CTFishTalk.com: Two Saltwater Observations from a Relative Newbie - Connecticut Saltwater ( CT Saltwater ) - A Community Built for Connecticut Fisherman.

NSGSplatmaster · Joined: 11 Jun 2009 Posts: 27

I'm primarily a freshwater fishing guy, but I grew up on the coast of Milford and still live there today. As a kid I was into basic marine biology but more important, I learned a lot of practical lessons walking on the beach, fishing, and observing. Recently I've been trying my hand at some casual fishing off the piers and beaches in my area and I noticed two things.

Firstly, it seems like DEP regulations kind of fly out the window. I'm not a catch and release or size-reg Nazi, but when guys are keeping schoolie stripers, its a bit annoying. Ditto to the guys next to me this evening who were filling up a bucket with porgies the size of bluegills. When I tried to make conversation with them, one of them kept saying he didn't undersetand English. Interestingly though, I met a woman on the pier picking up trash and I thanked her for her efforts, and we started talking about stuff. She asked me about fishing regulations and when they heard me mentioning the DEP and that I knew most of the regs, they kept looking over at me. For me, its the principle of the thing. I'm sure theres plenty of fish in the ocean, literally, and recreational fishing pressure is only one factor that affects fish populations. But still, I have the respect to not keep fish that are not supposed to be kept, period.

Secondly, I know no one is thrilled to catch sea robins. I imagine its like having your bait stolen by bluegills in freshwater fishing. Still, is there any need to arbitrarily torture the fish, decapitate them, etc? I know they aren't horribly desirable but it seems stupid and immature to me to attack a fish. And yes, I know losing expensive bait sucks. Doesn't matter.

Finally, I understand real estate is always hard to come by - off the coast, there are a finite number of places to fish from. Still, do people have to LITERALLY stand right next to you when there are 50+ feet in either direction where they could fish? For whatever reason I attract people that come out of no where, start fishing RIGHT next to me, and then leave after 5 - 10 minutes. No wonder they don't catch any fish. Rolling Eyes

Is this normal, or just my area? From reading reports from other forums, it seems normal, which is a bit distressing.

Shawsee · Joined: 16 Mar 2009 Posts: 12

NSG,

I understand your concerns and fully agree with you 100%. There are scumbags everywhere these days. They just make matters worse for the rest of us who have "consciences" and abide by the "rules & regulations". I too have witnessed many who catch and keep illegal fish and it bothers me also. Limits and size lengths means nothing to these inbreds. I watched a guy just a couple weeks ago catching fluke and he kept evey single one he landed in his boat. Fluke regs in Rhode Island states 21" minimum length and I know damn well the fish he was keeping were nowhere near 21". Plus the limit is 6 per day (at legal length) and I witnessed him put at least twelve or more into his cooler!

Another thing that gets me is most of these inbreds are total pigs! They litter and leave their scrap everywhere with no issues whatsoever. Where I launch my boat from in Rhode Island there are two outhouses that the state placed there, and the state has private contractors service them. These scumbags destroy them with all sorts of trash and I have even seen fish carcasses laying on the floors. Then they throw the toilet paper into the hole so no one else can use it. So damn disgusting and yet it goes on day by day and no one with authority does anything about it. They even destroyed the ladders on the dock so it was nearly impossible to climb down during low tide to board your boat.

These inbreds are not sportsman/fishermen, they are merely destructive, repulsive, arrogant, pigs who care nothing about anything but themselves. Ethics does not come into play with them and it's not even part of their vocabulary. I use to hunt deer also and gave that up years ago due to what I have witnessed in the field. Once I walked up on a guy who had just shot a spike horn buck. He was brutally and visciously hammering away with a good size rock on the deer's antlers to break them off! When I asked him why in the hell was he doing that for, he replied,"I only have a doe tag left and this is my doe". Can you imagine? I was so damn upset about that the following year I didn't get my license and tags and have not since.

As for these scumbags fishing right next to you, well that boggles my mind also. It's like when we are drift fishing in the ocean and yet these idiots have to drive by you 45 MPH within 50 yards of your boat! There is a whole freakin ocean out there but yet they have to drive by within 50 yards of you at outrageous speeds. JERKS

The DEP does nothing to these scumbags at all when it comes to the rules & regulations. It's just a matter of time before fishing will be a thing of the past the way it keeps going now. Sorry for my rant.

ploplopfizzfizz · Joined: 31 May 2007 Posts: 629 Location: Branford

Complaining about things like this does minimal good. If people are breaking the law call the DEP they will most likely send someone out ASAP. I have often called the DEP on people maliciously breaking the law. They are called poachers and poaching is illegal. Even though the state of Connecticut has minimal fines for these outlaws it will hit the people in the pocket and that may make them think about doing it again.

I for 1 hate Sea Robins but I am not a torturer. Every Sea Robin I catch gets bellied and filleted to be used for bait at a later date or time.

There are a few different commercial fishing liscences that can be purchased legally allowing 4 to 5 times the standard legal limit of fish. Some comm. lic. allow people to keep up to 50 fluke 14 inches or bigger or 50lbs of porgies. These lic. are relatively inexpensive and can be applied for via the DEP. I am not saying the fluker in RI had 1 ,I am just saying there are different catch opportunities.

Schoolie Stripers is against the law but if the DEP would pull there heads from there rectums they would look into a slot limit much like REDFISH from down south. Something to the effect of 1 fish 16-28 inches and 1 or 2 fish over 28 inches. Schoolie stripers are eating basically every piece of local bait up and down the connecticut shoreline. Crabs,kellies,shiners,crabs,small fluke,lobsters,snappers,shrimp not to mention other species.

Lastly litter , I find myself picking up litter everytime I am out fishing. Being proactive helps but some people are just pieces of trash littering anything from cigarette butts to bags.
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The King of Long Island Sound.

NSGSplatmaster · Joined: 11 Jun 2009 Posts: 27

Thanks for the repsonses. I've called DEP but a lot of the time I'm out there fishing after "business hours" so there's no one to get in touch with. A friend of mine who's a Bridgeport cop said it's not worth bothering the local police because they know nothing about the statutes and, most importantly, I'd rather keep myself safe and not have to get involved in dramatic and potentially violent confrontations over fish regulations, heh.

Bass Addict · Posted: Thu Sep 10, 2009 2:43 pm Post subject:

It is odd that some of the most littered places on earth are fishing docks/piers/shorlines.
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Sorry honey, looks like we will be late again due to motor problems.

Justin

ploplopfizzfizz · Joined: 31 May 2007 Posts: 629 Location: Branford

People are scumbags but I believe that was stated much earlier in the posts.
Also people have no respect for ther town,state or country. People in the US take way to many things for granted that many people have lost there lives for.
Our country lacks pride.
Then again this is a rant for a totally different website.
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The King of Long Island Sound.

Old Mud · Joined: 03 May 2007 Posts: 1048 Location: Bath, Maine

Quint's Revenge · Joined: 29 May 2007 Posts: 239 Location: West Haven

You have to call the TIPS hotline there is always someone dispatching calls. If the people are caught and convicted you may receive a reward from the state.
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Ladies and gentleman take my advice.... pull down your pants and slide on the ice.