The trash is getting rediculous

[Saltheart]

I just wanted to point out that the trash left behind at fishing spots is getting rediculous lately. People are leaving their bait behind in the pastic bags to such an expent that they are drawing rats. Its the worst year I've seen for people being slobs. The coffee cups appear endless too. I regularly bring a cup down to the water and end up carrying back 3 or 4 cups and still can't grab everything.

All I can say is bring back anything you take to the shoreline. Just because some people are absolutely inconsiderate and stupid about leaving stuff behind , when you can , grab some trash that's there even if you didn't bring it.

Whenever locals try to ban fishing access , they ALWAYS use the trash and filth as an excuse. From what I've seen this year , they have a right to complain.

[Mr. Sandman]

I agree. Most fishermen I know don't litter and I think depending on the location, that much of the stuff washes up on shore. (at least I hope that is the case)

There is NO excuse to litter. None.

My other nit are buggy drivers that don't obay the rules. No sticker, speeding and high pressure tires and driving below the surfline, etc.) More and more beaches are being closed to buggies with the locals using the exucses above and rightly so. Again, many of these law breakers are not fisherman but weekend wariors looking for some fun. Most fisherman are aware how fragile the shoreline is and that is a privalidge not a right to drinve along the shore.

[Jenn]

yup....

when ever we go out with our "buggy" we of course bring plenty of trash bags to put our trash in......the first thing I usually end up doing when I get there is take a walk around in the area we are parked and start picking up trash!!!! Sure I have had a few people look at me like I am nuts.....but then they seem to figure it out......

and as far as the "you know whats" that drive like "you know whats" ......now THAT really ticks me off too.......The 15mph where we go just doesnt seem to be fast enough for anyone anymore.... .......nevermind the 5mph limit through self contained

[179]

You know I am glad somebody else notices this besides myself. It's now only our beaches and waterways, but out highways and side streets as well.

Once a week I drive down my street on the way to work with a recycle bin in the trunk picking up all the beer cans, soda cans, coffee cups, and all the other garbage people feel a need to throw out their vehicle windows.....I wish I knew where they lived I would go dump it on their front door step!!!

[denis]

saltheart

i must agree,for the last 5-6 years it,s getting worst.

i fish beavertail, hull cove,hazard ave,newton,bassrock,black point

east and west wall every spot is full of crap most of the people

that fish there don't speak english,you would think you were in

aisa.they realy don't give a s@@T they don't care if a place is

closed they just go to another rock,yes a few people picking up

some trash really helps,but the others have to be educated

whow this tread got me going,i'm usual just a lurker ha ha

tight lines to all

[JohnR]

I am a member of the Narragansett Pier SportFishing Association. Every year the NPSFA goes out in the spring and conducts a cleanup in conjunction with many other clubs and organizations. I was amazed at some of the junk I found on the beach (a high percentage was actually lobster traps and gear). Whole TONS of junk/trash/crap were picked up from those areas to the point a backhoe was needed to get just the trash the NPSFA had collected:

The clean-up on April 21 celebrating Earth Day was very successful with approximately 25
participants cleaning up the Point Judith, Black Point, and Middlebridge areas, reports Marty Wencek, Conservation Committee Chairman. A huge pile of trash and debris was consolidated at the Black Point access parking lot and was hauled away by DEM. I'm told that they had to call in a backhoe to
lift some of the trash on to their truck! Our efforts were captured on video by our own Don Pedro and acknowledged by the town of Narragansett Conservation Commission. A fine bar-b-que back
at Maridee Tackle rounded out a great day. A great big thank you to all the volunteers. Marty would also like to especially thank Ralph Fox, who constructed trash picker sticks, George
Palmerscanio, who picked up and delivered the trash bags, gloves, and water bottles from DEM to Maridee Tackle, Captain Andy DeAngels for the use of the tackle shop as our base, and John Kennedy and Harry Yackey for the use of their pick-up trucks. Thank you again to everyone for a job welll done. Our shoreline is that much more pleasing due to this effort.

Other clubs like West Bay Anglers (many beaches) and Mass Beach Buggy (many beaches) and Mass Striped Bass (several herring runs) also have events to cleanup various locations - but all of these efforts have been negated after a short period of time because people generally don't care.

I've noticed that many "hacks" just show no regard to their surroundings or the results of their mess. This isn't just a problem with people that fish (I will not call these people anglers as having a rod & reel doesn't exactly qualify someone as an angler) but also most every segment of the population that boards a boat or walks a beach.

I also see that some B&Ts that tend to cater to these hacks don't push enough the need of keeping these places clean. I don't want to insinuate that it's their responsibility BUT as they are generally the only people in contact with these "hacks", those shops may be the only OPPORTUNITY to get this word out. Especially to the people that are just getting into fishing. Also, they don't push circle hooks as much as they could either (which is odd because, besides the fact that the fish will benefit (IF - BIG IF - they get released), they'll also sell just a little more product...

Denis - I wouldn't single out any one particular group because I've seen every type of person from the one that doesn't speak a lick of english (willingly or not) to some corporate CEOs that don't give a rats arse to their surroundings or the ramifications of their actions. It's very sickening.

