the fish poaching and trash leaving is really getting out of hand.. - Striper Talk Striped Bass Fishing, Surfcasting, Boating

bart · 09-13-2004, 09:34 AM

last night there were a bunch of "fisherman" on the rocks taking short fish and filleting them right there. i went to my truck and called the EP hotline and left a message, then went back and sure enough they were gone and had left all their chit there. literally, their chit too. absolutley friggin disgusting.

then as i;m walking back up the trail a couple hrs later there was ahorible friggin smell coming from the woods right off the path. it was either a dead body or it was the bait and rotting carcases of fish these people discarded in the woods.

something has to be done about this. i fear we are going to lose more and more access if these people are allowed to keep trashing all our spots. does anyone have any ideas? the EP never show up when called. these people are ruining RI and are giving the true fisherman bad names.

anyone have any thoughts?

spence · 09-13-2004, 09:48 AM

Hmmmmm, doesn't the assult weapons ban expire today

-spence

tynan19 · 09-13-2004, 10:13 AM

Like everyone else's the Environmental Police's budget is down. I usually notice just one truck for an entire section of the state.

I myself have been taken bags of hook wrappers and line and coffee cups out of the rocks on the side of the canal.

theSURF121 · 09-13-2004, 10:16 AM

Get to know your DEC officer. Usually the poaching and litter go hand and hand. I know they are under staffed but they do come most of the time. I usually take some time to clean my local beaches because of that same fear of losing access. Makes ya feel good afterwards except when I think of the diapers.

cheferson · 09-13-2004, 11:16 AM

You can also try calling the local cops, theyll help sometimes. They can seize the fish for evidence and take names and numbers for the dem.

In The Surf · 09-13-2004, 11:20 AM

Wish we could do some self enforcing like issueing tickets and dishing out fines.

fishweewee · 09-13-2004, 11:23 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by theSURF121
I usually take some time to clean my local beaches ... Makes ya feel good afterwards except when I think of the diapers.

Man, I can't tell you how many times I've had to pick up dirty diapers at the access roads to Sore Thumb and Democrat Point. Dead fish guts and bait I can handle, beer bottles are tolerable but come on...baby poop?

cheferson · 09-13-2004, 11:24 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by fishweewee
Man, I can't tell you how many times I've had to pick up dirty diapers at the access roads to Sore Thumb and Democrat Point. Dead fish guts and bait I can handle, beer bottles are tolerable but come on...baby poop?

Send eben over there

Nebe · 09-13-2004, 11:25 AM

throw them in the water... especially if its at hazard ave...

PurpelNoon · 09-13-2004, 12:05 PM

Last month, we had a tackle shop here in LI, NY get caught TWO DAYS IN A ROW for undersize fluke and multiple short bass. He thought he was slick after getting busted and did the same thing the next day and was busted AGAIN. A local seafood restaurant was also implicated.

If it was not for one brave soul to post this matter online, it would have gone largely unnoticed. The District Attorney wasn't going to take the case very seriously but thanks to several fisherman/women writing in to the DA expressing their outrage, it looks like the fine will be a heck of a lot higher now. However, I do hope he really loses business by people not giving any more business.

In the past year, reading the message boards, I'm hearing more and more stories of guys writing in, mentioning how they called DEC. Sometimes its successful, sometimes it not, but you know, this is a great start. At least we know there are lots of us that do care, and that these creeps are being watched. Yes, they may get away with it now, but eventually they will get caught.

Surfcastinglife · 09-13-2004, 02:29 PM

isn't it illegal to filet a fish before transport? even a legal sized fish? call the cops next time =] ive had that work before....they held the guy for marine/wildlife officer 2 arrive

theSURF121 · 09-13-2004, 04:10 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by fishweewee
Man, I can't tell you how many times I've had to pick up dirty diapers at the access roads to Sore Thumb and Democrat Point. Dead fish guts and bait I can handle, beer bottles are tolerable but come on...baby poop?

I call that sidewalk jetty the "U.N. Rocks"or unrocks!

bart · 09-13-2004, 05:16 PM

i guess i'll just have to call the cops next time. i've done some beach cleaning myself and have come across dirty diapers, used toliet paper, etc. sorry to say but i ain't touchin that stuff.

seriously tho, i can see why homeowners wanna restrict access when they have these dirtbags milling around their properties. just sucks that they associate fisherman with this kinda crap.

yeah surfcastinglife, it is illegal to fillet a fish on the beach. and i know these guys stuff em down their shirts when they leave too.

Rob Rockcrawler · 09-13-2004, 09:25 PM

I just finished my first weekend at school for environmental law enforcement. I was asked by the teacher, an ex-warden why i wanted to get into the field and i told him a major reason was to try and stop the unethical fisherman and hunters out there. If i get a job in new england i will be checkin all the usual spots and making a lot of money for the state. And hopefully i will be learning a bunch of new spots, after all i will be able to see what everyone is catching.