EP Checking Fish at the Canal
 

Thursday morning, the Environmental Police were cruising the canal and measuring fish. My buddy had a 34-35" bass and the EP wanted to measure it, so he had to carry the fish up the rocks (at low tide) and fell face first in the rock weed just so the guy could measure an obviously legal fish. :(

I've seen people keep shorts and that has to stop, but any reasonably trained eye could tell that the fish was legal.

Another one complaining about the EP's doing their job! Maybe the EP does not fish and can't site measure the fish from 20 feet up on the path....maybe he is not blessed with 20/10 vision? These thoughts ever enter your mind? Be glad they are there.....its those folks keeping shorts they are looking for.......stop talking out both sides of your mouth!;)

With Love,
BigFish

Wow! I'm feeling the love Big Fish! :) Of course, you are 100% correct, :agree: the EP was only doing his job and I'm all for enforcement of fishing regs. I guess I was just seeing the mental image of my friend crashing head first into the rocks as he hurried his fish up to the path while the fishing was still hot. Consider me properly rebuked.

I know its irritating SW....but whats the guy to do? Climb down there himself? They must have a criteria or set method....obviously he felt it needed to be measured? I was climbing around down there myself yesterday and I know how slippery it can be...nevermind tricky!

Sweetwater: some people were seen filleting fish at Bell Road on Friday (it's illegal to filet fish until you get home in MA). While I was there today, the EP and a few of us told a fellow fisherman that 2 was the limit (he hooked a 3rd keeper and was wondering). It's not always easy to eyeball a fish...

filet
 

The only problem with the EP checking fish from that far away is that down here in newport the majority of the bums keeping the shorties are fileting them as soon as they are caught. The other day I was fishing in newport a guy showed me 2 bass one maybe 30" and the other 25" at best. He was so loaded, but owell he told me they were 30lbers, and he filet'd them up. The EP comes by, and checks my buddy, and I. He never even asked those guys to crack open their coolers.

The Maine guys were out in force today as well. I had a fish measured as I brought it out of the water. The guy acted like I had no idea what I was doing or didnt know the laws because he was telling me what is and isnt legal, it must be the tourists or whatever.

They probably don't want to be accused of selective enforcement. Their guidelines probably tell them to measure every fish.

Those guys are wearing uniform shoes with leather soles, probably. They can't climb down the rocks in them without breaking their necks.

at first i just thought of licenses as a way to suck more money out of people. but if they actually enforce the license rules.. can you imagine how many of these knuckle heads could be eliminated? get caught with a short there goes yer license. get caught with out a license.. world of pain.


if the enforce it i will love it. if not.. just another way to sap money.

Chris.....think about it.......if someone has such low moral scruples as to keep shorts......do you think they are going to abide by whether or not they have a fishing license?:hs:

So true.....


Sweetwater-so many times fish size has been debated here......
So many seasoned fishermen and its interesting to see how they all vary when the yearly "guess the size of this fish" thread comes around. I dont blame the EP one bit for breaking out the tape too be sure.

In the past 10 years I think I have been checked once or twice by the EPs or rangers........Its sad because I enjoy seeing them out there and wish they were there more often.......

very true.. but i feel it will still deter many of the "ignorant short keepers". the people who just don't care however, nothing but constant fines/arrests will stop them.

Then you are easily fooled Chris! Nothing stops the ignorant! Their attitude is that they have a right to take them and damn the rules/laws! They are lawbreakers at heart and do not care about the fishery....take, take, take!

The dude with the fish and no Korkers would have fallen anyway - just later on.

The "world of pain" for fishing without a license would probably be a measly $50 fine.

Last year, some guy on the Canal got caught dealing in lobsters without a license. The fines started out at $14,000 and all but a few hundred were remitted because the guy couldn't pay. No one wants to lock someone up because they're on a documented disability and can't pay a fine. Especially over a fisheries violation.

