Bob Todd River Hills Traveler Ignorance?

[Flysmallie]

In fact, I would make the assumption that the guys who get in such a twist over tighter regs would either be guys that wouldn't be buying a license and fishing illegally under normal circumstances, or those who would continue to buy licenses and continue to poach as they always have before.

So you have figured out the problem genius. Now how do you fix it? The guys that fish illegally are not going anywhere. They will continue to do what they have always done. How do increased regulations stop this?

[Gavin]

I agree with Bob's point about tackle, bait, and harvest restrictions turning away anglers....That can be a good thing or a bad thing depending on how you look at it.

I like fishing the special regulation waters but the current trout & smallmouth regulations have a downside....Sometimes I'd like to be able to go out floating for a couple days and catch something for dinner. Its hard to do that in an area with a restrictive 1>X" limit. Sure, you can catch goggleye sunfish yadda yadda...but there are restrictions on Goggleeye and Smallmouth in some places....and I really dont care to fish for Goggleeye...Kinda like pulling in a wet sock, IMO.

The more I think about it....a slot limit on smallmouth would be a better option than what we have now, and better than what SMA has proposed.

I dont see much problem with folks eating a couple 10-12" smallmouth. They are abundant, and folks eat lots of them even though they arent legal now....

Frankly, I'd rather see folks eat those little fish instead of quality smallmouth in the 14"+ range.... I'm thinking that 3-4 under 12", (with only one big one allowed in your limit) would be preferable to limits that focus all the legal harvest on the top end of the population like they are now. 6>12", 3>15", 1>15" or 18"....what we have now, and what has been proposed by SMA focuses all the legal harvest on the bigger less abundant fish.

Wonder why were complaining about smallish smallmouth in Missouri?

[Flysmallie]

..and I really dont care to fish for Goggleeye...Kinda like pulling in a wet sock, IMO.

You must be catching some different goggle-eye than me. Most of them are hard fighters, especially on a 3wt.

And dude, you gotta change that avatar. You look all weird and cold and it's starting to freak me out!!

[eric1978]

So you have figured out the problem genius. Now how do you fix it? The guys that fish illegally are not going anywhere. They will continue to do what they have always done. How do increased regulations stop this?

Genius, if you're going to quote me, don't cherry-pick the part that fits your point and ignore the rest. I said immediately after that...

For all the rest of the law-abiding citizens, they will either happily follow the new creel regs and practice C&R for the most part anyway, or if they MUST eat smallmouth, they'll go to another stream that can legally accommodate their fryers, OR, do the thing that makes the most sense and target a different species of fish that's easier to catch and tastes better.

Poachers will always be around and of course a problem, like you said, so my opinion on this subject is not contingent upon them except to the extent that they wouldn't be as big a problem if you didn't have everyone else taking fish on top of them. I think most anglers are reasonable and can see the need for tighter regulations, and of those that don't, most will at least obey the laws. So it would help...some. And something is better than nothing. What's your solution?

Now shut up and go sell some auto-collision-repair stuff.

[Smalliebigs]

eric1978,I agree with you once again more than I can express as eloquently as you can.I am right there with you!!! I'm not looking for a world record but more 18 to 20's more often would be nice.We need to hit the river man.

[Mitch f]

eric1978,I agree with you once again more than I can express as eloquently as you can.I am right there with you!!! I'm not looking for a world record but more 18 to 20's more often would be nice.We need to hit the river man.

Smalliebigs, I'm curious how big that smallie is in your photo, it looks huge!

[Smalliebigs]

Mitch, it was exactly 20 inches on the dot.By the way I totally agree with you on the sizes beeing lied about, but I know my brother carries a boga grip scale on the boat when they shock and I really don't think he is into lying.Joe troutt is a cool guy I have bought a boat and a gun save from him, after closer examination of the image against your buddies fish....I think Joe lying.I just wouldn't post it on the website for my sons business.Let's hit the river some time.....I must get out of this office!!!!!!

[Flysmallie]

if you didn't have everyone else taking fish on top of them.

I agree but I still don't believe that there are that many people taking smallmouth legally. Not as many as those that are taking them illegally anyways. And what happens when the guy that has taken a home some limits from a stream that he lives near. Is going to be happy about the regulations, no. Will he start taking fish illegally because of the new regs, he might.

I will always think that a slot limit is the best solution. But without increased enforcement, nothing will help.

Think about it this way, I know it's hard because you live two hours from anything. Let's say you grew up on a river and have always fished there. You take a few fish home from time to time. Now the government comes in and tells you that you can no longer do it because a group of uppity fisherman felt it was in their best interest to make the fish catch and release. Yes, some are going to agree with your program. But most will not.

[eric1978]

Think about it this way, I know it's hard because you live two hours from anything. Let's say you grew up on a river and have always fished there. You take a few fish home from time to time. Now the government comes in and tells you that you can no longer do it because a group of uppity fisherman felt it was in their best interest to make the fish catch and release. Yes, some are going to agree with your program. But most will not.

A lot of guys make that point, or ask me why my desire to catch more and bigger fish is more important than someone else's desire to eat some. And I get the point, but it can be flipped around the other way. I pay taxes just like they do, and their vote counts the same as mine. What makes their desire to eat fish more important than my desire to catch and release more and bigger fish? The difference is that my behavior does not negatively affect them, but theirs does affect me.

And by the way, I live about 5 minutes from Hwy 70, and I don't blow a gasket when some hillbilly is limping down the fast lane in some run-down, smoke-blowing, noisy as hell 1984 Bronco with a giant lift and a big ballsack swingin' from the hitch. I live closer to it and drive it much more often, but it's just as much his as it is mine, just as the river he lives near is just as much mine as it is his, and I don't really care if he doesn't like progressive regulations that benefit a larger group of people than his in-laws.

[Smalliebigs]

Eric, you should be my attorney...very nice reply