We Have Huge Issues - Smallmouth Poaching

[exiledguide]

Glad your back, we need more like you on the rivers.

[Guest Brian B.]

Man Ness- that's two duplicate posts in different threads. I bet you are really firing up your base. Scoring them points and all...

[ness]

Man Ness- that's two duplicate posts in different threads. I bet you are really firing up your base. Scoring them points and all...

Brian Michael Boyer of Waterloo, IL - I do believe you're seeing double.

Wow!!!!!!! you guys are really cool.....I'm really not sure what to say other than this online community is very cool. First let me say anyone that knows me will attest to the fact that yes, I wear my emotions on my sleeve and sometimes my emotional state clouds my judgment. I am really naïve to think that one person can go out and make a big difference in an entire state in regards to poaching. I received a few personal messages from a few of you that were well, rather inspiring and straight from the heart......all I can say is thank you

Me saying I was done with river fishing was not any sort of ploy for attention but, merely me being a emotional freak when it comes to trying to preserve our waterways and the awesome fish that call them home. My wife was able to somehow get on here and read some of the post I have made and read me the riot act as far as the content of my post's. I think she's a little worried about my fishing and how I have related others in the fishing world.

I received a very poignant message from someone on here that opened my eyes......I really need to quit worrying about what others are doing and just enjoy one fish at a time and the journey that gets me there. I have found myself recently just concerned with trying to catch a 20 inch smallie at all cost and not smelling the roses along the way. I will change and have a whole new perspective. Thanks fellers....you guys are something else.

Now, about the heathen who likes to spear Smallmouth, he has been contacted by the MDC. They have made contact with him thru the St.Louis county office???? I think because of where he lives??? Anyway they will be giving him more than one ticket from what the agent told me....I think based on the different species he speared and the illegal act itself he committed......do I think it's a slap on the wrist and a slap in the face of conservation minded people like us???? yes but, it is what it is......I guess my opinion of what he did and the way the game codes reads and how they pertain to the punishment, well it's just not enough to curtail this behavior. This combined with a conversation I had with an agent, and I'm not naming the county is what set me off into a pathetic downward spiral. The agent I talked to and I argued over the traditional aspects of and I quote "catching a mess of nice smallies for a shore lunch on a sand bar"......now I know I should not have argued that with this guy and got my shiot so emotional but, it was just the wrong time hear that. Also, who am I to pass judgment on someone who wants to operate with in the guise of the law????

So now I will just be who I am and not judge others on keeping perfectly legal fish. I am going to concentrate on the small things about my journeys that I have recently taking for granted and enjoy EVERY aspect of my trips to the river. I just had the wrong conversation at the wrong time and it made me go a little crazy, so I do apologize for my childish rants and I will say this OAF is a pretty special online community.

Thanks fellas!!!!!!!!

Well, I was about to call you a weenie for bailing out.

But you are the hero in this deal for sticking with it. That's a helluva lot more than most folks will do -- and you got the little twerp into some hot water. I think his tickets will sting some, but surely he deserved more. But he wouldn't have even got that without your diligence. Also -- you've brought a problem to light and fostered a lot of good discussion about how to proceed when something like this comes up. You also got Huzzah Valley and the the other outfitter thinking about what's going on down there, and that can't hurt. It may even help some.

I've always argued for reporting this stuff as the primary means of drawing the attention of the CA's to where we want them. Without that, they may just make their required rounds and then clock out. If they've got a lead, the CA or his boss have a reason to go that direction. And that's good.

So, I'm calling for kudos for doing your best to get this punk into some deep skeediddle.

[ness]

And Phil, sorry about the skeediddle -- I get a little charged up sometimes.

[jdmidwest]

And all along, you guys were blaming the scars on the real giggers of a night in jet boats. Now you know it is kids with gigs and spears during the day.

And Herons too. They leave those nasty holes too.

[Mitch f]

And all along, you guys were blaming the scars on the real giggers of a night in jet boats. Now you know it is kids with gigs and spears during the day.

And Herons too. They leave those nasty holes too.

That's insane JD, the scars always start showing up the week after gigging season. Hope your joking!?

[LittleRedFisherman]

Keep it up Smallie, I love your passion for river smallies, we all need to be more proactive on preserving this wonderful resource we have in the Ozarks!

I was fixing to tell a buddy about your desert camo Coosa, but I knew you'd be back!!

[LarrySTL]

Or, if there is a way to do it, could we get the Prosecutor to at least let this clown know that jail time is possible ? I agree it would not be imposed, but some folks with the idea of a week or a month in the Crawford Co Hilton might think about changing their ways.

Scott, yeah, I am glad you are back, but if you leave again, put me down for any Curado 200 E's at the $ 60 and $ 650 plus your choice of any one Smithwick Suspending Rogue I still have, for either coosa

[Guest Brian B.]

(Ness- my mistake, double shift ran me ragged today, must be tired...)

I misunderstood you and you were just fooling...

(Too late for beerzzzz...... Boooo....)

[Gavin]

What did you expect? Jail time for dead fish....does not happen...fines, suspension of privilege maybe. Will cost him some $$$ in the short run, and he is on a list..It is the best you could hope for... $1,300 for both of your used Coosa's.....pick up at your place with cash in hand after lunch tomorrow :>)!