Respectful fishing

[The Dread Pirate Fisherman]

Thanks to all who replied so far. So I've scoured the digest for info on NH law concerning wanton waste laws. All I can say is so far I've come up with nothing. In a state that has a ton of regulations some of which are contradicted by their own website vs their Digest it makes me crazy to think there isn't much to be found about fines or penalties for wanton waste. I will update after I call the main office in Concord. On another note I did get the park rangers attention and I'm sure if this tool shows up again and if he does it again the ranger will speak to him.

[The Dread Pirate Fisherman]

13 hours ago, rejesterd said:

He meant they're not large fish that are good for catch-and-release.  

 

Except for during the spawning period, there is a daily limit of 5 bass and 25 perch.  No length or weight limits.  So he was well under the limit.  And what he's doing will likely help you catch larger fish there in the future.  It's called harvesting, and it helps spread the food around in the lake to fewer fish (so they can be healthier and grow larger, and will be less likely to cannibalize themselves).

To be clear I meant that those yellow perch could be used for bait or catch and release but the two bass were what made me mad. They were small but not small enough to be used for bait at that location. I personally believe that location is stressed because it is being over fished and I recently hooked a pike that does....not...belong there.

[Hurricane]

18 minutes ago, The Dread Pirate Fisherman said:

To be clear I meant that those yellow perch could be used for bait or catch and release but the two bass were what made me mad. They were small but not small enough to be used for bait at that location. I personally believe that location is stressed because it is being over fished and I recently hooked a pike that does....not...belong there.

I could catch pike all day.   

[FishDewd]

That does sound like he wasted fish. Unless I am fishing to harvest (not bass) I always throw them back so long as they seem to be healthy. You're right to be mad about it, even if it doesn't hurt the ecosystem much, it was wrong and the guy should have more sense and compassion for other living things. The fact he didn't makes me question his mentality. In the future don't confront someone like that just call the authorities and find out how they wish to handle the situation. If they say drop it, then drop it. Otherwise if they want to come out, great. If they can't make then at least try to note the make/model/color of the guy's vehicle with at least a few of the license plates digits so they can look out for him next time.

[The Dread Pirate Fisherman]

I got a definitive answer from NH fish and game. There are no laws concerning wanton waste for fish in NH but there is for birds. So calling NH fish and game to report it will not result in any fines. The officer I spoke with said they would not come out to speak with said offender. I'm fairly confident that this incident was a one time thing...Hopefully! If by chance the guy who did this is on BR and sees this post all I can say is don't be a lazy fisherman and move to a different part of the lake, buy a used kayak, canoe or john boat if catching perch and small bass isn't good enough for you or even better go someplace else preferably to a state that has wanton waste laws!

[Arcs&sparks]

@The Dread Pirate Fisherman

Im really surprised to hear that.  That wouldn’t fly in Maine unless it was catch and kill policy.  You think they’d say the same thing if it was native brookies?  

[J Francho]

11 minutes ago, Arcs&sparks said:

You think they’d say the same thing if it was native brookies?

In NY, it you'd incur the wrath of hell if it was any trout species. 

[Darren.]

Hmm. Interesting post. @rejesterd, you're not the guy he happened 

to come across are you?!   

 

@The Dread Pirate Fisherman, welcome to the forums! As for confronting

someone on the water, you probably did the right thing ultimately by 

just walking away.

 

My wife is a nurse who's worked in the psych field for over 20 years. She

warns me (especially when driving in traffic), to relax and not go nuts on

a dumb driver who cut me off or whatever. She says many of the people

who come into the psych ER look like "normal" everyday people, but they

forgot to take their meds, etc. These are the people who may have a gun,

or are in the news for road rage and all that crap. There are also a lot of 

people out there who *should* be on meds!

 

Best to call the local DNR rangers and let them decide what to do/how to 

handle. They've got pretty extensive rights, even search & seizure w/o

a warrant.

 

Edit: I'm not saying the guy was off his meds or crazy, just to be careful

because you never know.

Edited July 10, 2018 by Darren.

[geo g]

I do everything I can not to hurt a bass and release it in great shape.  Every once in a while it happens.  They will go back in the food chain where turtles and craws will feast.  If this guys was culling fish and throwing out dead ones, that terrible.  Watch confronting a nut case, too many with guns and knives in the woods.

[rejesterd]

14 hours ago, The Dread Pirate Fisherman said:

To be clear I meant that those yellow perch could be used for bait or catch and release but the two bass were what made me mad. They were small but not small enough to be used for bait at that location. I personally believe that location is stressed because it is being over fished and I recently hooked a pike that does....not...belong there.

I'm not saying what the guy did is a great thing.. I'm just saying it's less worse for the ecosystem than what you and I (and almost every other fisherman) does every year by losing plastic baits, metal weights, hooks, and fishing line in the water.  It just seems your concern is really about the fact that you're not catching as many fish there as you would like, and you're taking it out on this guy.  It's obviously not a moral thing for you, because you're not upset about the perch.  

 

Also, pike aren't a problem for bass.  They eat little bass, but big bass also eat little bass.  Bass live quite well along with pike and pickerel.  

[The Dread Pirate Fisherman]

On 7/10/2018 at 9:11 AM, Arcs&sparks said:

@The Dread Pirate Fisherman

Im really surprised to hear that.  That wouldn’t fly in Maine unless it was catch and kill policy.  You think they’d say the same thing if it was native brookies?  

