Gigging Is Stupid

[Al Agnew]

Hey judge and jury Al Agnew, dont insult mine for asking

Sorry, Laker, it's just that ever since this topic has come up, several people have questioned (and that's a nice word for it) what we're seeing on the Meramec by saying that it's probably herons, or eagles, or prop scars, as if we don't know what the heck any of those things look like. I took your otter question to be more of the same.

[Al Agnew]

I dont gig nor do a smallmouth fish so I really dont have a opinion either way. However I don not like the poaching or breaking of the wildlife laws or any law for that matter. Saying that and reading all the way through this thread I have noticed that there is a network of illegal giggers that will not be caught with a bunch of guys calling each other names over a keyboard. I think the bottom line here is there is a problem in certian areas during specific times of the year. We know that the MDC is streached thin and have a difficult time being everywhere all the time. The best way to fix the issue hands down would to put an agent in every boat, treestand, blind, etc. We know that isnt going to happen so what I feel that can happen is the MDC needs our info instead of grips. Most cellphones these days have video and camera functions. While you are out doing whatever it may be that you do and you see something that isnt right take a pic or a video is better sometimes. Boat numbers, lisence plates, and faces of offenders will do more for your cause than to say gigging does or doesnt suck.

You're right, but the nature of gigging means that it's impossible to get pictures of people in the act of doing it illegally unless you go out specifically to do so...I don't think anybody goes river bass fishing at night in the late fall and winter. So what we're doing is getting as many pictures of gigged bass as possible, tagging where they were caught or seen and the dates, and compiling them to give to MDC.

[soggyfeet]

Al that is a great start with more people being active things might change for the better for all. All I was trying to say is if smallmouth anglers and want to protect the smallies and giggers want to protect the legalization of their sprot they need to work together to bring pressure on the ones that dont. Pics of gigged smallies form the daytime fisherman and pics and videos of illegal gigging from legal giggers working together will both help break up the network that you all have mentioned. Poachers dont like presure or things to be difficult that is why they are poachers.

[laker67]

Sorry, Laker, it's just that ever since this topic has come up, several people have questioned (and that's a nice word for it) what we're seeing on the Meramec by saying that it's probably herons, or eagles, or prop scars, as if we don't know what the heck any of those things look like. I took your otter question to be more of the same.

Understand. I was of the understanding that otters trapped their prey with their front feet prior to biting. Unfortunately we have an element of poachers and illegal activities with all outdoor activities. The ones who do it right seem to always pick up the tab for the ones who just don't care.

[Smalliebigs]

Hey Tightline, don't be bashful. This place is swimming with people trying to sound like an expert on all things fish related. There's always room for more!

You got that right!!!

Most of them from the MSA. I didn't just say that.

Blah....blahh....blahhhh

I think they look very similar to either a 7.5 Evinrude prop or Jet intake.

I was gonna play with you a little Al but didn't want Mary to have to clean up the mess. So just let me say, at the risk of inflaming the those that enjoy legal gigging, if the biggest problem is on the Meramec, maybe close it to gigging. But if that were to happen would it then, just move the problem to another river????

and the beat goes on........IgnoranceBlissAnglers....heres to some Didymo and river Otters in a river near you soon.

the smallies are tearing up 3/8 ounce War Eagle Blue/Herring spinner baits on the river we fished this weekend

and this thread made it ten pages....

[Flyflinger]

and after 10 pages......gigging still remains stupid.

[Justin Spencer]

and after 10 pages......gigging still remains stupid.

and after 100 years it's still awful fun!

[Al Agnew]

Just for the record I am not trying to sound like an expert on all things fish related like some do on here,just saying what I have seen and experienced through many many hours on water.The sad thing is alot of the ones with knowledge and thousands of hours experience remain quiet. I am not an expert at anything, just saying what I think.

Al, I don't buy your assertion that it wouldn't make a difference with the suckers over populating especially on the bigger streams and rivers where they don't need to run back to deep water to feed.I think it would make a huge difference.

As far as the smaller streams not being accessable to giggers,that has been the point I have tried to make.The smallmouth populations are not anything like they use to be on ones I have fished.Why,CATCH AND KEEP EVERYTHING fishermen.

The James is probably the hardest hit river in SW Missouri by giggers,Why don't we hear of piles dead smallmouth hid away,why don't we hear of bunchs of smallmouth with gig marks.I have never seen any holes on a bass that I have caught out of the James,just broken jaws and fungus from catch and release.

Some people have an agenda and try not to look like they do.

Oh yeah, what was it the smallmouth evolved from,wasn't it a salamander because you can clearly tell the fins use to be tiny little legs.

And the point I'm making is that on the smaller streams I fish, the fishing is very good, much better for numbers of fish than the Meramec. The Meramec and rivers like it are our wintertime fisheries, though, because that's where the bigger fish are active enough to be targeted.

The way things are looking, this illegal gigging problem is not on all the rivers. You are not the first person to say they have seen no problems on the James, and while I suspect that there is just as much gigging going on in the Meramec, Gasconade, and Current as there is in the James, I can see where the James would get a lot of gigging. I still haven't gotten any reports from the Gasconade--whether that's due to not having anybody on here or elsewhere where I'm getting reports from that fish the Gasconade or whether it's like the James, with much less of a "culture" of illegal gigging, I don't know. What it seems to be is that the Meramec gets a LOT of illegal gigging of game fish, the Current a little less. Seeing or hearing of one or two reports of illegally gigged bass (unless its the big piles such as Rangerman mentioned) means little, because that really could be a case of mistaken identity or accident that won't happen regularly. But when we are seeing as much of it as we're seeing on the Meramec, over as much of the river as we're seeing it, it truly is a bunch of people doing it, hence my reference to a "culture" of it.

Again, I'm not the one wanting to ban gigging. If we can convince MDC that they need to really concentrate some enforcement in the problem areas, that may solve the problem. And if we can make enough noise that it even LOOKS like there could be a crackdown on it, that might go a long way to keeping these people from doing it if they feel like they need to be looking over their shoulder all the time.

A few weeks ago I was fishing the Meramec above Onondaga (on a day when I "only" caught two fish with gig scars) and as I came down with the trolling motor past a gravel bar between two of my better winter fishing holes, a couple with their boat pulled up on the bar were watching me. The man asked me if I'd fished the hole above, and I said I had. He said, "Man, back during the early part of gigging season, we were seeing a bunch of big bass in that hole. Didn't see many later on, though." I told him that I hadn't caught many bass out of that hole this winter, and the few bigger ones I'd caught all had gig holes in them. He laughed and said it wasn't him that did it, which gave me the opening to tell him that if he knew anybody who might be doing it, he might want to let them know that a bunch of us bass fishermen were going to get on the Conservation Department to start policing the giggers on the Meramec a lot better. He didn't say much, but maybe the word will get out.

[fishinwrench]

Can't speak for the Meramec but on the Niangua I don't believe it is a "bunch" of bad giggers, just a few that are doing alot of damage. If they could nab just one of them, and the outfitter that provides safe haven, I think it would eliminate 80% of the problem

[Chief Grey Bear]

Blah....blahh....blahhhh

I think that is the sentiment that a lot have on the subject too.

and the beat goes on........IgnoranceBlissAnglers....heres to some Didymo and river Otters in a river near you soon.

Did you guys miss the legitimate question I posed???? Would it be a viable???