over limit busted

[bob620]

Fisherman gets busted after bragging about big haul online - kept 15 keeper bass because he had family in town and wanted a fish fry.

http://news.yahoo.com/video/fisherman-gets-busted-bragging-big-193000361.html

[djkimmel]

I sure saw a bunch of 'evidence' online this spring from people posting about illegal fishing activities on facebook and other online sites including some detailed descriptions and photographic evidence of their crime. Seems kind of crazy to talk about it online and include proof. This is an example that it can come back to bite you.

[Waterfoul]

Watched a guy bobber fishing keep an undersized bass over the weekend while fishing a tourmanent.  Said something to him and got ignored.  Proves some people just do not care one bit about the laws and regulations.

[Genie]

Sorry - can't resist ... and the MDNR thinks tournament fisherman are hurting the population ...

[Manxfishing]

Did anyone else see the pic's in the Detroit news for a Fishing Derby
I think it was on LSC
There's a guy showing off his undersized bass. It's clearly about 10-12"
But the pic calls it out as a perch

http://apps.detroitnews.com/apps/multimedia/gallery.php?id=14678

[djkimmel]

Did anyone else see the pic's in the Detroit news for a Fishing Derby
I think it was on LSC
There's a guy showing off his undersized bass. It's clearly about 10-12"
But the pic calls it out as a perch

http://apps.detroitnews.com/apps/multimedia/gallery.php?id=14678

That's a 'green' perch... I'm not going to lose a lot of sleep over people like that in a special event who rarely or never get to go fishing keeping a few fish. Yes, someone there should know how to identify fish and keep them within the bounds of legal. Maybe they had a permit or permission? Maybe they let it go?

I've had to disappoint a number of kids by telling them they had to throw a fish back because it wasn't legal. I just explain it as clearly as I can and usually get some level of acceptance. I've never had to try it with a handicapped adult that may or may not be able to grasp things quite the same. My general arrangement in any new / infrequent angler situation is to make sure I spend part or all of the day fishing for something that can be kept if I think they want to do that.

[djkimmel]

Watched a guy bobber fishing keep an undersized bass over the weekend while fishing a tourmanent.  Said something to him and got ignored.  Proves some people just do not care one bit about the laws and regulations.

This is a case where you should just call the RAP line. That's a person who should know better. I would try to avoid a big confrontation or the possibility of someone coming unhinged by not getting into it with them beyond making them aware of the regulations calmly once.

I used to report people who would run around on plane on Lake Ovid if I got a chance to talk them first. I would tell them it was a no wake lake, mentioning the signs on the way in to the ramp that say so (because they pretty much always say they were unaware...). Then I would go on my way. If I saw them running around on plane again, I would call the park number.

I did one time take a little more risk after one boat full of wonderful souls ran around the lake pretty much all day in and out of tiny boats. I had already talked to them earlier where they feigned ignorance - 'sign? we didn't see any sign??' As soon as I got behind one of the islands, off they go again. Whoopin' it up. Boat full of guys - not kids - mostly late 20s into their 40s. 1 or 2 gals - can't recall exactly.

I fished until they went into the boat ramp. Then I motored in (no wake), tied up to the dock, walked up behind their trailer and wrote down their licence plate information. Told them I needed it for the park ranger. Then I walked back to my boat and went back to fishing. They stood around for a few minutes trying to decide if they would get me, or tell me off, or just go.

I guess they hadn't had quite enough beer. They let me off easy with just a couple 'who do you think you are, what do you think you're doing' comments that weren't even yelled. Turns out they live just down the road. So far, I haven't seen them on plane again. Just a few other boats.

I've had the RAP line used on me a couple times while fishing from my Ranger bass boat in the spring. The old 'guilt by bass boat' that I will see removed from the possibilities in Michigan before I die one way or the other. I quit fishing for bass out of season when the season changed. Used to drive me crazy that I was missing out on all that great bass fishing but I also found out that if I do any fishing from my 'bass' boat (the only boat I own) even if I'm out the with little spinning rods and bobbers catching crappie and bluegills, every now and then someone on shore calls the RAP line to report someone illegal bass fishing. What a complete waste of everyone's time! Pretty sick of the annual winter/spring online intra-angler battles too! All that has to go.