this makes me so mad

[stars'nstripers]

I was fishin my usual quiet spot when 8 men come and start fishing one gets a 12-14 inch striper and I run over to see it he kills it. I tel him it as to be 28 inches he says HE KNOWS, HE SAYS HE WAS GOING TO USE IT AS BLUE FISH BAIT. (like that makes it ok!!!!!)

[BigFish]

Ignorance is not exclusive to one race....it runs rampant through humans of all colors, creed and nationality!

[stiff tip]

drop a dime ....next time ,,,w/ a smile !!!!

[ilovetwofish]

Who would you call if you seen somebody keeping a shorty? I called D.E.M. before and they said they were limited with officers and they didnt know when they could come to the spot.So I asked this man to throw this 24 inch bass back because it was to short he says no understand I said bullsh t and took his fish and threw in the water I said do you understand now.If there is a number for somebody to take care of these problems give it to me.

[Raven]

ever heard of it....

it's an old carpenter's method for determining where each row of

cedar shakes should be on a house when you are doing siding.

it's also a good way to explain a concept in a pictograph...

so make one out of a thirty inch flat stick or cut down

a wooden yard stick... tape a little picture of a jail ,police,

handcuffs ect. or draw it... for them to get the picture ...so to speak.

also you want to jot down license plates of people's cars or take a digital

picture of their license plate. (include car in photo) print it ...

and mail it to the right office with an explanation because if they

do it once...they'll keep on doing it. then the enviromental officer

has something to look for in the future.

on a second note.... when i go to grab my keys to go anywhere!

i also grab my handy digital camera..and i don't leave home without it.

[JohnR]

Starsn'... I hope you aren't singling them out just because they are Asian (I don't quite read it that way), because anyone can be an offender, even Swamp Yankees


The only thing you can do (especially with those odds) is to drop a dime. DEM (RI) can make it or they can't. But they will try if they have staff on hand... I was talking to the DEM chief a few months back and he said they need more calls and they will work them if they have the manpower to do so.

[justplugit]

Originally Posted by Raven

cut down

a wooden yard stick... tape a little picture of a jail ,police,

handcuffs ect. or draw it... for them to get the picture ...so to speak.

Rav, LMAO. The pic of the guy behind bars will get their attention.

[flyben24]

Originally Posted by ilovetwofish

Who would you call if you seen somebody keeping a shorty? I called D.E.M. before and they said they were limited with officers and they didnt know when they could come to the spot.So I asked this man to throw this 24 inch bass back because it was to short he says no understand I said bullsh t and took his fish and threw in the water I said do you understand now.If there is a number for somebody to take care of these problems give it to me.

good...i wish more people did that

[ilovetwofish]

Originally Posted by ilovetwofish

Who would you call if you seen somebody keeping a shorty? I called D.E.M. before and they said they were limited with officers and they didnt know when they could come to the spot.So I asked this man to throw this 24 inch bass back because it was to short he says no understand I said bullsh t and took his fish and threw in the water I said do you understand now.If there is a number for somebody to take care of these problems give it to me.

By the way this guy tried this crap in the daylight with other fisherman aware of what was going on and didn't step up tp the plate so thats why I thought I would open my mouth and I had a couple of buddies with me so I really wasn't worried about him different story if it was at night and I was by myself.

[FishermanTim]

Lack of staffing and enforcement of the laws seems to be one of the major issues. Maybe if they start by REALLY enforcing the laws, and confiscate ALL the gear related to the crime (meaning rods, reels tackle and even watercraft) and then have the items auctioned off, they could get additional funding with contributions made from the very cause they are fighting. It wouln't be a permanenty/long term solution, but would get things moving in the right direction.
Imaging a poacher loosing his gear, paying a fine and then trying to buy his gear back again? That would be one possible answer.

[fishpoopoo]

Got this from a seriously deranged individual on another fishing site.

I have to say, I agree with this person's sentiment 100%. All the circumstances discussed were personally witnessed by this guy:

Dear Beach-Poopin Litterbug Poacher,

I very much enjoyed watching you (and your vast extended family from Lowell, MA) last season crowding some scenic rockpiles doing your level best to relieve southern New England of its pesky scup population.

And it was quite a blast to see your wife/girlfriend squat down in broad daylight to defecate in plain sight (good form). Thanks to her, I shed a few pounds, as I had strangely lost the urge to stuff my face with food. Next time, you should remind her to bring some toilet paper (most civilized people use this admittedly bourgeois convenience). While I'm sure that ratty old sweatshirt came in handy, it must have been hard on the posterior. And, I didn't thank you for your generosity - leaving that smudged sweatshirt for some other needy soul to wear (never know how cold it gets around here in July) was mighty kind of you. By the way, I have a lovely digital photograph of your gal in mid-squat. I even managed to match her to the license plate of her car (what can I say, I’m a shutterbug...I know, I must have looked like a Japanese tourist). I won’t post the picture here since this is a family-friendly forum and it would excite all your kinfolk back at home.