Yes I would think that but as usual NH has it's own rules some of which make no sense

[The Dread Pirate Fisherman]

On 7/10/2018 at 12:16 PM, rejesterd said:

I'm not saying what the guy did is a great thing.. I'm just saying it's less worse for the ecosystem than what you and I (and almost every other fisherman) does every year by losing plastic baits, metal weights, hooks, and fishing line in the water.  It just seems your concern is really about the fact that you're not catching as many fish there as you would like, and you're taking it out on this guy.  It's obviously not a moral thing for you, because you're not upset about the perch.  

 

Also, pike aren't a problem for bass.  They eat little bass, but big bass also eat little bass.  Bass live quite well along with pike and pickerel.  

I came here to get constructive feedback not to be judged. I was just clarifying but you clearly took offense. Next time just ask me what I mean. I do not like seeing any dead fish especially if they could have been released but were not and then left to rot on and near the shoreline makes for a nasty stink and does not lend to other fisherman's enjoyment of the shoreline because dead fish get ripe quickly on 90++ degree days. Even if the Osprey did eat dead fish they wouldn't do so when people are standing close by. Does that clarify it for you?   

[NHBull]

19 minutes ago, The Dread Pirate Fisherman said:

Yes I would think that but as usual NH has it's own rules some of which make no sense

In NH, Marine Patrol would be the first responders. They are a part of State Police. They have no budget and there income comes from marine violations. Their primary responsibility is safety. They are severely under manned and are often made up of part-time and PT law enforcement.  Simply stated, they nor Fish and Game have the time to pursue this type of act especially if it isn't on a major water-way

[N Florida Mike]

A lazy man  kills fish and doesn't eat them.

I thin the bass herd every year so they don't overpopulate and so my home water doesn't become " Lake of the Dinks" , but every one of those fish will be eaten.

My dad taught me if you kill it, you clean it and eat it.

That's what makes me reluctant to throw back illegal sized fish that die accidentally, but I make that an exception.

[Arcs&sparks]

23 minutes ago, NHBull said:

Simply stated, they nor Fish and Game have the time to pursue this type of act especially if it isn't on a major water-way

“Time to persue” the relatively minor offense in a small water is one thing,  what is surprising is that they said there are no laws against it? 

[rejesterd]

55 minutes ago, The Dread Pirate Fisherman said:

I came here to get constructive feedback not to be judged. I was just clarifying but you clearly took offense. Next time just ask me what I mean. I do not like seeing any dead fish especially if they could have been released but were not and then left to rot on and near the shoreline makes for a nasty stink and does not lend to other fisherman's enjoyment of the shoreline because dead fish get ripe quickly on 90++ degree days. Even if the Osprey did eat dead fish they wouldn't do so when people are standing close by. Does that clarify it for you?   

I didn't need clarification.  You asked "what would you do?", so I answered: I would put it in perspective, and realize he didn't do a super terrible thing that's worth calling in the authorities.  He did a lazy thing that wasn't nearly as bad as what most fisherman do all the time.

 

If the fish somehow laid out there long enough for it to stink, you could've just removed them yourself rather than complain about them and the pike.

[MIbassyaker]

There are no "junk fish" aside from ecologically-dangerous invasives. This is the sort of thing you encounter sometimes, unfortunately, when you run across people who have never had a complex thought in their lives, and don't intend to start.

[Jaderose]

There will always be idiots.  I contact MDC when I need to, educate if I think I can, and otherwise try to be a good enough steward to offset the stupidity of others as much as possible.  

[islandbass]

On 7/9/2018 at 4:29 AM, Oregon Native said:

Bass and other warmwater fish were considered trash fish by many "cold water" fishermen when I lived in Oregon.  Many a mentality was to just throw them up on the bank....not as bad as the pike minnow but close.  Was sad...So much nicer here in Tennessee.

Yup, that sentiment exists in WA State too. All warm water fish like Bass and blue gills are considered trash fish.

 

@The Dread Pirate Fisherman: I would have hit him in the head with my peg leg, lol.  I would have made that call to the game department.  Nothing probably would have been done, but at least I did what I could.

[TnRiver46]

19 hours ago, rejesterd said:

  He did a lazy thing that wasn't nearly as bad as what most fisherman do all the time.

 

 

I don’t know what kind of fishermen you hang out with, but I think what the person in the story did was far worse than what any fishermen I share water with would ever do. Accidentally losing soft plastics and fishing line and hooks is....... an accident. Sure it kills fish but it’s an accident. Killing fish intentionally and not using them is something you do on purpose and In my opinion should be illegal 

[rejesterd]

1 hour ago, TnRiver46 said:

Accidentally losing soft plastics and fishing line and hooks is....... an accident

The intent is irrelevant when it comes to what effect it has on the ecosystem. Both are almost insignificant, but that pollution from most fisherman is worse than a few dead fish in the water. 

[LadiMopar]

22 hours ago, rejesterd said:

If the fish somehow laid out there long enough for it to stink, you could've just removed them yourself rather than complain about them and the pike

 

@The Dread Pirate Fisherman wasn't complaining about the pike, he was making note of the fact that it had been illegally transferred.