Thread: what yall think?

[quote author=Dick link=topic=1065.msg10244#msg10244 date=1336342992]
You can interpret however you want but here is the specific code.

"6) All finfish shall be maintained with head and fins
intact through landing. Sharks, swordfish and tuna species may
be landed in the form permitted by the Federal Fisheries
Regulations."
[/quote]

Is it legal to dehead and gut Bft to save room in the fish bag? That was our plan next trip. With everything that could go wrong, ice and room was our biggest problem.

[quote author=Pier#r link=topic=1065.msg10275#msg10275 date=1336349021]
It would seem the quickest way to get into hot water with 'THE MAN' is to have a fish fillets in your box while you are still fishing. :
[/quote]
Just keep the filets in a zip-lock bag with a couple slices of bread and tell them it is your lunch. Problem solved!

Wilson, just give em a mean look.. they will either call for backup, or leave you alone oke1: oke1:

[quote author=Peaches link=topic=1065.msg10281#msg10281 date=1336350961]
Wilson, just give em a mean look.. they will either call for backup, or leave you alone oke1: oke1:
[/quote]
Or shoot.

[quote author=Pier#r link=topic=1065.msg10275#msg10275 date=1336349021]
With smaller kings I cut halfway thru the base of the tail and just pop the backbone and leave that flap of skin "intact" so technically it is in a "whole condition" to check ID and length IF they want to.
A larger fish I would do the same with the head so the torso will still fit diagonally in my cooler.

It would seem the quickest way to get into hot water with 'THE MAN' is to have a fish fillets in your box while you are still fishing. :
In that case an angler deserves a ticket IMHO oke1:
[/quote]

I deserve a ticket for cleaning a fish and continuing fishing? How about the people that let the king sunbake for hours on the pier? They get a pass cuz the fish is whole, even though it is wasted, and I get a ticket for being responsible?

This looks like another trip to Montgomery to figure out if we really can discard fish carcasses or not.

Throw you UNDER the jail! oke1:

[quote author=Dick link=topic=1065.msg10244#msg10244 date=1336342992]
You can interpret however you want but here is the specific code.

[size=10pt]"6) All finfish shall be maintained with head and fins
intact through landing. Sharks, swordfish and tuna species may
be landed in the form permitted by the Federal Fisheries
Regulations."[/size]
[/quote]
[size=12pt]I thought this language was intended for boats so that fish could be checked at the ramp or dock.
Seems that I remember that the pier is a land bound structure, therefore the pier is considered land.
I also seem to remember a discussion that it is ok to clean your fish on the pier after you have finished fishing. Is fishing defined as having a line in the water, or being on the pier?
Back to square one, it is all a matter of the particular officer’s interpretation of the language.
We may want to leave this alone; in this case the squeaky wheel could get a ticket instead of oil.
[/size]

yeah i'm not going to say nothen because i dont want them to come to the pier

With the new rules, cleaning the fish on the pier and discarding remains at and beyond the cleaning station is acceptable because it is more than 500 feet from the shoreline.

That means cleaning fish prior to reaching the cleaning station, and throwing in remains prior is not acceptable.

Now, with these rules into effect, here's how the law will be openly interpreted:

Going to the cleaning station and to the end, you are considered "on the water." Meaning, it would be wise to keep fishes whole while continuing to fish; OR, if you clean them, keep the head, skin and tail in case you need to prove the length. Similar to being on a boat.

Prior to reaching the cleaning station, you are considered "on land" for all intensive purposes, and can follow rules of being on land--which means you could have your fish fillets on hand, but should not be throwing carcasses or parts over the railing.


So, what does this tell us?

Well, to keep from having to rewrite all of the law, recreational fishermen were just given some rules similar to boat fishing in inlets. They basically made a pier an "inter-coastal waterway," if you will.

I would recommend starting your fishing on the end, and catch your kings and spanish. Then, clean them at the cleaning station. Then, if you wish to continue fishing, just stay in the shallows to catch your flounders, whiting, etc., then clean the rest at the cleaning station and leave.

Following that method, you won't be breaking any interpretational rules with intentions being what they are.

Still doesn't mean the officers can't give a citation, but after all we've been through, I am sure Blankenship would politely toss it out if it came down to that.

Seems like there are alot of opinions out there. If I were enforcing the rule it would be that fish should remain identifiable while you are fishing. Where fishing would be defined as having a line in the water and "identifiable" as being able to determine without a doubt the species and that the length meets the minimum. Very simple and fair.

If you fillet a fish then go back to fishing the enforcement officer could see it from the other point of view, "oh he caught an undersized fish and thinks if he cleans it I won't be able to do anything about it." When it comes to the interpretation of a rule always put yourself in the enforcement officers shoes and think about the reasoning a rule was established. If you think something might possibly have a chance of being sneaky or suspicious in an enforcement officers eyes then DON'T DO IT.