Illegal Fishing On Crane Creek

[lizard]

I see we have another thread that got Hy-jack here. There is nothing illegal (the subject of the poster )about having or not having a trout permit while fishing on the crane (contrary to eric's first post,

They don't always hand you the book, but they're usually sitting at the counter wherever you might buy your license. You need a trout stamp on top of your regular license, which I believe is an additional $7. You'll also need a daily tag to fish at any of the trout parks, but the regular trout stamp is good enough for the Blue, Red or White Ribbon trout waters.

Now it your second post when:fisfinwrench politely clarified the reg, you resorted to name-calling and advising folks to keep maybe illegal fish ( well at least were on subject).

Regulations Nazi.

It's a good idea to have one even if you don't intend to harvest, in case you gut-hook or otherwise mortally wound a fish and need to keep it. Right wrench?

Now in your 3ed post is where I feel you might be crossing that line. In reading it, you seem to be trying to be-little "Sharps" and impose your opinion upon the trout fishing public.

I find it hard to believe you've never been responsible for a trout's death. And even if you don't think you have, you have, and you should pay for the stamp...all $7 of it. What happens when you hook a big fish on light tippet and have to play it so long you can't revive it? Just let 'm float down the river I guess. Very cool of you. It's a tiny amount of money for a ton of enjoyment, and if you're going to use the resource, you should be willing to fork over the few measly bucks.

I dont have a problem with your opinion, I have a problem with the thought process that you want to force me, us, to conform to your idea of right and wrong. Flysmally said it best I think with.."Same as with catch & release. It's your decision and you should have the right to choose no matter what anyone tells you. I buy a trout stamp so I can fish the catch and release seasons in the trout parks. If I didn't need it there or for my few trips to Taney I would probably not buy one.

Opinions are just that, an opinion. As long as no one is doing anything illegal, we shouldn't act like a bunch of assholes just because we don't agree. And Eric, please don't take this personal. My comments stem from a lot of posts that have been showing up lately. Why can't we just tell someone that we disagree with their position and politely move on.

Just my 2 cents, agree or not its not any more than an opinion

[Trout Commander]

in before the lock

[Outside Bend]

Can anyone offer a compelling reason not to buy a trout stamp if you intend to fish for trout? To me, "it's not legally required," or "I don't have to," just don't jive.

I think Eric does make a valid point- if you use a resource but don't pay for it, it's freeloading, plain and simple. Maybe that's harsh. Maybe he just struck a nerve with some folks. Regardless, I think it's still true. No, I don't HAVE to pay into the breakroom coffee fund. It's not a legal obligation. But I know I tend to disdain the guy who wants a free ride, and if I'm gonna be using the coffee, my friends and coworkers would sure appreciate if I pitched in my fair share.

I don't eat MO trout- hatchery fish taste like the Purina pellets they eat, and I think wild fish are too valuable to be creeled. I still buy the permit though, because I know its revenue is used to fund the trout program. Not just stocking and hatchery improvements (which are important in and of themselves), but habitat improvement (erosion control on Mill Creek, installing logs, boulders, and structure at Meramec and Montauk, maintaining accesses on the North Fork of the White and Meramec, funding the urban trout program, etc. If it weren't for folks paying into the system, those services couldn't be provided, and I think our state's coldwater resources would be poorer for it.

It ain't too much for me to pay, many times less than the expenses of gas or gear it takes for me to make it to a Missouri trout stream. And it goes to a cause which benefits both myself and other anglers, present and future. To me, that's worth paying into.

[eric1978]

I see we have another thread that got Hy-jack here. There is nothing illegal (the subject of the poster )about having or not having a trout permit while fishing on the crane (contrary to eric's first post,

Now it your second post when:fisfinwrench politely clarified the reg, you resorted to name-calling and advising folks to keep maybe illegal fish ( well at least were on subject).

Now in your 3ed post is where I feel you might be crossing that line. In reading it, you seem to be trying to be-little "Sharps" and impose your opinion upon the trout fishing public.

Someone asked if she needed an additional license on top of her regular license to fish for trout, and I gave a blanket answer "yes." She wasn't asking about Crane specifically and I never said it was illegal to fish for trout without a stamp. I assumed she would be like most anglers and occassionally keep a fish to eat, so I presented a general answer to a general question. I suppose I should have been more specific, but fishinwrench clarified it. You should know that wrench and flysmallie are both friends of mine, so there is some subtle ribbing going on here that could be misconstrued. My "Regulations Nazi" comment was pure joke, but I suppose if people didn't know we were friendly they could take it the wrong way.

