Short fish........

[FishermanTim]

How many of us can say we've gotten two 40lb. bass in one trip?
How many can say we've gotten PLENTY of shorts?
If you allow poaching scumbags to continue to over-limit on short fish EVERY time they go out, they will definitely do more damage than those of us who are lucky enough to get two 40 lbers.

If nothing is done, the poachers will continue to take many more shorts and will have a more immediate effect of the fish population.
I think we all know where do those 40 lb. fish come from?

For the record, I only keep a few fish each year out of the ones that I do catch. I practice C&R and take strides to revive ANY fish that may be stressed by the encounter.
I will TRY to explain the rules to those I see breaking them, and instruct youngsters and rookies as to the "rules of the road" when fishing.

As they say :"Ignorance of the law is no excuse!"

[EarnedStripes44]

I take their short and throw it back in the water. And then look them dead in the eye and then tell them so what. Now when I show up at the pier, they flee like roaches when the light comes on. And if they try to get cute, the girl is back in the glove box.

[SweetD]

I called RI DEM once on a guy that had taken what was clearly a short near the north end of Narr. Beach. The DEM guy sounded disinterested at best. Guess it was too far of a walk from the parking lot because no one ever came.

I would still call though if I saw someone doing it again.