I Think I Figured Out Why I Keep Getting Skunked.

[BassAssassin726]

So my home lake isnt that big. About 100 acres. Lately i keep getting skunked over and over. I know for a fact there were a few nice LM that hung out in one of my fave spots and i used to catch em all the time. Now theyre gone. Im at my spot yesterday and this russian dude shows up, throws 2 lines in the water and just sits there keeping EVERYTHING he caught. Sunnies, bass, carp. Within 5 minutes he makes a call and another russian dude shows up and throws another 2 lines in the water and he also keeps EVERYTHING. What dont these people get about catch and release? I don't understand are you gonna do with sunnies and bass. Eat em? Out of that lake? No thanks. These guys are a disease and they are fishing out our lake and im sick of it. They just sit there with bait on the bottom doing nothing but sitting there waiting. Thats not fishing, thats waiting!

[senile1]

Are these guys exceeding the creel limits set by your state conservation department? If so, you should report them. If they are not breaking the law, you can only change what you can control. A 100 acre lake is large enough to have a few prime spots for bass. With a boat it shouldn't be that difficult to work on discovering new areas to fish. Unless your meal hunters are pulling fish out of there many times during a season it is difficult to say whether they are having that much impact on the fishery. If you suspect they are, you may want to find another fishing hole.

[Bluebasser86]

If they aren't doing anything to break the laws, then they aren't doing anything wrong. I'm strictly catch and release but if I didn't have a job and had to feed my family, I wouldn't think twice about keeping any legal size fish to make sure they had something to eat. Most lakes have limited shoreline access, when people keep all the fish they'll eventually fish most of the fish out of that area. In a 100 acre lake there should be plenty of other spots that hold fish that will be out of their reach. If they're breaking the law though, report them.

[Hamby]

Typical buckethead. The ones who ask if they can have your fish are wonderful too. Try to explain to them why they must stop keeping everything because it's illegal, and they say it's ok because there's no police around.

[Clint C.]

Funny you brought this up. My usual lake people do the same thing. They keep everything! It's getting harder and harder to catch bass. They ignore the 1 bass a day 15" minimum limit.

Just yesterday I caught a 4lb bass and of course the guy next to me asked if he could have it. I just said sorry I am strictly catch and release and let it go right by him.

Today I get there and he's at the same spot where I caught the bass! Here is the even worse part. I caught a big frog on my frog lure and he wanted that too! I asked him if he's had any luck and he said no. I kinda grinned happy that he didn't. I don't think he liked that too much haha.

People just don't understand how much they can impact the health of a lake. The lake even has signs up saying please practice catch and release to keep the fishing healthy.

It's really sad and disappointing.

[Hamby]

Funny you brought this up. My usual lake people do the same thing. They keep everything! It's getting harder and harder to catch bass. They ignore the 1 bass a day 15" minimum limit.

Just yesterday I caught a 4lb bass and of course the guy next to me asked if he could have it. I just said sorry I am strictly catch and release and let it go right by him.

Today I get there and he's at the same spot where I caught the bass! Here is the even worse part. I caught a big frog on my frog lure and he wanted that too! I asked him if he's had any luck and he said no. I kinda grinned happy that he didn't. I don't think he liked that too much haha.

People just don't understand how much they can impact the health of a lake. The lake even has signs up saying please practice catch and release to keep the fishing healthy.

It's really sad and disappointing.

The bucketheads are really bad in our area, hey? Haha. I've given up fishing any of the nice looking forest preserve lakes or dams in the area. Besides myself being boat-spoiled, they're simply not maintained by the dnr or the people who fish them. I leave all of my gear at the cottage 3 hours north in WI. I probably average an hour a year fishing local waters.

[Clint C.]

The bucketheads are really bad in our area, hey? Haha. I've given up fishing any of the nice looking forest preserve lakes or dams in the area. Besides myself being boat-spoiled, they're simply not maintained by the dnr or the people who fish them. I leave all of my gear at the cottage 3 hours north in WI. I probably average an hour a year fishing local waters.

Yeah they are. Unfortunately for me I don't have a boat and I broke my neck a few years back so I'm in a wheelchair. It's mostly only the preserves can get around at =/

But yeah, everyone complains about not being able to catch anything then when they do they throw it in a bucket! They don't even realize they're the reason they're not catching fish.

P.S. I'm going to steal that "buckethead" word from yah haha

[Hamby]

You're not stealing it...that's what they're called! That and the bucket brigade.

[South FLA]

Unless they catch every fish in the lake, doesn't explain why you are not catching fish.

[BassAssassin726]

http://www.trails.com/topo.aspx?lat=40.2018&lon=-74.9146&s=50&size=s&style=drgsr&name=Lake%20Luxembourg

This is my lake. I fish mostly the southern part of it. Im going to check out the northern part above the overpass. I found out boats and kayaks arent allowed back there and its a little tougher to get back there on foot so maybe that area will have less fishing pressure. Looks like some nice feeder creeks up in the northern part too. Ill report back with my findings!

