Edicate opinions please (Flaming gorge)

[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]I don't know where "back home" is, but I lived in Sacramento, CA for several years and fished all up and down the coastline...in most of the salmon and steelhead streams. I have witnessed some bodacious snagging, spearing, arrowing and clubbing of spawning fish by crazed "anglers". In some cases I have confronted the perpetrators one on one and forced them to leave. In other cases I called in local wardens and got the satisfaction of watching poachers get punished. I only wish that I DID have a video camera on some of those occasions.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]One of the greatest things that ever happened was getting one of the fishing column writers for one of the Sacramento newspapers to bring a photographer and take some pictures for a story. We set up within easy view of one of the shallow gravel bars on the American River, where big king salmon were making nests and spawning. In only a half hour or so, we witnessed (and photographed) several salmon being gaffed, snagged and clubbed. The prize photo, which was published along with the story, was a closeup of the top half of a guy with a big claw hammer raised up to smash down on a salmon. His hair was mussed up, his eyes were crazy and he looked like something out of a B horror movie. Of course we did not interview the guy and get his name, but when the picture was published the paper was immediately threatened with a lawsuit. Turned out the guy was a big shot businessman in Sacramento, and his picture was recognized by a whole buncha people. I doubt if it did him a lot of good.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Your suggestion for ticketing anybody with wounded fish is a good one...but has a downside. Many law abiding anglers catch and keep fish legally, but some fish might be wearing the evidence of a near miss with the snaggers. I know a lot of guys who have brought in (and released) macks that had war wounds. What if one of those made it to the dock and a straight-arrow officer wrote a ticket?[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]It all gets back to the voice that fishermen have, if they just use it right. Do we sit back and allow this stuff to keep going on...or do we try to do something about it? We live in a technological age. Most of us carry cameras, photo cell phones and even video cameras with us. And, law breakers' greatest fear is exposure. When you bring out a camera, and they see it, the reaction is sometimes priceless.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]When I am tubing on Willard, it is not uncommon for members of the power squadron to deliberately cross the line (150 feet distance) just to annoy me. Since I always carry my digital camera around my neck on a stretch band, I get it ready whenever I suspect one of them is planning a strafing run. On more than one occasion the guy at the helm either veers off or shuts down the throttle as soon as they see my camera pointed at them. Whenever they challenge me, asking why I am taking their picture, I reply that I am publishing a book on pictures of [url "mailto:#$$@&%"]#$$@&%[/url] and that I plan to have their picture on the front cover.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]I know the issue of snagging, and of closing parts of the Gorge all together during the spawning season has been brought up at RAC meetings. But, evidently, not enough concerned anglers have shown up and made enough noise. I don't know what the other options are, but unless law abiding anglers create enough publicity and public concern, changes are not likely to happen soon enough. [/#0000ff]
[signature]

[fishley]

ok so what I'am gathering hear is you are pissed that the guide's pushed u of the humb all i ever see on the hump is the snagger's if you are such an angler what the helll are you even doing in linwood till after the spawn craks me up 91 mile of lake and every one fishes in linwood show's me how little you all now the gorge if you are that worried about it dont support it by even going in to linwood the lake trout are all over along the bank's at the ranch and holmes eny were from 2-25lbs so pop them head's out and fish some were else till dec 1st come back when the spawn is over and you wont be fighting with 30 boat's to get on the spwning hump I wish thay would bouy it off let you fish all linwood but just keep people off the spwning humb the main humb the one I hear every one whine about every yr lmmfao same old it just another yr,IF YOU DONT LIKE IT DONT SUPPORT IT BY GOING OUT THERE PERIOD.ASHLEY
[signature]

[LakeDrifter]

Hey Ashley, Just for the record it was my first time ever fishing on the humps in linwood. And yes you are right I will not go back. I had know idea about the snagging situation. And the people that do it.
[signature]

[scienceangler]

In reply to your question about the behavior of guides I believe that there are respectable guides and there are a few that make a bad reputation for all guides. I have an incident that illustrates:

Six of us buddies (on a self guided trip) were fishing in a remote area of Alaska near the Copper River Delta, and a helicopter landed just around a bend and down river from us. As we motored our little boat down the river to investigate we encountered a helicopter on a gravel bar in the river. It was a guide and his clients. The guide ran to us and asked us to immediately leave because his clients had paid him money to provide them with solitude and awesome salmon fishing, and we were distracting from that experience. I was incredulous as to the words I was hearing. We gave the guide and his clients their space but we fished within their view.

We later recounted the incident to the bush pilot that transported us into the remote area, and he had nothing good to say about this guide.

From the perspective of a paying client I would expect my guide to protect my interests and do all he legally could to put me on the fish...even if it meant asking for space or crowding other fisherman.
[signature]

[fishley]

ya I know I dont even get near there I sit on my deck and watch from the house the time's thay come off. one thing we all have to look at is thay dont get that extra hr of dark eny more so that is a positive thing and heck if half the people that were out there would explore other area's of the lake this time of yr thay would be suprised what else is out there my buddy got a 20lber last night up by holmes off the bank using small tube's and 6lb test and that aint the firsst or last yep it is easyer to just stay away heck I'am heading after the burbot tonight NOT THE MAC'S BURBOT TASTE BETTER..........ASH
[signature]

[bassrods]

I don't want to high jack this post...

Could you make a post about how and where to catch Burbots I would like to try for them some day....
[signature]

[fishley]

you bet man I will do it when I get off the water .ash
[signature]

[Fowl-Hook]

The POOR etiquette you refer to should not be practiced by Guides or Sport fishermen. Sad to Say the Least!
The snagging is an entirely different issue and is already illegal-
You may not take or land fish by snagging- OUT OF THE PROC-

We will not benefit by passing more Laws that GO WITHOUT INFORCMENT .
Like snagging in a school zone doubles the fine or providing a better deffinition of the Hooks that are not allowed for snagging purposses.

Inforcment of the existing laws is what we need in my opinion.
[signature]

[Troll]

Are there any guides that are guiding for the Burbot? I would like to get a mess of them sometime.
[signature]

[OLDGUYSRULE]

what kind of guides are they
[signature]

[loomislover]

I've heard about this before. From an enforcement point of view, how do you suppose to prove beyond a reasonable doubt these guys are intentional snagging fish. I mean even if you post a CO in the campground and one in a boat how can you prove they intentionally snagged the fish. Maybe the 8' jerk is their way of jigging. There isn't a statue on the books that says how you must lift the rod. Unless the lure/instrument used makes it obvious, it would be very difficult to make a case. Perhaps you could make a case if the person kept a snagged fish, but aside from that, there is no way to convict them of a crime. Not to mention the guides are probably locals who know every CO and what boats they have access too. So putting the sneak on them probably won't work either. I know it sucks, but it is what it is........

Now what you could do is make a law that says, every fish hooked outside the mouth must be immediately released. This is a law practiced in California. It was primarily introduced to protect spawning largemouth, but it has some draw backs. How many times have you hooked a fish outside the mouth on a jerkbait. It happens all the time especially with trout because they slash at the lure instead of eating it. Enforcement is still a problem, but if the CO can cleary see the fish was hooked outside the mouth, then the intent to snag is a non-factoid...... The pentalty should say the angler and/or guide will lose his privileges to fish/guide for X number of years if convicted. Make sense??
[signature]

[lunkerhunter2]

[size 1]"Now what you could do is make a law that says, every fish hooked outside the mouth must be immediately released"[/size]
[size 1][/size]
[size 1][/size]
[size 1]Pretty sure that is already in the books for utah...[/size]
[signature]

[Fowl-Hook]

Laws exist that prohibit snagging at this time!
Simply creating additional unenforceable laws that if enforced no prosecution could possibly be successful accomplishes nothing!
[signature]

[gshorthair]

What kind of fisherman look for guides that can take them out and teach them how to brake the law. If the fisherman were sportsmen then they would put the guides out of business by not hiring them. If you don't have any customers you can't pay your bills. It seems like the only real way to solve the problem is to shut down linwood during the spawn. gshorthair
[signature]