Treating our rivers with respect

[MinnesnowtaWild]

Do people see the Minnesota and Mississippi Rivers as nothing but sewage and runoff with a few fish swimming through them? Do people not get that these rivers are vital to the surrounding ecosystems?

I was at a spot today on the Minnesota River and I was absolutely DISGUSTED with what I found there. This is not the first time I have found a spot completely trashed with...well...trash.

I always take home what I bring to the river, and if these people enjoy the fishing and scenery that this river provides then why would they litter like this?

I want my kids to be able to enjoy the rivers like I have, and if this continues on and on they won't have much to enjoy.

Here are the pictures I took:

I had to leave after 15 minutes of fishing because the smell was disgusting from the rotting Walleye and the flies were thick in there. It made me want to vomit and makes me really angry to see this.

[MinnesnowtaWild]

Also at a spot near this one is nearly a dozen Freshwater Drum rotting on shore. Is that really going to accomplish anything at all? It's certainly not going to rid the river of this NATIVE fish, which plays a role in the river ecosystem by eating small invertebrates.

[GrizzlyAdams]

Disgusting to say the least. Unfortunately the best thing we as good honest fisherman can do is pick it up and try and remove as much garabge as we can before it hits the water. Those people need to be nailed to the wall.

Sad thing is, it will continue as some people never learn. We just have to start with our kids by teaching them the proper way and good etiquette.

I have seen this too many times when we fish the river. Never fails that we ALWAYS leave with more garbage than we came with.

[nige]

its pretty much the same on the st croix at point douglas park. Was there this morning and had to leave after 15-20mins from the smell. Have pics and will post tomorrow.

[SFC]

Wether Hunting or fishing I have garbage bags in my truck. Always leave the outdoor area you enjoyed cleaner than it was is what I was taught. Which is being passed on by setting the example. Sportsman need to be the ones to step up, which for most I beleave we do. Good pics & post to remind everyone we need to pick up after the (whatever expletive that comes to mind).

[deadeye]

Yeah I have to agree that is messed up. Its a shame people do that.

I do hope this doesn't come off the wrong way but after you take the pics clean that mess up! I too always have garbage bags with and if its a mess then its easy to step up and take care of it. It feels good to see what a difference ten minutes and a 5¢ bag can make. Plus with the cans you could probably get enough after a couple trips to pay for bait or gas.

While bringing attention to the problem is extremely important the only thing that cleans the mess up is getting hands dirty.

If you see someone making a mess like that offer them a garbage bag and if they decline call them in. Some people need a little extra motivation

[MinnesnowtaWild]

Trust me I wanted to clean this mess up, but I have a pretty weak stomach and some of this stuff was making me feel sick. I did however gather all the bags and cans and threw them into a fire pit that people were using. My hope is that at least someone will burn the stuff.

[Grum]

This IS my worst pet peeve, I have seen it everywhere, no matter how far away from civilization I go, I seem to run into it, so I always keep a couple of those plastic grocery bags in my tackle pack and now keep a roll of big lawn bags in the jeep. I just can't fish around the stuff. I would rather spend a 1/2 hr cleaning the stuff up just for 5-10 min of fishing in peace. mostly I don't think it's sportsmen (well I wouldn't call them sportsmen), but party people that may or may not have a fishing pole.

I agree with the above poster, it starts with how and what values we teach our youth.