I have nowhere else to complain, so I will do it here

[frazwood]

I showed up at the cabin last weekend to get it ready for winter. During the week, my neighbor had caught a 7-8 lb dogfish and killed it on the spot because "they eat all of the bluegill in the lake". To make matters worse, he left it on his dock for the birds to eat (which left it alone for someone reason).

When I pointed out that it was illegal to wantonly kill a fish like that, he replied "no, the law says that it's illegal to release a roughfish."

We've had this conversation several times but he doesn't want to be convinced. I don't want to call in the authorities, so I'm complaining here. I know that's not helpful to anyone. Sorry, rant over.

[DooWap]

If it's illegal to release rough fish then call the TIP line on me!! Most rough fish, with the exception of a few species of carp, are native and important to the natural ecosystems.

[OnAFly]

Call TIP especially if he's doing it repeatedly.

I don't know where people got the idea that it's illegal to release rough fish back into the water. I've heard it many times and people rarely believe me when I tell them it better if they are there, especially with bowfin.

[Stick500]

I think back in the '50s or '60s some of the midwestern state's DNRs did have a rule on the books at one time that said it's illegal to toss carp or rough fish back in. Or perhaps it was posted on some signs at popular fishing spots. Of course those regs are long since gone, but the myth lives on (now, however, there are rules in various states regarding the release of the 3 new species of invasive asian carp and the snakehead, which only continues to confuse everyone on this issue).

Over the years I've heard it from dozens of people in MN, IA and WI, especially when they see me gently return a common carp to my favorite holes so I can come back next week to try and catch him again.

BTW, I think bowfin are about the hardest fighting fish out there and I hate seeing them killed for no reason.

[mainbutter]

I don't want to call in the authorities

Please do. Who knows, you might be able to convince a CO to stop by for 5 minutes and lecture him that what he is doing is against the regulations, and that rough fish are to be protected.

[skee0025]

Apparently he does not believe you that his actions are wrong. Email the question to a CO and place the reply in his mail box. He gets the correct information, no one has the authorities call in on them.

[nofishfisherman]

Just bring over the regulations book with the section on wanton waste highlighted.

If he's doing this on a regular basis I'd call TIP. Sounds like the fish is still on the end of his dock so it should be an easy case for them.

[Comit 2]

I ran into this behavior last spring. Below is a link to what I observed.

http://www.hotspotoutdoors.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/2810255/Cannon_River_Bowfin#Post2810255

[TruthWalleyes]

I laugh so hard when i hear that old old law. I don't think it was ever in effect at any point in my 28 years of being alive...But i thought it was legit up until i was probably 18yrs old. It's just comical how that one survives the test of time!

[Stick500]

I had an unusual conversation with some fishermen about a month ago on small river/large creek in SW Wisconsin. They were from a church group and were gathering on a beautiful Sunday afternoon on one of their members farms for a family day of hayrides, fishing and a cookout. The land was also open to the public for fishing (a great smallmouth river) and I was the "outsider" there that day.

Anyway, I got to a deep hole real close to the farmstead and one of the guys just caught a nice carp and threw it up on shore. I said good job and then asked what he was going to do with the fish. "Nothing" was his answer and then he went on to explain that they've "pulled about 25 carp" out of there during the summer.

Another fella said he got the elderly landowner to try fishing this summer after many years of never going and got him very enthused about catching carp out of this particular hole, and how much fun they had.

Then I met the landowner and he said he went out fishing last week to try to catch some carp but came up empty handed.

Of course you can imagine what was spinning thru my head as I wanted to scream "well you morons are killing all the carp in this hole, no wonder the fishing isn't any good anymore!" but of course I ended up politely explaining that they should consider letting them go to have fun catching them again.

They said something like "oh there's so many it doesn't matter" but this was at the end of a severe drought down here and believe me, there weren't any big carp coming up this puny stream from the Mississippi any more. They just didn't get it and it was too bad cause that elderly farmer really seemed disappointed he couldn't catch any carp a stones throw from his beautiful farm...

[esoxrocks01]

You gotta love human ignorance. I encountered a fisherman down by the Cannon River who threw a sheepshead up on shore. I couldn't throw it back in the water, or else I would risk getting into a huge argument with him. It sickens me even more to learn that bowfin are still being thrown up on shore in a similar fashion. The general public, even the stubborn old timers who still abide by their mantra of "if it's rough and/or destroying the fishery, wantonly destroy it at all costs!", needs to be informed by the DNR that roughfish aren't detrimental to most fisheries. If anything, they're beneficial. Now bighead and Asian carp, they're the ones that need to be neutralized. Still, calling TIP should take care of everything.

[Stick500]

yeh one of the arguments I wished I had told those WI guys was "ya know what smallies and walleyes really love to eat each summer- baby carp!"

