WARNING: Only 1 limit per day

[jigginjim]

I'm up-set with the meat hogs. In the past few days we have noticed guys coming and going with limit after limit of fish.
WARNING: The guys that keep coming back to catch another limit your vehicles number are on file. The CO's are are next. Keeping some fish for a meal is one thing. But don't go out too fill all your friends freezers.

[Guest]

And this is something new to ya Jim concerning this area?

I grew up there, I still fish there, and I still hunt there. It's always amazed me that in all the areas that I have lived and fished, this area has got to be the worst in the state as far as meat hogs go.

Now, I'm not saying that everyone from this area is bad, in fact some of the most conservation minded people that I know live here, but as a whole, it is terrible.

Maybe it is because this is where the "lakes start" or some other odd ball reason, but the general attitude is keep, keep, keep.

It's a wonder that any fish are still around...but look at lakes such as Norway-Games and others that have been decimated by over harvest and this is what most lakes have become or are becoming.

I guess all we can do is continue to educate people here and in the field about the merits of selective harvest and catch and release.

Hope you bust a few Jim!

[BLACKJACK]

Don't just sit and bitch about it, call the TIP line!!! The percentage of all the fisherman out there that read this forum is low, probably less than 10%. People getting arrested and news articles concerning overlimit fines will generate a heck of lot more publicity and deterrance than this forum. You're preaching to the choir here, most people on this forum are conservation minded.

[32 degrees]

Call the tipline!

[Guest]

BJ,
Believe me, if I had absolute proof that someone was breaking the law, I would call tip in a nano-second. I've done it in the past and will do it again. Cell phones are a wonderful thing!!

But like I said, I would have to be darn sure that there was a law broken, not just suspicion. Gotta be able to prove it. If you called every time you thought someone might be breaking the law, it would turn into a "boy who cried wolf" thing. Pretty soon when something really does happen, they wont even respond to your call..."oh it's just so-and-so calling again...."

Sounds to me like Jim is collecting that proof. Although, are you sure Jim that these people are actually catching and keeping fish? And if so how many fish are they actually keeping? I hope you don't call TIP on me when you see my truck on Green every day for 2 weeks straight while I'm fishing smallies ...just messin with ya...lol

Heck, I'd be happy reaching 10% of the people that fish using this site....hopefully those 10% will reach another 10% and so on and so on...

[jigginjim]

Yes, I have used the tip line. And have got some real nice prints from the DNR for busting the poachers.

I like keeping fish to eat also, and I promote catch and release on most of my Guide trips.

Maybe we can't get all the poachers but we can let them know to watch they step. The guy fishing next to them may want DNR print for himself.

I grew up in New London on the crow river.

[Guest]

Jim,
I hunt old Mud every weekend

[dlhawgwally]

Hell yeah "so sayeth the shepherd" together now, "so sayeth the flock" do you think it's guilt or laziness the keeps the meat hogs from making a rubuttle? ERRRNK wrong answer stupidity. I thought the days of the meat hunter ended when Buffalo Bill had to start his wild west show to make ends meet. Good points guys say it loud say it proud!!!

[J'sBait&Sport]

Hey Jim,
Whom did you get the prints from? Saint Paul or local DNR?
I won't mind posting couple on my info board at the shop to help curb some of this problem.....if nothing else it may be a reminder/deterent tool.

Later,

Jay

------------------
J's Bait & Sport

[labdad]

I’m a native to the area but I’ve only been a semi annual visitor for the past twenty years but will be a constant fixture on the area lakes starting in May. This kind of activity can be curtailed by keeping and enforcing a strong set of rules and regulations because you can’t rely on personal integrity. I’m referring to a conversation I had with a state biologist last year when he informed me that the wardens don’t have the right to check live wells, stringers, vehicles, or homes unless he/she has probable cause. Here say has it that this all came about because a warden opened the door of an ice house and caught a certain person in a compromising position. MN has been going in the right direction imposing slot limits and special regulations but taking away the risk of being inspected can tempt certain people to do something they wouldn’t normally do if that risk was still in place!