I tell ya, it was like watching a National Geographic documentary. In the wild.

I wanted to also thank you for your diligence in policing up your trash. Recall that I said hello and offered you a large trash bag to pick up your instant noodle bowls, bait wrappers, glass beer bottles, cigarette cartons, soiled baby diapers, and discarded fishing line. I guess you didn't really need the bag, since you had plenty of those red plastic baggies that every vendor in Boston Chinatown carries, and I appreciate that you went to the trouble of tossing all the debris into the Atlantic Ocean instead of leaving it on the rocks (good idea).

I'm glad you didn't have to exert yourself packing all that stuff out. Yup, that 100 foot walk back to the parking lot can seem like miles on hot day, especially if you're loaded down with all that scup. And you're right, damn those regulations, they don't apply to you. And if someone asks ... I love the fact that you can duck the issue with a clever "me speak no Engrish." Man, I wish you fellas were just as good at poaching plovers as you are marvelously skilled at scuppin'.

I hope you don't mind, but after you left I went to the trouble of nudging your gal's brown offering to the side of the trail (*sniff* ... mmm... fermented fish paste). You see, Mr. Hanky is a little tough to dig out of korkers when it gets all dry and cakey. And as much as I like pho as any other guy, I'm trying to cut down on poo.

Oh, by the way, some of the inhabitants of The Avenues have renamed a few roads in honor of you. "Poop Rock Road" has a wonderful ring to it, a nice foil to the typical starched-collar Old World New England appellation. Celebrate diversity I say!

I truly enjoyed watching you poach, poop, and litter. Whenever I drive into the area, the locals think I am capable of doing the same exact thing (would that we all live up to your impossibly high standards). Look forward to seeing you do more of the same when it comes time to poach tautog off the rocks in the fall.

Sincerely,

Piscatorial Micturition

[Gunpowder]

Originally Posted by stars'nstripers

I was fishin my usual quiet spot when 8 men come and start fishing one gets a 12-14 inch striper and I run over to see it he kills it. I tel him it as to be 28 inches he says HE KNOWS, HE SAYS HE WAS GOING TO USE IT AS BLUE FISH BAIT. (like that makes it ok!!!!!)

where were u fishin? also, watch out just grabbin some dudes fish and throwin it back in the water. u never kno wat people are carryin these days or wat could set them off. best to just take some pictures, document it, and leave it to the mass DEM. theres always a couple stories each year of people gettin shanked on the beach over fish stuff.

[wheresmy50]

I'm glad the DEM wants to work from calls, but why not just take a walk every once in a while?

They could focus on 5 or 6 spots and do pretty well to reduce poaching. Of course, that would require a little effort, and they get paid just as much to do nothing.

[Saltheart]

i fished a long time and was only talked to by a game warden once. They checked our herring livewell and under my truck for small bass in gallillee one time then went their way since of course we had none.. One time in half a century of fishing. The odds of getting caught are so low and if the amount poached is small and they claim a language barrier and ignorance of the rules , from what i've seen there is no punishment. I think when they do catch someone , they need to make it painful and let the word get around that even one small fish can cost you your rods and reels and a fine.

[Joe]

It's just a fish - you'd hate to get hit and fall back and hit your head on a rock over it.
Call the authorities - don't speak to the poachers. Playing cop and confronting people over a fish is bad policy - it will roll up on you one day if do it enough times.

[fishbones]

Originally Posted by Joe

It's just a fish - you'd hate to get hit and fall back and hit your head on a rock over it.
Call the authorities - don't speak to the poachers. Playing cop and confronting people over a fish is bad policy - it will roll up on you one day if do it enough times.

I agree with Joe. These guy's know they are breaking the law. I doubt they are going to say "Oops, I didn't realize it was illegal to keep short fish. Thanks for pointing out my error." Who's to say they won't do something violent if they feel threatened or are fearful of being ratted out. A lot of us fish alone and there's not point in getting into a scuffle in the middle of the night. In some areas, you can even call the local police and they'll come down and take care of it.

[Raven]

great post fishbones....

google was doing this thing where they went around snapping pictures.....
not of anything in particular...just people going about their business
then posting them for the world to see....

i don't think it's illegal to take a picture of anyone on the beach....

and then if they confront you or steal your camera to prevent authorities
from seeing their illegal activity on film (or digital media) thats grand larceny
and you can bring the local cops in on that charge.

