishing put on some leather gloves and take about 15 to 20 minutes picking up trash that others leave behind.  Every little bit that anybody does helps in the long run.  A very good organization is Recycled Fish ( http://www.recycledfish.org/ ) the person in charge of it was selected one month last year as one of Field and Streams "Heroes of Consevation".   They have partnered up a lot with Dick's Sporting Goods and B.A.S.S.  On Facebook they are https://www.facebook.com/RecycledFish .  I highly recommend visiting their website; very informative about fishing and the environment.

 

[fishva]

Yup. Just today I was fishing a local pond that is very clean, but I saw something weird in the water. From a distance, it looked like a smaller fish was eating a larger fish up by the shore. It was bizarre, so I went closer and saw that were a bunch of fish stuck in the remnants of a net someone had discarded. I sighed, took off my shoes, rolled up my pants, waded out to my knees, let them go, and took the scrap with me when I left to go home and change out of my wet pants.

I hate seeing things like this.

[BassAssassin726]

I hear ya man. The two quarry lakes I fish are filthy. The place is the definition of a honey hole. Tons of 3-5 pound bass, huge catfish, carp and bluegills. And people just trash it.   I take some trash with me everything I leave but it's impossible to keep up. There is only like 10 people I've ever seen fish it. And I know 6 of them. Lol. So I have an idea who it is. It's just ridiculous. Here is an example of what I'm dealing with. 

 

[bigbill]

I actually learned how to fish for bass in these places. I would hate to lose them. I taught my son's how to use lures there too.

It's been a learning place for everyone. Then we branch out to other places using our skills we learned there. I give back by showing others how to use lures. I have no ego I like to see others catch fish too. It's my way of giving back and I hate to lose these places. It's also the testing grounds for trying new lures.

[geo g]

The other day I actually had a released bass swim into a potato chip bag.  He swam around for 15 minutes with only his tail sticking out of the bag.  I could not agree with this post any more.  Also tons of old fishing line left on the bank.  Some people are just plain stupid.

[RipSomeLips]

I think flogging would be a good punishment for littering! A pond I fish has gone from pretty nice to couches, tv, old rubble etc all in the last year. Construction is being done just down the road and I think the construction guys have found it because there are a ton of misc construction supplies showing up.

[CDMeyer]

We as anglers need to do our part, God gave us these lakes/waters to fish. The least we can do is keep them in pristine shape to thank Him. 

[Jar11591]

I hear ya man. The two quarry lakes I fish are filthy. The place is the definition of a honey hole. Tons of 3-5 pound bass, huge catfish, carp and bluegills. And people just trash it. I take some trash with me everything I leave but it's impossible to keep up. There is only like 10 people I've ever seen fish it. And I know 6 of them. Lol. So I have an idea who it is. It's just ridiculous. Here is an example of what I'm dealing with.

Looks all too familiar. I don't know how in good conscience people can just litter like that. Different type of human being I guess. Do THEY like the look of their own garbage, or do they just never come back? Some things I will never get.

[BassAssassin726]

Looks all too familiar. I don't know how in good conscience people can just litter like that. Different type of human being I guess. Do THEY like the look of their own garbage, or do they just never come back? Some things I will never get.

Me neither man. I once saw two boxes, one for a Barbie fishing rod and another for a spiderman one. Laying on the ground next to each other. Which leads me to believe some guy decided to take his kids fishing. Then the example he leaves for them is to just leave your trash anywhere. People are gross.

[JaxBasser]

Went to a spot the other day and there was an entire destroyed frame from what looked like a mobile home or something similar dumped next to the pond. So disgusting.

[fishinthedacks]

I was fuming thinking of this thread today as I was testing some new lures etc today. Kids were hanging out eating take out and saw them toss a styrofoam take out container into the river. Unfortunately it's a 20 ft drop into a fast moving river so I couldn't toss them in and make them get it. I let them know how messed up it was they just blew me off like typical teenagers. So it took me three casts with a live target craw to hook the styrofoam and reeled it in and disposed of it. Thank god for those big sharp hooks I was a jerk as a teen but I respected nature and my fishing spots. They weren't fishing just sitting down there eating take out and smoking. Wish I knew who they were and who their parents were smh.

[Bluebasser86]

Several of the area lakes here are terrible; bottles, worm and liver containers, fishing line, bobbers, food wrappers and boxes, old clothes, cigarette boxes, pretty much anything. Some of the shore access areas have been closed because of the excessive amounts of waste. You can put trashcans out but it doesn't help, they just throw the trash all around the trashcan but not in it. I know some states do "Adopt a Shoreline" programs just like some states do the adopt a highway to help with trash. 

[Master Bait'r]

I think flogging would be a good punishment for littering! A pond I fish has gone from pretty nice to couches, tv, old rubble etc all in the last year. Construction is being done just down the road and I think the construction guys have found it because there are a ton of misc construction supplies showing up.

 

 

 

I've dreamed many times about going vigilante on people.  One spot I like to go to has a closed beach on one side- and the ghetto families from the projects down the street go there all the time.  Every single group leaves a pile of garbage behind and I've even seen times when the brats they brought were throwing rocks at boaters-  and the parents thought it was funny!  There have been many days where I would have loved nothing more than to beach the boat, stab the first Dad I can find and then shove all the trash they left behind into the gaping stab wound while the rest of his family learns an important lesson about littering and being a punk in general.   

[roadwarrior]

i dont complain too much, just take a bag with me and do my part. i couldnt tell you how much garbage ive cleaned up by my river spot over the years. yeah, it is annoying but unfortunately it will never go away. might as well take care of what i can.

 

I always carry a trash bag, too.

[ccummins]

Went to a spot the other day and there was an entire destroyed frame from what looked like a mobile home or something similar dumped next to the pond. So disgusting.

The definition of "trailer trash"...

[Scorcher214]

Always put all my snack wrappers and any bottle i have back into my backpack. And, Im always able to find some discarded line laying around. There are even specific line receptacles along the shore at one of my favorite spots. 

[Pz3]

Doesnt bother me to much usually. To me its just a warning sign that this is a high traffic fishing spot and i need to find or make a better spot.

[Grizzn N Bassin]

after hearing this stories im really disgusted. ive seen but it for sure its actually fishermen? i know sometimes its fishermen leaving  bottles, wrappers, line etc. but what about those people who just dumped bags of garbage threes no hope. Im so glad i fish private waters for bass,if i see garbage where i'm fishing i get ticked. geta few dollars together and take your lazy butt to the dump where it supposed to be.

[RAMBLER]

How much you 'wanna' bet, none of the people that leave that trash ever read this forum? I would lay odds, they don't own a computer, never owned property, were never in the scouts and their house probably looks just like the fishing spot they just left.

[AQUA VELVA]

There seems to be a disconnect between what humans do and the environment. Way back in the pioneer days, most everything was biodegradable and was not a big problem. Now we are leaving trash on the land and in the lakes and oceans that will likely outlive us. Humanity is pooping in it's own bed and doesn't seem to care. I feel sorry for the wildlife that is  being forced to deal with this and it's not even their fault.