Question about Bass Fishing Ethics

[airborne_angler]

            Hello ,Havent posted in a bit,but been reading regularly. I have a lil bit of a dilemna and cant help but take it personally.

The Pond I fish at is on a Military Installation and is "Self Sustaining",Meaning theres no stocking,or maintenance done to the pond whatsoever. Well Myself and this other guy fish this pond regularly and theres one part of the pond thats off limits. Its a Dam where several years ago a kid was fishing on and fell off and drown.

              Ever since that event, the dam has been off limits. Well my guess is this guy that fishes there is kinda hard up to catch something. He fishes on the dam even though there are big government signs posted"OFF LIMITS NO FISHING OFF OF OR FROM DAM." Theres a fence that is supposed to discourage going on the dam but its easy to walk around it. Everyone knows that since the dam is off limits,and doesnt get any pressure,theres a big likely hood that thats where some decent fish would be. It upsets me that someone would break the rules like that just so they could catch a fish or 2.

          I have observed this guy fishing for hours while I was there and he NEVER catches anything. He has told me hes caught some but I never see anything. He expressed with his hands that he caught one  "This big" one day.

             I swear his hands mustve been spread out at least 2.5 feet. He claims he threw it back and is gonna catch it again. All I thought was "Wow,You caught the world record Largemouth and let it go?" LOL LOL

He is amazed at how I might catch 1 or 2 everytime out and always wonders how I do it. So with this guy fishing an area thats not very pressured,and getting skunked tells me his skills are in need of honing,But back to the issue of fishing an off limits area,what can be done? and should I take this so personal? Thanks

[Low_Budget_Hooker]

The signs are posted for a reason, I would let the authorities know that people have been observed ducking the fence and fishing in the posted areas but not necessarily tell on him.

[DDbasser]

Unfortuneatly, this one is a little more complicated due to the fact that we are talking about a military installation.

If it were just a public pond they would write him a ticket and give him a court date.

I've hunted on a military installation a few times and they are very strict, instead of giving the perp a ticket, they tend to shut down access.

Heres the dilema as I see it, you can tell them that someone has been accessing the offlimits areas and maybe they can catch him and ban his access.

Or don't say anything, then they can catch him and shut it off to everyone.

Good luck

It's a shame some people don't seem to have any ethics!! and don't care what effect  their actions have on others!!  

 

[Hamlet]

I would explain to the guy who is doing this that he's gonna get the lake shut down. You can do this in a very nice way without him getting defensive. If that doesn't work then you tell or don't tell, I don't know. Maybe you could show him how you're catching 1 or 2 each time and that theres really no sense in going to the dam.

[Reaction_Strike]

I agree with mgton.

I'd definitely take it up with the guy personally before reporting it.  

[George Welcome]

The dam is off limits for safety reasons just like every other dam is just about anywhere.

I would suggest that he is only one of probably many that fish the dam. Don't take it so personal. If he wants to risk endangering himself let him and the authorities worry about it. I doubt that the Military really cares, but rather has it posted for the same reasons as all dams are posted; Safety and lawyers.

However, you might mention it to someone at the base if it has you really concerned.

[shiloh]

Presumably, the guy can read...so he knows he's violating the posted restriction.   So, whatever happens (if he's caught, whether or not you -- or someone else -- turns him in), the trouble is of his own making.

Assuming he's not a psychotic, I like the idea of approaching him and offering to show him a better place -- and methods -- of catching fish.  Share the sport...

My $0.02...

[New Bass Man]

I also fish at a military installation and I see guys violating the rules all the time.  

Like the others said, all you can really do is  ascertain that he knows that he is fishing in an unauthorized place.  

You could call Security Forces for all the good that it does.  

The lake I fish sits right in the flight path of landing aircraft.  The lake is catch and release.  This Saturday, a couple of guys caught some really nice bass and they kept them.  I asked them if they knew it was catch and release.  They acknowledged they did.  I didn't say anything else to them.  

I would have really liked a chance at those bass but they are in a frying pan by now.  A pity.  

[airborne_angler]

  Thats the trouble with this guy that I see at this pond as well,He keeps anything he catches,Be it  small juvenile Bass ,or teeny Bluegill. He asked what I do with my fish,I told him I just pull out my Cell phone and take pictures and then release em. I cant help but feel for those fish when I look into thier eyes. Im not much of a cook either so keeping em would be pointless.

This guy tells me he takes em home and cooks em(even when they are only 5 inch dinks) Such a shame. Suppose I could say its selective harvest but since the pond isnt stocked and is self sustaining,then too much selective harvest can be a real downer,and eventually a new location to fish will need to be seeked.

    Around here you have to drive about an hour and a half, to the next closest location and 9 times out of 10 I get skunked,whereas in this pond I catch at least 1 or 2 per day. Its not even really the fish Im after,If they are aggeressive and striking good,then thats all I need to have a heart pounding good time.