i was on indian lake today and the crappies that we caught weren't many but, they were of quaility.we kept only 12 crappies and 1 nice channel.we through back probably 10 that didn't make it on the scale.the smallest kept was 9.5 and the biggest was a 15.some folks just don't care about rules and regulations.when they get caught then they will maybe change.

 

We where there yesterday and seen a group of individuals that had a lot of small one's in the basket.I seed to my brother loud enough about the 9" limit and they didn't keep any more while we where there.lol it was killing them not keeping them had a good laugh.at them tho

 

Believe it or not, people do not even take time to read the rules, so they just keep everything. Someday they will get caught and hopefully they will get a big fine. I think it will only get worse as more people continue to fish.

 

TimTaylor - Every year I see bank fisherman keep basicly anything they catch. Now I am not saying all bank fisherman but I have seen a number of them keep very small crappie. I even have seen a select few with several rods out not just the two you are allowed here in ohio.

 

I have seen a lot of people buy a license and never take a copy of the regs.

A lot of folks only fish for pan fish and do not know there are regulations for crappie.

One good weekend of enforcement would get the word out in a hurry. The fines are per fish.

 

I agree with fishnfool. I think that there has to be a consequence, in order for the fish populations to thrive like we want them to. Somebody has to go on the beat and punish the people not following the rules. A couple stiff fines and an obvious presence of enforcement would make people think twice about picking up a regulations book.

 

I feel lucky to live near West Branch and Berlin. Our average size there seems to be about 9 1/2 inches. Its not too hard to catch 10-11 inchers. Last night we caught 21 keepers and about 8 that were too small.

I think even where I fish the average size has decreased in the past 4-5 years.

I wish they would start checking livewells at the ramp.

Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk

 

I think checking would be the place to start. In all my years of fishing I have never had anyone check my livewell or stringer and never have I been asked for a fishing license. Do they check anyone?

 

Like many of you guys have said I see all kinds of guys keeping way too small of fish. The ratio for me this weekend was about the same TimTaylor75 and I threw them all back anyway. I wouldn't mind seeing a bigger presence by wildlife officers on the lakes. It couldn't hurt.

 

I was on bank last night fish a well known cove and two people where on other side with 9 poles in the water....

 

I have seen a lot of people buy a license and never take a copy of the regs.

A lot of folks only fish for pan fish and do not know there are regulations for crappie.

One good weekend of enforcement would get the word out in a hurry. The fines are per fish.

i have also seen this many times. so many people just dont think there doing anything wrong. and i know that most people would just like to not get involved. but i have turned netters in on dale hollow before. and i tried to turn in some snaggers at the head waters of the east fork one night. but my phone wouldnt get out. what really needs to happen is for more fishermen to take an active role and turn in a few of these guys. there is just to many people fishing and not near enough officers.
sherman

 

One, if ODNR would do some checking once in a while a lot if it would stop.

Two, if ODNR would get serious about fines like $1500 for every fish under the size limit it would stop.

Third, if ODNR would fine $1000 for each pole exceeding the 2 per person limit it would stop.

Can't follow the rules, pay the price!

 

...not near enough officers.

That's the biggest issue in my opinion, in just the last 3 years of fishing around Central Ohio I've been asked for my license one time. And that was on a Memorial Day weekend when ODNR was out in full force at a local reservoir.

As a side note; I go up to Minnesota once a year to go ice fishing for a long weekend with friends, and every single year we've been up there - we've had an ODNR official stop by our shack at least once during the weekend to check our licenses and what we've caught.

 

FYI, The Delaware Co. Game Warden was at Hoover checking people yesterday. A friend of mine called him after seeing the same things you all are bitching about.

 

I never took part in this kind of stuff, but growing up in Chicago, people would take matters into their owns hands. I've seen people's gear thrown in the water, tires slashed, or worse.

Just to be clear, I AM NOT recommending that is how we deal with poachers. It is up to the ODNR to do their job and deal with them. I've never been a fan of vigilante justice so the best we can do is call the poacher line.

You would think in a big city, however, that poaching would be a bigger issue - it wasn't from what I saw. People were more respectful because there was an immediate, and often painful consequence if you didn't follow the written, and unwritten rules.

That doesn't make it right, I am just pointing out the differences which fascinate me.

I have also never been asked for my license, etc.

 

I was checked @ indian Lake this past Saturday. I had 3 crappie all 11"
and one right at 9'" which normally I would not keep. Since the weather has sucked I need them for the freezer. But it made me nervous when he measured it.. Would like to see them checking more also, GL to all

 

I find it odd that back during ice season the w/o was at Alum every day checking and now they are nowhere to be found.

I've seen an Asian fellow pulling crappies (every time I'm at this one particular spot (we both probably think the other never works)) and wondered if they might be small. However, it's tough to accurately measure a fish from 80yds away. So, I'm not going to turn a guy in based on speculation. Maybe the 15" eye's I'm throwing in the livewell look undersized to him as well.

 

We were checked by a division of wildlife officer friday evening bank fishing for cats at Indian. First time in 12+ years at Indian that I have been checked.The buddy with me was with me when we last got checked.The officer spied on us with binoculars for a few minutes and then started to BS about the fishing.Finally he asked us for our liscenses and checked the fish basket.He wanted to know if we had any other stringers of fish. Then he spied the next group down from us with his binoculars. Couldn't have been more than 15 yds, LOL!

I've never been checked at the ramp.The watercraft officers do their boat checks and sometimes asks me about a fishing survey.

I've seen many people keeping hand sized white bass last week.No size limit,but not much meat on a 6"-8" white bass.

