and not to underestimate this valuable tool, nor the crisis that marine fisheries in general are facing, but you still need to weigh the value of the information based on what you know of the source.

Endangered species regulations have a purpose, despite how silly some may seem, or how destructive to someone's lifestyle. I doubt that eels will be listed as endangered, as I have heard otherwise in fisheries management circles. But if they were, I'd find another bait and respect the managers and the law. That's just me; y'all can do what you want, although I do advocate obeying wildlife management regulations.

The breaking of wildlife laws should not be excused with the question "am I going to eat it?" Someone probably ate the last dodo. That doesn't justify it any more than someone shooting it for feathers for hats, or whatever. No matter why it occured, the conscious destruction of an endangered, regulated species, should not be condoned. If you're hungry, buy ramen noodles instead of bait or ammunition that you would use to break the law.

So
If eels were banned, and one used them for bait and caught a striper -

Would that striper be considered an accessory to the crime? Entrapment?


I am going to take my bucket of contraband and head out and see if I cant find a few fish with jail stripes that are looking to break a few laws.

:jump1:


and it was delicious!

However, your exactly right of course

do they have low sodium ramen noodles?

I'm not greedy and so self absorbed I'd break laws to do something that can be done a million ways.

#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&, I'm not implying you take shorts. Just trying to understand your rationalization that it's ok to use an illegal bait if they should be banned.

What you've repeatedly said is you'd break the law. What would you say about people sneaking into a herring run at night and taking them even though they're a legal bait? Is that ok if they REALLY wanted them just cuz it's their bait of choice?

Expand your horizons, try something new. Bass can be caught lots of different ways. If you're as good as you always say you are, I'm sure you'll do just fine.

I know the prices will be high but think bigger the eel....
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Big Fishy


Just a thought,or



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~ ~ ~ ~ ><((((((((((('> ~ ~ ~ ~ ><((((((((((((('> ~ ~ ~ ~ ><((((((((((('>

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lots of them :eek5: :eek5: :btu: :jump: THANK YOU GOD IF THIS COMES TRUE.....

ME and my thought's

Look they may call me "#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&" but I certainly fish other methods, how would you know? I just feel its the best bait for cow bass. As far as other methods , well I would certainly put more time in with sluggos, Next to that I would chum and chunk and if I wanted numbers when there were fish on mullet or something I would plug.

Your baiting me into something stupid, you want me to say "I am breaking the law" Since your questions are totaly hypathetical at this point an answer from me only invites trouble, as of now eels are legal!! I will say this, if they were not legal and someone offered me some? I would use them in a heartbeat and break the law :laugha: :laugha:

Was talking to a couple of bait shops last night about the eel situation. According to them ( iahve no independent knowledge of this) the Canadian goverment has prohibited the export of eels under 14 inches long. This is not only going to mean bigger bait eels but also higher prices, as the prime size bait eels get scarcer.

That explains it then
The eels at the bait store I go to have been very on and off size wize

The ones I got yesterday, were all innertube size.... REALLY nice ones.. :)

What does the Canadian Government have to do with eels? Do we get all of our eels from Canada if any?

They have nothing to do with it, however since most baitshops are getting there eels from canada now they have to follow canadian laws, and right now the size of the eels from canada has increased so, most baitshops are getting monster eels that no one wants to fish and, getting smaller ones that are more fisherman friendly is getting hard......

I can see it now, stings set up on the side of the canal... Pssst, i got some eels man... you want some? Sure, toss em in the bucket.. There you go buddy... Got something else for you, its right here in my tackle box... Here it is! my badge and cuffs...

:laugha:

Why do we get our eels from Canada again? Don't we have any suppliers here?

COULD happen but I say only get your illegal eels from people you trust and have known for years :uhuh: :uhuh:

who knows? cheaper I guess , more availible? I know up until about a month agao most eels were coming from maryland

Here is more than you ever wanted to know about eels.
I found nothing about a ban, but a reduction in the daily limit is mentioned in the asmfc minutes.

http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/zone/underw...anguille_e.htm
http://www.asmfc.org/meetings/februa...RICANEELBD.pdf

those monster eels are good for something :faga:

I will throw my $0.02 in, even though no one asked..... :laugha:

Most people I have met through here and through MSBA are true sportsman, who take pride in being sportsman. That said, I then believe that most people will obey the laws.

True sportsman do not break the law in search of their quarry. This is a very slipperly slope. Eels are very likely the best bait when going after cows. But who can deny the effectiveness of herring in the spring - or when using macks when the are around. And I hazzard to guess most people here do not violate the herring run rules. Same would hold true with Macks.

I would certainly miss eels, but I wouldn't violate laws to catch stripers. I guess catching fish doesn't mean enough to me to violate laws. Catching fish is also less important than my pride, and my pride in being a sportsman.

-IWK

in RI the porgy size limit is something like 9 inches.... i dont know one person who obeys that law.

I have a lot of clients who subscribed to that theory for buying their drugs ;)

Unfortunately, people who do illegal things sometimes get caught, and their way of getting out of it is to offer to rein in other saps for the cops :humpty:

It's 10.5 inches. Geez, I guess the jokes on me, I thought the laws mattered.

http://www.asmfc.org/meetings/februa...RICANEELBD.pdf
This is the minutes of the American eel comission. In the minutes they talk about various options for the future including, changing the daily possesion limit from 50 to 25, prohibiting the taking of eels in some months of the year, etc. It is all theoretical at this point and very interesting. No one seems to know the percentage used for bait or food. Some members do seem to care about the bait market, but not all.
Pete

Recently most of the B&Ts in RI have been getting their eels from Canada, that's why the new Canadian rules are haviong an immediate effect. The guys I talked to last night say that there aren't many affordable domestic suppliers. The Canadians truck them down in tanker trucks, while the guys from MD truck them in totes and they say that the ones shipped in water arrive in better condition and last longer. None of this has anything to do with the ASMFC or any proposals they might come up concerning the eels.

Maybe you haven't noticed the dark green trucks sitting in the parking lots with binocs?

Guess not.

They're always down there.

Nope..

The only green trucks Ive seen recently are military trucks.

Not to say they arent there.

but doesnt matter... because none of the millitary guys came up to me the other day offering to sell me black market eels.