[tomustang]

I know what you mean. From philly to scranton these guys keep everything, from small panfish to undersized bass. They roll up speaking only in russian and use beeping devices.

It's been known they screwed up the bass population up in Lake Wallenpaupack years back.

Biggest problem is if you say something to them they act like they can't understand you, when you get on the phone in front of them about fishing conservation they disappear.

[kms399]

around here its more hmong and mexicans. it is nothing to see a birthday party at one of my lakes where you have 30 mexicans throwing out a big bobber with 5 hooks under it. no matter how small the sunny it goes in the bucket. last time I saw this I was only 19 and they shared a couple beers with me so I didn't report them but now I would have been on the phone so fast!

[Hyrule Bass]

So my home lake isnt that big. About 100 acres. Lately i keep getting skunked over and over. I know for a fact there were a few nice LM that hung out in one of my fave spots and i used to catch em all the time. Now theyre gone. Im at my spot yesterday and this russian dude shows up, throws 2 lines in the water and just sits there keeping EVERYTHING he caught. Sunnies, bass, carp. Within 5 minutes he makes a call and another russian dude shows up and throws another 2 lines in the water and he also keeps EVERYTHING. What dont these people get about catch and release? I don't understand are you gonna do with sunnies and bass. Eat em? Out of that lake? No thanks. These guys are a disease and they are fishing out our lake and im sick of it. They just sit there with bait on the bottom doing nothing but sitting there waiting. Thats not fishing, thats waiting!

if theyre not doing anything illegal then you really have no basis for complaining, you dont own the water or the fish. if theyre breaking laws then you have a leg to stand on and something to complain about. i dont get why people find it so absurd that another person would eat bass. look, im 99% catch and release of all species, dont even eat fish, but i have no problems with someone keeping fish to eat of any kind so long as theyre taking them legally.

what i really take offense to is the ignorance displayed in your last two sentences. i often love to just sit back with a couple poles out in the water and relax while drinking a few cold budweisers. yep, love to sit there and just wait for a bite. i guess i was just waiting when i caught my PB largemouth bass, not fishing.

what i suggest is you quit blaming your skunks on other people and look at yourself first. maybe you should change up your baits, presentations, and locations if youre getting skunked. obviously the two russians are catching fish. theyre doing something right, youre doing something wrong. and i doubt two guys are gonna fish out an entire 100 acre lake...

[Delaware Valley Tackle]

As soon as I saw you're thread I knew you were eatern PA. I'm in Pike County and we have the same problem. I've been wade fishing the Delaware and cought a couple smallies and these guys think nothing of running over casting all around you. They follow the trout stocking trucks and clean them out too. All you can do is report every incident. The last thing you need is a confrontation with a group in a remote setting. Even with their bait though I can usually catch more than they can and take pleasure in frustrating them by having to watch me throw fish back. If you want to see you could have it worse, google Salmon River and watch the hoards combat fish for running salmon.lol

[Vinny Chase]

I was fishing out on my home lake about 100 ft from shore and this sucker soaker pulls the biggest bass I have ever seen come out of my lake. He just threw the fish on shore like it was nothing, and so my paps and I tried to distract him as the fish flopped around in search of water. Unfortunately he caught on and we weren't able to save her.

I also witness a hmong family NETTING bass. One of them was throwing out bait and the others had nets they threw at the bass as they passed. Let's just say they weren't doing that for very long.

Even though there are laws in place for anglers to keep bass, its sad to see some of this going on, especially when it is on your home lake.

[slonezp]

if theyre not doing anything illegal then you really have no basis for complaining, you dont own the water or the fish. if theyre breaking laws then you have a leg to stand on and something to complain about. i dont get why people find it so absurd that another person would eat bass. look, im 99% catch and release of all species, dont even eat fish, but i have no problems with someone keeping fish to eat of any kind so long as theyre taking them legally.

what i really take offense to is the ignorance displayed in your last two sentences. i often love to just sit back with a couple poles out in the water and relax while drinking a few cold budweisers. yep, love to sit there and just wait for a bite. i guess i was just waiting when i caught my PB largemouth bass, not fishing.

what i suggest is you quit blaming your skunks on other people and look at yourself first. maybe you should change up your baits, presentations, and locations if youre getting skunked. obviously the two russians are catching fish. theyre doing something right, youre doing something wrong. and i doubt two guys are gonna fish out an entire 100 acre lake...

Agreed

LM bass is not a bad tasting fish. You should try it sometime.

Part of the issue is their cultures(I don't know if that's the correct word) influence them to eat fish to survive. Not like they can go to the grocery store in Bucketville and pick up the fixings to make a ham sandwich or a frozen pizza. My next door neighbors are from Nigeria and they have friends that are Jamaican. They have no concept of why I throw back the fish I catch. They do not and probably will not ever understand. For them, back in the old country, fishing is not a sport, and was merely a way to survive. No I don't condone the behavior.

