Derby Day Was A Joke!

[Ill Trout Bum]

So.... In this forum's opinion....are the rulebreakers getting worse or are we just noticing/complaining about it more?

I definitely think the violators are more plentiful and bolder about what they do. I have witnessed first hand anglers continuing to fish beyond a limit, ( one guy had 8 trout on his stringer) using bait in the fly only area, chumming and using bait in the trophy areas.

On one occasion I confronted a guy who was using a treble hook with a piece of nightcrawler in the trophy area below Montauk. He would let the worm drift way up under the large rocks and was very succesful in doing so. After noticing his success, I inquired about his technique. He was very open about what he was doing. I then asked him if he knew it was illegal to use bait in the trophy area. He said he was well aware of this but didn't worry about getting caught because none of the CPO's ever came down there. I told him the idea of the trophy area was to provide anglers with an opportunity to catch larger fish by practicing catch and release and allowing them to grow to true trophy size. He then informed me that he did not believe in the principles of catch and release and it was his right to fish there using whatever method he saw fit.

I think the "me first " attitude that exists today has alot to do with these angler's attitudes. They are determined to get theirs no matter what the cost to others.

By the way, I did report the guy in the park with 8 fish on his stringer. He was staying in the campground not far from where we were camped. After following him to his site, I drove to the hatchery office and told them what I had witnessed and where he was located. They seemed less than enthused and told me they wolud relay the information. I returned to camp and never saw anyone show up that day to question the guy. I think a lack of enforcement definitely reenforces bad behavior. At one time, the names of violators and their infraction were posted next to the lunker board at the lodge. Maybe a return to this public humiliation would help deter some of this behavior.

[DoveTail]

By the way, I did report the guy in the park with 8 fish on his stringer. He was staying in the campground not far from where we were camped. After following him to his site, I drove to the hatchery office and told them what I had witnessed and where he was located.

That is a total shame where you went out of your way to assist them in reporting a violation and someone with attitude also, then they do nothing??? I hope OGT is not that way. That is pretty bold to fish bait in the trophy area and then to state he is aware of the rules and still violates them.

[tinner]

That is why I stay away frome the trout parks. I go only about once a year during the C&R season and it has to be a miserably cold day to weed out the idiots. I went last January when it was 4 degrees out cold as hell but only about a dozen fisherman in the whole park! I'ts a shame because my boy is going to be 8 in January and I would love to take him to Bennett or Montauk but I just don't know if I can put up with the crowds and idiots.

My rant is over and yes I approve this message.

[10pointer]

i would have been on the phone all day with an agent, it was rediculous with all the rookies thinking they could catch a big one that was running end to end..............then you had the meremec "experts" who didnt have a clue about fishing or anything giving me advice and acting like idiots. Im not cocky but ive landed more big fish than 99.9% of the people fishing that park, i dont want to come off like i ride a high horse though and i think im better than everyone ya know.

The one punk who was like 18-19 who my buddies harassed to release the fish he snagged for the third time even had the balls to tell em "what are you an f^$$@%$ agent or something?" I would have snapped had he told me that. I would have tossed him and his little friend right in the water. I dont take well to people running their mouths...

It just got super annoying with all the know it alls and people blatantly trying to snag em. I literally saw 100 different people trying to snag fish, unless they were blind and couldnt tell the lures were nowhere near the fishes mouth and it didnt try to eat it. All the "OH MY GOD HE TRIED TO EAT IT" remarks when the fish didnt give one look at the lure, and the lure was going over its back or tail.

Montauks derbys are fun and although theres a few idiots its nothing like maramec, and never will be. Out of all the trout parks it seems montauk is the best as far as decent people IMO. Ill stick to fishing there

[Kayser]

That's why I generally stay away from Meramec. As for kids, Montauk is a great place. If you want to teach them to fly fish, there is a deserted riffle in the bait area below the handicap access in the campgrounds. The fish are easy to spot and eager to eat most nymphs that you put in front of them. And when they get bored with that, the naturalist puts on a lot of programs.

Rob

[bikehikefish]

Dovetail - you are right about the need to report the violations. I have called OGT and the agent responded (too late - the jerks already left).

But...it isn't like they are unaware of the problem. We talked to an agent at Maramec Springs this summer about poaching at Cardiac Hill. He didn't know where Cardiac Hill was. At another time this yearm an MDC rep was asked about increasing enforcement on the trout streams and his response was "trout already receive a disproportionate share of enforcement". Like you said, it comes down to a limited number of agents.

It seems like enforcement has decreased in the last 10 years. I used to occasionally see, or be checked by agents in the trophy areas, but I haven't seen one in at least 10 years.

And it is a good question as to weather there are more violations or if we are just more aware of them. Forums like this certainly certainly provide information we didn't have 20 years ago. And maybe I didn't notice the violators in the past like I do now that I'm a cranky old fart. But it sure seems as though people are bolder. "Do whatever you can get away with" seems to be the attitude.

[Murdoc]

I saw a while back that the MDC was buying more land. All this money they have to spend needs to be spent to protect what we have already, like more agents!!! Everyone knows they don't pay these guys enough to do what they are doing. MORE AGENTS!!! Call your State Reps or Senators and give them something to do worth while. If you need their numbers let me know!!!

[DoveTail]

I was at Taneycomo and an agent came up with a clipboard wearing a hat to ID himself. I immediately pulled out my license to present. He said he didn't want to see it, he was just taking a survey. I guess they did that so people would feel comfortable in talking to them in stating the number of hours fished, number and size of fish caught, opinion of the fishing conditions, etc.

I was disappointed he didn't check my license out. I think everyone there probably has what they are supposed to.

Too bad they don't do a sting day with a lot of agents a few random times per year. The word would get out.

Maybe a cell phone pictures or a quality digital image of those violating to hand over to the MDC if they do get there too late, they could track them down? I haven't seen any violations as I mentioned, but I kind of just pay attention to the fish and what I am doing. If I do see something, I'll take a picture and report it.

[bikehikefish]

Dovetail,

That was probably not agent, just an MDC employee that conducts creel surveys. Nice guys to talk to, but they aren't authorized to do enforcement.

Murdoc - good idea - I think I will do that and hope that others do it also.

[BKB]

I will be fishing the upper current tomorrow...I'm taking my camera with me ( I usually don't cause I like to travel light). Last time I fished the stretch above TanVat I was walking upsteam and crossed paths with a guy who was walking downsteam. He was fishing an interesting dropper rig. At first, I thought it was two glowballs...and thought about switching to a glowball myself as he seemed to be catching fish. When I got closer, I discovered the first lure was a glowball, but the dropper was a Berkley Power Egg!! As we crossed, I mentioned that that type of bait was not allowed in that streatch of stream. He asked if I was an agent...I said no...he just shrugged and walked on.

I'm thinking about wearing a conservation agent costume on the stream from now on!!