These are not gigged bass

[riverman]

As a law abiding gigger I can say that it has never been my intent to find a school of bass and kill as many as I can. I do understand that there are still some who believe if it swims it dies. As for the fish left on a ramp I would be willing to bet that the person or persons who left them were trying to prove a point to local agents. More than likely they were already ticketed for another violation and this is there way to (pardon the pun) stick it to the man.  

[fishinwrench]

That'd be an odd way to stick it to them since all the conservation agents I know aren't into fishing at all.   The ones I know are into things like RC cars/planes, pitching horse shoes and stuff like that. Fishing/hunting isn't even a hobby they partake in, so in all actuality they don't truly care.   

Just ask one sometime to show you a good knot, or ask them the difference between mono and flourocarbon/or braid, or how to tell the difference between a buffalo and a carp.... Odds are they will be clueless.

[Smallieguy87]

8 minutes ago, fishinwrench said:

That'd be an odd way to stick it to them since all the conservation agents I know aren't into fishing at all.   The ones I know are into things like RC cars/planes, pitching horse shoes and stuff like that. Fishing/hunting isn't even a hobby they partake in, so in all actuality they don't truly care.   

Just ask one sometime to show you a good knot, or ask them the difference between mono and flourocarbon/or braid, or how to tell the difference between a buffalo and a carp.... Odds are they will be clueless.

You bring up a good point. I feel like if you really wanted this job then you'd take part in hunting and fishing. I feel like you'd want that kind of passion and use that as a motivation. Poaching...be it deer, turkey, fish etc has a negative impact on everyone who's an honest sportsmen.

[SpoonDog]

Now we're getting somewhere- because under ideal circumstances in some places and some years 25%-50% of some number of smallmouth have gig scars.  Maybe there's some pockets where it's really prevalent, but it's tough extrapolating that across an entire region or even a watershed. 

I don't gig and I don't know how often MDC agents patrol during gigging season- I'm guessing all of the other folks on here who don't gig don't know, either- maybe it'd be worthwhile to check out casenet.   But I don't see what's preventing anyone from tagging along on a shocking trip and counting how many gigged fish they spot, or what's preventing anyone from going gigging and seeing how many people are taking smallmouth instead of just making guesses of what's happening in the dark when we're not there.  If it's widespread and prevalent, by all means let's fix it.  But IMO it seems like something similar to noodling, where one or two people can have an outsize impact on the resource and it takes an agent in the right place at the right time to make a bust.  You can double or triple the number of agents on the ground and STILL not catch the one or two folks doing it.  You can put a truck in the parking lot and all it means is they're not gonna go gig a smallie tonight, and anyone who's floated any Ozark stream in summer already knows law enforcement presence doesn't always deter crime.  

I'm all for enforcement if it's gonna have some sort of payoff.  If it's some repeated pattern like Al's describing then yeah, we should give it some attention.  But if it's a random crime of opportunity, how many of these "solutions" are feel-good measures as opposed to realistic applications of limited resources that will actually have a positive impact?  Yeah, it'd feel really good to make smallmouth gigging as big a deal as killing an elk or a bald eagle, but why legalize poaching?  I mean it's tough enough getting folks charged now, seems pretty likely upping the fines just makes sure no one gets charged.

[fishinwrench]

Well they piss away plenty of money on other "feel good measures".   No reason not to feel good about protecting smallmouth for a minute or two.  Smallmouth don't cost them anything. No stocking, ect. so the least they can do is take some extra measures to protect them in any way they can.

If they don't fear illegal gigging then why is it outlawed on Trout water ?    I'll tell you why.....cuz those trout cost them a nickle to produce.  

[SpoonDog]

...you can gig suckers on the most heavily stocked trout water in the state.  Although it would be interesting to compare #s of gig-scarred fish in places like the Meramec below the springs, where gigging is prohibited, with other wintering spots and seeing whether there's a difference.  It could make a compelling case. 

[MOsmallies]

49 minutes ago, fishinwrench said:

If they don't fear illegal gigging then why is it outlawed on Trout water ?    I'll tell you why.....cuz those trout cost them a nickle to produce.  

That's always been one of my biggest issues with the smallmouth gigging issue. Why the MDC has taken action to protect stocked trout by outlawing gigging on certain trout stream sections but they won't do the same for NATIVE smallmouth... I'll never understand it. I guess it's strictly monetary... I truly believe our native smallmouth deserve better!

[Mitch f]

There are definitely gigging hotspots on certain rivers. Don't ever kid yourself, There are folks on this forum who know the culprits that do most of the damage. There IS a fear of retribution. I don't blame them for not calling them out, it's darn near "Winter's Bone" we're dealing with.

[vonreed]

On 2/7/2016 at 9:16 AM, Smalliebigs said:

Oh BS!!!!!......Jesus  fing Christ man!!! The MDC could do something  about it ....a sting operation  or two will curtail the illegal  gigging but, they don't even do that....rumors  of a harsh penalties  would spread like wild fire amongst  the gigging world. The MDC won't even do that, the only way they bust anyone for illegal  gigging  is if someone  in the public notifies them of an incident  or they stumble across an act thru blind luck. They feel it is not a problem and it shows in their in action. It's obvious  there is a powerful  Gigging lobby that has brain fucked the right people at the MDC and they obviously  feel it is not an issue but, people who actually  go out on the rivers unlike  the average  MDC agent know better. This is nothing new and par for the course in winter on Ozark streams. Stop with your fake brainstorming on ideas on how to combat illegal  giggers because it is not an issue for the governing  body set up to police such things....a certain population  of our stream bass will fall prey to gigging.....deal with it.....it sucks but it MIZZOURAH.....we suck

SINCE WHEN IS THIS TYPE OF LANGUAGE ALLOWED HERE?

[mreed81]

4 minutes ago, vonreed said:

SINCE WHEN IS THIS TYPE OF LANGUAGE ALLOWED HERE?

Since Smalliebigs became the president lol. He gets away with all sorts of nonsense.