 

If I see someone poaching I always call it in. But, I have walked over to poachers and told them to be careful because the ODNR rented one of the houses that overlooks the Leibs fishing area, and is doing ongoing video surveillance.

Sometimes, I will tell them how I saw the officer leave the house, take a boat over to where a poacher was fishing, write a $500 ticket and confiscate the fish, and all the fishing gear.

None of which is true.

More than once, the poacher threw the fish back, or packed up and left.

I always wonder if I am crossing a line when I do it and have resisted the urge to mention it on the forum. The last thing I want is someone getting into a fight because they try it, even if it is well intentioned on their part.

By pretending to be the poacher's friend, it isn't confrontational which is important to me. The last thing I want is a fight, especially considering my background in the pro-gun movement.

To me, no poacher is worth a physical confrontation. It destroys me inside to see it and not be able to do anything.

 

In my 6 years in Ohio been checked 1 time for a license and one time for a lifejacket (cuz he couldn't see them in my canoe). I wonder how much checking they are supposed to do. I know they have other tasks to perform. I just wonder what the typical day is like for them.

 

One, if ODNR would do some checking once in a while a lot if it would stop.

Two, if ODNR would get serious about fines like $1500 for every fish under the size limit it would stop.

Third, if ODNR would fine $1000 for each pole exceeding the 2 per person limit it would stop.

Can't follow the rules, pay the price!

1 they do that
2 no it would not
3 aahhhh noooooo
4 there always going to be rule breakers then why do the have LEO????

 

If I see someone poaching I always call it in. But, I have walked over to poachers and told them to be careful because the ODNR rented one of the houses that overlooks the Leibs fishing area, and is doing ongoing video surveillance.

Sometimes, I will tell them how I saw the officer leave the house, take a boat over to where a poacher was fishing, write a $500 ticket and confiscate the fish, and all the fishing gear.

None of which is true.

More than once, the poacher threw the fish back, or packed up and left.

I always wonder if I am crossing a line when I do it and have resisted the urge to mention it on the forum. The last thing I want is someone getting into a fight because they try it, even if it is well intentioned on their part.

By pretending to be the poacher's friend, it isn't confrontational which is important to me. The last thing I want is a fight, especially considering my background in the pro-gun movement.

To me, no poacher is worth a physical confrontation. It destroys me inside to see it and not be able to do anything.

Sir may I asked why you would feel compelled to pack heat when going fishing in broad daylight at a public lake in the burbs? Im not trying to flame you honestly. I dont know if you had to deposit large sums of cash from a business you own on the way to the lake or think maybe theres Kodiak bears at Hoover or anything else about you. You preach being non confrontational but to me any man who carries a gun, probably loaded, to a place like that is looking for trouble or at least expecting it. If you feel im attacking you I apologize and dont answer. I feel less safe already going fishing now.

Im 41 and have spent my life fishing around central Ohio and Erie and have only been asked once for my licence. It was 20 years ago at the washed out bridge in Galena. Ive probably fished a public place they could check close to 1000 times since ive been required to have one. Not a good ratio. But ive been to Canada at least 25 weeks in past summers and been asked EVERY trip.

To the earlier poster-You didnt have to show those ODNR officers anything. I think theyre out of their jurisdiction in Minnesota.

 

A few years ago the ODNR pulled me over on Alum Creek and issued citations to my kids for wearing their life jackets. Citations were free whistles and a certificate congratulating them for wearing their PFD's.

What a nice impression to leave on kids.

 

Sir may I asked why you would feel compelled to pack heat when going fishing in broad daylight at a public lake in the burbs? Im not trying to flame you honestly. I dont know if you had to deposit large sums of cash from a business you own on the way to the lake or think maybe theres Kodiak bears at Hoover or anything else about you. You preach being non confrontational but to me any man who carries a gun, probably loaded, to a place like that is looking for trouble or at least expecting it. If you feel im attacking you I apologize and dont answer. I feel less safe already going fishing now.

Im 41 and have spent my life fishing around central Ohio and Erie and have only been asked once for my licence. It was 20 years ago at the washed out bridge in Galena. Ive probably fished a public place they could check close to 1000 times since ive been required to have one. Not a good ratio. But ive been to Canada at least 25 weeks in past summers and been asked EVERY trip.

To the earlier poster-You didnt have to show those ODNR officers anything. I think theyre out of their jurisdiction in Minnesota.

I did not see anything in his post that would indicate he was packing. I fish mostly in rather remote areas, and I am planning to pack myself, mainly due to feral dogs and coyotes, but if i was fishing in a more urban area, I would pack, mainly due to the greater chance in a urban area of being attacked or robbed due to gang and drug activity. You have more of a chance of running into that in a urban area, which is why I usually avoid those areas at all costs.

Let's not assume that just because someone has a CCW Permit and Carries that they are troublemakers - most are very responsible and law abiding citizens - it's not right to assume otherwise, just as it would not be right for me to assume someone is poaching or fishing without a license just because they have a line in the water.


Now that I've said my piece, let's keep this thread on subject - about adhering to the limits.

 

Sir may I asked why you would feel compelled to pack heat when going fishing in broad daylight at a public lake in the burbs? Im not trying to flame you honestly. I dont know if you had to deposit large sums of cash from a business you own on the way to the lake or think maybe theres Kodiak bears at Hoover or anything else about you. You preach being non confrontational but to me any man who carries a gun, probably loaded, to a place like that is looking for trouble or at least expecting it. If you feel im attacking you I apologize and dont answer. I feel less safe already going fishing now.

Not sure how you single handedly turned a crappie post into a gun post, but you managed. You need to read his post again, no where did he even mention carrying a gun. And even if he did, that makes HIM the problem? I sure would like to hear more about you ideas here?