Help To Give Fishermen A Better Name

[trevor]

A while ago I heard a suggestion to help reduce pollution around your favorite fishing spots, and I thought I would pass it on here. The suggestion was to take just 5 minutes at the end of every fishing trip and clean up the area. I think it's a great idea, and I think it could really help keep our waters clean. Just a thought.

[clayton86]

I do this as it is a lot of times sometimes I get lucky and find bags with plastics still in them or lures I found a headlamp one time to. One of the local spots near me I just found last week at work they have 5 gallon buckets bolted to the trees with a hole cut in the lid for u to put stripped line into. I hate snaging other peoples birds nests or walking down a trail getting line caught up in my gear or feet draging twigs and what not behind u

[hatrix]

I think most of the garbage comes from people who don't take fishing as serious as I think most people on here do. It seems like it is usually some guy or kids bobber fishing and leaving there worm containers and garbage laying around. I always put my cigarette butts in my pocket that's about the only garbage/mess I make.

[slonezp]

I think trevor is a fine name.

[Sam]

It is my opinion that most of the trash comes from non-fishing individuals on our waters.

Unless a plastic bottle accidently blows out of the boat, bass fishermen usually do not throw anything overboard, other than the fish we catch!!!!

[Fishing Rhino]

It is my opinion that most of the trash comes from non-fishing individuals on our waters.

Unless a plastic bottle accidently blows out of the boat, bass fishermen usually do not throw anything overboard, other than the fish we catch!!!!

Sadly, that's not the reality. Plastic bags that held Zoom, or Berkley, or Yum don't litter ramps because non-fishermen tossed them there. Same for line, boat carpeting (yes, I've seen that) and other fishing parapernalia that is discarded at or near launch areas. There are slobs and inconsiderate in all groups. The plain evidence is that fishermen contribute to the litter problem.

I usually take a trash bag, and a pair of latex gloves for the purpose of policing the launch area(s). Leave a place better than you found it. Who knows? Someone who cares sees you cleaning up a little bit and maybe they'll follow your example. If we all did a little, then the slobs wouldn't be able to ruin it for us.

[Jigfishn10]

I have to admit that I've gotten a little complacent in the past few years. I carry a little trash bag or when it's hot a little playmate cooler for my water bottles and discard all MY trash in them, but I got really tired of picking up trash left by others. I would go to the same spots I had just cleaned up days ago only to see them trashed again.

The old adage of "if you can't beat em, join em" will never be practiced by me, but I find it being a futile effort to keep picking up after others. I'd just assume do the right thing and that's making sure I don't leave trash behind. Sorry, but teaching and setting examples for ignorance, just doesn't work for me anymore.

[Gatorbassman]

It is my opinion that most of the trash comes from non-fishing individuals on our waters.

Unless a plastic bottle accidently blows out of the boat, bass fishermen usually do not throw anything overboard, other than the fish we catch!!!!

If you are wondering what the fish are biting just go out on Monday and take a walk around a parking lot where the tournaments went out of that weekend.

[grimlin]

I have to admit that I've gotten a little complacent in the past few years. I carry a little trash bag or when it's hot a little playmate cooler for my water bottles and discard all MY trash in them, but I got really tired of picking up trash left by others. I would go to the same spots I had just cleaned up days ago only to see them trashed again.

The old adage of "if you can't beat em, join em" will never be practiced by me, but I find it being a futile effort to keep picking up after others. I'd just assume do the right thing and that's making sure I don't leave trash behind. Sorry, but teaching and setting examples for ignorance, just doesn't work for me anymore.

Same here...I got tired of picking up everybody else trash.I cleaned up this dam area once went back the next day and it was right back in the same condition before I picked up. I though to myself screw this.Now they got signs saying "Pick up trash or area will be off limits to everyone."

I haven't been back there since.

[Scorcher214]

At my favorite shore fishing spot, they put up tubes of PVC to stuff fishing line in. Sadly I still find a good long string of line strewn 15 yards along the shore. I always make sure to pick up the fishing line. A lot of ducks and geese around that can get tangled up.

[Sam]

Hey guys, thanks for your input to Trevor's thread and my response.

However, where we launch in Virginia the areas are always clean without fishng trash around.

I guess us Southern Gentlemen take care of our property and the property of others and do not make a mess.

As for walking around a parking lot the day of or after a tournament, we do not have the garbage mentioned from the tournament anglers. Actually, tournament anglers in Virginia "hide" their baits from others so we do not have the packaging left behind.

Even Watkins Landing, where the Powhatan folks without teeth launch into the Upper James River is clean.

I guess it is a Southern thing to clean up behind yourself.

[skunked_again]

if i had any say in the issue minimum security prisoners would work at state lakes 40 hours a week.

[CoBass]

Not just trash and line. I had to hold a 2yr old kid down at work the other day while a doctor removed a 2/0 hook from his toe. He was just walking around a pond and stepped on it. Unfortunately, the hook had some line attached to it that had the other end tangled in some brush. Kid tried to pull his way free and really buried that hook.

[Bluebasser86]

if i had any say in the issue minimum security prisoners would work at state lakes 40 hours a week.

But that would be "cruel and unusual punishment" making them work out in the heat like this! And oh if one of them fell and got hurt or bit by a snake or something the county would pay through the nose! I spend at least 40 hours a week with these "poor, misguided individuals" they'll do about anything they can if they see a chance to get some free money.

[MuffinMan]

I have dedicated "work days" twice a month at the local pond

[Grey Wolf]

I fought the battle for years but in the end they won.

[Stasher1]

Hey guys, thanks for your input to Trevor's thread and my response.

However, where we launch in Virginia the areas are always clean without fishng trash around.

I guess us Southern Gentlemen take care of our property and the property of others and do not make a mess.

As for walking around a parking lot the day of or after a tournament, we do not have the garbage mentioned from the tournament anglers. Actually, tournament anglers in Virginia "hide" their baits from others so we do not have the packaging left behind.

Even Watkins Landing, where the Powhatan folks without teeth launch into the Upper James River is clean.

I guess it is a Southern thing to clean up behind yourself.

I guess your "Southern Gentlemen" stay in the northern part of the South, because there are bunch of inconsiderate dirtbags around here who leave their line, empty worm tubs, hook/snell packages, broken bobbers, used plastics, empty Mt. Dew bottles, etc. everywhere.

BTW, I just got back from a week on Lake Gaston (Bracey, VA area), and there was no shortage of trash there, too.