Smallmouth Poaching on Dale

[QUOTE=nightbasser73;388077]The easiest way to stop this is to stop the shad and shiner fishing which would be hard to do. Cumberland has been raped for years Striper and smallmouth!!!!

Have personally seen more than one guide boat catch way over the limit on shad.

IMHO live bait makes it far easier for someone to abuse the fishery. Take cumberland for example Average striper size in the 70s and 80s was much better than it will ever be again due to the effectiveness of live bait for removing fish from the population before they can reach trophy size[/QUOTE]

[QUOTE]Holders of sport fishing licenses
may take live bait from public waters
and may possess up to 500 minnows...........[U][B]500 shad[/B][/U] ([/QUOTE][URL]http://fw.ky.gov/pdf/09fishguidefishingregs.pdf[/URL]

HOW are these folks keeping MORE than 500 shad alive when you have witnessed this? I know they have big tanks but keeping 50 shad alive is a huge chore.....

Most people would be suprised of the poaching that goes on outside of the circle of serious fisherman. A couple true stories (not saying anyone is lying) I will swear too.

I talked to some guys on a small lake near Corbin one time and they were keeping every bass they caught. I told them the size limit was 12 inches they said that there wasnt one because it wasnt posted. I then told them the statewide limit is 12 inches they dissagreed and continued keeping everything.

I was fishing the New River in WV near the gorge and ran into some guys catching smallies wading. They had a string full of fish. Only thing was we were in a section that was catch and release only. I told them they said they didnt care. I tried to call game warden but no service and almost slashed their tires I was so mad but I came to my senses, still ruined our trip and we left and went home early.

At Grayson Lake early one spring I ran into a couple guys cleaning fish at the boat ramp. They had a bag of remains filled with all sizes of bass and lots of them. The were jiggerpolling which is live bait fishing with nightcrawlers. We told them about the size limits and they said they only fish in the spring and keep enough to do them all year. And that justified it in their minds. Called the game warder but too slow.

Ran into an Asian family at Yatesville fishing off the bank they were keeping every fish every size. Only a few were bass and they were very small so I didnt bother.

The worst people for keeping undersized or too many fish are people who dont fish alot, live bait fisherman, people fishing for meat, people from out of the area and people from other countries.

People who dont fish much-the guys I know havent fished much just cant stand to put a fish back, they dont fish often so when they do catch something they want to bring it home and show what they caught. Sometimes this desire leads to keeping undersized or too many fish.

live bait fisherman-for reason they seem to just want to keep more fish.

meat fisherman-obviously they keep fish but some who know they can get away with it will keep too much. Also alot of game fish are kept by other kinds of fisherman fishing for meat. For example if crappie guy catching a mess of crappie catches a keeper bass he will often keep it as well, I have seen this many times.

People from around the globe-probably the ones I can forgive the easiest. Most just dont know better because where they are from there is no catch and release. Just be curtious and let them know the laws.

People from out of area-how many people on this board have gone on a trip and kept limits of bass every day. I went to Canada once and the guys I went with kept limits of bass everyday to eat. At Guntersville a local thanked us for putting our bass back. He said people who go there on vacation will keep limits of bass every day. One good thing about Guntersville we were checked by a Game Warden one day and pulled every fish out of our livewell and measured each fish. We were glad to see them really inforcing the laws there.

Not trying to call anyone out just making a point that alot more fish are kept than people realize. You may have tournament with 20 boats and ask around and everyone says they always catch and release but its the other guys out there who you dont see everyday who are keeping fish and unfortunately keeping illegal fish. Good news is the guys who break the law usually arent good fisherman to start with but live bait helps. I have no problem with people keeping fish to eat legally, I have a couple times. The only thing that dissapoints me is our lakes could be so much better if no one cheated and broke the law. Especially our smaller lakes they are hurt the most.

