Possession And The Law

[Feathers and Fins]

Eric I fish on average of 200 days a year. I paid for my Lifetime license in Mo and AR 1600.00 combined or 8 dollars a trip out by your reasoning for the first year 4 dollars a trip after the second year 2 bucks a year after the 4th year and im on my 6th year so 1.33 a year.

But those are lifetime hunt fish so take out for the hunting part and im fishing for free! So where do I and all other lifetime license holders fit into your thoughts?

[Mark]

Here is the list of all (G) listings

Bennett Spring State Park

Maramec Spring

Montauk State Park

Roaring River State Park

Busch Lake 3

Busch Lake 22

Busch Lake 23

Carondelet Park Boathouse Lake

January-Wabash Park Lake

O'Fallon Park Lake

Carp Lake

Island Lake

Vlasis Park Lake

Just to make sure I am clear on this topic; If I am outside these areas and have my daily limit, I am legal to continue to catch and release fish, of course as long as I do not cull fish.

[Mark]

I can sympathize with Eric on one hand. All you have to do is pay attention to the rivers where trout are stocked. Word spreads like wildfire with locals when MDC boats out stocking. You can bet for the next 2 weeks the riverboats will be running wild. I often wonder how many trout these locals have in the freezer when you see the same people everyday. It is a never ending replenished food source for many of the locals. They are not sport fishing, they are loading up the freezer.

I (and my group of friends) take our limit and fry them up on our trips. But I actually don't care for trout that much, especially after it has been frozen. I will only eat it fresh and never take any home.

On the other hand, the trout stamp is only $7 - hardly anything to get in a twist about if you like to trout fish. Order the free magazine and you will feel like you are getting your $7 worth each year.

[Gavin]

Might as well buy one Eric. Fishing is a blood sport...and it would be ashame if you accidentally killed a legal fish while C&R fishing without the legal right to fulfill your ethical responsibility to take it home and eat it. You kill it...you grill it.

[eric1978]

Eric I fish on average of 200 days a year. I paid for my Lifetime license in Mo and AR 1600.00 combined or 8 dollars a trip out by your reasoning for the first year 4 dollars a trip after the second year 2 bucks a year after the 4th year and im on my 6th year so 1.33 a year.

But those are lifetime hunt fish so take out for the hunting part and im fishing for free! So where do I and all other lifetime license holders fit into your thoughts?

I'm not talking about the general license...just the trout stamp. I've got no problem paying for my license...in fact I'd happily pay more if they'd spend some money on smallmouth. I take issue with the trout program because some people cost way more to keep happy than others, but we all pay the same.

Yeah, it's only 7 bucks. Like I said, I'm boycotting on principle. I'll go spend that $7 on a decent six pack or a couple new leaders...something I'll enjoy with my money instead of something someone else will enjoy with my money.

Might as well buy one Eric. Fishing is a blood sport...and it would be ashame if you accidentally killed a legal fish while C&R fishing without the legal right to fulfill your ethical responsibility to take it home and eat it. You kill it...you grill it.

Yeah I mentioned that earlier. I might break down and get it just for that singular reason. But I'm not happy about it!

[ozark trout fisher]

Other than that, I can think of no reason to buy a stamp. Why would I? I don't consume and deplete the resource. My presence on the river has essentially no impact.

But I just don't think that's true. We all have an impact on the resource whether we want to or not. If you have a decent day of trout fishing, and catch and release 20-30, there's a pretty good chance one of them isn't going to end up surviving even if you don't know it at the time. In the grand scheme of things, that isn't a huge deal, but if you do that enough times I think it's only right to pay the $7 to make up for it. I understand where you're coming from and respect your decision not to buy one, but I feel like I don't really have a right to complain about regulations if I'm not paying the (very small) fee to use the resource. That's all I'm saying.

[eric1978]

Okay, so how 'bout I pay $7 to C&R and maybe mortally wound a fish or three in a year, and the guy who pounds the White Ribbons after stocking, day in and day out until they're gone, pays $70? That sounds about right. I could live with that.

[Gavin]

If you want to pay by the pound...go to Westover or Rockbridge.

[ozark trout fisher]

Look, there will be hoosiers out there that abuse the resource, and the MDC isn't going to charge them more because they do. That isn't fair but it's just life. So I'll pay my $7 to help make up for what those hoosiers are doing. I'd pay a lot more than that.

[Feathers and Fins]

Eric i do get it. Heck ive been to Roaring River for a week before and watched the same guy show up get his fish and leave and right back the next day and next and next. Now he may well be eating fish and his family well need them. But if Mr Green Jeans was to see it and then follow him home and do a check and found more than a limit and cite him for it word would get out and it might slow down alot of it.. But thats a perfect world and this is far from it.

I couldnt tell you the last time i kept a trout. I even practice C&R on them where its legal I catch them pin them on a bigger rod and release them, and then magically they grow and change species. I swear it was only a 11 inch trout when i put it on the hook but turned into a 4 foot 30lb striper.