Gigging Is Stupid

[Stoneroller]

Here is part of the issue.

Spearfishing-illegal in missouri

Hogging/Noodling catfish-illegal in missouri

Hunting over a wildlife feeder or baited area-illegal in missouri

yet it's legal to gig. In principle,how is gigging any different than spearfishing?

and it's legal to snag. neither of which are sporting. might as well toss bow fishing into that too. same principle and the end result is the same. Sorry just because one person might consider a species of fish as 'trash' that doesn't mean that species of fish is any less important or should be pursued in a manner less sporting than our so called 'sport' fish.

You guys may not like the message, but facts are facts. The laws make very little sense when it comes to this area of pursuit. One method is illegal, the other is legal, even though they are essentially the same thing. And this is where the frustration comes from.

I'm shocked at the number of people who argue against someone who wants to conserve our natural resources and not just dump all over them. Frankly it's pretty sad. I'm glad that people like Smallie and Tactician speak their passion. Without them, the 'who cares' crowd and the poachers would allow this planet to be stripped clean. So before you bash them, thank them for fighting for the wildlife who don't get a voice.

Want to see what life looks like without very, very strict conservation laws. Google Map the island of Hispanola. West half is Haiti. East half, Dominican Republic. In the Dominican, cutting down a tree is a capitol offense. enjoy.

[Smalliebigs]

Wayne, I knew you would expose your true fears eventually........ White Suckers eating more than their fair share of micro organisms that your precious non native fish to Missouri streams??? That just shows the conflict with in the MDC brain trust.....they want the cash cow from stocking fish that don't belong in our waters and can't compete with native species thus it's okay to remove the native to help the weak non native fish that strokes the pocket book allegedly.

Wayne your arguments are lame just as the non native fish to Missouri waters you covet

Al, # 5 from your post...... I thought that was a rumor????? He actually had his mailbox stuffed with gigged smallies???? That is mafioso stuff there...what a bunch of pinheads

[Flyflinger]

Smallie..I have to agree with you about gigging. Although I have never been...and have no desire to go. I guess the idea is to spot fish via a big light and then stab them with a fork?

I like gigging for frogs though...of course I have never had a problem telling the difference between a frog and a bass.

I wonder if it's even possible to tell the difference in fish species at night...even if you have those big lights.

[ness]

It really chaps my azz when people lump rednecks and white trash in together. That's just iggnerunt.

[Justin Spencer]

Gigging is hunting not fishing and as in hunting some people are going to kill anything they see. If they are quail hunting they will shoot meadowlarks and blackbirds, but since we don't see "real value" in theses birds no one calls for a ban on bird hunting. I hope gigging is never banned and don't believe it will be and I would guess that just as many if not more smallmouth are kept illegally by fishermen with rod and reel as are gigged, we just can't see the evidence. Like everything else it comes down to enforcement and unfortunately budgets don't allow conservation officers to work unlimited hours. Maybe limiting technology would make gigging tougher, but it would probably lead to more gigging of illegal species since bass, trout and goggle eye tend to sit much stiller than suckers at night. It is pretty easy to tell a difference in species.

[Al Agnew]

It is VERY easy to tell the species of fish at night, unless the water is murky or very fast, or the fish is very deep. In that case, of course, there is no excuse because you're supposed to be sure of the species before gigging. MDC has closed the blue ribbon trout sections to gigging because it is supposedly more difficult to tell trout from suckers (same general fin placement and body shape), but bass and other game fish have different body shapes and fins than suckers.

Justin, the difference between hook and line anglers who illegally keep fish, and giggers, as we've pointed out before, is that the giggers specifically target the biggest fish. So although there may be MORE bass kept out of season or kept when they are under the minimum length or kept over the creel limit, those fish are usually not the big ones. No other illegal activity has the impact on the biggest fish that gigging does, not even close, in streams like the Meramec, in my opinion. Any angler depends upon luck to catch big fish, and nearly all the fish they catch aren't big. The gigger can reject all the little ones and stick the big ones like picking the fried chicken at the smorgasbord.

[Wayne SW/MO]

Wayne, I knew you would expose your true fears eventually........ White Suckers eating more than their fair share of micro organisms that your precious non native fish to Missouri streams??? That just shows the conflict with in the MDC brain trust.....they want the cash cow from stocking fish that don't belong in our waters and can't compete with native species thus it's okay to remove the native to help the weak non native fish that strokes the pocket book allegedly.

Wayne your arguments are lame just as the non native fish to Missouri waters you covet

Al, # 5 from your post...... I thought that was a rumor????? He actually had his mailbox stuffed with gigged smallies???? That is mafioso stuff there...what a bunch of pinheads

:lol: :lol:

Well pay attention. That was an old article from the MDC put there to point out that control of a species might be necessary. My precious non-native fish? Not hardly, but I am intellegent enough to recognize that if things eliminate the natives environment it would be ridiculous to not find another way to use the resource, especialy one that has the economic impact that is so needed in the areas effected.

I haven't targeted trout in several years, but that's just my choice. I've targeted smallies as far back as my teen years, and that was probably before you were a twinkle. Trout fishing produces a lot of money and enjoyment in this state and no native fish were deliberatly harmed in the process.

You do realize that man built Table Rock for flood control and not to make a trout fishery for Taney county don't you?

Tradition. I understand that. But tradition doesn't include jetboats, generators, and 10,000 candlepower stadium lights.

I've been preaching this from the start and I've yet to see a legitimate reason why this argument shouln't carry weight with the MDC, is is reasonable and it has precedence in other outdoor ventures. The MDC isn't interested in preserving it to any degree or they would have moved to protect the Redhorse's size which it was known for.

Just because you went gigging once with a stupid uncle and after the only reason you could come up with is that it's stupid is not going to sway the MDC beyond a good.

laugh.

The problem is obvious, but the solution can't over impact another sport or you won't get an ear..

[Mark]

Let's try thinking of solutions. If there is extensive poaching by giggers on the Meramec or other identifiable rivers that are known as being the illegal sites for poaching, contact MDC officers. Maybe a sting operation could be set up. Maybe local residents near access areas could notify MDC game wardens when they see gigging boats putting in. Even if the giggers were legal when checked, at least word would get out to beware, game wardens are keeping an eye on the situations.

[bigredbirdfan]

Maybe if we weren't looking through binoculars during the day at a kid smoking dope we could be on the river at night checking people gigging bass.

[Smalliebigs]

Wayne, since you resorted to name calling my Uncle is far from stupid and it's obvious my friend you don't have the brain compacity to see why gigging is inherently bad for Black bass on rivers because of the mind set of some that participate in it.

Have fun warning people on this forum about things like scupper holes getting lodged on logs, like it's an issue.