Ticketed For Paddlefish Out Of Season

[ness]

2x1.5 = 3

[3wt]

I think you are in fact allowed to target black bass for C&R out of season, whereas there is no snag and release season. So if you're out of season snagging, even without a stringer you're not within the law. Please correct me on the bass thing, but in my way of seeing this, targeting smallmouth out of season and taking a picture then releasing is different than snagging. Isn't this kind of like a hunt and release argument? There's a reason some techniques can support legal C&R.

And I think it's clear that plexlove is using a loophole to snag paddlefish out of season. Exactly what he's accused of, but thinks he can get off with a technicality. Good for you if you stick it to the government. But the as Tim points out try to give a rip about the fish, not just what you can get away with. I tried to not get the wrong impression of your intent, but you've made it clear that you were really having a good time snagging whatever.

The story in my opinion is poorly written conservation rules. We used to have a recurring discussion on what a "fly" meant for fly only trout areas. People wanted to use the "any synthetic material tied to a hook" to allow soft rubber tied to a hook to be legal...when it's one of the main materials being banned. Or the "single point hook" issue - people wanted to tie multi-hook flies and claim it was a dropper rig - essentially two flies. What a bunch of junk. Because you can deconstruct the poorly written rules to get away with whatever you want, well then you should. I really wish the rules and regs were written more clearly. Who's writing these things anyway?

Wasn't there an issue last deer season with guys suing about running deer with dogs, using some loophole? Can we get the freakin' regs straight so poachers who want to poach and get away with it can just not have an argument to make?

[3wt]

And hiding in the woods is not entrapment. You know cops do undercover work and stakeouts all the time right? Same thing. I wouldn't go hiring out your lawyer friend.

[awhuber]

I think you are in fact allowed to target black bass for C&R out of season, whereas there is no snag and release season. So if you're out of season snagging, even without a stringer you're not within the law. Please correct me on the bass thing, but in my way of seeing this, targeting smallmouth out of season and taking a picture then releasing is different than snagging. Isn't this kind of like a hunt and release argument? There's a reason some techniques can support legal C&R.

And I think it's clear that plexlove is using a loophole to snag paddlefish out of season. Exactly what he's accused of, but thinks he can get off with a technicality. Good for you if you stick it to the government. But the as Tim points out try to give a rip about the fish, not just what you can get away with. I tried to not get the wrong impression of your intent, but you've made it clear that you were really having a good time snagging whatever.

The story in my opinion is poorly written conservation rules. We used to have a recurring discussion on what a "fly" meant for fly only trout areas. People wanted to use the "any synthetic material tied to a hook" to allow soft rubber tied to a hook to be legal...when it's one of the main materials being banned. Or the "single point hook" issue - people wanted to tie multi-hook flies and claim it was a dropper rig - essentially two flies. What a bunch of junk. Because you can deconstruct the poorly written rules to get away with whatever you want, well then you should. I really wish the rules and regs were written more clearly. Who's writing these things anyway?

Wasn't there an issue last deer season with guys suing about running deer with dogs, using some loophole? Can we get the freakin' regs straight so poachers who want to poach and get away with it can just not have an argument to make?

Yep and they won.

http://www.semissourian.com/story/1656177.html

[3wt]

Yep and they won.

http://www.semissourian.com/story/1656177.html

If we as sportsman don't operate with integrity even if we can find a legal workaround to doing the right thing then the concept of conservation fails. Hey, who cares if the threatened fish dies, I probably won't get in trouble.

[Justin Spencer]

I think you are in fact allowed to target black bass for C&R out of season, whereas there is no snag and release season

There's no snag and release season, but if you snag something that can't be kept during a snagging season you must release it, which is what plex did. Hopefully this case will make them talk about closing all snagging in paddlefish waters at the end of paddlefish season to avoid this problem again, if they are really worried about paddlefish this is what they should do.

[3wt]

There's no snag and release season, but if you snag something that can't be kept during a snagging season you must release it, which is what plex did. Hopefully this case will make them talk about closing all snagging in paddlefish waters at the end of paddlefish season to avoid this problem again, if they are really worried about paddlefish this is what they should do.

Agreed. Just saying that there is a difference between cathing bass out of their season and catching spoonbill out of their season.

[Gavin]

I dont really give a hoot about what happens to Plex. Seems like he needs to do some legwork and find a spot with more gar in it if that is what what he's really after. I know that if I wanted to snag gar, suckers, spoonbill, what not. I'd go find a spot were they are the predominant species and do my best to ID my targets in order to limit my by-catch. Snagging for the occassional gar, in spot infested with a bunch of out of season spoonbill isnt really gar snagging, IMO. Cheers.

[Smalliebigs]

I dont really give a hoot about what happens to Plex. Seems like he needs to do some legwork and find a spot with more gar in it if that is what what he's really after. I know that if I wanted to snag gar, suckers, spoonbill, what not. I'd go find a spot were they are the predominant species and do my best to ID my targets in order to limit my by-catch. Snagging for the occassional gar, in spot infested with a bunch of out of season spoonbill isnt really gar snagging, IMO. Cheers.

I couldn't agree more and could not have stated it better.........what Gavin said....I'll second that.

[slider]

The thing about snagging below a dam all fish will move up toward the dam when the spawn is going on it could be gar,spoonbill, white bass' suckers etc. If you are snagging fore gar and caught something else in my book, you are legal as long as you turn the game fish or spoonbill in this case loose. A game fish will probable not make it though. As fore the spoonbill it will go on and live, they have a length limit on them so there are short fish snagged and turned loose and I'm sure they survive. I have never snagged below the dam at Springfield lake but I would guess you are blind grabbing and you don't have any idea what you might catch, if you turn it loose I can't see why there should have been a ticket. We grabbed last week on bull creak and there is a trout snagged now and then, hate to turn them lose but it is the law. The game warden shouldn't write tickets on this but it could be looked at the same way as the spoonbill. We were leagly grabbing suckers but the trout do get in the way sometimes. I say fight this ticket to the very end. Slider