Gigging Is Stupid

[hank franklin]

Fines. Simple. A friend I know killed a buck with three points on one side. He did it by mistake but it was done. He was transporting the deer when as bad luck would have it an agent got right behind him. The agent pulled into a gas station and checked the deer, it was short. Bingo, fine. My friend who is an ethical hunter will think three times (not twice) before pulling the trigger on his next suspect buck.

The MDC simply needs to spend some time on the Meramec during gigging season. If violations are found fine them. End of story.

My personal feeling is MDC either doesn't care about poached gigged bass, or they are scared of taking on giggers. It is their job however and thanks to Al's research and others the problem is very well documented. Where are you MDC?

[Al Agnew]

While it obviously burns my toast to see people breaking game laws willfully, I too would be very uneasy with long jail terms unless it was a serious, habitual offender that had been caught numerous times. On the other hand, I like the idea of confiscating their equipment and revoking their hunting and fishing privileges for life if they are caught more than once.

At present, the most restrictive idea being tossed around by those of us in the MSA is to make gigging illegal in the smallmouth special management areas, the way it is in the blue ribbon trout sections. We are definitely not talking about some kind of blanket ban on gigging. It's unfair and unrealistic. On the other hand, it isn't in the special management areas, or at least not ONLY in the special management areas, that we are seeing big problems with illegal gigging. As I asked about before, if you have any experience with seeing gigged bass, let me know, and if anybody else is fishing the special management areas and seeing it, especially the areas on the Meramec and Gasconade, please let us know.

However, if this isn't a problem over the whole region but just on some streams, then really the main thing we need is a lot more effort put into enforcement and trying to catch these guys.

[Chief Grey Bear]

But a habitual offender AKA same offense more than once should have their license yanked and yanked for first repeat offense 5 years second life AKA 3 strikes.. Strike one would be a possible honest mistake.. after that or multiple offense we know your a habitual violater. Also on the 3rd offense mandatory 5 years in jail as a felony conviction. Make the punishment fit the crime.

There just is no excuse for habitual offenders to be allowed to keep doing it and the current penalties wont keep them from it but tougher penalties might.

While it obviously burns my toast to see people breaking game laws willfully, I too would be very uneasy with long jail terms unless it was a serious, habitual offender that had been caught numerous times.

Well I thought that is just who we were talking about??? And somehow it turned into the one time offender doing life in prison.

[Feathers and Fins]

Im not talking about accidental offenders here. I am talking about Habitual which simply means they KEEP DOING IT KNOWING ITS ILLEGAL. You keep one short that might be a mistake ( doubt it if you can read and there is no excuse for not reading the regs) but ok a person might make it. Tough Hard fines are a joke to judges that { i hate to say it but } " good ole boy club " and hit there buddies buddies buddy with a small fine. Make fines and penalties mandatory so no judge can give less than the mandatory fine. And again 3 times hit them with the jail do it to a few and the word will get out like a wild fire and possibly curtail some of it. Also after 3 its loose all hunting fish privledges for life and if caught after that again manadatory 5 years in jail. Its time to send a message wildlife crimes are not a joke.

[Chief Grey Bear]

That must be the only river that is not running high and at the very least murky in this whole state.

[ness]

I caught a bunch of bass on the West Fork of the Black River today, including this one that had gig scars on both sides of its body.

Man. That looks like swimming pool water! Is that from today?

[Mitch f]

Hey Ron, what kind of an underwater camera do you use?

[Mitch f]

I have two: one made by Panasonic and the other by Pentax. It mostly technique, not equipment.

The finest Taylor Made clubs don't give you an automatic under par score.

What is the model number of your favorite? I know nothing about these underwater cameras

[Chief Grey Bear]

It is, I believe, the clearest river in the state, and the forks of it is where I get the majority of my best underwater shots.

You ain't got out much in your 30 years of 300 days then.

[Gavin]

OK....lets argue about clearest river in the state..Ron, I'd really appreciate a link to the secchi disk data on the Black River v. other rivers in the state if you are going to give your opinion on these types of matters.