WHAT ARE Sportsmen to do ?

[Ray Esboldt]

I only think guys fishing out of 20' bass boats are targeting bass, the rest are OK. Hey, I am a "tin boat" guy, and I fish bass. I could get away with murder.

Take it easy bass boat guys. No one is picking on you just because you own a bass boat. However, I've come to words with a few of you on the way you manage a boat with regards to the "tin boat" fishermen. "You mean you're bass fishing out of that boat?" after you just cut in front of me on a weedline.

[Ralph Wiggum]

For all I care, you could be carp fishing out of a bass boat, and that is fine. I think any real angler, not to mention a CO, can tell if you're fishing for bass not by the type of boat you're in, but by your tactics. That is the real issue here. Sure, you can fish for crappies with crankbaits from a bass boat, and I am certainly fine with that. But you can't convinve me that you're targeting crappies with 1/2 ounce spinnerbaits, X-raps, and jig-n-pigs. I won't get into an argument on the water with you, but rest assured if I know that you're poaching bass, the TIP line will be receiving a call from me.

[flippenstick]

Ray, The same one-who-thinks-I-am-silly that cuts in front of you on the weedline, cut's in front of me also, and I fish out of a 20 ft. bass boat. It has nothing to do with the tin boat. It has to do with respect. This is the same guy that cuts you off on the freeway and steals your parking space at Target. There are jerks in abundance out there, and all we can do is our part, not to become one of them.

[Ray Esboldt]

Oh, I hear you. I know it's a minority. But, lets not start the "tin boat" versus "blaster" deal here. The boat does not make the fisherman. I've never uttered the words, he must not be serious because he's fishing out of a canoe. Or, he must be a good fisherman because he has a 20 foot Ranger.

As you all can see, I have taken offense to the "tin boat" comment. I'll mellow out now.

[riverrat56]

The reason behind the bass boat/walleye boat/early season poaching in the bass boat could be because you don't normally fish walleyes in 2-8 ft of water this time of the year. This can cause people to assume that you are targeting bass, even if you are not.

If you witness illegal activity the only thing to do is to report it and hope they get busted.

I don't have a problem with people catching a non targeted fish while the season is closed, when it happens to me I never remove the fish from the water unless I absolutly have to, jsut reach over this the pliers and away it goes. I had a spot last week where the crappies were mixed in with the walleyes, I was catching about 1.5 eyes for every crappie, but may times I would just let slack in my line when I knew it was an eye and it would get off. No one can make an argument that I was targeting eye's with a 1/32 ounce flu-flu and an ultralight rod. I feel no guilt for accidently catching those walleyes, only one ever made it into my hand to unhook, I'll even say I enjoyed it, but it wasn't illegal as I wasn't targeting them.

I take pride in my tin can boat, I took no offense to that statment, but I can see how people would, just like generalizing people with bass boats bass fishing.

[Ihateriversnags]

I know we are beating the horse dead here but I am one of the bass boat guys and I routinely target Pike in the shallows using spinnerbaits. Now if I was throwing a Senko or a jig and pig there might be issues but the lakes that I fish, if cruising the shallows with a spinnerbait or a crank you'll get just as many pike as you will bass. Can't stand the things myself but when the bass season is closed a guy has to find SOMETHING to do!

[JPSavage]

I haven't seen much comment on fishing for Northern Pike that, of course, are normally caught by much the same lures and , in shallow water early in the season.

[grab the net]

The only guy who really knows what he is fishing for is the angler himself There are plenty of times after the opener when people throw SB's in the reeds or shallows and call themselves Pike fisherman, they may even throw a couple of slimers in the livewell. It is much more difficult to prove intent after the opener.

[Ihateriversnags]

What I find most humerous about this topic is that I feel most of us that are posting on this HSOforum are sportsman. TRUE sportsman. The one thing that a true sportsman has is integrity. So therefore I can honestly say this,

I have never been nor will I ever be a true pike fisherman. Nor will I ever be a true panfish fisherman. But when Bass season is closed I'd rather go shallow and "target" pike than sit on the dry land and twiddle my thumbs. So to sum this up, I don't call myself anything but a bored bass fisherman anxiously awaiting opener.

[senkoskipper]

I like the way how everyone acts as if they have never broken a law in their life. Oh my god that man is targeting bass out of season then they go on about rule # 2, section 4, dash 8.6.7 statue 9 of the mn bass fishing penal code yada yada yada. If the guy targeting bass wants to risk getting a citation or losing his license then let him. Just like the guy thats going faster than the speed limit on the HWY or 99% of people that never FULLY stop at a stop sign. So i guess what im trying to say is for people to just lighten up a little bit. Yes its wrong to do it and yes its unfair to those that play by the rules but lets not get our panties all twisted up over a small handful of people fishing illegaly.

[JPSavage]

I last two post are truely food for thought......Is catching and releasing bass before opener a lot different than catching and releasing smallmouth after September 11th?...........Yes, I know,"the letter of the law"!.......Reminds me of a devoutly religious type I know that will eagerly pick your pocket in a business deal and laugh all the way to the bank............Before you get all bent out of shape, these are not neccesarily my opinons, but, does make me think tho about right and wrong, illegal or legal?

[river rat316]

the Smallie season is still OPEN after September!!!! BASS SEASON IS CLOSED right now..... HUGE difference

[Deitz Dittrich]

well said RR.