Size and Creel limits are put in place for a reason on every lake. Every lake is different and therefore, some lakes have different regulations than others but we as tax payers and fishing liscence purchasers have paid a lot of money for research in setting these size and creel limits. As people that purchase a fishing liscence every season, no matter the state, we are responsible for knowing the lake/state regulations and should be held responsible for abiding by these rules and regulations. As long as people get "slaps on the wrist" for breaking the law, no matter what law, fishing or otherwise, then people will continue to break the law. First to admit that some laws need to be looked at and re-evaluated and not saying that a guy that has 1 fish that is 1/8" of an inch short in the livewell should get the same penalty as people that have OBVIOUSLY kept more fish, under sized fish, or oversized fish. But I am saying that in this example, if you are caught with an OBVIOUS creel and size limit penalty then forget the "slap on the wrist" and bring out the hatchet and lets cut a few wrist completely off. I do think the serious fisherman that truly LOVES the sport is a catch and release fisherman or will keep whatever number and size of fish that are legal based on the species he is fishing for. I know I bass fish the majority of the time but do go and fish for Stripers and Walleyes for table food. I have never kept more that I was supposed to of either even though fully knowing these are not the fish that I am targeting 95% of the time. Very easy to think, I am only fishing for these a few trips a year why not keep all I can catch because it is not going to hurt "my fishery or my taget fish". I don't and only can hope that all other serious fishermen that LOVE the sport do the same. If it is true that the majority of these people that keep and take more than is legal are one trip annual meat fishermen that want to fill the freezer for the year, then there is no place in this sport for them anyways. Chop off the wrist, make the loss of liscense a lifetime ban, make the fine so steep that they will think twice BEFORE keeping the fish instead of worrying about it if/after they get caught.



Just a gut check to see if you are in the I Love Fishing category or not:

I met Bobby Westmoreland a few years ago for the first time when I was trying to get more information on Billy Westmoreland. We met at a restaurant in Celina with his wife and his oldest son for supper one winter night when I was down on a FNF trip. I learned a TON about Billy and what kind of man he was but also learned some stuff that I did not like to hear as well. I understand that times have changed and there was no such thing as creel and size limits much less catch and release practised many years ago but when you hear that your fishing idle, Billy, even caught and filleted MANY smallmouth to sell to local fish markets and restaurants for money, it still makes your stomache turn a bit. Putting it in perspective and thinking of how long ago and why he did it made it easier to understand but I still hate to hear the comment that Bobby made that night "I can't tell you how many 5 and 6 pounders that I put a fillet knife to". I know this was when Billy was a young teen around the time he started guiding on Dale Hollow out of a row boat around 13 years old. I know his family was not a rich family, not even middle class and fully understand as to why he did it and can respect it to a point in him trying to help himself and family but still makes my stomache turn when I think of it. I knew then that I truly loved my Smallmouth and truly loved Dale Hollow lake and had only fished the lake for 1 year at that time.

When I was fishing in Aug I was cruising the banks and saw a whole bunch of HUGE carp spawning. I have ALWAYS, since I have been little, wanted to bow fish for these fish. The thought of the hunt and the fight once shot is something I WANT TO FEEL. I just can't seem to bring myself to kill a fish JUST FOR SPORT. I wouldn't eat them, I wouldn't do anything with them after I shoot them. SO, I am now 35 years young and because of that still haven't endulged myself. I don't hunt, I don't keep bluegill, I don't keep any, and I mean, ANY fish. I have caught several 4-6lb bass and have thought about a mount, but couldn't bring myself to killing such a prize, and knowing that I am potentially taking away someone elses chance at a 7lber....and so on. I LOVE the replica idea!!!!!!

My opinion, If anyone, myself included, sees someone breaking the creel or size limit and they say they don't care, show em you do. Grab your phone, tell them you are calling the warden and you are doing it to protect YOUR favorite fishery. AND STAY THERE WATCHING THEM, far enough as they still see you, but far enough that they can't cause harm to you or your property. I believe that will send the message that the INDIVIDUAL FISHERMAN, WON'T STAND FOR IT.......I want to catch large fish often, this practice is causing me to not.

