Don't shoot the messenger just sharing and making us think.

[DADAKOTA]

I'm all for catch and release immediately tournaments, but they have their own difficulties including cheating.  Catch and weigh derbies still have cheaters, rule benders, and ethical problems.  I could care less about FFS unless I have to compete against them. Heck, I wish the A-rig was illegal.  On the winter river derbies, I wonder about the mortality of fish taken from a wintering hole and let go miles away at the put in. 

 

Sure seems that the anti-FFS bandwagon has no issues with technological advances in SI/DI graphs, 360,  boats, motors, trolling motors, rods, reels, and baits.  All of which make it easier to find and catch fish.  FFS has made quite a few folks more efficient fishermen than they were before FFS.  The amount of crappie stockpiled by some dock owners at LOZ would boggle one's mind.  

[snagged in outlet 3]

1 hour ago, DADAKOTA said:

On the winter river derbies, I wonder about the mortality of fish taken from a wintering hole and let go miles away at the put in. 

That’s my big complaint. Haul/culling. 👎

[tjm]

1 hour ago, DADAKOTA said:

The amount of crappie stockpiled by some dock owners

can't be more than 60 each, 'cause more than that someone would have turned them in as poachers, right?

33 minutes ago, snagged in outlet 3 said:

That’s my big complaint. Haul/culling. 👎

“Those caught and released immediately had 1.3% mortality, bass caught, held and culled had 14.9% mortality, and fish brought to weigh-in had 39.1% mortality. The researcher in charge stated that bass mortality due to tournaments can be much higher than many fishermen believe.” https://usangler.com/bass-mortality-post-tournament/

[snagged in outlet 3]

6 minutes ago, tjm said:

can't be more than 60 each, 'cause more than that someone would have turned them in as poachers, right?

Crappie are probably the most poached game animal in America.   Stocked trout second I think.  

[tjm]

Is that because fish and game departments allow it or because friends and neighbors encourage it?

https://mdc.mo.gov/about-us/about-regulations/operation-game-thief

Quote

If you witness or suspect a wildlife violation, report it to your local conservation agent or call the OGT 24-hour, toll-free number — 800-392-1111. You may remain anonymous, and you may be considered for a reward.

Is stealing fish any better than armed robbery or burglary or other theft? a thief is a thief by any other name?

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33 minutes ago, tjm said:

Is that because fish and game departments allow it or because friends and neighbors encourage it?

https://mdc.mo.gov/about-us/about-regulations/operation-game-thief

Is stealing fish any better than armed robbery or burglary or other theft? a thief is a thief by any other name?

I don’t know but I’ve called in a couple people the past year or so.  There’s a friend of a friend who brags about how many crappie he poaches.   I will call him if I’m ever sure he is in possession.  

[dan hufferd]

3 hours ago, snagged in outlet 3 said:

how many crappie he poaches

Not only that you should see how many bass get netted from the streams and river around Carthage.

There are folks from Southern countries netting bass with reckless abandon and keeping everything.

The local authorities know about it, but cannot stop them.

It's crazy over here !  

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36 minutes ago, dan hufferd said:

Not only that you should see how many bass get netted from the streams and river around Carthage.

There are folks from Southern countries netting bass with reckless abandon and keeping everything.

The local authorities know about it, but cannot stop them.

It's crazy over here !  

I hear that a lot lately.  I can’t stand poaching.  

[tjm]

8 hours ago, dan hufferd said:

The local authorities know about it, but cannot stop them.

Our game laws sure don't carry enough penalty to be deterrent. Suspension of privilege/permits doesn't have any affect at all on people that don't have the permits in the first place.   I wonder if confiscation of vehicles, boats etc. would have any effect, whatever vehicle was used in getting to the water regardless if it's the poacher's or a buddy's or a spectators.

But you know I feel just about as upset with the culling and transport of tourney fish and I can't report them, so it is a quandary. I start to wonder if the game laws that support competitive use of wildlife by the wealthy and at the same time prohibit consumption by the  poor are really laws that I want to support.

If netting of fish is happening, they might  be feeding themselves and their families, although I can't see bass as that good of eating. When a family is hungry, it might be that anything can be food. I remember about 1975, the newly arrived  Asian refugees  seining along the beach and putting anything that moved into the pot to cook later.  That was eventually stopped but I think it was more of a health issue than adherence to our laws, given the state of the bay at the time.

[snagged in outlet 3]

I had another thought on FFS and these recent studies.   What if as @Sethsaid FFS isn’t doing as much damage as we think.   But what it did do, was prompt these studies.  And maybe the results just reflected what was going on prior to FFS but we didn’t know because they weren’t doing the studies.  So there were declines due to multiple factors.  Side scan, poaching and probably an overall increase in pressure.  Which we know dramatically increased during Covid lockdowns.   Just a thought.  So in effect FFS at least prompted the studies which is great!