Commercial Fishing/Panfish

[mike304]

Don't know if this has been touched on before, but I thought I'd throw it out there.
    What's the general consensus out there on guys commercial fishing? there is a lot of back and forth about it here in NY, and the county Sportsman's federations in my area have really been pushing the DEC to do something about it.
   for those of you who don't know what I'm talking about, I'm talking about the catching and selling of Perch,Crappie, and Bluegills.

[adkRoy]

I think it is horrible. I know that some small lakes have really been decimated this year by this practice. If people want to eat perch, crappie, bluegill; let them go out and catch it on their own!!!!!!

[winchester 88]

Mike304
 The picture in your avatar speaks loads about your underlying concern about commercial fishing for panfish and the effect that it has on the fish population in certain lakes..something to think about.
 Winchester 88

[dogfish]

Well there Mr W-88 I look at his (and I have never met Mr. 304)avatar and see 4 little kids that had a great day icefishing and will have a big ol fish fry that night.  Just what do you see?  Maybe a bunch of unemployed scumbags out thinking that the natural resources of that lake was theres to expolit and profit on? 

[mike304]

Mike304
 The picture in your avatar speaks loads about your underlying concern about commercial fishing for panfish and the effect that it has on the fish population in certain lakes..something to think about.
 Winchester 88

I'm not sure how to take you're post, but you should never assume just by looking at a picture. what you don't see is the other people that were there that are not in the picture. we weren't even close to a limit, and that was one of the few times last year any of us got out. everyone of those fish was eaten by the catchers.
I'm talking about the fish hogs that are going out and taking their limit,and often times more, every day of the week and selling them. and you all know who I'm talking about.

[winchester 88]

Well there Mr W-88 I look at his (and I have never met Mr. 304)avatar and see 4 little kids that had a great day icefishing and will have a big ol fish fry that night.  Just what do you see?  Maybe a bunch of unemployed scumbags out thinking that the natural resources of that lake was theres to expolit and profit on? 
Nope not that at all...just making a point...!.kids are observant as detailed in another recent post..2.having a good time, catching lots of fish are all part of the fun but also is the opportunity to teach by example that it is okay to keep a mess of fish but it is also the reasons to be selective about how many fish that we keep if over harvesting is a concern.
 Did the brother use this as an opportunity to teach? You can't tell that from the picture but from what I have read here most guys are concerned about that issue and my only reason for saying what I said was to point out the elements of the picture and the opportunity for instruction to young minds.NO OFFENSE MEANT!!!
 Winchester 88

[hali-man]

I could be very wrong here, but I believe commercial fishing (catching and selling) for crappie is illegal in NYS. They are considered a sport fish because the DEC put a size limit on them.
I saw this in another thread that I can't locate right now.

Anyways- I think it sucks. Fishing out our local lakes should not be a form of employment.

[dogfish]

Winchester
I am not offended
I am just saying that the guy asked a question about peoples thoughts on commercial fishing for panfish and you answered with some vague interpretations about abunch of kids and fish in his av?  I did not think that was very cordial I mean you did not even answer this guys question?

Anyways my opinion on the subject is the same as "Hali-mans"

[fishingking]

There has been some talk about this on the New England General Section http://www.iceshanty.com/ice_fishing/index.php?topic=32803.0

[billybono]

i think the meat hunters really suck. ive been really surprised tofind out that there is still commercial fishing on lake erie     i just find that crazy


                billybono

[winchester 88]

This is good..
 I realize that I didn't answer the mans question and I app. for that.
 
 Now to answer the question. Should there be restrictions on commercial fishing for panfish?
Answer..yes there should be..
.But I see a problem with policing the restrictions due to the cost of hiring enough people to enforce the restrictions.
 I think size and catch limits are great tools against overfishing but there again how do you effectively enforce them?
 We fish Rice Lake in Canada every spring and at that time the bluegills are spawning which draws a lot of out of state fishermen at that time of year.
 We see guys filling 5 gallon buckets with gills 2 and 3 times a day. We also see pontoon boat loads of orientals catching and  keeping everything they catch no matter the size
 At the beginning of the week you can see schools of fish everywhere on spawning beds..at the end of the week most of the fish have disappeared...I believe it is due to no limits on size and quantity.
 I agree with the idea keep what you use and it's okay to give a few to friends once in awhile but, if we allow commercial fishing (as discussed previously)then regulate it..
 Mr.Win88 .

