Why We Have Rules

[TrackerPro16]

Was fishing the Potholes the week before Memorial Day weekend. Was drift fishing and let the boat drift back into the weeds and sticks. When I got ready to leave I saw what I thought was sticks but realized it was an old rope coated with slime and crud. started pulling it in and got the end right away. Figured I did not want to leave it there so pulled the rest of it in. Found a crawfish trap on the end of it all slimed over. It had empty crawfish shells in it along with some that were alive. I don't know how long it was there killing crawfish, but I was pissed. No float with name and address. No cotton 'escape' rope holding the thing together or a hatch closed with it according to the rules. Still pissed about it.
There is a reason our fishing rules are the way they are...

[Larry3215]

Yup

[Amx]

Like the guy on the lake that leaves his line in the water while he's inside the house. One day I was fishing past his dock and saw his line leading over to the dock next door. The line was stuck on a sliver on the wooden piling. I looked and saw a fish on it that had been dead for at least 2 days. I turned him in to the local police as the police boat was on the water that day. The officer said he'd take care of it. Noticed a few days later that his fishing rod was a different color. I hope the officer confiscated his rod.

[hewesfisher]

Like the guy on the lake that leaves his line in the water while he's inside the house. One day I was fishing past his dock and saw his line leading over to the dock next door. The line was stuck on a sliver on the wooden piling. I looked and saw a fish on it that had been dead for at least 2 days. I turned him in to the local police as the police boat was on the water that day. The officer said he'd take care of it. Noticed a few days later that his fishing rod was a different color. I hope the officer confiscated his rod.

New rod still unattended? If so, maybe that one will be confiscated too.

[Amx]

Like the guy on the lake that leaves his line in the water while he's inside the house. One day I was fishing past his dock and saw his line leading over to the dock next door. The line was stuck on a sliver on the wooden piling. I looked and saw a fish on it that had been dead for at least 2 days. I turned him in to the local police as the police boat was on the water that day. The officer said he'd take care of it. Noticed a few days later that his fishing rod was a different color. I hope the officer confiscated his rod.

New rod still unattended? If so, maybe that one will be confiscated too.

We can hope. AND he doesn't fish as often as he use to.

[meandermeadows]

A friend of mine posted on Facebook the other day that he hated barbless hooks...evidently a nice fish got away on him. He was basically laughing and saying, "What can you do?" Some of his buddies then started saying stuff like, "I use barbed hooks anyway, it is only an $80 fine." Kind of ticked me off and I told them so. It isn't our place to decide when we should follow the rules or not. It is our place to decide whether or not we can abide by them and still enjoy fishing. If you can't, you should find another hobby.

[fisherman92]

Agreed. Fishing Barbless is nice when practicing C&R to ensure a much more easy release too. I fish systems like the Stilly (When its open) which is barbless only. I educate others I see using trebles or barbs since I see it all t he time. A good fisherman can land a fish barb or not, but it does give the fish more advantage which is the point of it haha. Way to voice your opinion as a law abiding sport fisherman!

[meandermeadows]

I personally want to know the rules and follow them. I'm not good and playing ignorant, and my conscience won't let me forget about it, so if I am cheating I won't have any fun. I also don't want to fish with someone who cheats, because next thing you know there is a game warden there asking me if I knew that guy was cheating. I only play with the cool kids, and cool kids play by the rules ;)