That being said. I also believe if someone emmigrates to our country then it is their responsibility to follow our rules and to assimilate the "Americn" culture. I won't say anything else.

[B@ssCrzy]

I can definitely understand your frustration. I don't like people taking more than they need out of a lake, and to me throwing every fish in the bucket that they catch, regardless of size is too much. However, I will say that I will occasionally keep largemouth bass to eat myself. If you haven't ever tried them they are really good. Also, read an article here on this site about how over time bass do learn from being caught multiples times and it makes them a "smarter fish." By actually keeping some of the larger fish you will in the future make fishing better since it allows the smaller less experienced fish to grow bigger and thrive. I would definitely be calling the DNR if they are not following the laws, but who knows by pulling some of the fish you have caught multiple times out of the food chain they may in the end help make your fishing better. I am sure there are some places you can find to fish where these guys can't access it from the bank. Good luck!!

[Khong Y.]

So my home lake isnt that big. About 100 acres. Lately i keep getting skunked over and over. I know for a fact there were a few nice LM that hung out in one of my fave spots and i used to catch em all the time. Now theyre gone. Im at my spot yesterday and this russian dude shows up, throws 2 lines in the water and just sits there keeping EVERYTHING he caught. Sunnies, bass, carp. Within 5 minutes he makes a call and another russian dude shows up and throws another 2 lines in the water and he also keeps EVERYTHING. What dont these people get about catch and release? I don't understand are you gonna do with sunnies and bass. Eat em? Out of that lake? No thanks. These guys are a disease and they are fishing out our lake and im sick of it. They just sit there with bait on the bottom doing nothing but sitting there waiting. Thats not fishing, thats waiting!

I'd like how you say you're getting skunk but other people are just perfectly catching the fish and putting them in their bucket. It tells me that you don't know how to fish! Learn to fish and you won't get skunk. Oh if their keeping the fish and no law is broken, quit crying!

[Boots]

i used to fish this small pond that was loaded with quality bass, until recently some guy started showing up 2-3 times a week and just targeted bass and filling up his cooler. i've personally seen him take 40+ bass and now you can barely catch at that place and if you do the thing is a dink. place went from best fishery in the area to worst. it's at the point where this guy can't catch anything either. it was a shame to say R.I.P. to my favorite pond.

[Professional Overrun]

Theres a couple russian guys that fish across this little bay in my favorite lake here in CA. They split shot bass with I dont know what kind of bait. They blast there eastern music WAY too loud, and act like they dont speak english. Plus they keep the fish to boot

[SirSnookalot]

If anyone catches legal fish using legal means it's entirely their business what they do with their fish. If you can't catch one, IMO they are not the problem. Where I live there a lot of people less fortunate then myself, they need the fish to eat and some sell them, glad to say they don't ask me for money. No question about it, they are not sportsmen, but do sportsmen have more of a rights?

Yesterday morning I was fishing one my choice spots, others fish there too, 2 fathers with 2 sons were behind me with castnets, yes they were annoying. I did not want to hook one of those kids on my back cast, I just left, avoiding any problem or a confrontation,it isn't worth it.

Frankly, what I find troubling on this thread is singling out some nationalities that may have a different ethnic background. Let us not forget we all can trace our roots to immigrants, except those of aboriginal descent.

[tomustang]

I'd like how you say you're getting skunk but other people are just perfectly catching the fish and putting them in their bucket. It tells me that you don't know how to fish! Learn to fish and you won't get skunk. Oh if their keeping the fish and no law is broken, quit crying!

So if a bunch of guys would catch and keep everything, which includes well undersized bass, you think it doesn't hurt the population and it's his honest mans fault for not catching anything. Amazing. All I hear on forums is catch and release to help the bass. Well figure these people come in and care less about size and limit numbers, maybe then you'll understand how difficult it is to fish this area. Also think about all the junk they bring, they throw it in the water when they leave.

[tomustang]

.

Frankly, what I find troubling on this thread is singling out some nationalities that may have a different ethnic background. Let us not forget we all can trace our roots to immigrants, except those of aboriginal descent.

I agree, unfortunately when they speak the language that's what they are, there's no national bash its just who they are and no one is hating against the whole nationality. Same thing when you go to another country they do the same thing

[slonezp]

So if a bunch of guys would catch and keep everything, which includes well undersized bass, you think it doesn't hurt the population and it's his honest mans fault for not catching anything. Amazing. All I hear on forums is catch and release to help the bass. Well figure these people come in and care less about size and limit numbers, maybe then you'll understand how difficult it is to fish this area. Also think about all the junk they bring, they throw it in the water when they leave.

If they are keeping undersized bass, or exceeding creel limits, they are breaking the law. Report them to the DNR. If they are not. Deal with it.

[tomustang]

This isnt new, the state can only do so much, it's something the average angler deals with here