[Slabasaurus]

Call TIP especially if he's doing it repeatedly.

I don't know where people got the idea that it's illegal to release rough fish back into the water. I've heard it many times and people rarely believe me when I tell them it better if they are there, especially with bowfin.

I honestly had never heard this first hand until that guy yelled at you from the bridge when you released that nice carp. I did like your reply to him basically saying he isn't very good at fishing.

I can't believe people actually think the DNR would encourage people to just kill fish, especially the native ones that have been here since dinosaurs have. My goodness.. Bowfin are just cool.

[Comit 2]

You do know that there are a lot of people who eat Bowfin and Sheepshead. Just because you don't like the way they taste doesn't mean you can kill them. What would you think if someone didn't like Walleye and was doing that.

Well that is what I say to them. Then I wait 15 minutes and make the call.

[bigg edd]

Wow. If you guys get that heated up from a guy killing a dogfish whats your take on bow fishing?? I shoot 100's of carp and dogfish every year from the same body of water, along with many other people, and have seen no change in the population or size structure of the fish. You guys would have a bounty out on me if you saw some of my "tub pics" and i know guys who shoot 10x what i do a year in the same area.

And the wanton waste, i have been checked by the CO with a pile of dogfish with nothing said but a smile and a head nod.

[roughfish29]

^ How sportsmanlike

[OnAFly]

Sounds like you've got an enforcement problem.

[bigg edd]

Please tell me how a CO would ticket someone for bow fishing rough fish???

[JBMasterAngler]

bigg edd, just out of curiosity, what do you do with all those carp?

[bigg edd]

I have a friend who is a commercial leech and turtle trapper. He has a large freezer warehouse and uses them for bait. I admire the passion the folks here have for the catch and release of the fish they love. I don't see the logic of wasting taxpayer money calling a CO to investigate someone killing a dogfish. It is a rough fish, a very cool rough fish, but one that is not protected, and not very targeted. I would be the first person to call the CO if I saw someone throwing fish on the bank or dumping them in the ditch. Bow fishing or hook and line. It makes us all look bad. My passion is bow fishing, yours is catching and releasing them. I will leave it at that...good luck to you all.

[Gordie]

Big Ed you hit the nail on the head.

I know of a lot of guys that bow fish for rough fish and they take alot of these fish to a farmers field to use as fertilizer, these fish are not protected, that is why they allow this sort of fishing.

Next time your n the lake this winter look around at how many dead fish are laying on the ice is that not wonton waste, I have seen just about every spices of fish dead on the ice too.

It may not have been the greatest idea the OP's neighbor had with putting the dead rough fish at the end of the dock but it was done and his answer back to you may have been goofy, but Please don't ever be the one saying that I don't want to call the DNR on the guy cause this happens way to much and is why the DNR has such a hard time with catching offenders. Its Not just the DNR's job to catch laws breakers its all of our business. They cant do it all with out our help.

[OnAFly]

Big Edd - From your post, I inferred that you were going to leave them and that the CO was OK with that. That would be an enforcement problem.

[maj330]

I can't believe people actually think the DNR would encourage people to just kill fish, especially the native ones that have been here since dinosaurs have. My goodness.. Bowfin are just cool.

The DNR calls the "legal" version of this activity "Bowfishing".

[frazwood]

It's always interesting how topics evolve from their starting point...

I have to admit that my primary problem with my neighbor is two-fold: (1) I think dogfish are way cool. Some people think that they are ugly, but I think they are one of the more visually interesting fish around, and (2) he left it out on the dock.

I have to admit that I am much more comfortable killing a non-indigenous /invasive species like a carp than an indigenous fish like a dogfish. Even then, I *never* intentionally kill a fish that I don't eat.

I don't have an issue with bowfishing, either, as long as the harvest is used in an appropriate manner (fertilizer, cat food, whatever) rather than just killing the fish and letting it rot on shore.

[frazwood]

It may not have been the greatest idea the OP's neighbor had with putting the dead rough fish at the end of the dock but it was done and his answer back to you may have been goofy, but Please don't ever be the one saying that I don't want to call the DNR on the guy cause this happens way to much and is why the DNR has such a hard time with catching offenders. Its Not just the DNR's job to catch laws breakers its all of our business. They cant do it all with out our help.

I think that you don't quite understand why I am not calling the DNR. If this was a random lake and I didn't live there, I would have no problem calling the DNR. But, I have a cabin there. There is an entire neighborhood of guys (all of whom believe that dogfish should be killed on sight) who do me the favor of looking after my place when I am not there, lend me tools when I can't find the one I need, help me take out my dock in the fall, put in the dock in the spring, etc.

As much as I love dogfish, I am not going to [PoorWordUsage] off all of my neighbors by calling the TIP line.