[QUOTE=mybentrod;388344]When I was fishing in Aug I was cruising the banks and saw a whole bunch of HUGE carp spawning. I have ALWAYS, since I have been little, wanted to bow fish for these fish. The thought of the hunt and the fight once shot is something I WANT TO FEEL. I just can't seem to bring myself to kill a fish JUST FOR SPORT. I wouldn't eat them, I wouldn't do anything with them after I shoot them. SO, I am now 35 years young and because of that still haven't endulged myself. I don't hunt, I don't keep bluegill, I don't keep any, and I mean, ANY fish. I have caught several 4-6lb bass and have thought about a mount, but couldn't bring myself to killing such a prize, and knowing that I am potentially taking away someone elses chance at a 7lber....and so on. I LOVE the replica idea!!!!!!

My opinion, If anyone, myself included, sees someone breaking the creel or size limit and they say they don't care, show em you do. Grab your phone, tell them you are calling the warden and you are doing it to protect YOUR favorite fishery. AND STAY THERE WATCHING THEM, far enough as they still see you, but far enough that they can't cause harm to you or your property. I believe that will send the message that the INDIVIDUAL FISHERMAN, WON'T STAND FOR IT.......I want to catch large fish often, this practice is causing me to not.[/QUOTE]

I agree somewhat but some fish need to be kept at times to keep a balanced population. Mainly smaller lakes I have yet to see a 1000+ acre lake where fish were stunted. The smaller the lake the more it needs managed it seems.

As far as the Billy Westmoreland post its old news get over it. All the old timers kept bass. Let me repeat that "ALL THE OLD TIMERS KEPT BASS" or at least almost all of them. Bill Dance, Jimmy Houston, Tom Mann, the list goes on and on and on. I dont fault any of them thats just the way it was and besides I am sure they enough promoting catch and release later to more than make up for it.

I guess its all a balance when folks like myself, and folks that poach, fish the same water. However, what the poachers take in one trip doesn't make up for the year it takes to grow a bass big enough to ALMOST make 15 inches. If they take 5... 14 inch fish, there goes my fish for the normal fishing season....lol

I've seen gill nets being used on Dale....Ky. Lake....Green River Lake; and it "seemed" that those checking them were keeping everything that was caught in them...be it smallies...under size bass...I was so upset at the time...but thinking it was legal..
Come to find out that evening...they wern't!! And these guys were throwing all of the fish in coolers..more than one cooler!! In all repects to the law inforcement...and the job they carry out day in day out;...prabably under staffed;..large areas to cover,.. great people...trying to do the best they can I assume...But where are they???? I've been fishing for over 30 years...more than 50 days a year..and I've only been checked twice in my life for fish in my live wells???? I guess Im a little disgrunted with the game and fish law inforcment. Just a few weeks ago the KBFN had a state championship on the Ohio River...One of the Game Wardens in Carrollton Ky. wanted to make sure we knew that a half mile infront of the dam lock was off limits for fishing. That is fine...he made his thoughts known to us...and we made sure we made it clear to the particpants that this area was off limits at the meeting. But I guess what got me upset...is the warden went on to say that he would be there at "all day, starting at day light"..to be sure we don't fish there...and that he would "hand out tickets to all day"; that didn't obide to his...edict warning. Like I said...that is fine...if that is what he wants to do....Now that next day was (Sat.), opening muzzle loading weekend....now you would think this Game Warden would have something better to do...than to try and catch tournament bass anglers from fishing in an area with heavy barge traffic (most won't fish there anyway). From my point of view...these are the guys that have the most respect for the fishing regulations.....saftey...and the inviroment. Oh well......get off my pitty pot.

[QUOTE=aceoky;388226][URL]http://fw.ky.gov/pdf/09fishguidefishingregs.pdf[/URL]

HOW are these folks keeping MORE than 500 shad alive when you have witnessed this? I know they have big tanks but keeping 50 shad alive is a huge chore.....[/QUOTE]

Not talking about the shad over the limit on stripers