What a GONG show!

[rick james]

This year I think I gained a new found appreciation for how challenging the job of a CO can be.

First of all, in a place like PH with all the shenanigans , where do you start?

It's one thing to accost the guy casting 12 inches of water with a bare treble hook and 3 oz egg sinker snagging the fish and keeping them. But what about the nice new Canadian family that barely speaks English just trying to have fun out casting out their just purchased Mickey Mouse outfit into the middle of 100 fish, leaving it there, getting an accidental snag hook-up, fighting the fish to exhaustion and then releasing it. Technically they haven't done anything illegal right?

So what's the solution? Personally I'm not sure I want 20 uniformed CO's or police officers staring down my throat everytime I fish. I think there's a role for more experienced anglers to educate others on the river, report illegal activity etc. However, in a relatively urban fishery that anyone can fish and where there's no real embedded culture or ethic to the fishery, I'm just not sure how it will ever change.

 

[rich_ace_G]

This year I think I gained a new found appreciation for how challenging the job of a CO can be.

First of all, in a place like PH with all the shenanigans , where do you start?

It's one thing to accost the guy casting 12 inches of water with a bare treble hook and 3 oz egg sinker snagging the fish and keeping them. But what about the nice new Canadian family that barely speaks English just trying to have fun out casting out their just purchased Mickey Mouse outfit into the middle of 100 fish, leaving it there, getting an accidental snag hook-up, fighting the fish to exhaustion and then releasing it. Technically they haven't done anything illegal right?

So what's the solution? Personally I'm not sure I want 20 uniformed CO's or police officers staring down my throat everytime I fish. I think there's a role for more experienced anglers to educate others on the river, report illegal activity etc. However, in a relatively urban fishery that anyone can fish and where there's no real embedded culture or ethic to the fishery, I'm just not sure how it will ever change.

tried that approach but my advice fell on deaf ears...they do get the message once you take your phone out and tell them, you're calling the authorities....

 

[tossing iron]

Actually I'm amazed how tying bags the whole week before opener has died out.
Most steelheaders I know don't even bother with roe anymore.
Lots of great artificial and better enticers available nowadays.
Leave the stink in the past.
Most of the roe harvest is human consumption I'd say.
Big bucks for caviar.

 

[John Sader]

Next time I see someone taking eggs and dumping the carcass, I'll try and take a picture so that next time I see a CO and can show them. Not sure if they can do anything about it, but I wouldn't want to cuss off some dude gutting fish, might be mentally unstable or something. I saw some dude straight up walk to a fish in shallow water and scooped it with the net. Told the CO that was in the parking lot and he put on plain clothes and went and talk to the guy, idk if he charged him.