Sounds like grounds for discrimination if an able bodied person got slapped with the same thing?:hs: What a great land we live in.....justice for all? I think not!

Not condoning it, but you can't get blood out of a stone. No judge wants a guy taking up a cell reserved for robbers and drug dealers because he can't pay a fisheries fine. Jail space is limited and the courts have their prioroties.

My 16 year old can st a short fish from 100' and I'm sure you guys can do the same. Now, if you measured 100 fish a day could you tell 35" from 28". Sometimes these guys are trying to make a statement that they are out there. sometimes they are on a power trip.

I should probably mind my own business on this one, but what the hey...............EPO's should have the appropriate gear on or with them to do thier job. That includes the equipment needed for climbing down the rocks to measure a fish. I can see it now, the guffaws I'd get, that come from the next person I stop for an motor vehicle offense when I yell to him on the loud speaker, "hey bud bring your license and registration back to me, so I don't have to walk to your car. I don't think so. They are provided with all the necessary gear/equipment to do thier job. I think they would garner everyones respect more than they have if they got into the trenches so to speak. That being said I think its great they were there checking on caught fish. I'd like to them at night and weekends more.

I'm sure that you suggested that they check the other guys cooler after they were finish with you. Right???!!! No? You didn't??!!

I'm glad that you taught you son so well.
I don't consider having my fish measured, "a power trip". And even it was, I don't care. I want to see these guys doing "their job"!! :af:

You're right I like to see them out there too. I didn't teach my son, he aquired the knowledge by catching and releasing many fish. And I said sometimes there on a power trip. I have been checked many times, and I am always happy to oblige.I think he had to know that fish was legal or he's a slow learner.

well by "ignorant" i meant the people who just don't know any better. myself tom and especially ryan have had to tell numerous people the limits just this season. i think the license would remove the ""don't knowers"". of course part of that problem lies on the shoulders of B&T guys. who i would assume can spot an experienced guy a mile away. and try to pound it in there heads that the limit is 2 at 28". or have some sort of sign or something by the counter with a lil reminder. not b laming it completely on them. but these guys gotta get their bait some where. so it seems the best place to start giving them the message.

but you are completely right about the guys who decide it just doesn't matter. the only thing that will stop them is upped patrols and checks.. but i don't see that happening. this state and country have other priorities... and wasting money (to them) on regulating recreational fishing probably isn't to high on the list at the moment. it sucks. but what can ya do? just do your part and try to get every short you see back in the water. just don't go to crazy, no fish is worth your health.

:huh:All fishermen should know the length's and have a tape measure on them at all times. And always have th EP's number handy to make that call for the guy catching shorts.

sorry Gonnacatchabig1 but it is no more the B&T guys responibility to educate the public on the rules as it is the car salemen giving you driving lessons. Each angler should be responsible for knowing the laws. No if ands or buts about it!

My brother approached an Asiatic appearing person who just caught a 20" bass and put it in his cooler. Brother told him the fish was a short, and needed to be released. The response: no understand English. Brother pulled out his cell phone and started dialing an environmental police number he carries. Within seconds, that fish was out of the cooler and back in the water.

On thursday night there was a State Cop driving the canal on patrol because he heard that people's rods were being ripped off while they were fishning. He did stop and talk for awhile. The more people around, the law more enforcement that is needed.

jk you are right i saw the state cop too he was driving the whole canal making sure the guys that where out the did not have to worry they are pulling in a fish while the guy in back of you is taking you gear good for them we need to see more of them out there:kewl:

This is kinda off topic seeing as i'm from RI and don't fish the canal but the epo's around here are pretty good about checking measurements if they are around or are not too busy checking on calls about drunks on state property or other calls.

I have a little bit more inside info at my job and I was very suprised to find out that most of them don't fish themselves

I have seen about ten or more guys have their catches measured and all most all of them where short :hs: it really is a shame that people don't care and we wonder why their are so many conservational issues

Good ... I hope word gets out EP are after poachers..