Just needed to rant

[mt.redneck]

To the low life scum that mess with minnow traps. Go find something to do else were. If your too lazy to catch your own bait go to the bait shop or quit fishing all together. You are just ruining everyone's day. OK I feel a little better now. 

[prospector]

I know what you mean. Lost a bunch of traps to kids last year. Bike riding Mountain Dew drinking littering thieves.

[PerchPounderMT]

Minnow thieves,the scurge of fisherman everywhere!! Lol

[minnowguy]

Try hiding a trail camera and catch them.

[fishin7]

Try hiding a trail camera and catch them.

My guess is that would be a good way to get your trail camera either stolen or destroyed!   

[PerchPounderMT]

In most cases it wouldnt do you any good anyways,property left on public land is often considered abandoned after a short period of time.Odds of loosing a camera to boot are probably very good.

[Gills-only]

My guess is that would be a good way to get your trail camera either stolen or destroyed!   

      Put old POS dummy camera where they will be seen, and take or destroy, put another up in a tree about 10' off ground, pointing to dummy camera, it works!!  You have all the evidence you need if you can identify them and where they live!!

[montanaice]

In most cases it wouldnt do you any good anyways,property left on public land is often considered abandoned after a short period of time.Odds of loosing a camera to boot are probably very good.

im sure your traps have to have your name and number on them so people knows whos it is.... its a crime to mess with someones traps wither it be crawdad traps minnow trap or furbear traps   

[PerchPounderMT]

I've seen the rules about fur bearer traps in print I've never seen anything in the fishing regs about minnow traps. Do they address that in the Montana regulations?

[207 in the 406]

From the 2015 regs:
Unattended Fishing Devices: Any unattended fishing device (crayfish traps, minnow
traps, fish traps, setlines, etc.) must have the angler’s name and phone number or ALS#
attached to it.

2016 regs read the same

[rkymtnfisher]

Redneck............. your rant is more then justified...... I found a better location to trap and just stay with trap a couple hrs. and get all I need. Never leave them anymore for potential thieves.. Good luck

[PerchPounderMT]

Is a minnow trap considered the same thing as a set line for example do you have to be in control of it at all times in certain areas?

[fishin7]

      Put old POS dummy camera where they will be seen, and take or destroy, put another up in a tree about 10' off ground, pointing to dummy camera, it works!!  You have all the evidence you need if you can identify them and where they live!!

Or...  You could just save yourself a lot of time and money, trail cameras aren't all that cheap, and go to your local bait dealer and buy your minnows, rather than going to all that trouble to more than likely just find a bunch of pictures on your camera of kids releasing your minnows. 

[Mtwolfer]

If I can join your rant, how bout the scumbags that leave the trash all over the ice?! Its pitiful,can only imagine what they put down the hole when I see whats left above. Its so beutiful here in Mt. and people leave trash everywhere! Me and the wife usually bring a bag and pick up a bag of trash when we leave a lake or stream, is that what they think? F...it some sucker will pick it up and just be lazy? there's a name for that!

[tfdoke]

Mt. Redneck, I second your rant as I had a trap stolen last year.  Had my name, address and ALS number on it as well but didn't matter.

MTwolfer, I agree with you!  I hate litterers.  I always carry extra bags to pick up trash from fishing areas.  Last year my wife and I just went on a trash-pickup excursion to some spots on the yellowstone and ended up with multiple bags of pure trash and multiple bags of aluminum cans that we recycled.  Just sickening to me.

[12BHNTN]

Just adding to rant.  I'm generally "too each his own" as long as it's legal but I can't stand cigarette butts everywhere...on ice, on the bank, out a car window. 

Got to our holes on Holter from the weekend before only to find the area totally covered with cigarette butts.

Why would anyone think this is okay?

[PerchPounderMT]

Only complete douche bags leave trash on the ice like the guys on Canyon ferry that leave the piles of their perch carcasses and smashed beer cans in piles after they leave their ice houses

[SpitzoMT]

Only complete douche bags leave trash on the ice like the guys on Canyon ferry that leave the piles of their perch carcasses and smashed beer cans in piles after they leave their ice houses

Yeah.....That's always a real attractive site to find in our beautiful outdoors. Frickin' scumbags !! 

[BackCountry Kyle]

And if you're gonna leave yer old bait on the ice, dump it out of the styrofoam and plastic containers and take that crap back to your rig! Bait can be for the birds I'm fine with that, but your trash is yours not "ours"!!

[riseform]

Wow, I can't imagine stealing some ones minnows! If you have the cash to drive a vehicle to go ice fishing ANYWHERE in MT, you could most certainly afford to purchase some bait, LAZY good for nothing....as for littering, Perch Pounder is spot on. I love having to explain to my children why people leave their garbage and refuse laying around on the ice.