I didn't advise anyone to keep an illegal fish, but it's certainly a gray area what you're supposed to do with a mortally wounded fish that would be illegal to keep in a ribbon area. I guess that's another one of those judgment calls, and I'm not sure what the answer is, but I think I'd be inclined to keep a fish I knew was going to die, and hope that an agent would understand when I explain to him "I'm aware of the regulations sir, but this is what happened and so on..." You're certainly risking a ticket, but I don't know if that's worse - to me personally - than just letting it go to waste and let it float down the river.

I'm not telling anyone what they can or can't do, and I'm not "imposing" my opinion on anyone. I'm stating my opinion, just like you and everyone else.

[lizard]

If Someone were to ask me if she needed an additional license on top of her regular license to fish for trout, and I would have gave a blanket answer, it would be no, unless you want to keep a legal fish. Key word being needed. I might add to it that the funds obtained from a stamp improves trout fishing in the state there-fore is a good idea. I would never tell someone that they need or have to have one, unless illegally fishing. Taney, winter cc

[eric1978]

If Someone were to ask me if she needed an additional license on top of her regular license to fish for trout, and I would have gave a blanket answer, it would be no, unless you want to keep a legal fish. Key word being needed. I might add to it that the funds obtained from a stamp improves trout fishing in the state there-fore is a good idea. I would never tell someone that they need or have to have one, unless illegally fishing. Taney, winter cc

Six to one, half dozen to another. I feel it's my obligation to support the resource, so I tend to err on that side.

I'm bowing out now. Gonna go to the hospital and watch my wife have a baby. Guess there are more important things than license revenues.

[Sharps4590]

Not a person here knows what other programs I'm involved with regarding Conservation, of any resource. AND ON MY PROPERTY AT MY EXPENSE!!!!!!!!! Selfish...yea, you betcha. Just for the sake of conversation, eric, how many acres of your land have you dedicated to open woodland restoration and what are the costs per acre for that restoration, out of your pocket? You too outsidebend, same question, since you can't seem to justify in your mind my not buying a trout stamp. I don't have that problem in the least. I know what it's cost me to do this ongoing restoration and I don't regret it one diddly darn bit. Oh yes, it's ongoing, just like a monthly payment. I'm glad to be doing it, sharing it with other Master Naturalists and teaching from it. I love doing it because I love these rough, old, worn down Ozark hills and all that resides therein. Don't jump my butt over $7.00, that isn't yours to decide on, with no more knowledge or information than what you possess.

I'm angry at this entire thing. I've been demonized, accused of being selfish, all but called unethical and you might as well throw immoral and quasi illegal in the mix too. And not a one of those are based upon ANY fact with the only knowledge being that I fish the Little Piney occasionally and don't buy a trout stamp. How feeble, imprudent and immature. What a few whining wallydraigles.

Close the thread now and you can blame it on me....for not buying a trout stamp.

Vic

[Coldspring]

I don't have an Arkansas trout stamp, but, in Arkansas, I only trout fish on the Spring River. I just flyfish and C&R a few of them for something to do. Everyone else uses powerbait, corn, and whatever, and usually takes their limit, or more. Then you have all the locals that hate them and cut them up for bait.

[Outside Bend]

Just for the sake of conversation, eric, how many acres of your land have you dedicated to open woodland restoration and what are the costs per acre for that restoration, out of your pocket? You too outsidebend, same question, since you can't seem to justify in your mind my not buying a trout stamp.

Aside from fencing cattle from streams, managing overgrazed and high-graded woodlands through burning and TSI, maintaining dead snags, planting shortleaf pine, hard and soft mast trees and shrubs for wildlife, eliminating non-native trees, converting fescue pasture to warm-season grasses, edge feathering, letting fencelines grown up, putting up wood duck and bluebird boxes, conservative haying to protect nesting turkeys, helping neighbors work on their riparian and erosion control efforts, investing time and money with a couple different Stream Teams, the Conservation Federation, FFF, TU, and others, I don't do anything for conservation.

It's great if you have the time, money, property, and resources to implement conservation practices, but it has nothing to do with the point I was making. Missouri's trout program requires a fair bit of money. The trout stamp is designed to generate that money. If you use the state's trout program, if you appreciate the state's trout program, if you'd like to see the same caliber of trout fishing in the future...perhaps you should help pay for the state's trout program, regardless of whether or not you're keeping fish, or fishing where and when a stamp is required.

I don't think it's unreasonable to expect someone to pay for what they use; I guess that's just me, though.

[Outside Bend]

I don't have an Arkansas trout stamp, but, in Arkansas, I only trout fish on the Spring River. I just flyfish and C&R a few of them for something to do. Everyone else uses powerbait, corn, and whatever, and usually takes their limit, or more. Then you have all the locals that hate them and cut them up for bait.

The locals cut up the trout for bait...or the fly fishermen?!