Thread: I Think This May Be The Last Straw

Umm..........No, Not in any stretch of any ones imagination can one say that with a straight face............I am taking exception with YOUR willingness to interfere with others.......

AGFC built lakes like Conway , Harris Brake , Overcup, just to name a few for the public to have somewhere to fish. I can see where law abiding fishermen get upset about this problem of unattended lines or yoyos. If everyone left lines hanging on every tree or stick up where would the rest of us fish ? This needs to be addressed before it goes too far and the commission just bans all set lines. We need to help police our ranks some what by reporting problems to AGFC to save our sport.

With all due respect, I don't think midcarolina has any conception of how prevalent this problem is, on Lake Conway, especially. Locals out there on the lake hang them out in the fall or winter and leave them on the same trees for months. Heard of a guy one time who went down through the lake with a video camera and videotaped dead fish hanging dried out and eaten by coons or turtles and took it to the AG&FC and demanded they do something. You see how far that got him. Same old problem still exists. I think we should all photo these violators, gps the location and collect them and try again to go the AG&FC to do something enforcement-wise for this problem. Any of you guys know any of the Commissioners you could lobby?

I just don't see how auto fishing with minnows is gonna work on Conway with the new length limit. I suppose that yo yo's could be rigged or hung so the fish are not pulled out of the water and if a reg was added so that only allow live baits used were to be slicks, gold fish, carp, or dead bait, it would basically eliminate the small crappie bite. I suppose the second problem is not checking them according to regulation.

I do have a problem with limb hooks and trot lines not being pulled up when they are finished being used. They are a danger to boat traffic. I imagine some people put out more than they can remember the places they hung them.

I do think it is basically up to us to police our own ranks before someone rolls in and does it for us in a manner that none of us like. I have always been for policing our own ranks whether it is fishing, hunting, living in a neighborhood and even within our own family. When people do not stand against what is wrong within their own ranks, you get what is happening at other places and the good end up lumped together with the few bad.

Originally Posted by ski trip

With all due respect, I don't think midcarolina has any conception of how prevalent this problem is, on Lake Conway, especially. Locals out there on the lake hang them out in the fall or winter and leave them on the same trees for months. Heard of a guy one time who went down through the lake with a video camera and videotaped dead fish hanging dried out and eaten by coons or turtles and took it to the AG&FC and demanded they do something. You see how far that got him. Same old problem still exists. I think we should all photo these violators, gps the location and collect them and try again to go the AG&FC to do something enforcement-wise for this problem. Any of you guys know any of the Commissioners you could lobby?

You are right.......I don't live there and do not have any first hand knowledge of the problem, I just find it hard to believe that you have that many people in that area that leave their equipment abandoned for months, But like you said I am not there. just seems to me if the issue is that big you should be able to get the attention of someone at fish and game......... (everyone has a boss)
I think it is more reasonable that people are leaving their sets out, but are regularly checking them.............with the occasional jerk who does not.

My original issue was just that messing with others property is a recipe for a much worse disaster than a dead fish a dead outdoorsman shot over an arguement about a set hook would be a real shame! and it has happened...........

I can say from one yo-yo to another there is an issue on that lake. I don't live there but fish it occasionally. The trees can get dangerous at times with all the hooks in em. Solution would be enforcement but in over 20 years of fishing that lake I have never seen a warden actually on the lake in a boat. Most check people at the ramps. I believe everyone has a right to fish whatever is a legal method but as always some folks don't follow the rules. I have never cut any lines until last year when the one time I fished the trees had get one hung in my left shoulder area (shirt thank goodness) and it was removed. No name or info on the device. They can be dangerous for sure. Leaving ones gear scattered all over the lake is a problem imo for the ones who abuse the situation of no wardens checking the lake.

Everyone on facebook get on AGFC page and make a complaint! Harder for them to ingnore or sweep under the rug when everyone sees it!

Arkansas law says in site or hearing distance at all times when devices are in use! If that device is hanging in the water with a dead fish that's 3 days old and half eaten it IS abandoned and needs removed from service. What if it was your kids eye that got yanked out by a yo yo. People have to respect this law for safety reasons also.