I was down at AF the other day and watched a group of fisherman hauling in smallmouth and putting them on a stringer. At one point one of the kids pulled the stringer out of the water entirely and I was stunned to see it was full of smallies! There were two adults and three kids running around but I only saw the adults and one of the kids fishing. They definetly had more than six fish on that stringer. After a few more fish got added I decided to do something. I have never called the fishing police before, I have mixed feelings about it but I could not just stand by and watch this any more. So I dialed the number on the back of my license and gave my report to the kind lady who assured me they would send somebody to check it out. Later I got a call from an officer who reported that they had been unable to get anybody down that way and wanted to know if I had got a license plate number. Of course I had not. So I am sure they got away with exceeding the limit this time. Like I said, I have mixed feelings about "tattling" but this was ridiculous. The fact that they had kids with them who made matters worse (in my mind), I mean what lesson were these kids learning? Don't worry about the rules, they don't apply to you? Incredible.
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They probably only brought the kids along so they could up their limit...they would of probably told the fish cops that each one of the kids had caught 6 fish each or whatever the limit is for bass.
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Don't feel bad about reporting an obvious abuse of the law. The F & G can't be everywhere, so we need to say something if we see obvious violations of the law.
Windriver
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I have to agree with Windriver. They need to be stopped or they will just keep doing it. If they get busted in front of the kids, that may also teach the kids that breaking the rules is a bad thing. You may have just stopped 2 poachers and also maybe changed 3 more would be poachers to law abiding citizens. If they are fishing legally, then they have nothing to worry about by having a F&G officer stop by and say "Hi".
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I appreciate the encouraging words. I do not enjoy the thought of causing anybody legal trouble or financial hardship but I just couldn't stay quite on this one.
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If people are blatantly breaking the law, then they deserve the consequences. The fact that they had a whole stringer, when the proclamation has a limit of two bass per person is ridiculous. I'm tired of greedy buggers like that ruining things for everyone else. They're probably the same idiots who leave piles of trash behind too. I say bust away.
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WOW , that sucks that they couldn't make it in time to at least deter that kind of behavior. Mabey they figured with a 6 fish limit and no way for them to prove that those kiddies didn't each catch 6 fish that they were wasting fuel. So they had more than 30 bass?? are there size restrictions too? Was this on AF or on the river below?
So how did you and your boy do fishing?
I once called from springfield res. cause 2 guys were catching the heck out of the big trout on powerbait. I knew this cause when I walked up on them they both cut there line. shortly after power bait floated up. IDFG ask me why I didn't hide in the bushes with binoculars to verify that they were the ones that put it on their hooks. All you can do is call.
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I fully agree w/ windriver and the others, bust 'em. I personally have the CAP # in my contact numbers on the cell. I've used it twice and gotten a nice reward for one of them after the F&G cops caught them red handed. Like was said, if they really are legitimate then they have nothing to worry about if the fish cops say hi. However, if they break one law like that it's usually just the tip of the iceberg.
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My fishing buddy is in Florida visiting his mother. I did real well a couple afternoons last week.
The limit for smallmouth below AF dam is 2 per person. The stringer these people had was absolutely loaded; then more were put on there while I sat and watched.
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i was at johnson res. a couple weeks ago and 3 teenagers were catching blue gill then drop kicking them in the water. I felt like i should of called the f&g but talked my self out of it, more or less because i hated to see them get a fine over some blue gil but the more i thought about it is if they do it to a gill they will do it to anything or shoot a deer out of season. I know next time i will definatly call.
I know i have done some things or been with ppl that have done things a bit on the shady side and i deserved a ticket or my but kicked. I think way to many ppl look at it like if the f&g isnt right there watching that its ok to do it but i know that every fish is a resource the should be respected and tresured.
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[quote jigs]i was at johnson res. a couple weeks ago and 3 teenagers were catching blue gill then drop kicking them in the water. I felt like i should of called the f&g but talked my self out of it, more or less because i hated to see them get a fine over some blue gil but the more i thought about it is if they do it to a gill they will do it to anything or shoot a deer out of season. I know next time i will definatly call. [/quote]
Did you notice if they were driving a white Dodge pickup? I seen the exact same thing when I was down there about a month ago on Johnson. They were catching them on a fly rod and then drop kicking the smaller ones back into the water. I did the same thing and talked myself out of calling, but after hearing you seen the same thing, I now know I should have called.
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ya it was a white dodge if i remember right, i could be wrong though.
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It does seem like kind of a bummer to get some kids in trouble just for some bluegill, but if it's not that now, it's gonna be something alot worse later. Let them learn that people are watching and they'll get busted before they get any worse
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If F&G did come down and check on them they would probly just get a lecture rather than a fine being kids and 'gills not being a game fish in ID. However, like was said, it might scare them out of doing it or worse.
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I think Bluegill are a game fish , like perch . If you get caught wasting them . You can get a ticket . Curt G.
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I support this. I think you made the right decision. Abuse on take limit means less fish and skewed game management.
BTW..don't the smallies have to be more than 12 inches to keep down there or has that changed?
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Changed i balieve its 2 any size now if im not wrong....
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Yep two of any size below the dam...
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