Fishpart and I were talking about this Friday night when he said that the URI dock had been gated off due to the lack of consideration of people - mainly fishers - leaving trash and generally disrespecting the Campus and surroundings. Some of you may remember from last year that there was considerable talk of closing this access. People from here as well as other groups contacted URI and may have helped influence (or may not) keeping the dock open to the general public. See, in addition to the typical trash and old bait being left right up on the dock, they were also finding human feeces ON THE DOCK. They were on the fence of keeping the access available (which I think they genuinely wanted) or closing it because of the deploreable conditions the public was leaving the dock in. Well, you guessed it, they were nice and kept the dock open until all but this year was no better and it sounds like they shut it down.

Go figure, eh?

[Fishpart]

I live on a dead end road to a golf course and let me tell you, fishermen aren't the worst. We take the kids walking on the course in the evening and many times pick up trash and put it in the trashcans at every single Tee Box. Thank God I have trees between the yard and the street or I would need to go out with a snowblower to clean up the bottles, cans, coffee cups, and cigarette boxes. Luckily the guys from the course police the road from time to time, or it would be really bad. My four year old says, Daddy we should go out and pick up after the litterbugs...so off we go with buckets and pointy sticks.

[Saltheart]

I think Fishpart's son has the right idea. We that care must take up some of the slack for those who are ignorant or just uncaring or actual slobs. We can talk about people being obligated to carry out their own trash but we can help some by cleaning up others messes. We shouldn't have to and its filthy work but it does help.

People crapping on the dock at URI!!! That's incredible. I heard it was about trash but this is the first I heard about people pooping right on the dock there. That's just incredible.

[JohnR]

The "crapping on the dock" was why they almost closed it last year, but who knows. If the same people from the last time had the same urge this time around...

[Fishguts]

This summer I took a trip into the back country of utah, we hiked in about five miles carrying fishing gear tents sleeping bags etc. we come across a camp site which was strewn with empty bottles, beer cans, and just general camp trash everywhere. Who are these people that are willing to carry in all this extra weight only to leave it spread all over countryside that they are so willing to hike to. these people are dispicable and don't deserve the priveledge of enjoying the thing that they are willing to destroy! I am glad to see that others are willing to take a stand on this issue.

[Slipknot]

Littering is just UNCONCIONABLE or however you spell it.

I hate litterbugs. My parents taught me to not litter and to pick up others trash, and I am doing the same with my kids. They do notice when others are pigs. It's a constant struggle to keep reminding people to keep America clean. but it should only take being told once to learn not to litter. What is wrong with the selfish people in this country?

I always pick some stuff up when at the canal, how can you not notice it, it's all over the place

I clean up scratch tickets and cans in front of my house everyday, I'd love to get a plate # then collect them and dump them in their car, friggin pigs.

Saltheart, I know there are trash cans at the ditch but maybe we can suggest to someone about posting some signs to tell folks to use the friggin things.

[Jenn]

lets not even get INTO my "daily ritual of getting the mail/picking up trash in the front yard thing"........



and some of it is SO SICKENING you wish you could do a DNA test on it if you knowwhatimean...find the prick that threw it out the window.....

[JohnR]

family site now...

[Arby]

Originally posted by John R
The "crapping on the dock" was why they almost closed it last year, but who knows.

And here I was thinking the guys down here in Jersey were PIGS! That is freaking disgusting and If I saw it I'd put my Korker up their keister.

[CSK]

For you folks who fish the Canal. Every so often I come upon folks burning(I guess other people's) trash on the rocks. Busted up styrofoam coolers and that sort of thing. I have no doubt that this is illegal, or that the best solution would be to carry the trash out, but do you think starting trash fires like this is any help at all?

CSK

[JohnR]

Maybe this Texas Speed Trap would make people think twice about littering...

[Fishpart]

Please remind me to leave my T72 at home next time I go to Texas.

You sure that is Texas? It looks like it could be in the median at near Matunuck Schoolhouse Road.

[Saltheart]

Wow , that is intimidating!

CSK , no I don't think starting fires to burn the trash is a good idea. Better to carry the stuff out and throw it in a track can.

The big thing is that if everybody carried out what they brought in , the places would stay clean and nobody else would have to deal with other peoples trash.

[CSK]

Saltheart, I agree with you. Carry in carry out, no problems. I posed the question as more of a jigging by yourself at 4AM/ hypothetical/ethical one. Obviously there's a huge safety issue. Is burning the trash better than nothing at all?

[BCY]

Yup... The trash situation at the canal is bad. Most of the time, I fish it at night so I don't really notice it. But the times, that I actually fish all the way into the daylight. Whoa.... I was wondering if any of the fishing clubs around the Canal would organize a trash cleanup. I would definitely volunteer myself. The Canal is practically my home.... Nobody wants a dirty home.

[Slipknot]

Hey, welcome to the site BCY !

Glad you found John's little corner of cyber striperland.

[BCY]

Slipknot,

Yeah.... Mike at M+D's told me about this site. Seemed kinda cool so I decided to join in. The fishing is picking up for the fall run at the Canal. Gird your loins for battle, my friend.

BCY