[seaweed01]

Haven't they been doing it on Oneida for years?

[mike304]

No offense taken! thanks for the concern.
Just as an aside, let me explain my avatar a little so you all can appreciate it. a buddy that i grew up hunting and fishing with, who i don't see much, brought his 3 boys along, who hadn't been ice fishing before , i brought my son who hadn't been out but a couple of times, my father came, and he hadn't been ice fishing in 20+ years. it was one of the best days i can remember in a long time. beautiful weather, venison on the grill and a nice mess of fish. that's what its all about.
    as far as commercial fishing for crappie, you all know how it is, just because its illegal doesn't mean it doesn't happen. what needs to happen is pressure needs to be put on the guys that are buying the fish. they know what's happening, they just don't care.

[billybono]

Haven't they been doing it on Oneida for years?

yep....probably worse than most people are aware of.....talking eyes too


                                        billybono

[adkRoy]

I could be very wrong here, but I believe commercial fishing (catching and selling) for crappie is illegal in NYS. They are considered a sport fish because the DEC put a size limit on them.
I saw this in another thread that I can't locate right now.

Anyways- I think it sucks. Fishing out our local lakes should not be a form of employment.

We talked about some on this link. How to kill a lake.

http://www.iceshanty.com/ice_fishing/index.php?topic=32432.0

[crappieman12887]

 my opion on this is that there is a heck of alot more ways to kill a lake then just the commercail fishermen,there many of reasons that a good lake goes bad,some lakes were there limits just get over pop,and the food sources just arent there to support the lake,i could go on and on about this but let just say if these guys buy there lic,they should be able to do what they want with there ,fish at least there not taking them home and throwing them in the garden like alot of guys talk about doing,so the next time you order a fish fillet just remember it came from some type of commercial fisherman and it tasted pretty good . bill

[Skipper]

Here in MN. we have wanton waist laws, if someone tills gills into their garden, someone is going to call the tip line. We have as many game wardens here as we have fishermen, so these tips are followed up on. these game wardens have ticket books and are not afraid to use them. makes for some awful expensive fertilizer. There are slob fishermen everywere, and if people like you and I stand up to them they go away! They think this behavior is ok. IT IS NOT OK! take what you can use and put the rest back, why cant people do this? BECAUSE THEY ARE GREEDY GAME HOGS! Next time anyone sees non-sportsman like behavior, go out of your way to make their day unpleasent. Make A comment to them about it. Get Their plate# and call them in. No one needs 700 blue gills, and they are stealing them from you and I. Dont accept this behavior from anyone, let them know what they are doing to the sport we hold dear!!!!!!!!! 

Sorry, soft spot.
Skipper T

[1TIGGER]

I agree 100 % with the fact that they should be stopped .
This type of behavior can and will eventually effect us all by either not having the fish to catch or new laws that will make more trouble than it's worth to fish .
The laws get tougher each year as it is without having poachers harvest more than their share .
We also have to keep in mind that when that pain in the a*s green sleeve comes out on the ice to check our permits and to count or measure our catch that they are doing their job and without this ***little ***inconvenience the commercial fishing would be much worse . I know sometimes it sucks to be botherd by them when we know we are legal but how are they supposed to know who is or isn't without checking  . Just my .02

[bigdave1018]

one of my ice buds keeps a limit just about every time he fishes. he also keeps the elders in his church supplied with a fish meal or to and never sells them. God bless you DL.

[MikeThePike]

The problem is lack of officers to efficently regulate the laws. I've been out upwards of 50 times this winter and I believe I've been checked by a warden once or twice between PA and NJ. Its annoying sometimes but everyones gotta keep in mind it's their job to check each person and make sure he/ she is within the laws of that state. I'd much rather take 5-10 minutes out of my fishing trip being checked than not if I know that they are doing it to everyone and people will get busted for breaking the laws.

