Thread: what yall think?

[quote author=Dick link=topic=1065.msg10320#msg10320 date=1336394292]
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.
[/quote]

Bingo.

I can speak from the tourist perspective on this one. As some one who is travelling to the pier to fish, I can tell you that most tourists do not have room for a pier cart or do not want to spend extra money to buy one just for a week of pier fishing.

For the past few months, I have not had room for a pier cart, only room for a cooler. But, I do not have room for a large cooler. Also, since I dont have a pier cart, I cant fill it with ice, since I have to carry it down the pier by hand.

I only put one bag of ice in it, and it is big enough for most fish whole, but not King. If I put a king in there, the ice is insufficient to cool the whole fish. As a tourist I have to make a choice. Kill the fish and throw him off on the side of the road somewhere after a long bake in the sun. Or, clean the fish and keep the filets on ice.

So with the pier being a big tourist draw, how does the State handle that? Fine the tourists because they dont have money or room for a pier cart or large cooler?

Basically it's going to come down to the Officers decision. In my opinion though our practice of cleaning a king then going back to fishing will earn us a citation. The only way I see it being avoided is picture and or video of the legal measure pre cleaning.

[quote author=Bubba link=topic=1065.msg10328#msg10328 date=1336396243]
...So with the pier being a big tourist draw, how does the State handle that?
Fine the tourists because they dont have money or room for a pier cart or large cooler?
[/quote]

Yes! That puts more money into the local and state economies ;-) :yippee:

I like the way you think Bubba! :banana:
That's the gubments way of squeezing every dime from the tourists :3some: