People Keeping Every Fish They Catch

[Lund Explorer]

Yeah IMO the only reason for them is to have money to fund certain things, not saying I disagree with them or anything...

 

Imagine that, people who take part in the sport having to pay for the overseeing of it. 

 

BTW, federal funds from P-R and D-J excise taxes are divided up to the states based on the number of licenses sold.

[F14A-B]

How about just buying the license... Just because its what is required....now the alternative is ....

A large fine... Potential loss of equipment ....

Possible criminal charges depending on the circumstances ... Maybe even leading to arrest!

Buy a license.. Enjoy fishing... Let government decide where the money is allocated to!

[HeavyFisher]

If your gna confront someone just make sure you don't live in a state where someone can shoot you over a physical altercation, example Florida

[everythingthatswims]

I keep the wildlife crime hotline in my phone at all times. But if I think someone genuinely doesn't know that they are doing something wrong (sometimes it is easy to tell) I will just let them know. Especially if it is 2 or 3 live fish in a bucket or on a stringer that can be released. I love eating fish, but I struggle to see a bunch of fish kept in a body of water that can't handle it, or if someone releases a bunch of bluegill and keeps bass instead. But to each his own, as long as it's legal I say go for it.

[David D.]

What I don't get? ..... How do you surmise,...to know, that these Alleged people have no license?

Also.... That the catch is illegal ?

The illegal ( alleged) catch.. Maybe easier to validate... But the no (alleged) license part... I really don't understand.

If you are asking about my post, I know they don't have licenses because they say so. And they go on to tell others that you don't have to have a license because the license is for state and federal lakes and we are just fishing a small city pond...

Too bad for them I contacted TPWD and confirmed that a license IS required and on top of that; that specific pond is catch and release only. Sounds like some people are gonna get in trouble soon.

[F14A-B]

If you are asking about my post, I know they don't have licenses because they say so. And they go on to tell others that you don't have to have a license because the license is for state and federal lakes and we are just fishing a small city pond...

Too bad for them I contacted TPWD and confirmed that a license IS required and on top of that; that specific pond is catch and release only. Sounds like some people are gonna get in trouble soon.

So the Goons admitted it! Lol!! Well you did the right thing in my opinion! Calling the proper authority is wise...

[AK-Jax86]

I understand some people need to fish to eat but I can't stand it when I see people taking a big bass!!! Take all the dinks you want weed em out, and I have heard that the big ones aren't good to eat the small ones are. I have had people ask me if I keep my fish I say no and they ask me why not. I tell them I am fishing for sport not food I take a picture of the big ones so I can put them on my Facebook and Instagram and throw them back to be caught another day.

I got this guy on my Facebook who ABSOLUTLY disgusts me!!! He keeps ALL his fish can't tell you how many trophy fish he posts and then later you see them in his cooler when he posts his final day pics! He has to be breaking some sort of Florida fishing rule idk he even went as far as to take a road trip to NC with a bunch of coolers and hit up spots on the way there and back and came home with, don't remember actual #, a bunch of coolers PACKED with bass. Turns out he sells them to people around his neighborhood.

If there's anyone who wants to "investigate this" like they did to that golf course kid feel free to PM me, add him as a friend and you will be as disgusted as I am

[joeyfishes]

It's pretty rare to have a true bass fisherman keep fish. I really want to say something to people who keep fish but can't because they aren't breaking any laws.

[WRB]

Back in '69 I wrote a article on how modern skilled bass anglers could impact big bass populations on small lakes under 2,000 acres. My goal was to get the average bass angler to release adult size bass. You can't believe the hatred this article created. The general overall feed back was very negative, the consensus was bass anglers can't impact a bass fishery by catching and keeping the bass they catch.

Today the pendulum has swung the opposite direction, bass anglers release every bass they catch like it's a religious cult.

Bass are a renewable resource, I still believe big bass over 24" need to be protected during the spawn and should be released in healthy condition whenever possible. Keeping a few young adult size bass in the 1 1/2 to 2 lb size range, 14" to 15", or bass when bleeding from being caught, shouldn't severely impact a fishery. The bucket anglers rarely catch adult size bass, mostly pan fish and a few juvenile bass, let them be, they are not ruining the fishery.

Tom

[*Hootie]

If that were your only source of income, you'd probably have to fish for dinner.

I knew a fellow whose life was ruined by bucket fishermen. I think they wrote a country song about it.

"Take this rod and shove it,

I ain't fishin here no more".

Hootie

[Lund Explorer]

I knew a fellow whose life was ruined by bucket fishermen. I think they wrote a country song about it.

"Take this rod and shove it,

I ain't fishin here no more".

Hootie

 

Is he a member here?  I only need a couple of more lives destroyed to move me beyond a good domestic!

[*Hootie]

Is he a member here?  I only need a couple of more lives destroyed to move me beyond a good domestic!

 

 

Gave up fishing, he's on a golf forum somewhere out there in the WWW.

 

Hootie

[FrankW]

a lot of meat fishers around here target Pan Fish and in many cases they need to be harvested (the fish, not the fishers). I have seen pictures in BASS and Bass fishers on the lake that kill trophy Bass to show their family and friends. Or, to mount. If any bass should be spared it is the big bass. We need the biggest Bass to spawn and contribute to the gene pool. If I eat bass I kept the one and a half or two pounders.