[Skipper]

Mike the Pike is right about the limitations of the department. they cant be everywhere at once. thats why we need to keep our eyes and ears open. Once, a person speaking broken english showed me the contents of his cooler with pride, at least fifteen sunfish-sized small mouth bass. I pointed out to him that the season was closed for bass and, they were way out of slot limit size anyway. Plus, the section of river we were fishing only allowed 3 in posesson. He took offense, but he continued to fish. I went back to my pickup, took out my fishing regulation book, and called the number on the back. There was a warden down there within 20 minutes. She checked me first, and bid me a nice day. She then greeted the other angler, and about then I hit the road.

Give them wardens a chance, they hate poachers more than we do.

[crappieslayer22]

y would u commerical fish panfish

[walleyeslayer]

never heard of anyone doing it around here. i was fishing last summer on a big lake in arkansas.  a dnr guy approached me, i was fishing off my aunts dock.  it was in a little inlet/river part of the lake.  nice guy, we got to talking about the fishing, i told him i was surprised that i wasnt catching any good sized panfish.  caught a few small bluecats, and some sunfish.  he explained to me how that part of the lake had been overharvested by people doing just that type of thing.  i guess they net the fish, and use all kinds of illegal practices, like underwater traps, and tubs underwater for catfish.  i went back into the river part, and was amazed at all the strings tied off to tree branches, stuff like that. a neighbor of my aunts was swimming around in the water one day, and got a huge treblehook stuck in its side.  they went out looking for the dog, and found it the next day, just barely alive, half out of the water, all wrapped in fishing line.  not cool.  i like the thought of catching my own, i wouldnt buy fish that i didnt catch.  i cant even bring myself to buy fish from krogers, it looks old to me.

[esox slayer]

It's not commercial fishing, but it may as well be.  Just a few years ago, on Black Lake, Mile Arm Bay to be precise...there used to be crappie galore.  Not talking about the dozen or so you guys take out of there now...I'm talking anywhere from 100 big crappies and up on almost any given day. 

What about limits you say??  Yeah, they were in place..but guys would bring a pail, fill it with 25 (the limit) make a walk to their car, change buckets, and fill that one...get 25 more, make the walk, you get the picture....It was either that or plastic bags thrown on shore and buried in snow, then a trip to the ice, etc.

Used to be  noting to see 50-75 guys jigging almost every day up there, and a lot of the same ones there every day...always doing the same thing.....no vex's needed...just slam the crappies and keep going and going....

Glad I've always been a pike fishermen...I never took part in the fiasco.....by the way....I'm talking about this happening in 1997,,,not 20 or 30 years ago....

It's too bad they've cleaned them out like that....greed will ruin many things......Esox

[Skipper]

Yup, everyone thinks panfish are imposible to fish out. A panfish population can be destroyed in two or three winters due to their willingness to commit suiside on the end of a line. If you involve a big mouth bait shop owner, it can go even faster.

[oldken]

i was on mile arm about 4 years ago and saw the same thing of crappies being caught by the bucket full. when i asked a fisherman if there wasn't a limit he only said everyone does it i have fished there a bit in the last 3 years and most of the fishermen are gone thankfully maybe the fish can make a come back

[esox slayer]

i was on mile arm about 4 years ago and saw the same thing of crappies being caught by the bucket full. when i asked a fisherman if there wasn't a limit he only said everyone does it i have fished there a bit in the last 3 years and most of the fishermen are gone thankfully maybe the fish can make a come back

I hope so...I never fished crappie with any real dedication..but I hate to see a species wiped out...I don't know of any place that bought them up here(I know it's illegal to sell them in NYS) so all they were doing was fillling the freezers...

It's amazing... they were so fanatical about getting the crappie in there one year they actually pulled the posts that held a gate out of the ground so they could get access to the bay...all because they locked the gate on the private road that accessed the bay....how dare they lock their own gate anyway??  And then we wonder why access to lakes is drying up???

[Skipper]

slobs. disrespectful slobs.

[esox slayer]

It got really out of hand up here a few years back...I guess once during early ice, the crappies were hitting almost anything..the local game warden made a trip out to the bay without his 4 wheeler(ice too thin) , left it up on the hill and a couple had snuck off the ice while he was there checking limits, etc and cut all 4 of his tires....  sad part was,,,D.E.C. didn't come back in force and crack down on the losers..they stayed away....kind of disappointing....

[Skipper]

write your congressman, and urge your fishing buddies to do the same. they cant do anything if they dont know whats going on.