[jigginjim]

J
I got my picture from the state dnr. I assisted a Co with the arest of 3 guys fishing,with no lisence,to many lines (5),and keeping fish in resticted area.
Laddad,
The big reason Co's can't doing thier real job, Checking livewells, ice houses, and such. Is one guy got nailed for smoking pot in his ice house. Took it to court and won.
Claiming to Co's entry was illegal, his ice house is a private dwelling. My thought is, So where does he receive his mail? Where is the toilet? plumbing? How does he live in there year around? That why Co's can't just walk onto your houseboat. Your boat is registared with a port-of-call. you can receive mail at the marinia. I have lots of eyes out there. Norway lake is one spot guys compare notes as who's coming and going. and tally counts. It works when more and more people start feeling they can help save some for future.

[labdad]

Jim,
It’s too bad that a single court case (that involved illegal activity) can change the way that our limited # of CO’s do their job. After fishing down south here (OK, AR, and MO) for the past 10 yrs and witnessing the pursuit of fish by any means available; troutlines, jugs, yo-yo’s, fish traps, and 5 rods a person are all legal here. It’ll be good to get back home where fair chase is still the rule and if we have to help out by policing ourselves (I mean the poachers among us) , then so be it, I’m in!

[psegriz]

labdad

Thought maybe you might be able to answer a ? for me. A guy from MO told me that CO's in that state are not allowed to go onto private property w/o a warrent to check for licenses or anything else for that matter. If so I would say our CO's have a little more athority than thiers. I believe CO's still have more authority than police when it comes to being able to search things. If I'm wrong well then maybe things have changed since I last paid attention.

GRIZ

[Guest]

A classic example of what can happen when people take "limit after limit" is Big Kandi crappie fishing in the early to mid 80's. The bay on the west end was so thick with boats that you could walk over them from one end of the bay to the other and not get your feet wet. These were not "new fisherman" every night. That lake's crappie fishing was destroyed - probably forever.I think the answer to the "meat hog" dilema is to simply not allow fishing in traditional spawning areas in the early spring. If Kandi's west bay had been closed years ago, we would still have decent panfishing in that lake.

------------------

[goose89]

kandicruiser, you are 100% on track. i wish we'de realized what we were doing back then. i hope more of us realize the result of harvesting large spawning females now. i wish a state wide 8-11" slot would become law. this would protect the spawning female crappies, much like the bass get protected. hopefully they will get treated equally the same. later.

goose

[labdad]

Griz,
I’ve only have the fishing regs hand book which doesn’t discus search and seizure law in detail but I did find some documents on the MO state web page. Here’s a link to one of them. http://www.sos.mo.gov/adrules/csr/current/3csr/3c10-4.pdf
Reference para 10-4.125 "Inspection"

Hope this helps answer your question

Lab

[jigginjim]

speaking of walking boat to boat, don't go down to red wing and fish mississippi after the picture in this weeks outdoor news.
Heck the past 2 weeks have been boat to boat. 1 silly 14 lb walleye and here they come.

[walleyewacker]

Was down there last weekend with some guys pre-fishin for this weekends MTT. It really wasnt that bad. Obviously there was a ton of boats down there but they were spread throughout the river so you had no problem covering water. I am not used to fishin in and around that many people so it was interesting. Probably wasnt a full crowd with 28 degrees and snow either.

[zzat41]

i agree im too am verry sick of the same people catching limit after limit hour after hour (why do you think e have to restock lakes with crappies after they have been fished out some of u know the lake i speak about now we have them back in there but the dnr didn't do this the lake asotaon did and did not let the public know so # are high 4 years ago i foud out abot them by accedent and me and my son cought and relased 40 crappies over 2 lbs (kept 2 for picture) now they are all gone only 9 inchers left i would like to see season closed on these fish during there spawn we do not kill birds while they nest do we......................

[Rino]

Did any of you see the new request from the DNR about slabs? If you are going to keep spawning bluegills keep the females and let the bulls go protect the nest.

Hey JiggnJim I to grew up on the River too Great times... lots of hammer handles. I would love to see some kind of regulations to help with the stunted pike.

[jigginjim]

North american fishing sent that to me in the weekly newletter. I think they are right on the money. Bass fishing is the same way. But than the pelicans and cormorants can eat them. Hammer handle pike, keep more pike, they make great pickled fish.

[Rino]

A couple of years ago I learned how to fillet out the Y bones in those hammer handles and now when we go out we do keep a few for the pan.