Devasted that this is happening in my Lake!!!

[Bassassasin12]

Saw something really disturbing today. Kids were freshwater spear fishing in my home lake and killing bass after bass. I want to know how to turn them in and get them caught for this... any suggestions??? :-/ :'(

Oh yeah and they weren't even harvesting them either, just tossing them off to the side after they screamed in joy that they killed a bass with their spears. Spear fishing is very illegal in freshwater too.

[RiskKid.]

I would report the incident to the appropriate wildlife agency so they can keep an eye on it. If these kids were having such a good time maybe they will try it again when they are being watched!

[Low_Budget_Hooker]

Most DNR dept's have an anonymous hotline.

[Bassassasin12]

how would I find these numbers to call the places?

[SDoolittle]

Most states have an 800 number you can call to report poachers. I would start there and take a camera with you next time you go to the lake. If they are dumb enough to do that then they might be dumb enough to pose for some pictures with their "catch".

[SDoolittle]

how would I find these numbers to call the places?

Look in the fishing or hunting regulation handout. It's ussually pretty easy to find.

[Bassassasin12]

thanks calling them right now.. I have a feeling they will be back they live right near me on the lake and I see them swimming around a lot.

[xhockey91x]

Saw something really disturbing today. Kids were freshwater spear fishing in my home lake and killing bass after bass. I want to know how to turn them in and get them caught for this... any suggestions??? :-/ :'(

Oh yeah and they weren't even harvesting them either, just tossing them off to the side after they screamed in joy that they killed a bass with their spears. Spear fishing is very illegal in freshwater too.

I don't know about your state but it is LEGAL to spear carp,dogfish,and garpike in Michigan in freshwater. No doubt about it that they are illegal spearing bass. DNR has an annonymous poaching line.

[jeepcrazy]

New York Department of Environmental Conservation

Here's the page with the tipline and the information you need

http://www.dec.state.ny.us/regulations/2460.html

[Jimzee]

Dirty Bastages!!!!  Hang Em!!!  >

[surfer]

Did you try talking to them first?  Maybe they didn't know any better.  Morally or legally.

After all I remember being young and shooting lizards with a BB gun just for the challenge of hitting them.  If they end up being little $hits about it then I wouldn't hesitate to involve the athorities.

[snapperd1]

From the state regulations for Ny

§10.7 Taking fish with bows and spears

(a) The taking of fish by bow or spear is prohibited in all waters except as specifically permitted in this section. Possession of spears is prohibited on all waters except where the taking of fish by spear is permitted. Fish permitted to be taken with spear or bow may be taken at any size and in any number.

( Longbows may be used to take carp from May 15th through September 30th from any waters of the State where fishing is permitted.

© The taking of fish by spear is permitted only as follows:

(1) In Dutchess, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Sullivan, Ulster and Westchester Counties, suckers may be taken in any stream from January 1st through May 15th.

(2) In the Delaware River, East Branch Delaware River below Pepacton Reservoir, West Branch Delaware River below Cannonsville Reservoir, Neversink River below Neversink Reservoir, Rondout River below Rondout Reservoir and above Eddyville Dam, and Esopus Creek below Ashokan Reservoir and above Cantine Dam, eels may be taken from May 15th through September 30th.

(3) In Montgomery County, suckers may be taken from January 1st through May 15th from Evas Kill, Flat Creek, Canajoharie Creek (mouth to dam one-half mile above mouth) and Caroga Creek.

(4) In Otsego County, suckers may be taken from January 1st through May 15th from Herkimer Creek, Hyder Creek, Trout (Mink) Creek, Hayden Creek (mouth to Shipman Pond dam), Shadow Brook, Sand Hill Creek (mouth to Route 7 bridge), Otsdawa Creek (mouth to Route 7 bridge) and Mill Creek (mouth to Route 7 bridge).

(5) In Clinton County, bowfin, burbot, carp, eel, freshwater drum, gar, redhorse and suckers may be taken from March 20th through September 30th from Corbeau Creek and Scomotion Creek (from mouth upstream to Beekmantown town line).

(6) In Lake Champlain, bowfin, burbot, carp, eel, freshwater drum, gar, redhorse and suckers may be taken from March 20th through September 30th.

(7) In Franklin County, bowfin, burbot, carp, eel, freshwater drum, gar, redhorse and suckers may be taken from March 20th through September 30th from Big Salmon River (from Canada upstream to dam at Fort Covington), Lawrence Brook (from county line upstream to County Route 6 west of Moira), Little Salmon River (from mouth upstream to County Route 32 in South Bombay), Pike Creek (from Canada upstream to State Route 95 west of Bombay), St. Regis River (from Canada upstream to dam at Hogansburg) and Farrington Brook (from mouth upstream to U.S. Route 11).

(8) In the Hudson River, carp, eel and suckers may be taken from March 20th through September 30th from Bakers Falls in the village of Hudson Falls upstream to confluence of Stony Creek in Warren County.

(9) In Oswego County, bullhead and suckers may be taken from January 1st through May 15th from Grindstone Creek (downstream of the dam at Fernwood), Little Salmon River (downstream from the bridge at Arthur), Ninemile Creek (downstream of Route 104A), Eightmile Creek (downstream of Route 104A), Salmon River (downstream of NY Route 3), Red Creek or Sunset Bay Creek, Otter Branch Creek, Sage Creek, and Snake Creek.

(10) In Wayne County, bullhead and suckers may be taken from January 1st through May 15th from Black Creek Bay and Red Creek Bay.

(11) In Cayuga County, bullhead and sucker may be taken from January 1st through May 15th from Sterling Creek (downstream of Route 104A), Sterling Valley Creek (downstream of Route 104A), Eightmile Creek and Ninemile Creek.

I would call it in and see what they can do.  You may be able to find some of the dead fish and give them to the agents.