When I lived in Arizona they were trying to close bass fishing in Lake Havasu during the spawn period. While it would have been good for the fishery there were a lot of people opposed to it. I don't remember if it was passed or not. I personally would like to see the spawn season closed in our Florida Trophy lakes even if it meant less fishing time during the year. The Bass population could then be regulated by not allowing the lake to over populate.

Frank

[einscodek]

Really ticks me off when guys keep bedding fish esp. when the spawn is not bass season.

I inspected 2 beds last weekend where I expected to see fry being guarded by the males and both males are nowhere to be found and the frys and eggs gone.

Someone must have taken those bedding fish cause newly hatched frys dont go that far from the beds.

[SudburyBasser]

I wish I had a dollar for every person who has had their life ruined by a bucket fisherman.

 

Goodness. Did the bucket fisherman deprive them of life, liberty or the pursuit of happiness?

[Lund Explorer]

Goodness. Did the bucket fisherman deprive them of life, liberty or the pursuit of happiness?

All Three!

 

One guy has someone on their Facebook page that so ABSOLUTELY disgusts him.   I guess he is so upset that he can't remember that it is possible to actually remove them.     You'll also notice that even though this person has rock solid evidence of this violator's crimes, there isn't any mention of them being turned into the authorities.  Why is that?

[Fishing Rhino]

I have only one bit of advice.  You either learn to live with it, or do something else.

 

I was a commercial fisherman and had to deal with far more serious matters than bucket fishermen.  Getting gear towed up by draggers.  Some fishermen who poached other fishermen's gear.  Some "fishermen" who scrubbed egg bearing lobsters so they could sell them.  People who had no courtesy and would set their gear over yours, and to make matters worse, if your trap came up over their line, they would cut the trap off rather than cutting and retying their own line.  Then we can talk about the weather, and storms that destroyed lobster traps by tumbling them around on the rocky bottom.

 

The reality is that if you could not deal with these things you would not last long as a lobsterman.  It was reality, and it wasn't going away.

 

You may get some small measure of satisfaction by "venting" or reporting the violators, and there is nothing wrong with that.  But, the bucket fishermen are not going away anytime soon, if ever.

 

They are like the litterbugs that trash ramps and shoreline fishing areas.  If it gets you upset, you are better off finding another pursuit, because those who lack decency, consideration, and courtesy for others will always be with us.

 

I refuse to let the few slobs ruin my day.  I'll pick up some of their trash and debris.  But I don't dwell on it.  I will not let it eat me up.

[RoLo]

Whether you're a vegetarian, carnivore, piscivore or omnivore, removing a legal limit of bass from a lake

is generally beneficial to the fishery. On the other hand, if you have evidence that a fisherman

is violating the law, feel free to contact the local authorities who are paid to legislate the laws

and to enforce the laws. 

 

Roger

[SudburyBasser]

All Three!

 

One guy has someone on their Facebook page that so ABSOLUTELY disgusts him.   I guess he is so upset that he can't remember that it is possible to actually remove them.     You'll also notice that even though this person has rock solid evidence of this violator's crimes, there isn't any mention of them being turned into the authorities.  Why is that?

 

Facebook activism is always easier than actually doing something.

 

[SirSnookalot]

Facebook activism is always easier than actually doing something.

 

 

There is a story going around, the validity of it I don't know.  A few years back a young man posted a picture of a snook he had caught on Facebook.  The picture was taken at his home, the fish was not legal slot size, out of season, and he caught it spear fishing, which isn't legal.  He was reported to the FWC, and I heard the fines were like $2500.  

[SudburyBasser]

There have been plenty of idiots arrested by police after they posted details or pictures of their crimes -- some guy who killed his wife incredibly posted pictures of her body on Facebook and was arrested. I have a problem with people who complain on line and expect that to be sufficient to solve the problem.

[geo g]

Tonight I fished a Broward County Public Park that was an old dump site that was on the National Super Fund List for the worst dumps in the nation. The park has three lakes that a full of bass that look great, but full of who knows what! It is a catch and release only lake, and most people don't have to told twice. Tonight there was a group taking every fish they caught. I went over and told them about the old dump and that they were putting their families health in jeopardy from eating these fish.

Two hours later, and another five fish killed, I told them in two weeks they will start glowing in the dark. Its hard to reason with flat out stupid!

[jbsoonerfan]

If you are asking about my post, I know they don't have licenses because they say so. And they go on to tell others that you don't have to have a license because the license is for state and federal lakes and we are just fishing a small city pond...

Too bad for them I contacted TPWD and confirmed that a license IS required and on top of that; that specific pond is catch and release only. Sounds like some people are gonna get in trouble soon.

 

 

Make sure you report all seatbelt violations as well.

[David D.]

Make sure you report all seatbelt violations as well.

Will do. Those are a little harder to catch, but I did alert the authorities to a couple jaywalkers earlier today.

[Lund Explorer]

There have been plenty of idiots arrested by police after they posted details or pictures of their crimes -- some guy who killed his wife incredibly posted pictures of her body on Facebook and was arrested. I have a problem with people who complain on line and expect that to be sufficient to solve the problem.

 

This!