[Raven]

you start a petition to have people sign it........

saying to authorities that we want something done [[[NOW]]]

to get action... ?

thats the one and only thing i like about the saltwater license idea...
besides more beach access....

[[[ yeah yeah i know --- no freakin way man... ]]]

but to have someone's saltwater license revolked forever ...
and then have them get caught again
then
it's paris hilton time...baby
not to mention they can take equipment, cars ect.

and i'd betcha a search warrant would turn up a freezer somewhere with many short filets in it too.

[RIJIMMY]

I think they should appoint "junior officers"
average joes like us, no pay, just a badge and some sort of violation ticket. as avid fisherman, we can routinely check during the course of our fishing and if a violation found, write a ticket.

[Smokey14]

Originally Posted by RIJIMMY

I think they should appoint "junior officers"
average joes like us, no pay, just a badge and some sort of violation ticket. as avid fisherman, we can routinely check during the course of our fishing and if a violation found, write a ticket.

Ya, I can imagine landing a fish and having some pecker head run over to measure my fish before I have a chance to release it.NO thanks there's to much room for looses to abuse that position.

Recreational poachers suck and they're hard to regulate but they're nothing compared to commercial bi-catch.

[NIGHT STRIKES]

We have a similiar problem with this ethic group at one of my local waterways,,,
It seems that they have taken over a particular tide cycle outfitted with fast moving zodiacs (6 at a time) and rape the sea of every short striper that gets hooked by them...

We wanted so bad to take things into our own hands but we finally felt it was in our best interest to let the local Fish & Wildlife offiicals take care of it.. They have a program called "Operation Game Theif".
Well calls and descriptions we placed and things were set into motion.
It got frustrating to fish this area and to continue to see this poaching taking place , but we were assured that something will get done and that it takes time...

Well finally one of these guys got busted with short stripers and written up for multiple boating infractions because the crafts that they were in had no registration and not even any lights and this was all happening at night..

But you know what two weeks ago I was back down this way and saw two more of this group back at it... We planned another trip there this weekend and I tell you - if I see it going on again - it might go down a little different this time....

[Bass Nut]

Originally Posted by NIGHT STRIKES

But you know what two weeks ago I was back down this way and saw two more of this group back at it... We planned another trip there this weekend and I tell you - if I see it going on again - it might go down a little different this time....

Sounds like you should bring some small to medium fireworks with you this weekend....

[NIGHT STRIKES]

Originally Posted by Bass Nut

Sounds like you should bring some small to medium fireworks with you this weekend....

Yep - Teaser & BassTurbed - Will Put A Stop To It

[MakoMike]

Not going to do a lot of good when the fines are only $25. Maybe if the local cops also enforced the fishery laws we could get somewhere.

[DMenace]

Different train of thought but what should you do if you hook a schoolie and he doesn't bounce back when you get him back in the water. I won't keep anything under the low 30's but last year I caught a 26/27 incher, got the hook out of his lip and got him back in pretty quick (well under a minute). He flipped over and just rolled around in the surf. I walked him around for several minutes but he just couldn't bounce back. I didn't feel good about this at all, but I didn't want to see him die and just go to waste. End result was I brought him home and ate him but I felt like a dirt bag with him in my cooler. What if I had been stopped by the environmental police, how do I explain this? Should I have done something different? I have released a ton of fish and never killed one so I don't think I did any harm, wasn't bleeding or anything, to him that way.

[Raven]

i believe is having it in your possesion...

had you just left it in the surf

nature would have taken it's course

and even though you didnt want it to go to waste

you would not be breaking the law

[Raven]

ok then a petition to increase the fines
for having in one's possesion

illegal fish.... 500 bucks

to bad there's no other incentive for the arresting officer
other than just doing their job...

like free fishing trip after so many arrests
trip to vegas... something...

yep sure....wishful thinking once aagain

[fishbones]

It would be easy enough to increase the fine for poaching. The only people who would be against higher fines would be the scumbags that were doing it. I think if you make it a $500 or $1,000 per offense, it would be much more of a deterrent. If they don't have any I.D. on them or claim to not speak English, haul em' into jail. They'll learn to speak pretty fast. Also, the dept. of fish and wildlife would have to be committed to enforcement. They would need to make examples of people and show that they are serious.

[Saltheart]

Yep , no matter what , the shorts ones got to go back , dead or alive doesn't matter.

[fishaholic18]

Next time, lip the MF'er with your Boca.. And throw him back..