TD

[Bob]

Did you try talking to them first? Maybe they didn't know any better. Morally or legally.

After all I remember being young and shooting lizards with a BB gun just for the challenge of hitting them. If they end up being little $hits about it then I wouldn't hesitate to involve the athorities.

Unless there is an imminent threat to you or someone else, you should never EVER talk to someone who has committed a crime or is in the act of committing a crime--even if the crime could be considered "petty" or "small".

Always call the authorities--even if it's "only" the local police, and provide as much detail of the situation as you safely can. Always get a name of the person you have spoken with.

Even with the best of intentions, directly addressing someone who may have committed a crime will rarely defuse a situation, and it could make a situation dangerous to yourself and/or others.

I repeat:

ALWAYS call the authorities ASAP, and always get a name. It's their job to address these situations. They're trained to do so, and they are almost always better able to protect themselves should the situation worsen. Let them deal with the decision as to what is an actual crime, or not. That way, it's much harder to go wrong for you.

[surfer]

bob,

That's a little over the top.  They are kids with a spear gun.  They play in the lake regularly.  They are almost neighbors.  Are you sure alerting the authority is the neighborly thing to do?

I am not saying the authorities should not be alerted.  I am saying talking is probably a better first action.  You might even educate the kids and get immediate results of no more killed bass.

[Jeff H]

First impressions are everything, let the authorities do the talking.  I'm willing to bet they won't meter out any punishment on the first visit.  I'm sure they will get an education though and hopefully it will stop.

[Fish Man]

First impressions are everything, let the authorities do the talking. I'm willing to bet they won't meter out any punishment on the first visit. I'm sure they will get an education though and hopefully it will stop.

i agree, i think ti is best to call the authorities,id be willing to bet that they wont punish them but give em a good talking to as alreay stated,plus the kids would get a better leasson if told by them rather than someone there own age,plus if they dont get anything from their talk hopfully it will scare any thought of spearing fish again right out of them

[rvrnr64]

When I gather all the info I'll let you know what I would do but it probably won't fit the boards suggestions 'cause I'm a little more devious than most. I may have to PM you so I won't get in trouble with the powers that be on here.

[Bob]

bob,

That's a little over the top. They are kids with a spear gun. They play in the lake regularly. They are almost neighbors. Are you sure alerting the authority is the neighborly thing to do?

I am not saying the authorities should not be alerted. I am saying talking is probably a better first action. You might even educate the kids and get immediate results of no more killed bass.

Not over the top. I'm not talking about calling a S.W.A.T. team in...just notifying the authorities.

We're talking about one youth confronting a few armed and apparently unsupervised youths who may have also committed a misdemeanor, at the least.

Notifying the authorities is a much safer way to handle this situation, and in general is a safer way to confront armed individuals. If you see someone who you feel may be breaking the law and is also using/has used a weapon, call the police.

It's much easier to clear up a simple misunderstanding among neighbors than it is to clear up a homocide, even just an accidental one.

[Guest avid]

Look at your fishing license.

The official name of the agency for your state will be on it.

There will also no doubt be an address and probably a phone #

but once you know the official title of the agency just google it.  or call 411.

GET THE # for reporting vioaltions and put it in the address book of your cell phone.

It is vitally important, that poachers, trespassers, and game law violators know that people care and WILL report them.   In some states you can get the phone numbers of local game wardens/ conservation officers and call them directly.  This can get you the fastest response and the warden will know who to look out for.

The fact that spears are involved will probably get the attention of the fish and wildlife people.

Git er done.

[Troutfisher]

That's a little over the top.  They are kids with a spear gun.  They play in the lake regularly.  They are almost neighbors.  Are you sure alerting the authority is the neighborly thing to do?  

Kids and spear guns don't mix....  :-/

[surfer]

Unless there is an imminent threat to you or someone else, you should never EVER talk to someone who has committed a crime or is in the act of committing a crime--even if the crime could be considered "petty" or "small".

I repeat:

ALWAYS call the authorities ASAP, and always get a name. It's their job to address these situations. They're trained to do so, and they are almost always better able to protect themselves should the situation worsen. Let them deal with the decision as to what is an actual crime, or not. That way, it's much harder to go wrong for you.

This is the main part I think is over the top. Calling the athorities for a petty or small crime. When I see kids throwing rocks at dogs I tell them to "Play nice. That dog never did anything to you." And when my neighbor's dog barks all night long I call the neighbor to give her a chance to fix the problem. When I have friends over until late playing Ping Pong and we are too loud I appreciate a phone call or a nock on the door over a squad car in my front yard.

I had viewed this as one of those situations. I didn't read into the story that the kids were dangerous.

Looks like I am out voted though. And you can't go wrong calling the authorities.

[Triton21]

The biggest problem with a lot of our childern is that no one is teaching them right from wrong. Maybe a scare for breaking the law would keep some of these childern from growing up to be criminals. If one is save from a lawless life the scare would be worth it.

Kelley

[bassbob08]

Did anything come of this event,or did you call anyone,or did you just let it go?

[G3-Basser]

If I felt it was safe to do so, I'd just tell the kids that what they are doing is illegal and point them in the direction of some carp or something. If I saw them do it again, I'd bring the law down on them. I've seen some haneous stuff before. Like the time when the local city lake had a private tourney on it of about 12 boats. After weigh-in, one of the guys collected all the "good" bass to take home and eat. He had at least 30 and they were all 2+ lbs. This small lake cannot handle that kind of harvest and it really seemed to hurt the fishing after that. I asked one of the guys why they were keeping the fish and I got the look-of-an-***-whippin-coming from a couple of the guys. Maybe they just didn't like my LSU hat. I was in Alabama after all. I called the DNR folks, but I don't know if anything was done.

-J